the golden asse-第41章

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waked；　he　perceived　two　unknown　slippers　lying　under　his　bed；　which　Philesiterus　had　forgotten　when　he　went　away。　Then　he　conceived　a　great　suspition　and　jealousie　in　mind；　howbeit　he　would　not　discover　it　to　his　wife；　neither　to　any　other　person；　but　putting　secretly　the　slippers　into　his　bosome；　commanded　his　other　Servants　to　bind　Myrmex　incontinently；　and　to　bring　him　bound　to　the　Justice　after　him；　thinking　verily　that　by　the　meane　of　the　slippers　he　might　boult　out　the　matter。　　It　fortuned　that　while　Barbarus　went　towards　the　Justice　in　a　fury　and　rage；　and　Myrmex　fast　bound；　followed　him　weeping；　not　because　he　was　accused　before　his　master；　but　by　reason　he　knew　his　owne　conscience　guilty　：　behold　by　adventure　Philesiterus　（going　about　earnest　businesse）　fortuned　to　meet　with　them　by　the　way；　who　fearing　the　matter　which　he　committed　the　night　before；　and　doubting　lest　it　should　be　knowne；　did　suddainly　invent　a　meane　to　excuse　Myrmex；　for　he　ran　upon　him　and　beate　him　about　the　head　with　his　fists；　saying　：　Ah　mischievous　varlet　that　thou　art；　and　perjured　knave。　　It　were　a　good　deed　if　the　Goddesse　and　thy　master　here；　would　put　thee　to　death；　for　thou　art　worthy　to　be　imprisoned　and　to　weare　out　these　yrons；　that　stalest　my　slippers　away　when　thou　werest　at　my　baines　yester　night。　Barbarus　hearing　this　returned　incontinently　home；　and　called　his　servant　Myrmex；　commanding　him　to　deliver　the　slippers　againe　to　the　right　owner。

　The　old　woman　had　scant　finished　her　tale　when　the　Bakers　wife　gan　say　：　Verily　she　is　blessed　and　most　blessed；　that　hath　the　fruition　of　so　worthy　a　lover；　but　as　for　me　poore　miser；　I　am　fallen　into　the　hands　of　a　coward；　who　is　not　onely　afraid　of　my　husband　but　also　of　every　clap　of　the　mill；　and　dares　not　doe　nothing；　before　the　blind　face　of　yonder　scabbed　Asse。　　Then　the　old　woman　answered；　I　promise　you　certainly　if　you　will；　you　shall　have　this　young　man　at　your　pleasure；　and　therewithall　when　night　came；　she　departed　out　of　her　chamber。　　In　the　meane　season；　the　Bakers　wife　made　ready　a　supper　with　abundance　of　wine　and　exquisite　fare　：　so　that　there　lacked　nothing；　but　the　comming　of　the　young　man；　for　her　husband　supped　at　one　of　her　neighbours　houses。　When　time　came　that　my　harnesse　should　be　taken　off　and　that　I　should　rest　my　selfe；　I　was　not　so　joyfull　of　my　liberty；　as　when　the　vaile　was　taken　from　mine　eyes；　I　should　see　all　the　abhomination　of　this　mischievous　queane。　　When　night　was　come　and　the　Sunne　gone　downe；　behold　the　old　bawd　and　the　young　man；　who　seemed　to　be　but　a　child；　by　reason　he　had　no　beard；　came　to　the　doore。　Then　the　Bakers　wife　kissed　him　a　thousand　times　and　received　him　courteously；　placed　him　downe　at　the　table　：　but　he　had　scarce　eaten　the　first　morsell；　when　the　good　man　（contrary　to　his　wives　expectation）　returned　home；　for　she　thought　he　would　not　have　come　so　soone　：　but　Lord　how　she　cursed　him；　praying　God　that　he　might　breake　his　necke　at　the　first　entry　in。　　In　the　meane　season；　she　caught　her　lover　and　thrust　him　into　the　bin　where　she　bolted　her　flower；　and　dissembling　the　matter；　finely　came　to　her　husband　demanding　why　he　came　home　so　soone。　I　could　not　abide　（quoth　he）　to　see　so　great　a　mischiefe　and　wicked　fact；　which　my　neighbours　wife　committed；　but　I　must　run　away　：　O　harlot　as　she　is；　how　hath　she　dishonoured　her　husband；　I　sweare　by　the　goddesse　Ceres；　that　if　I　had　＇not＇　seene　it　with　mine　eyes；　I　would　never　I　have　beleeved　it。　　His　wife　desirous　to　know　the　matter；　desired　him　to　tell　what　she　had　done：　then　hee　accorded　to　the　request　of　his　wife；　and　ignorant　of　the　estate　of　his　own　house；　declared　the　mischance　of　another。　　You　shall　understand　（quoth　he）　that　the　wife　of　the　Fuller　my　companion；　who　seemed　to　me　a　wise　and　chast　woman；　regarding　her　own　honesty　and　profit　of　her　house；　was　found　this　night　with　her　knave。　　For　while　we　went　to　wash　our　hands；　hee　and　she　were　together　：　who　being　troubled　with　our　presence　ran　into　a　corner；　and　she　thrust　him　into　a　mow　made　with　twigs；　appoynted　to　lay　on　clothes　to　make　them　white　with　the　smoake　of　fume　and　brymstone。　　Then　she　sate　down　with　us　at　the　table　to　colour　the　matter　：　in　the　meant　season　the　young　man　covered　in　the　mow；　could　not　forbeare　sneesing；　by　reason　of　the　smoake　of　the　brymstone。　　The　good　man　thinking　it　had　beene　his　wife　that　sneesed；　cryed；　Christ　helpe。　But　when　he　sneesed　more；　he　suspected　the　matter；　and　willing　to　know　who　it　was；　rose　from　the　table；　and　went　to　the　mow；　where　hee　found　a　young　man　welnigh　dead　with　smoke。　　When　hee　understood　the　whole　matter；　he　was　so　inflamed　with　anger　that　he　called　for　a　sword　to　kill　him；　and　undoubtedly　he　had　killed　him；　had　I　not　restrained　his　violent　hands　from　his　purpose；　assuring　him；　that　his　enemy　would　dye　with　the　force　of　his　brimstone；　without　the　harme　which　he　should　doe。　　Howbeit　my　words　would　not　appease　his　fury；　but　as　necessity　required　he　tooke　the　young　man　well　nigh　choked；　and　carried　him　out　at　the　doores。　　In　the　meane　season；　I　counsailed　his　wife　to　absent　her　selfe　at　some　of　her　Neighbours　houses；　till　the　choller　of　her　husband　was　pacified；　lest　he　should　be　moved　against　her；　as　he　was　against　the　young　man。　And　so　being　weary　of　their　supper；　I　forthwith　returned　home。　When　the　Baker　had　told　his　tale；　his　impudent　wife　began　to　curse　and　abhorre　the　wife　of　the　Fuller；　and　generally　all　other　wives；　which　abandon　their　bodies　with　any　other　then　with　their　owne　Husbands；　breaking　the　faith　and　bond　of　marriage；　whereby　she　said；　they　were　worthy　to　be　burned　alive。　　But　knowing　her　owne　guilty　conscience　and　proper　whoredome；　lest　her　lover　should　be　hurt　lying　in　the　bin；　she　willed　her　husband　to　goe　to　bed；　but　he　having　eaten　nothing；　said　that　he　would　sup　before　he　went　to　rest　：　whereby　shee　was　compelled　to　maugre　her　eies；　to　set　such　things　on　the　Table　as　she　had　prepared　for　her　lover。

　But　I；　considering　the　great　mischiefe　of　this　wicked　queane；　devised　with　my　selfe　how　I　might　reveale　the　matter　to　my　Master；　and　by　kicking　away　the　cover　of　the　binne　（where　like　a　Snaile　the　young…man　was　couched）　to　make　her　whoredome　apparent　and　knowne。　　At　length　I　was　ayded　by　the　providence　of　God；　for　there　was　an　old　man　to　whom　the　custody　of　us　was　committed；　that　drave　me　poore　Asse；　and　the　other　Horses　the　same　time　to　the　water　to　drinke；　then　had　I　good　occasion　ministred；　to　revenge　the　injury　of　my　master；　for　as　I　passed　by；　I　perceived　the　fingers　of　the　young…man　upon　the　side　of　the　binne；　and　lifting　up　my　heeles；　I　spurned　off　the　flesh　with　the　force　of　my　hoofes；　whereby　he　was　compelled　to　cry　out；　and　to　throw　downe　the　binne　on　the　ground；　and　so　the　whoredome　of　the　Bakers　wife　was　knowne　and　revealed。　　The　Baker　seeing　this　was　not　a　little　moved　at　the　dishonesty　of　his　wife；　but　hee　tooke　the　young…man　trembling　for　feare　by　the　hand；　and　with　cold　and　courteous　words　spake　in　this　sort　：　Feare　not　my　Sonne；　nor　thinke　that　I　am　so　barbarous　or　cruell　a　person；　that　I　would　stiffle　thee　up　with　the　smoke　of　Sulphur　as　our　neighbour　accustometh；　nor　I　will　not　punish　thee　according　to　the　rigour　of　the　law　of　Julia；　which　commandeth　the　Adulterers　should　be　put　to　death　：　No　no；　I　will　not　execute　my　cruelty　against　so　faire　and　comely　a　young　man　as　you　be；　but　we　will　devide　our　pleasure　betweene　us；　by　lying　all　three　in　one　bed；　to　the　end　there　may　be　no　debate　nor　dissention　betweene　us；　but　that　either　of　us　may　be　contented；　for　I　have　alwayes　lived　with　my　wife　in　such　tranquillity　；　that　according　to　the　saying　of　the　wisemen；　whatsoever　I　say；　she　holdeth　for　law；　and　indeed　equity　will　not　suffer；　but　that　the　husband　should　beare　more　authority　then　the　wife　：　with　these　and　like　words　he　led　the　young…man　to　his　Chamber；　and　closed　his　wife　in　another　Chamber。　　On　the　next　morrow；　he　called　two　of　the　most　sturdiest　Servants　of　his　house；　who　held　up　the　young…　man；　while　he　scourged　his　buttockes　welfavouredly　with　rods　like　a　child。　　When　he　had　well　beaten　him；　he　said　：　Art　not　thou　ashamed；　thou　that　art　so　tender　and　delicate　a　child；　to　desire　the　violation　of　honest　marriages；　and　to　defame　thy　selfe　with　wick