the golden asse-第42章

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and　delicate　a　child；　to　desire　the　violation　of　honest　marriages；　and　to　defame　thy　selfe　with　wicked　living；　whereby　thou　hast　gotten　the　name　of　an　Adulterer？　After　he　had　spoken　these　and　like　words；　he　whipped　him　againe；　and　chased　him　out　of　his　house。　　The　young…man　who　was　the　comeliest　of　all　the　adulterers；　ran　away；　and　did　nothing　else　that　night　save　onely　bewaile　his　striped　and　painted　buttockes。　　Soone　after　the　Baker　sent　one　to　his　wife；　who　divorced　her　away　in　his　name；　but　she　beside　her　owne　naturall　mischiefe；　（offended　at　this　great　contumely；　though　she　had　worthily　deserved　the　same）　had　recourse　to　wicked　arts　and　trumpery；　never　ceasing　untill　she　had　found　out　an　Enchantresse；　who　（as　it　was　thought）　could　doe　what　she　would　with　her　Sorcery　and　conjuration。　　The　Bakers　wife　began　to　intreate　her；　promising　that　she　would　largely　recompence　her；　if　shee　could　bring　one　of　these　things　to　passe；　eyther　to　make　that　her　husband　may　be　reconciled　to　her　againe；　or　else　if　hee　would　not　agree　thereto；　to　send　an　ill　spirit　into　him；　to　dispossesse　the　spirit　of　her　husband。　　Then　the　witch　with　her　abhominable　science；　began　to　conjure　and　to　make　her　Ceremonies；　to　turne　the　heart　of　the　Baker　to　his　wife；　but　all　was　in　vaine；　wherefore　considering　on　the　one　side　that　she　could　not　bring　her　purpose　to　passe；　and　on　the　other　side　the　losse　of　her　gaine；　she　ran　hastily　to　the　Baker；　threatning　to　send　an　evill　spirit　to　kill　him；　by　meane　of　her　conjurations。　　But　peradventure　some　scrupulous　reader　may　demand　me　a　question；　how　I；　being　an　Asse；　and　tyed　alwayes　in　the　mill　house；　could　know　the　secrets　of　these　women　：　Verily　I　answer；　notwithstanding　my　shape　of　an　Asse；　I　had　the　sence　and　knowledge　of　a　man；　and　curiously　endeavoured　to　know　out　such　injuries　as　were　done　to　my　master。　　About　noone　there　came　a　woman　into　the　Milhouse；　very　sorrowfull；　raggedly　attired；　with　bare　feete；　meigre；　ill…favoured；　and　her　hayre　scattering　upon　her　face　：　This　woman　tooke　the　Baker　by　the　hand；　and　faining　that　she　had　some　secret　matter　to　tell　him；　went　into　a　chamber；　where　they　remained　a　good　space；　till　all　the　corne　was　ground；　when　as　the　servants　were　compelled　to　call　their　master　to　give　them　more　corne；　but　when　they　had　called　very　often；　and　no　person　gave　answer；　they　began　to　mistrust；　insomuch　that　they　brake　open　the　doore　：　when　they　were　come　in；　they　could　not　find　the　woman；　hut　onely　their　master　hanging　dead　upon　a　rafter　of　the　chamber；　whereupon　they　cryed　and　lamented　greatly；　and　according　to　the　custome；　when　they　had　washed　themselves；　they　tooke　the　body　and　buried　it。　　The　next　day　morrow；　the　daughter　of　the　Baker；　which　was　married　but　a　little　before　to　one　of　the　next　Village；　came　crying　and　beating　her　breast；　not　because　she　heard　of　the　death　of　her　father　by　any　man；　but　because　his　lamentable　spirit；　with　a　halter　about　his　necke　appeared　to　her　in　the　night；　declaring　the　whole　circumstance　of　his　death；　and　how　by　inchantment　he　was　descended　into　hell；　which　caused　her　to　thinke　that　her　father　was　dead。　　After　that　she　had　lamented　a　good　space；　and　was　somewhat　comforted　by　the　servants　of　the　house；　and　when　nine　dayes　were　expired；　as　inheretrix　to　her　father；　she　sold　away　all　the　substance　of　the　house；　whereby　the　goods　chanced　into　divers　mens　hands。



THE　FORTY…SECOND　CHAPTER


　How　Apuleius　after　the　Baker　was　hanged；　was　sold　to　a　Gardener；　and　what　dreadfull　things　happened。

There　was　a　poore　Gardener　amongst　the　rest；　which　bought　me　for　the　summe　of　fifty　pence；　which　seemed　to　him　a　great　price；　but　he　thought　to　gayne　it　againe　by　the　continuall　travell　of　my　body。　The　matter　requireth　to　tell　likewise；　how　I　was　handled　in　his　service。　　This　Gardener　accustomed　to　drive　me；　every　morning　laded　with　hearbes　to　the　next　Village；　and　when　he　had　sold　his　hearbes；　hee　would　mount　upon　my　backe　and　returne　to　the　Garden；　and　while　he　digged　the　ground　and　watered　the　hearbes；　and　went　about　other　businesse；　I　did　nothing　but　repose　my　selfe　with　great　ease；　but　when　Winter　approached　with　sharpe　haile；　raine　and　frosts；　and　I　standing　under　a　hedge　side；　was　welnigh　killed　up　with　cold；　and　my　master　was　so　poore　that　he　had　no　lodging　for　himselfe；　much　lesse　had　he　any　littor　or　place　to　cover　me　withall；　for　he　himselfe　alwayes　lay　under　a　little　roofe　shadowed　with　boughes。　　In　the　morning　when　I　arose；　I　found　my　hoofes　shriveled　together　with　cold；　and　unable　to　passe　upon　the　sharpe　ice；　and　frosty　mire；　neither　could　I　fill　my　belly　with　meate；　as　I　accustomed　to　doe；　for　my　master　and　I　supped　together；　and　had　both　one　fare　：　howbeit　it　was　very　slender　since　as　wee　had　nothing　else　saving　old　and　unsavoury　sallets　which　were　suffered　to　grow　for　seed；　like　long　broomes；　and　that　had　lost　all　their　sweet　sappe　and　juice。

　It　fortuned　on　a　day　that　an　honest　man　of　the　next　village　was　benighted　and　constrained　by　reason　of　the　rain　to　lodge　（very　lagged　and　weary）。in　our　Garden；　where　although　he　was　but　meanely　received；　yet　it　served　well　enough　considering　time　and　necessity。　　This　honest　man　to　recompence　our　entertainment；　promised　to　give　my　master　some　corne；　oyle；　and　two　bottels　of　wine　：　wherefore　my　master　not　delaying　the　matter；　laded　me　with　sackes　and　bottels；　and　rode　to　the　Towne　which　was　seaven　miles　off。

　When　we　came　to　the　honest　mans　house；　he　entertained　and　feasted　my　master　exceedingly。　　And　it　fortuned　while　they　eate　and　dranke　together　as　signe　of　great　amity　there　chanced　a　strange　and　dreadfull　case　：　for　there　was　a　Hen　which　ran　kackling　about　the　yard；　as　though　she　would　have　layed　an　Egge。　The　good　man　of　the　house　perceiving　her；　said　：　O　good　and　profitable　pullet　that　feedest　us　every　day　with　thy　fruit；　thou　seemest　as　though　thou　wouldest　give　us　some　pittance　for　our　dinner　：　Ho　boy　put　the　Pannier　in　the　corner　that　the　Hen　may　lay。　Then　the　boy　did　as　his　master　commanded；　but　the　Hen　forsaking　the　Pannier；　came　toward　her　master　and　laid　at　his　feet　not　an　Egge；　which　every　man　knoweth；　but　a　Chickin　with　feathers；　clawes；　and　eyes；　which　incontinently　ran　peeping　after　his　damme。　By　and　by　happened　a　more　strange　thing；　which　would　cause　any　man　to　abhorre：　under　the　Table　where　they　sate；　the　ground　opened；　and　there　appeared　a　great　well　and　fountain　of　bloud；　insomuch　that　the　drops　thereof　sparckled　about　the　Table。　　At　the　same　time　while　they　wondred　at　this　dreadfull　sight　one　of　the　Servants　came　running　out　of　the　Seller；　and　told　that　all　the　wine　was　boyled　out　of　the　vessels；　as　though　there　had　beene　some　great　fire　under。　　By　and　by　a　Weasel　was　scene　that　drew　into　the　house　a　dead　Serpent；　and　out　of　the　mouth　of　a　Shepheards　dog　leaped　a　live　frog；　and　immediately　after　one　brought　word　that　a　Ram　had　strangled　the　same　dog　at　one　bit。　　All　these　things　that　happened；　astonied　the　good　man　of　the　house；　and　the　residue　that　were　present；　insomuch　that　they　could　not　tell　what　to　doe；　or　with　what　sacrifice　to　appease　the　anger　of　the　gods。　　While　every　man　was　thus　stroken　in　feare；　behold；　one　brought　word　to　the　good　man　of　the　house；　that　his　three　sonnes　who　had　been　brought　up　in　good　literature；　and　endued　with　good　manners　were　dead；　for　they　three　had　great　acquaintance　and　ancient　amity　with　a　poore　man　which　was　their　neighbour；　and　dwelled　hard　by　them：　and　next　unto　him　dwelled　another　young　man　very　rich　both　in　lands　and　goods；　but　bending　from　the　race　of　his　progenies　dissentions；　and　ruling　himselfe　in　the　towne　according　to　his　owne　will。　This　young　royster　did　mortally　hate　this　poore　man；　insomuch　that　he　would　kill　his　sheepe；　steale　his　oxen；　and　spoyle　his　corne　and　other　fruits　before　the　time　of　ripenesse；　yet　was　he　not　contented　with　this；　but　he　would　encroch　upon　the　poore　mans　ground；　and　clayme　all　the　heritage　as　his　owne。　The　poore　man　which　was　very　simple　and　fearefull；　seeing　all　his　goods　taken　away　by　the　avarice　of　the　rich　man；　called　together　and　assembled　many　of　his　friends　to　shew　them　all　his　land；　to　the　end　he　might　have　but　so　much　ground　of　his　fathers　heritage；　as　might　bury　him。　Amongst　whom；　he　found　these　three