the golden asse-第17章

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r　every　trifle。　　Then　one　of　them　that　came　last　answered；　Why　are　you　only　ignorant；　that　the　greater　the　number　is；　the　sooner　they　may　rob　and　spoyle　the　house？　And　although　the　family　be　dispersed　in　divers　lodgings；　yet　every　man　had　rather　to　defend　his　own　life；　than　to　save　the　riches　of　his　master　：　but　when　there　be　but　a　few　theeves；　then　will　they　not　only　rather　regard　themselves；　but　also　their　substance；　how　little　or　great　soever　it　be。　　And　to　the　intent　you　may　beleeve　me　I　will　shew　you　an　example　：　wee　were　come　nothing　nigh　to　Thebes；　where　is　the　fountain　of　our　art　and　science；　but　we　learned　where　a　rich　Chuffe　called　Chriseros　did　dwell；　who　for　fear　of　offices　in　the　publique　wel　dissembled　his　estate；　and　lived　sole　and　solitary　in　a　small　coat；　howbeit　replenished　with　aboundance　of　treasure；　and　went　daily　in　ragged　and　torn　apparel。　　Wherefore　wee　devised　with　our　selves　to　go　to　his　house　and　spoyl　him　of　all　his　riches。　And　when　night　came　we　drew　towards　the　dore；　which　was　so　strongly　closed；　　that　we　could　neither　move　it；　nor　lift　it　out　of　the　hooks；　and　we　thought　it　best　not　to　break　it　open　lest　by　the　noyse　we　should　raise　up　to　our　harm　the　neighbours　by。　　Then　our　strong　and　valiant　captaine　Lamathus　trusting　in　his　own　strength　and　force；　thrust　in　his　had　through　a　hole　in　the　dore；　and　thought　to　pull　back　the　bolt　：　but　the　covetous　caitif　Chriseros　being　awake；　and　making　no　noise　came　softly　to　the　dore　and　caught　his　hand　and　with　a　great　naile　nailed　it　fast　to　the　post　：　which　when　he　had　done；　he　ran　up　to　the　high　chamber　and　called　every　one　of　his　neighbours　by　name；　desiring　them　to　succour　him　with　all　possible　speed；　for　his　own　house　was　on　fire。　　Then　every　one　for　fear　of　his　owne　danger　came　running　out　to　aid　him；　wherewith　we　fearing　our　present　peril；　knew　not　what　was　best　to　be　don；　whether　wee　should　leave　our　companion　there；　or　yeeld　ourselves　to　die　with　him　：　but　we　by　his　consent　devised　a　better　way；　for　we　cut　off　his　arm　by　the　elbow　and　so　let　it　hang　there　：　then　wee　bound　his　wound　with　clouts；　lest　we　should　be　traced　by　the　drops　of　blood　：　which　don　we　took　Lamathus　and　led　him　away；　for　fear　we　would　be　taken　：　but　being　so　nigh　pursued　that　we　were　in　present　danger；　and　that　Lamathus　could　not　keepe　our　company　by　reason　of　faintnesse；　and　on　the　other　side　perceiving　that　it　was　not　for　his　profit　to　linger　behinde；　he　spake　unto　us　as　a　man　of　singular　courage　and　vertue；　desiring　us　by　much　entreaty　and　prayer　and　by　the　puissance　of　the　god　Mars；　and　the　faith　of　our　confederacy；　to　deliver　his　body　from　torment　and　miserable　captivity　：　and　further　he　said；　How　is　it　possible　that　so　courageous　a　Captaine　can　live　without　his　hand；　wherewith　he　could　somtime　rob　and　slay　so　many　people？　　I　would　thinke　myself　sufficiently　happy　if　I　could　be　slaine　by　one　of　you。　　But　when　he　saw　that　we　all　refused　to　commit　any　such　fact；　he　drew　out　his　sword　with　his　other　hand；　and　after　that　he　had　often　kissed　it；　he　drove　it　clean　through　his　body。　　Then　we　honoured　the　corps　of　so　puissant　a　man；　and　wrapped　it　in　linnen　cloathes　and　threw　it　into　the　sea。　　So　lieth　our　master　Lamathus；　buried　and　did　in　the　grave　of　water；　and　ended　his　life　as　I　have　declared。　　But　Alcinus；　though　he　were　a　man　of　great　enterprise；　　yet　could　he　not　beware　by　Lamathus；　nor　voide　himselfe　from　evill　fortune；　for　on　a　day　when　he　had　entred　into　an　old　womans　house　to　rob　her；　he　went　up　into　a　high　chamber；　where　hee　should　first　have　strangled　her　：　but　he　had　more　regard　to　throw　down　the　bags　of　mony　and　gold　out　at　a　window；　to　us　that　stood　under；　and　when　he　was　so　greedy　that　he　would　leave　nothing　behinde；　he　went　into　the　old　womans　bed　where　she　lay　asleep；　and　would　have　taken　off　the　coverlet　to　have　thrown　downe　likewise；　but　shee　awaked；　and　kneeling　on　her　knees；　desired　him　in　this　manner　：　O　sir　I　pray　you　cast　not　away　such　torn　and　ragged　clouts　into　my　neighbours　houses；　for　they　are　rich　enough；　and　need　no　such　things。　　Then　Alcinus　thinking　her　words　to　be　true；　was　brought　in　beleefe；　that　such　things　as　he　had　throwne　out　already；　and　such　things　as　hee　should　throw　out　after；　was　not　fallen　downe　to　his　fellowes；　but　to　other　mens　houses；　wherefore　hee　went　to　the　window　to　see；　and　as　hee　thought　to　behold　the　places　round　about；　thrusting　his　body　out　of　the　window；　the　old　woman　marked　him　wel；　and　came　behind　him　softly；　and　though　shee　had　but　small　strength；　yet　with　sudden　force　she　tooke　him　by　the　heeles　and　thrust　him　out　headlong；　and　so　he　fell　upon　a　marvellous　great　stone　and　burst　his　ribs；　wherby　he　vomited　and　spewed　great　flakes　of　blood；　and　presently　died。　　Then　wee　threw　him　to　the　river　likewise；　as　we　had　done　Lamathus　before。

When　we　had　thus　lost　two　of　our　companions；　we　liked　not　Thebes；　but　marched　towards　the　next　city　called　Platea；　where　we　found　a　man　of　great　fame　called　Demochares；　that　purposed　to　set　forth　a　great　game；　where　should　be　a　triall　of　all　kind　of　weapons　：　hee　was　come　of　a　good　house；　marvellous　rich；　liberall；　and　wel　deserved　that　which　he　had　and　had　prepared　many　showes　and　pleasures　for　the　Common　people；　insomuch　that　there　is　no　man　can　either　by　wit　or　eloquence　shew　in　words　his　worthy　preparations　：　for　first　he　had　provided　all　sorts　of　armes；　hee　greatly　delighted　in　hunting　and　chasing；　he　ordained　great　towers　and　Tables　to　move　hither　and　thither　：　hee　made　many　places　to　chase　and　encounter　in　：　he　had　ready　a　great　number　of　men　and　wilde　beasts；　and　many　condemned　persons　were　brought　from　the　Judgement　place；　to　try　and　fight　with　those　beasts。　　　But　amongst　so　great　preparations　of　noble　price；　he　bestowed　the　most　part　of　his　patrimony　in　buying　of　Beares；　which　he　nourished　to　his　great　cost；　and　esteemed　more　than　all　the　other　beasts；　which　either　by　chasing　hee　caught　himself；　or　which　he　dearely　bought；　or　which　were　given　him　from　divers　of　his　friends。

Howbeit　for　all　his　sumptuous　cost；　hee　could　not　be　free　from　the　malitious　eyes　of　envy；　for　some　of　them　were　well　nigh　dead　with　too　long　tying　up；　some　meagre　with　the　broyling　heat　of　the　sunne；　some　languished　with　lying；　but　all　having　sundry　diseases；　were　so　afflicted　that　they　died　one　after　another；　and　there　was　well　nigh　none　left；　in　such　sort　that　you　might　see　them　lying　in　the　streets　pittiously　dead。　　And　the　common　people　having　no　other　meat　to　feed　on；　little　regarding　any　curiosity；　would　come　forth　and　fill　their　bellies　with　the　flesh　of　the　beares。　　Then　by　and　by　Babulus　and　I　devised　a　pretty　sport；　wee　drew　one　of　the　greatest　of　the　Beares　to　our　lodging；　as　though　wee　would　prepare　to　eat　thereof；　where　wee　flayed　of　his　skinne；　and　kept　his　ungles　whole；　but　we　medled　not　with　the　head；　but　cut　it　off　by　the　necke；　and　so　let　it　hang　to　the　skinne。　　Then　we　rased　off　the　flesh　from　the　necke；　and　cast　dust　thereon；　and　set　it　in　the　sun　to　dry。



THE　TWENTIETH　CHAPTER


How　Thrasileon　was　disguised　in　a　Beares　skin；　and　how　he　was　handled。

When　the　skin　was　a　drying　we　made　merry　with　the　flesh；　and　then　we　devised　with　our　selves；　that　one　of　us　being　more　valiant　than　the　rest　both　in　body　and　courage　（so　that　he　would　consent　thereto）　should　put　on　the　skin；　and　feigning　that　he　were　a　Beare；　should　be　led　to　Demochares　house　in　the　night；　by　which　means　we　thought　to　be　received　and　let　in。　　Many　were　desirous　to　play　the　Beare；　but　especially　one　Thrasileon　of　a　couragious　minde　would　take　this　enterprise　in　hand。　　Then　wee　put　in　into　the　Beares　skin；　which　him　finely　in　every　point；　wee　buckled　it　fast　under　his　belly；　and　covered　the　seam　with　the　haire；　that　it　might　not　be　seen。　　After　this　we　made　little　holes　through　the　bears　head；　and　through　his　nosthrils　and　eyes；　for　Thrasileon　to　see　out　and　take　wind　at；　in　such　sort　that　he　seemed　a　very　lively　and　natural　beast　：　when　this　was　don　we　went　into　a　cave　which　we　hired　for　the　purpose；　and　he　crept　in　after　like　a　bear　with　a　good　courage。　　Thus　we　began　our　subtility；　and　then　wee　imagined　thus；　wee　feigned　letters　as　though　they　came　from　one　Nicanor　which　dwelt　in　the　Country　of　Thracia；　which　was　of