the golden asse-第6章

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ate　down；　and　he　fell　in　further　communication　with　me　and　sayd；　Verily　I　doe　conjecture　by　the　comly　feature　of　your　body；　and　by　the　maidenly　shamefastnesse　of　your　face　that　you　are　a　Gentleman　borne；　as　my　friend　Demeas　hath　no　lesse　declared　the　same　in　his　letters。　Wherfore　I　pray　you　take　in　good　part　our　poore　lodging；　and　behold　yonder　chamber　is　at　your　commaundement；　use　it　as　your　owne；　and　if　you　be　contented　therewithall；　you　shall　resemble　and　follow　the　vertuous　qualities　of　your　good　father　Theseus；　who　disdained　not　the　slender　and　poore　Cottage　of　Hecades。

And　then　he　called　his　maid　which　was　named　Fotis；　　and　said；　Carry　this　Gentlemans　packet　into　the　chamber；　and　lay　it　up　safely；　and　bring　water　quickly　to　wash　him；　and　a　towel　to　rub　him；　and　other　things　necessary；　and　then　bring　him　to　the　next　Baines；　for　I　know　that　he　is　very　weary　of　travell。

These　things　when　I　heard；　I　partly　perceived　the　manners　of　Milo；　and　endeavouring　to　bring　my　selfe　further　into　his　favour；　I　sayd；　Sir　there　is　no　need　of　any　of　these　things；　for　they　have　been　everywhere　ministred　unto　mee　by　the　way；　howbeit　I　will　go　into　the　Baines；　but　my　chiefest　care　is　that　my　horse　be　well　looked　to；　for　hee　brought　mee　hither　roundly；　and　therefore　I　pray　thee　Fotis　take　this　money　and　buy　some　hay　and　oats　for　him。



THE　SEVENTH　CHAPTER


How　Apuleius　going　to　buy　fish；　met　with　his　companion　Pythias。

When　this　was　done；　and　all　my　things　brought　into　the　Chamber；　I　walked　towards　the　Baines；　but　first　I　went　to　the　market　to　buy　some　victuals　for　my　supper；　whereas　I　saw　great　plenty　of　fish　set　out　to　be　sould　：　and　so　I　cheapened　part　thereof；　and　that　which　they　at　first　held　at　an　hundred　pence；　I　bought　at　length　for　twenty。　Which　when　I　had　done；　and　was　departing　away；　one　of　myne　old　acquaintance；　and　fellow　at　Athens；　named　Pithias；　fortuned　to　passe　by；　and　viewing　me　at　a　good　space；　in　the　end　brought　me　to　his　remembrance；　and　gently　came　and　kissed　mee；　saying；　O　my　deare　friend　Lucius；　it　is　a　great　while　past　since　we　two　saw　one　another；　and　moreover；　from　the　time　that　wee　departed　from　our　Master　Vestius；　I　never　heard　any　newes　from　you。　　I　pray　you　Lucius　tell　me　the　cause　of　your　peregrination　hither。　　Then　I　answered　and　sayd；　I　will　make　relation　thereof　unto　you　tomorrow　：　but　I　pray　you　tell　me；　what　meaneth　these　servitors　that　follow　you；　and　these　rods　or　verges　which　they　beare；　and　this　habit　which　you　wear　like　unto　a　magistrate；　verily　I　thinke　you　have　obtained　your　own　desire；　whereof　I　am　right　glad。　　Then　answered　Pithias；　I　beare　the　office　of　the　Clerke　of　the　market；　　and　therfore　if　you　will　have　any　pittance　for　your　supper　speake　and　I　will　purvey　it　for　you。　　Then　I　thanked　him　heartily　and　sayd　I　had　bought　meat　sufficient　already。　　But　Pithias　when　hee　espied　my　basket　wherein　my　fish　was；　　tooke　it　and　shaked　it；　and　demanded　of　me　what　I　had　payd　for　all　my　Sprots。　　In　faith　（quoth　I）；　I　could　scarce　inforce　the　fishmonger　to　sell　them　for　twenty　pence。　Which　when　I　heard；　he　brought　me　backe　again　into　the　market；　and　enquired　of　me　of　whom　I　bought　them。　　I　shewed　him　the　old　man　which　sate　in　a　corner；　whome　by　and　by；　by　reason　of　his　office；　hee　did　greatly　blame；　and　sayd；　Is　it　thus　you　serve　and　handle　strangers；　and　specially　our　friends？　　Wherefore　sell　you　this　fish　so　deare；　which　is　not　worth　a　halfepenny？　　Now　perceive　I　well；　that　you　are　an　occasion　to　make　this　place；　which　is　the　principall　city　of　all　Thessaly；　to　be　forsaken　of　all　men；　and　to　reduce　it　into　an　uninhabitable　Desart；　by　reasone　of　your　excessive　prices　of　victuals；　but　assure　yourself　that　you　shall　not　escape　without　punishment；　and　you　shall　know　what　myne　office　is；　and　how　I　ought　to　punish　such　as　offend。　　Then　he　took　my　basket　and　cast　the　fish　on　the　ground；　and　commanded　one　of　his　Sergeants　to　tread　them　under　his　feet。　　This　done　he　perswaded　me　to　depart；　and　sayd　that　onely　shame　and　reproach　done　unto　the　old　Caitife　did　suffice　him；　So　I　went　away　amazed　and　astonied；　towards　the　Baines；　considering　with　myself　and　devising　of　the　grace　of　my　companion　Pythias。　　Where　when　I　had　well　washed　and　refreshed　my　body；　I　returned　againe　to　Milos　house；　both　without　money　and　meat；　and　so　got　into　my　chamber。　　Then　came　Fotis　immediately　unto　mee；　and　said　that　her　master　desired　me　to　come　to　supper。　But　I　not　ignorant　of　Milos　abstinence；　prayed　that　I　might　be　pardoned　since　as　I　thought　best　to　ease　my　wearied　bones　rather　with　sleepe　and　quietnesse；　　than　with　meat。　　When　Fotis　had　told　this　to　Milo；　he　came　himselfe　and　tooke　mee　by　the　hand；　and　while　I　did　modestly　excuse　my　selfe；　I　will　not　（quoth　he）　depart　from　this　place；　until　such　time　as　you　shall　goe　with　me　：　and　to　confirm　the　same；　hee　bound　his　words　with　an　oath；　　whereby　he　enforced　me　to　follow　him；　and　so　he　brought　me　into　his　chamber；　where　hee　sate　him　downe　upon　the　bed；　and　demaunded　of　mee　how　his　friend　Demeas　did；　his　wife；　his　children；　and　all　his　family　：　and　I　made　answer　to　him　every　question；　specially　hee　enquired　the　causes　of　my　peregrination　and　travell；　which　when　I　had　declared；　he　yet　busily　demanded　of　the　state　of　my　Countrey；　　and　the　chief　magistrates　there；　and　principally　of　our　Lievtenant　and　Viceroy；　who　when　he　perceived　that　I　was　not　only　wearied　by　travell；　but　also　with　talke；　and　that　I　fell　asleep　in　the　midst　of　my　tale；　and　further　that　I　spake　nothing　directly　or　advisedly；　he　suffered　me　to　depart　to　my　chamber。　　So　scaped　I　at　length　from　the　prating　and　hungry　supper　of　this　rank　old　man；　and　being　compelled　by　sleepe　and　not　by　meat；　and　having　supped　only　with　talke；　I　returned　into　my　chamber；　and　there　betooke　me　to　my　quiet　and　long　desired　rest。




THE　SECOND　BOOKE



THE　EIGHTH　CHAPTER


How　Apuleius　fortuned　to　meet　with　his　Cousin　Byrrhena。

As　soone　as　night　was　past；　and　the　day　began　to　spring；　I　fortuned　to　awake；　and　rose　out　of　my　bed　as　halfe　amazed；　　and　very　desirous　to　know　and　see　some　marvellous　and　strange　things；　remembring　with　my　selfe　that　I　was　in　the　middle　part　of　all　Thessaly；　whereas　by　the　common　report　of　all　the　World；　the　Sorceries　and　Inchauntments　are　most　used；　I　oftentimes　repeated　with　my　self　the　tale　of　my　companion　Aristomenus　touching　the　manner　of　this　City；　and　being　mooved　by　great　desire；　I　viewed　the　whole　scituation　thereof；　neither　was　there　any　thing　which　I　saw　there；　but　that　I　did　beleeve　to　be　the　same　which　it　was　indeed；　but　every　thing　seemed　unto　me　to　be　transformed　and　altered　into　other　shapes；　by　the　wicked　power　of　Sorcerie　and　Inchantment；　insomuch　that　I　thought　that　the　stones　which　I　found　were　indurate；　and　turned　from　men　into　that　figure；　and　that　the　birds　which　I　heard　chirping；　and　the　trees　without　the　walls　of　the　city；　and　the　running　waters；　were　changed　from　men　into　such　kinde　of　likenesses。　　And　further　I　thought　that　the　Statues；　Images　and　Walls　could　goe；　and　the　Oxen　and　other　brute　beasts　could　speake　and　tell　strange　newes；　and　that　immediately　I　should　see　and　heare　some　Oracles　from　the　heavens；　and　from　the　gleed　of　the　Sun。　Thus　being　astonied　or　rather　dismayed　and　vexed　with　desire；　knowing　no　certaine　place　whither　I　intended　to　go；　I　went　from　street　to　street；　and　at　length　（as　I　curiously　gazed　on　every　thing）　I　fortuned　unwares　to　come　into　the　market　place；　whereas　I　espied　a　certaine　woman；　accompanied　with　a　great　many　servants；　towards　whom　I　drew　nigh；　　and　viewed　her　garments　beset　with　gold　and　pretious　stone；　in　such　sort　that　she　seemed　to　be　some　noble　matron。　　And　there　was　an　old　man　which　followed　her；　who　as　soon　as　he　espied　me；　said　to　himself；　Verily　this　is　Lucius；　and　then　he　came　and　embraced　me；　by　and　by　he　went　unto　his　mistresse　and　whispered　in　her　eare；　and　came　to　mee　againe　saying；　How　is　it　Lucius　that　you　will　not　salute　your　deere　Cousin　and　singular　friend？　　To　whom　I　answered；　Sir　I　dare　not　be　so　bold　as　to　take　acquaintance　of　an　unknown　woman。　　Howbeit　as　halfe　ashamed　I　drew　towards　her；　and　shee　turned　her　selfe　and　sayd；　Behold　how　he　resembleth　the　very　same　grace　as　his　mother　Salvia　doth；　behold　his　counten