the golden asse-第43章

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ve　but　so　much　ground　of　his　fathers　heritage；　as　might　bury　him。　Amongst　whom；　he　found　these　three　brethren；　as　friends　to　helpe　and　ayd　him　in　his　adversity　and　tribulation。

　Howbeit；　the　presence　of　these　honest　Citizens；　could　in　no　wise　perswade　him　to　leave　his　extort　power；　no　nor　yet　to　cause　any　temperance　of　his　tongue；　but　the　more　they　went　about　with　gentle　words　to　tell　him　his　faults；　the　more　would　he　fret　and　likewise　fume；　swearing　all　the　oathes　under　God；　that　he　little　regarded　the　presence　of　the　whole　City；　whereupon　incontinently　he　commanded　his　servants　to　take　the　poore　man　by　the　eares；　and　carry　him　out　of　his　ground；　which　greatly　offended　all　the　standers　by。　Then　one　of　the　brethren　spake　unto　him　somewhat　boldly；　saying　：　It　is　but　a　folly　to　have　such　affiance　in　your　riches；　whereby　you　should　use　your　tyranny　against　the　poore；　when　as　the　law　is　common　for　all　men；　and　a　redresse　may　be　had　to　suppresse　your　insolency。　These　words　chafed　him　more　then　the　burning　oile；　or　flaming　brimstone；　or　scourge　of　whipps；　saying　：　that　they　should　be　hanged　and　their　law　too；　before　he　would　be　subject　unto　any　person　：　and　therewithall　he　called　out　his　bandogges　and　great　masties；　which　accustomed　to　eate　the　carrion　and　carkases　of　dead　beasts　in　the　fields；　and　to　set　upon　such　as　passed　by　the　way：　then　he　commanded　they　should　be　put　upon　all　the　assistance　to　teare　them　in　peeces　：　who　as　soone　as　they　heard　the　hisse　of　their　master；　ran　fiercely　upon　them　invading　them　on　every　side；　insomuch　that　the　more　they　flied　to　escape　away；　the　more　cruell　and　terrible　were　the　dogges。　It　fortuned　amongst　all　this　fearefull　company；　that　in　running；　the　youngest　of　the　three　brethren　stombled　at　a　stone；　and　fell　down　to　the　ground　：　Then　the　dogs　came　upon　him　and　tare　him　in　peeces　with　their　teeth；　whereby　he　was　compelled　to　cry　for　succour　：　His　other　two　brethren　hearing　his　lamentable　voice　ran　towards　him　to　helpe　him；　casting　their　cloakes　about　their　left　armes；　tooke　up　stones　to　chase　away　the　dogs；　but　all　was　in　vaine；　for　they　might　see　their　brother　dismembred　in　every　part　of　his　body　：　　Who　lying　at　the　very　point　of　death；　desired　his　brethren　to　revenge　his　death　against　that　cruell　tyrant　：　And　therewithall　lie　gave　up　the　ghost。　The　other　two　brethren　perceiving　so　great　a　murther；　and　neglecting　their　owne　lives；　like　desperate　persons　dressed　themselves　against　the　tyrant；　and　threw　a　great　number　of　stones　at　him；　but　the　bloudy　theefe　exercised　in　such　and　like　mischiefes；　tooke　a　speare　and　thrust　it　cleane　through　the　body　：　howbeit　he　fell　not　downe　to　the　ground。　　For　the　speare　that　came　out　at　his　backe　ran　into　the　earth；　and　sustained　him　up。　　By　and　by　carne　one　of　these　tyrants　servants　the　most　sturdiest　of　the　rest　to　helpe　his　master；　who　at　the　first　comming　tooke　up　a　stone　and　threw　at　the　third　brother；　but　by　reason　the　stone　ran　along　his　arme　it　did　not　hurt　him；　which　chanced　otherwise　then　all　mens　expectation　was　：　by　and　by　the　young　man　feigning　that　his　arme　was　greatly　wounded；　spake　these　words　unto　the　cruell　bloud　sucker　：　Now　maist　thou；　thou　wretch；　triumph　upon　the　destruction　of　all　our　family；　now　hast　thou　fed　thy　insatiable　cruelty　with　the　bloud　of　three　brethren；　now　maist　thou　rejoyce　at　the　fall　of　us　Citizens；　yet　thinke　not　but　that　how　farre　thou　dost　remove　and　extend　the　bounds　of　thy　land；　thou　shalt　have　some　neighbor；　but　how　greatly　am　I　sorry　in　that　I　have　lost　mine　arme　wherewithall　I　minded　to　cut　off　thy　head。　　When　he　had　spoken　these　words；　the　furious　theefe　drew　out　his　dagger；　and　running　upon　the　young　man　thought　verily　to　have　slaine　him；　but　it　chanced　otherwise：　For　the　young　man　resisted　him　stoutly；　and　in　buckling　together　by　violence　wrested　the　dagger　out　of　his　hand　：　which　done；　he　killed　the　rich　theefe　with　his　owne　weapon；　and　to　the　intent　the　young　man　would　escape　the　hands　of　the　servants　which　came　running　to　assist　their　master；　with　the　same　dagger　he　cut　his　owne　throat。　These　things　were　signified　by　the　strange　and　dreadfull　wondres　which　fortuned　in　the　house　of　the　good　man；　who　after　he　had　heard　these　sorrowfull　tydings　could　in　no　wise　weepe；　so　farre　was　he　stroken　with　dolour；　but　presently　taking　his　knife　wherewith　he　cut　his　cheese　and　other　meate　before；　he　cut　his　owne　throat　likewise；　in　such　sort　that　he　fell　upon　the　bord　and　imbraced　the　table　with　the　streames　of　his　blond；　in　most　miserable　manner。　Hereby　was　my　master　the　Gardener　deprived　of　his　hope；　and　paying　for　his　dinner　the　watry　teares　of　his　eyes；　mounted　upon　my　backe　and　so　we　went　homeward　the　same　way　as　wee　came。



THE　FORTY…THIRD　CHAPTER


　How　Apuleius　was　found　by　his　shadow。

As　wee　passed　by　the　way　wee　met　with　a　tall　souldier　（for　so　his　habite　and　countenance　declared）　who　with　proud　and　arrogant　words　spake　to　my　master　in　this　sort：

Quorsum　vacuum　ducis　Asinum？

　My　master　somewhat　astonied　at　the　strange　sights　which　he　saw　before；　and　ignorant　of　the　Latine　tongue；　roade　on　and　spake　never　a　word　：　The　souldier　unable　to　refraine　his　insolence；　and　offended　at　his　silence；　strake　him　on　the　shoulders　as　he　sate　on　my　backe；　then　my　master　gently　made　answer　that　he　understood　not　what　he　said；　whereat　the　souldier　angerly　demanded　againe；　whither　he　roade　with　his　Asse？　　Marry　（quoth　he）　to　the　next　City　：　But　I　（quoth　the　souldier）　have　need　of　his　helpe；　to　carry　the　trusses　of　our　Captaine　from　yonder　Castle；　and　therewithall　he　tooke　me　by　the　halter　and　would　violently　have　taken　me　away　：　but　my　master　wiping　away　the　blood　of　the　blow　which　he　received　of　the　souldier；　desired　him　gently　and　civilly　to　take　some　pitty　upon　him；　and　to　let　him　depart　with　his　owne；　swearing　and　affirming　that　his　slow　Asse；　welnigh　dead　with　sicknesse；　could　scarce　carry　a　few　handfuls　of　hearbs　to　the　next　towne；　much　lesse　he　was　able　to　beare　any　greater　trusses　：　but　when　he　saw　the　souldier　would　in　no　wise　be　intreated；　but　ready　with　his　staffe　to　cleave　my　masters　head；　my　master　fell　down　at　his　feete；　under　colour　to　move　him　to　some　pitty；　but　when　he　saw　his　time；　he　tooke　the　souldier　by　the　legs　and　cast　him　upon　the　ground：　Then　he　buffetted　him；　thumped　him；　bit　him；　and　tooke　a　stone　and　beat　his　face　and　his　sides；　that　he　could　not　turne　and　defend　himselfe；　but　onely　threaten　that　if　ever　he　rose；　he　would　choppe　him　in　pieces。　　The　Gardener　when　he　heard　him　say　so；　drew　out　his　javelin　which　hee　had　by　his　side；　and　when　he　had　throwne　it　away；　he　knockt　and　beate　him　more　cruelly　then　he　did　before；　insomuch　that　the　souldier　could　not　tell　by　what　meanes　to　save　himselfe；　but　by　feining　that　he　was　dead；　　Then　my　master　tooke　the　javelin　and　mounted　upon　my　backe；　riding　in　all　hast　to　the　next　village；　having　no　regard　to　goe　to　his　Garden；　and　when　he　came　thither；　he　turned　into　one　of　his　friends　house　and　declared　all　the　whole　matter；　desiring　him　to　save　his　life　and　to　hide　himselfe　and　his　Asse　in　some　secret　place；　untill　such　time　as　all　danger　were　past。　　Then　his　friends　not　forgetting　the　ancient　amity　betweene　them；　entertained　him　willingly　and　drew　me　up　a　paire　of　staires　into　a　chamber；　my　master　crept　into　a　chest；　and　lay　there　with　the　cover　closed　fast　：　The　souldier　（as　I　afterwards　learned）　rose　up　as　one　awaked　from　a　drunken　sleepe；　but　he　could　scarce　goe　by　reason　of　his　wounds　：　howbeit　at　length　by　little　and　little　through　ayd　of　his　staffe　he　came　to　the　towne；　but　hee　would　not　declare　the　matter　to　any　person　nor　complaine　to　any　justice；　lest　he　should　be　accused　of　cowardise　or　dastardnesse；　yet　in　the　end　he　told　some　of　his　companions　of　all　the　matter　that　happened　：　then　they　tooke　him　and　caused　him　to　be　closed　in　some　secret　place；　thinking　that　beside　the　injury　which　he　had　received；　he　should　be　accused　of　the　breach　of　his　faith；　by　reason　of　the　losse　of　his　speare；　and　when　they　had　learned　the　signes　of　my　master；　they　went　to　search　him　out　：　at　last　there　was　an　unfaithfull　neighbour　that　told　them　where　he　was；　then　incontinently　the　souldiers　went　to　the　Justice　declaring　that　they　had　lost　by　the　way　a　silver　goblet