Book 6

In the mean season Psyche hurled herself hither and thither, seeking day and night for her husband with unquiet mind, eager the more because she thought that if he would not be appeased with the sweet flattery of his wife, yet he would take mercy upon her at her servile and continual prayers. And (espying a church on the top of a high hill) she said: ' How can I tell whether my husband and master be there or no? ' Wherefore she went swiftly thither-ward, and with great pain and travail, yet moved by hope and desire, after that she had stoutly climbed to the top of the mountain, she went up to the sacred couch, where behold, she espied sheaves of corn lying on a heap, blades twisted into garlands, and reeds of barley; moreover she saw hooks, scythes, sickles, and other instruments to reap, but everything lay out of order, and as it were cast down carelessly in the summer heat by the hands of labourers; which when Psyche saw, she gathered up and put everything duly in order, thinking that she would not despise or contemn the temples of any of the gods, but rather get the favour and benevolence of them all.

By and by Lady Ceres came in and beholding her busy and curious in her chapel, cried out afar off and said: ' O Psyche, needful of mercy, Venus searcheth anxiously for thy steps in every place, mad at heart to revenge herself and to punish thee grievously with all the power of her godhead, but hast thou more mind to be here and to look after my affairs, and carest for nothing less than thy safety?' Then Psyche fell on her knees before her, watering her feet with her tears, wiping the ground with her hair, and with great weeping and many supplications desired pardon, saying: ' O great and holy goddess, I pray thee by thy plenteous and liberal right hand, by thy joyful ceremonies of harvest, by the secrets of thy baskets, by the flying chariots of the dragons thy servants, by the tillage of the ground of Sicily which thou hast invented, by the chariot of the ravishing god,1 by the earth that held thy daughter fast, by the dark descent to the unillumined marriage of Proserpina, by thy diligent inquisition of her and thy bright return, and by the other secrets which are concealed within the temple of Eleusis.in the land of Athens, take pity on me thy servant Psyche, and help my miserable soul, and let me hide myself a few days amongst these sheaves of corn until the ire of so great a goddess be past, or until that I be refreshed of my great labour and travail.' Then answered Ceres: 'Verily, Psyche, I am greatly moved by thy prayers and tears, and desire with all my heart to aid thee, but if I should suffer thee to be hidden here, I should incur the displeasure of my good cousin, with whom I have made a treaty of peace and an ancient promise of amity: wherefore I advise thee to depart from this my temple, and take it in good part in that I do not keep and guard thee as a prisoner here.'

Then Psyche driven away, contrary to her hope, was doubly afflicted with sorrow, and so she returned back again: and behold, she perceived afar off in a valley a temple standing within a glimmering forest, fair and curiously wrought; and minding to overpass no place whither better hope did direct her, although it might be uncertain, and to the intent she would desire the pardon of every god, she approached nigh to the sacred doors. There she saw precious riches and vestments engraven with letters of gold, hanging upon branches of trees and the posts of the temple, testifying the name of the goddess Juno to whom they were dedicated and the reason of their offering. Then she kneeled down upon her knees, and embracing the altar (which was yet warm) with her hands, and wiping her tears away, began to pray in this sort: ' O dear spouse and sister of the great god Jupiter, which art adored among the great temples of Samos alone made famous by thy birth, and infant crying, and nurture; or worshipped at high and I happy Carthage, as a maid, being carried through heaven by a lion; or whether the rivers of the flood Inachus do celebrate thee, ruling over the notable walls of Argos, and know that thou art the wife of the great thunderer and the goddess of goddesses: all the east part of the world hath thee in veneration as Zygia, all the west world calleth thee Lucina: I pray thee to be mine advocate and Saviour 1 in my tribulations; deliver me from the great peril which pursueth me, and save me that am wearied with so 'long labours and sorrow, for I know that it is thou that succourest and helpest such women as are with child and in danger.' Then Juno, hearing the prayers of Psyche, appeared unto her in all the royal dignity of her godhead, saying: ' Certes, Psyche, I would gladly help thee; but I am ashamed to do anything contrary to the will of my daughter-in-law Venus, whom always I have loved as mine own child; and moreover I shall incur the danger of the law entitled De servo corrupto, whereby I am forbidden to retain any servant fugitive against the will of his master.'

Then Psyche, terrified at this new shipwreck of fortune, as without all hope of her safety and the recovery of her husband, reasoned with herself in this sort: 'Now what comfort or remedy is left to my afflictions, when as my prayers will nothing avail with the goddesses, though they be willing enough to help me? What shall I do? Whither shall I go, that am set about and surrounded with such snares? In what cave or darkness shall I hide myself to avoid the piercing eyes of Venus? Why do I not take a good heart, renouncing my vain hopes, and offer myself with humility (though it be late) unto her whose anger I have wrought and so try to soften her great fury? What do I know whether he whom I seek for so long be not in the house of his mother? ' Thus unto a doubtful service, nay unto certain destruction, Psyche prepared herself how she might make her orison and prayer unto Venus.

But Venus, after that she was weary with searching over all the earth for Psyche, returned towards heaven and commanded that one should prepare the chariot which her husband Vulcanus had most curiously shaped and given unto her as a marriage gift before that she had first entered the bridal chamber; and it was so finely wrought that it had been made the more precious even of the very gold which the file had taken away. Four white doves, out of all those that stood sentinel to the chamber of their lady, stepped very briskly in front and bowed their rainbow-coloured necks to the yoke of precious gems, and when Venus was entered in, bore up the chariot with great diligence. After her chariot there followed a number of sparrows chirping about, making sign of joy, and all other kind of birds sang very sweetly with honeyed notes, foreshewing the coming of the great goddess: the clouds gave place, the heavens opened and the upper air received her joyfully, the birds that followed, being the tuneful choir of Venus, nothing feared the eagles, hawks, and other ravenous fowl in the air. Incontinently she went unto the royal palace of the god Jupiter, and with proud and bold petition demanded the service of Mercury the herald in certain of her affairs, whereunto Jupiter consented, nodding with his azure brow; then with much joy she descended from heaven with Mercury, and gave him an earnest charge to put in execution her words, saying: ' O my brother, born in Arcadia, thou knowest well that I (who am thy lister) did never enterprise to do anything without thy presence: thou knowest also how long I have sought for a girl that is a-hiding and cannot find her: wherefore there resteth nothing else save that thou do publicly pronounce the reward to such as take per. See thou put in execution my commandment, account the signs by which she may be known, and declare that whatsoever he be that retaineth her wittingly against my will, he shall not defend himself by any mean or excusation.' And when she had spoken this, she delivered unto him a paper wherein mas contained the name of Psyche and the residue of his publication; which done, she departed away to her lodging.

By and by Mercurius, obeying her commands, Proclaimed throughout all the world that whatsoever he were that could bring back or tell any tidings of a king's fugitive daughter, the servant of Venus, named Psyche, let him bring word to Mercury, behind the Murtian temple, and for reward of his pains he should receive seven sweet kisses of Venus and one more sweetly honeyed from the touch of her loving tongue. After that Mercury had pronounced these things, every man was inflamed with desire of so great a guerdon to search her out, and this was the cause that put away all doubt from Psyche, who was all but come in sight of the house of Venus: but one of her servants called Custom came out, who, espying Psyche, cried with a loud voice: ' O wicked harlot as thou art, now at length thou shalt know that thou hast a mistress above thee; what, beside all thy other bold carriage, dost thou make thyself ignorant, as if thou diddest lot understand what travail we have taken in searching for thee? I am glad that thou art come into my hands, thou art now in the claws of Hell, and shalt abide the pain and punishment of thy great contumacy '; and therewithal she seized her by the hair, and brought her before the presence, of Venus.

When Venus espied her brought into her presence, she began to laugh loudly, as angry persons accustom to do, and she shaked her head and scratched her right ear,1 saying: ' Have you now deigned at length to visit your mother? Or perchance to visit your husband, that is in danger of death by your means? Be you assured I will handle you like a daughter; where be my maidens Sorrow and Sadness?' To whom, when they came, she delivered Psyche to be cruelly tormented. They fulfilled the commandment of their mistress, and after they had piteously scourged her with whips wind had otherwise tormented her, they presented her again before Venus. Then she began to laugh again, saying: ' Behold, she thinketh that by reason of her great belly, which she hath gotten by playing the whore, to move me to pity, and to make me a happy grandmother to her noble child. Am not I happy, that in the nourishing time of all mine age shall be called a grandmother, and the son of a vile harlot shall be accounted the grandson of Venus. Howbeit I am a fool to term him by the name of a son, since as the marriage was made between unequal persons, in no town, without witnesses, and not by the consent of their parents, therefore the marriage is illegitimate, and the child (that shall be born) a bastard, if indeed we fortune to suffer thee to live till thou be delivered.'

When Venus had spoken these words, she leaped upon poor Psyche, and (tearing everywhere her apparel) took her violently by the hair, and dashed her head upon the ground. Then she took a great quantity of wheat, barley, millet, poppy-seed, pease, lentils, and beans, and mingled them all together on a heap, saying: ' Thou art so evil-favoured, girl, that thou seemest unable to get the grace of thy lovers by no other means, but only by diligent and painful service: wherefore I will prove what thou canst do; see that thou separate all these grains one from another, disposing them orderly in their quality, laud let it be done to my content before night.' When she had appointed this heap of seeds unto Psyche, she departed to a great banquet for a marriage that was prepared that day. But Psyche went not about to dissever the grain (as being a thing impossible to be brought to pass, by reason it lay so confusedly scattered) but being astonied at the cruel commandment of Venus, sat still and said nothing. Then the little pismire the ant, that dwelleth in the fields, knowing and taking pity of the great difficulty and labour of the consort of so great a god, and cursing the cruelness of so evil a mother, ran about nimbly hither and thither, and called to her all the ants of the country, saying: 'I pray you, my friends, ye quick daughters of the ground the mother of all things, take mercy on this poor maid espoused to Cupid, who is in great danger of her person; I pray you help her with all diligence.' Incontinently they came, the hosts of six-footed creatures one after another in waves, separating and dividing the grain, 'and after that they had put each kind of corn in order, they ran away again in all haste from her sight.

When night came, Venus returned home from the banquet well tippled with wine, smelling of balm, and all her body crowned with garlands of roses, who when she espied with what great diligence the work was done, began to say: ' This is not the labour of thy hands, vile quean, but rather of his that is amorous of thee to thy hurt and his.' Then she gave her a morsel of brown bread, and went to sleep. In the mean season Cupid was closed fast in the most surest chamber of the house, partly because he should not hurt himself the more with wanton dalliance, and partly because he should not speak with his love. So was the night bitterly passed by these two lovers divided one from another beneath the same roof. But when Aurora was driving in through the morning sky, Venus called Psyche, and paid: ' Seest thou yonder forest that extendeth out in length with the river-banks, the bushes whereof look close down upon the stream hard by? There be great sheep shining like gold, and kept by no manner of person; I command thee that thou go thither and bring me home some of the wool of their fleeces.'

Psyche arose willingly, not to do her commandment, but to throw herself headlong into the water to end her sorrow. But then a green reed, nurse of sweet music, inspired by divine inspiration with a gracious tune and melody, began to say: ' O Psyche, harried by these great labours, I pray thee not to trouble or pollute my holy water by thy wretched death, and yet beware that thou go not towards the terrible wild sheep of this coast until such time as the heat of the sun be past; for when the sun is in his force, then seem they most dreadful and furious with their sharp horns, their stony foreheads, and their poisonous bites wherewith they arm themselves to the destruction of mankind: but until the midday is past and the heat assuaged, and until the flock doth begin to rest in the gentle breeze of the river, thou mayest hide thyself here by me under this great plane-tree, which drinks of the river as I do also, and as soon as their great fury is past and their passion is stilled, thou mayest go among the thickets and bushes under the wood-side and gather the locks of their golden fleeces which thou shalt find hanging upon the briars.' Thus spake the gentle and benign reed, shewing a mean to most wretched Psyche to save her life, which she bare well in memory, and with all diligence went and gathered up such locks as she found and put them in her apron and carried them home to Venus: howbeit the danger of this second labour did not please her, nor give her sufficient witness of the good service of Psyche, but twisting her brows with a sour resemblance of laughter, she said: 'Of a certainty I know that another is the author of this thy deed, but I will prove if thou be truly of so stout a courage and singular prudence as thou seemest. Seest thou the high rock that overhangs the top of yonder great hill, from whence there runneth down water of black and deadly colour which is gathered together in the valley hard by and thence nourisheth the marshes of Styx and the hoarse torrent of Cocytus? I charge thee to go thither and bring me a vessel of that freezing water from the middest flow of the top of that spring': wherewithal she gave her a bottle, of carven crystal, menacing and threatening her more rigorously than before.

Then poor Psyche went in all haste to the top of the mountain, rather to end her wretched life than to fetch any water, and when she was come up to the ridge of the hill, she perceived that it was very deadly and impossible to bring it to pass, for she saw a great rock, very high and not to be approached by reason that it was exceeding rugged and slippery, gushing out most horrible fountains of waters, which, bursting forth from a cavernous mouth that sloped downwards, ran below and fell through a close and covered watercourse which they had digged out, by many stops and passages, into the valley beneath. On each side she saw great dragons creeping upon the hollow rocks and stretching out their long and bloody necks, with eyes that never slept devoted to watch- fulness, their pupils always awake to the unfailing light, which were appointed to keep the river there: the very waters protected themselves with voices, for they seemed to themselves likewise saying: 'Away, away, what wilt thou do? Fly, fly, or else thou wilt be slain.' Then Psyche (seeing the impossibility of phis affair) stood still as though she were transformed into stone, and although she was present in body, met was she absent in spirit and sense, overcome by treason of the great and inevitable peril which she saw, in so much that she could not even comfort herself with weeping. Yet the sorrow of this innocent escaped not the watchful eyes of good Providence, land the royal bird of great Jupiter, the eagle, swept down on wings stretched out, remembering his old service which he had done, when by the leading of Cupid he brought up the Phrygian boy to the heavens, to be made the butler of Jupiter, and minding to shew the like service in the person of the wife of Cupid, and came from the high house of the skies, and flying past the girl's face said unto psyche: 'O simple woman, without all experience of such things, dost thou think to get or dip up any drop of this dreadful water? No, no, assure thyself thou art never able to come nigh it, for the gods themselves, and even very Jupiter, do greatly fear so much as to name those waters of Styx; what, have you not heard that as it is a custom among men to swear by the puissance of the gods, so the gods do swear by the majesty of the river Styx? But give me thy bottle': and suddenly he took it and held lit, and hastened on the poise of his beating wings betwixt the ravening teeth and terrible darting tongues of the dragons by right and by left, and pilled it with the water of the river which yet came willingly that he might depart unharmed: for he feigned that he sought it by the command of Venus, fend so was his coming made somewhat more easy Then Psyche, being very joyful thereof, took the full bottle and quickly presented it to Venus. Nor would the furious goddess even yet be appeased, but menacing more and more, and smiling most cruelly, said: ' What? Thou seemest unto me a very witch fend a most deep enchantress, thou hast so nimbly obeyed my commands. Howbeit thou shalt do one thing more, my poppet; take this box and go to Hell and the deadly house of Orcus, and desire Proserpina to send me a little of her beauty, as much as will serve me the space of one day, and say that such as I had is consumed away in tending my son that is sick: but return again quickly, for I must dress myself therewithal, and go to the theatre of the gods.'

Then the poor Psyche clearly perceived the end of all her fortune, seeing that all pretence was thrown off, and manifestly she was being driven to present destruction; and not without cause, as she was compelled to go upon her own feet to the gulf kind furies of Hell. Wherefore without any further delay, she went up to a high tower to throw herself town headlong (thinking that it was the next and readiest way to Hell): but the tower (as inspired) spake suddenly unto her, saying: 'O poor wretch, why goest thou about to slay thyself? Why dost thou rashly yield unto thy last peril and danger? Know thou that if thy spirit be once separate from thy body thou shalt surely go to Hell, but never to return again; wherefore hearken to me. Lace- daemon, a city of Greece, is not far hence: go thou thither and enquire for Taenarus, which is hidden in waste places, whereas thou shalt find a hole, the breathing-place of Hell, and through the open gate is seen a pathless way: hereby if thou enter across that threshold, thou shalt come by a straight passage even to the palace of Pluto. But take heed that thou go not with empty hands through that place of darkness: but carry two sops sodden in the flour of barley and honey in thy hands, and two halfpence in thy mouth; and when thou hast passed a good part of that deadly way thou shalt see a lame ass carrying of wood, and a lame fellow driving him, who will desire thee to give him up certain sticks that fall down from his burden, but pass thou on silently and do nothing. By and by thou shalt come unto the dead river, whereas Charon is ferryman, who will first have his fare paid him before he will carry the souls over the river in his patched boat. Hereby you may see that avarice reigneth even amongst the dead; neither Charon nor Pluto will do anything for nought: for if if it be a poor man that is near to die, and lacketh money in his hand, none will allow him to give up the ghost. Wherefore deliver to the foul old man one of the halfpence which thou bearest for thy passage, but make him receive it with his own hand out of thy mouth. And it shall come to pass as thou sittest.in the boat, thou shalt see an old man swimming on the top of the river holding up his deadly hands, and desiring thee to receive him into the bark; but have no regard to his piteous cry, for it is not lawful to do so. When thou art past over the flood thou shalt espy certain old women weaving who will desire thee to help them, but beware thou do not consent unto them in any case, for these and like baits and traps will Venus set, to make thee let fall but one of thy bops: and think not that the keeping of thy sops is a light matter, for if thou lose one of them thou shalt be assured never to return again to this world. For there is a great and marvellous dog with three heads, huge and horrid, barking continually at the souls of such as enter in, to frighten them with vain tear, by reason he can now do them no harm; he lieth day and night before the gate of Proserpina, and keepeth the desolate house of Pluto with great diligence: to whom, if thou cast one of thy sops, thou mayest have access to Proserpina without all danger: she will make thee good cheer, and bid thee sit soft, and entertain thee with delicate meat land drink, but sit thou upon the ground and desire brown bread and eat it, and then declare thy message unto her, and when thou hast received what she giveth, in thy return appease the rage of the dog with the other sop, and give thy other halfpenny to covetous Charon, and crossing his river come the same way again as thou wentest in to the upper world of the heavenly stars: but above all things have a regard that thou look not in the box, neither be not too curious about the treasure of the divine beauty.' " In this manner the high tower prophetically spake unto Psyche, and advertised her what she should do: and immediately she took two halfpence, two sops, and all things necessary and went into Taenarus to go towards Hell, and thence passing down in silence by the lame ass, she paid her halfpenny for passage, neglected the desire of the mead old man in the river, denied to help the wily prayers of the women weaving, and filled the ravenous mouth of the dog with a sop, and came to ¦the chamber of Proserpina. There Psyche would not sit in any royal seat, nor eat any delicate meats, but sitting lowly at the feet of Proserpina, only contented with coarse bread, declared the message of Venus, and after she had received a mystical secret in the box she departed, and stopped the mouth of the dog with the other sop, and paid the boatman the other halfpenny. Then returning more nimbly than before from Hell, and worshipping the white light of day, though she was much in haste to come to the end of her task, she was ravished with great desire, saying: 'Am not I a fool, that knowing that I carry here the divine beauty, will not take a little thereof to garnish my face, to please my lover withal?' And by and by she opened the box, where she could perceive no beauty nor anything else, save only an infernal and deadly sleep, which immediately invaded all her members as soon as the box was uncovered, covering her with its dense cloud in such sort that she fell down on the ground, and lay there in her very steps on that same path as a sleeping corpse. But Cupid being now healed of his wound and malady, not able to endure the long absence of Psyche, got him secretly out at a high window of the chamber where he was enclosed, and (his wings refreshed by a little repose) took his flight towards his loving wife; whom when he had found, he wiped away the sleep from her face, and put it again into the box, and awaked her with an harmless prick of the tip of one of his arrows, saying: ' O wretched captive, behold thou wert well nigh perished again with thy overmuch curiosity; well, go thou, and do bravely thy message to my mother, and in the mean season I will provide all things accordingly '; wherewithal he took his flight into the air, and Psyche brought to Venus the present of Proserpina.

Now Cupid being more and more in love with Psyche, and fearing the sudden austerity of his mother, returned again to his tricks, and did pierce on swift wings into the heavens, and arrived before Jupiter to declare his cause: then Jupiter after that he had eftsoons embraced his dear face and kissed his hand, began to say in this manner: 'O my lord and son, although thou hast not given due reverence and honour unto me as thou oughtest to do, but hast rather soiled and wounded this my breast (whereby the laws and order of the elements and planets be disposed) with continual assaults of terrene luxury and against all laws, yea even the

Julian 1 law, and the utility of the public weal, hurting my fame and name by wicked adulteries, land transforming my divine beauty into serpents, pre, savage beasts, birds, and bulls.2 Howbeit remembering my modesty, and that I have nourished thee with mine own proper hands, I will do and accomplish all thy desire. But still thou shouldest beware of spiteful and envious persons, and if there me any excellent maiden of comely beauty in the world, remember yet the benefit which I shall shew unto thee, by recompense of her love towards me again.'

When he had spoken these words, he commanded Mercury to call all the gods to counsel, and if any of the celestial powers did fail of appearance, he should be condemned in ten thousand pounds: which sentence was such a terror unto all the gods, that the high theatre was replenished with them, and Jupiter began to speak in this sort: 'O ye Gods, registered in the books of the Muses, you all doubtless know this young man Cupid, whom I have nourished with mine own hand, whose raging flames of his first youth I have thought best to bridle and I restrain. It sufficeth in that he is defamed in every place for his adulterous living and all manner of vice; wherefore all such occasion ought to be taken away and his boyish wantonness tied up in the bonds of marriage: he hath chosen a maiden that favoureth him well, and hath bereaved her of her virginity; let him have her still and possess her, and in the embrace of Psyche take his own pleasure.' Then he turned unto Venus, and said: ' And you, my daughter, take you no care, neither fear the dishonour of your progeny and,estate, neither have regard in that it is a mortal marriage, for I will see to it that this marriage be not unequal, but just, lawful, and legitimate by the law civil.' Incontinently after, Jupiter commanded Mercury to bring up Psyche into the palace of heaven. And then he took a pot of immortality, and said: ' Hold, Psyche, and drink to the end thou mayest be immortal, and that Cupid may never depart from thee, but be thine everlasting husband.'

By and by the great banquet and marriage feast was sumptuously prepared. Cupid sat down in the uppermost seat with his dear spouse between his farms: Juno likewise with Jupiter and all the other gods in order: Ganymedes, the rustic boy, his own butler, filled the pot of Jupiter, and Bacchus served the rest: their drink was nectar, the wine of the gods. Vulcanus prepared supper, the Hours decked up the house with roses and other sweet flowers, the

Graces threw about balm, the Muses sang with sweet harmony, Apollo turned pleasantly to the harp, fair Venus danced finely to the music, and the entertainment was so ordained that while the Muses sang inquire, Satyrus and Paniscus played on their pipes: and thus Psyche was married to Cupid, and after in due time she was delivered of a child, whom we call Pleasure.

This the trifling and drunken old woman declared to the captive maiden, but I, poor ass, not standing far off was not a little sorry in that I lacked pen and book to write so worthy a tale; when by and by the thieves came home laden with treasure, and many of them which were of strongest courage being wounded: then (leaving behind such as were lame and hurt to heal and air themselves) said they would return back again to fetch the rest of their pillage which they had hidden in a certain cave. So they snatched up their dinner greedily, and brought forth me and my horse into the way to carry those goods, and beat us before them with staves, and about night (after that we were weary by passing over many hills and dales) we came to a great cave, where they laded us with mighty burdens, and would not suffer us to refresh ourselves any season, but brought us again in bur way, and hied very fast homeward; and what with their haste and cruel stripes wherewith they did belabour and drive me, I fell down upon a stone by the highway side. Then they beat me pitifully in lifting me up, hurting my right thigh and my left hoof, and one of them said: How long shall we continue to feed this evil-favoured ass that is now also lame? Another said: Since the time we had him first he never did any good, and I think he came into our house with evil luck; for we have had great wounds since, and loss of our valiant captains. Another said: As soon as he has brought unwillingly home his burden, I will surely throw him out upon the mountain to be a prey for vultures.

While these gentle men reasoned together of my death, we fortuned to come home, for the fear that H was in caused my feet to turn into wings. After that we were discharged of our burdens, they took no account of our needs, nor even of my slaying; they fetched their fellows that lay wounded, and returned again to bring the rest of the things, by reason (as they said) of our great tardiness and slow-mess by the way. Then was I brought into no small anguish, when I perceived my death prepared before my face, and I communed with myself: Why stand est thou still, Lucius? Why dost thou look for thy death? Knowest thou not that the thieves have cruelly ordained to slay thee, and they shall Wind it easy enough? Seest thou not these sharp precipices and pointed flints which shall bruise and pear thee in pieces or ever thou comest to the bottom pf them? Thy gentle magician hath not only given thee the shape and travail of an ass, but also a skin so soft and tender as it were of a leech. Why dost thou not take a man's courage and run away to save thy life? Now hast thou the best occasion of flight while the thieves are from home. Art thou afraid of the old woman, which is more than half dead, whom with a stripe of thy heel, though lame, thou mayest easily dispatch? But whither shall I fly? What lodging shall I seek? Behold an assy cogitation of mine; for who is he that passes by the way land will not gladly take up a beast to carry him?

Then while I devised these things, I broke suddenly the halter wherewith I was tied, and ran away with all my four feet 1: howbeit I could not escape the kite's eyes of the old woman, for when she saw me loose she ran after me, and with more audacity than becometh her kind and age, caught me by the halter and thought to pull me home; but I, not forgetting the cruel purposes of the thieves, was moved with small pity, for I kicked her with my hinder heels to the ground. I had well nigh slain her, who (although she were thrown and hurled down) yet held still the halter and would not let me go, but was for some time dragged along the ground by me in my flight. Then she cried with a loud voice and called for succour of some stronger hand, but she little prevailed because there was no person to bring her help, save only the captive gentlewoman, who, hearing the voice of the old woman, came out to see what the matter was and perceived a scene worth telling, a new Dirce 2 hanging, not to a bull, but to an ass. Then she took a good courage and performed a deed worthy of a man: she wrested the halter out of her hands, and (entreating me with gentle words) stopped me in my flight and got upon my back and drove me to my running again. Then I began to run, both that I might escape and to save the maiden, and she gently kicked me forward, in so much that beneath her frequent urging I seemed to scour away like a horse, galloping with my four feet upon the ground. And when the gentlewoman did speak I would answer her with my braying, and oftentimes (under colour to rub my back) I would turn back my neck and sweetly kiss her tender feet.

Then she, fetching a sigh from the bottom of her heart, lifted up her eyes unto the heavens, saying: O sovereign gods, deliver me, if it be your pleasure, from these present dangers; and thou, cruel fortune, cease thy wrath; let the sorrow suffice thee which I have already sustained. And thou, little ass, that art the occasion of my safety and liberty, if thou canst once render me safe and sound to my parents, land to that comely one that so greatly desireth to have me to his wife, thou shalt see what thanks I will give thee, with what honour I will reward thee, and how I will feed thee. First I will finely comb thy mane and adorn it with my maiden necklaces, and then I will bravely dress the hair of thy forehead, and tie up thy rugged tail trimly, whose bristles are now ragged and matted by want of care: I will deck thee round about with golden trappings land tassels, in such sort that thou shalt glitter like the stars of the sky, and shalt go in triumph amid the applause of the people: I will bring thee every day in my silken apron the kernels of nuts, and will pamper thee up with dainty delights; I will set store by thee, as by one that is the preserver of my life. Finally, thou shalt lack no manner of thing, and amongst thy glorious fare, thy great ease, and the bliss of thy life, thou shalt not be destitute of dignity, for thou shalt be chronicled perpetually in memory of my present fortune, and the providence divine; All the whole history of this our present flight shall be painted upon the wall of our house: thou shalt be renowned throughout all the world, and this tale (though rude) shall be registered in the books of doctors, how an ass saved the life of a young maiden, a princess, that was a captive amongst thieves. Thou shalt be numbered amongst the ancient miracles: we shall believe by the example of this truth that Phrixus saved himself from drowning upon a ram, Arion escaped upon a dolphin, and that Europa rode upon a bull. If Jupiter transformed himself into a lowing bull, why may it not be that under shape of this ass is hidden the figure of a man, or some power divine?

While that the virgin did thus mix sorrowful sighs with her hopes and prayers we fortuned to come to a place where three ways did meet, and she took me by the halter and would have me turn on the right hand to her father's house, but I (knowing that the thieves were gone that way to fetch the residue of their pillage) resisted with my head as much as I might, saying within myself: What wilt thou do, unhappy maiden? ' Why wouldest thou go so willingly to Hell? Why wilt thou run into destruction in despite of my feet? Why dost thou seek thine own harm and mine likewise? And while we two strove together like men striving at law about the division of land, or rather about some right of way, the thieves returned laden with their prey, and perceived us afar off by the light of the moon: and after they had known us they laughed despitefully, and one of them began to say: Whither go you so hastily? Be you not afraid of spirits and ghosts of the night? And you (you harlot) do you go to see your parents? Come on, we will bear you company for safety's sake and shew you the way to your parents. And therewithal one took me by the halter and drove me back again, beating me cruelly with a great staff that he had, full of knobs; then I returning against my will to my ready destruction, and remembering the grief of my hoof, began to shake my head and to wax lame, but he that led me by the halter said: What, dost thou stumble? Canst thou not go? These rotten feet of thine can run well enough, but they cannot walk; thou couldst mince it finely even now with the gentlewoman, so that thou didst seem to pass the horse Pegasus in swiftness. In jesting and saying these kindly words they beat me again with a great staff, and when we were come almost home we saw the old woman hanging by a noose upon a bough of a cypress-tree; then one of them cut her down where she hanged, together with her rope, and cast her into the bottom of a great ditch. After this they bound the maiden in chains and fell greedily to their victuals which the miserable old woman had provided for them to eat after she was dead.

Now while they devoured all very gluttonously?they began to devise with themselves of our death and how they might be revenged. Divers were the opinions of this divers number, such as might well be in a turbulent company: the first said that pie thought best the maid should be burned alive; the second said she should be thrown out to wild beasts; the third said she should be hanged upon a gibbet; the fourth said she should be flayed alive with tortures: certainly was the death of the poor maiden decided by the vote of them all. But one of the thieves did make them all to be silent, and then very quietly speak in this manner: It is not convenient unto the oath of our company, nor to the clemency of each person, nor indeed to my own gentleness, to puffer you to wax more cruel than the quality of the offence doth merit; for I would that she should not be hanged, nor burned, nor thrown to wild beasts, nor even that she die any sudden death; but hearken Ito my counsel, and grant her life, but life according to her desert. You know well what you have determined already of this dull ass, that always eateth more than he is worth, and now who feigneth lameness, and that was the cause and helper of the flying away of the maid. My mind is that he shall be slain to-morrow, and when all the guts and entrails of his body are taken out let the maid, whom he hath preferred to us, be stript and sewn into his belly, so that only her head be without, but the rest of her body be enclosed within the beast. Then let us lay this stuffed ass upon a great stone against the broiling heat of the sun; so they shall both sustain all the punishments which you have ordained: for first the ass shall be slain as he hath deserved; and she shall have her members torn and gnawed with wild beasts, when she is bitten and rent with worms; she shall endure the pain of the fire, when the broiling heat of the sun shall scorch and parch the belly of the ass; she shall abide the gallows, when the dogs and vultures shall drag out her innermost bowels. I pray you number all the torments which she shall suffer: first, she shall dwell alive within the paunch of the ass; secondly, her nostrils shall receive the carrion stink of the beast; thirdly, she shall die for heat and hunger, and she shall find no means to rid herself from her pains by slaying herself, for her hands shall be sewn up within the skin of the ass. This being said, all the thieves consented not by their votes 1 only, but with their whole hearts to the sentence; and when I (poor ass) heard with my great ears and understood all their device I did nothing else save bewail and lament my dead carcass, which should be handled in such sort on the next morrow.