the golden asse-第3节

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rchant　by　the　space　of　ten　months；　a　little　before　that　I　came　to　Larissa；　I　turned　out　of　the　way；　to　view　the　scituation　of　the　countrey　there；　and　behold　in　the　bottom　of　a　deep　valley　I　was　suddenly　environed　with　a　company　of　theeves；　who　robbed　and　spoiled　me　of　such　things　as　I　had；　and　yet　would　hardly　suffer　me　to　escape。　　But　I　beeing　in　such　extremity；　in　the　end　was　happily　delivered　from　their　hands；　and　so　I　fortuned　to　come　to　the　house　of　an　old　woman　that　sold　wine；　called　Meroe；　who　had　her　tongue　sufficiently　instructed　to　flattery　：　unto　whom　I　opened　the　causes　of　my　long　peregrination　and　careful　travell；　and　of　myne　unlucky　adventure　：　and　after　that　I　had　declared　to　her　such　things　as　then　presently　came　to　my　remembrance；　shee　gently　entertained　mee　and　made　mee　good　cheere；　and　by　and　by　being　pricked　with　carnall　desire；　shee　brought　me　to　her　own　bed　chamber；　whereas　I　poore　miser　the　very　first　night　of　our　lying　together　did　purchase　to　my　selfe　this　miserable　face；　and　for　her　lodging　I　gave　to　her　such　apparel　as　the　theeves　left　to　cover　me　withall。

The　I　understanding　the　cause　of　his　miserable　estate；　sayd　unto　him；　In　faith　thou　art　worthy　to　sustaine　the　most　extreame　misery　and　calamity；　which　hast　defiled　and　maculated　thyne　owne　body；　forsaken　thy　wife　traitorously；　and　dishonoured　thy　children；　parents；　and　friends；　for　the　love　of　a　vile　harlot　and　old　strumpet。　When　Socrates　heard　mee　raile　against　Meroe　in　such　sort；　he　held　up　his　finger　to　mee；　and　as　halfe　abashed　sayd；　Peace　peace　I　pray　you；　and　looking　about　lest　any　body　should　heare；　I　pray　you　（quoth　he）　I　pray　you　take　heed　what　you　say　against　so　venerable　a　woman　as　shee　is；　lest　by　your　intemperate　tongue　you　catch　some　harm。　　Then　with　resemblance　of　admiration；　What　（quoth　I）　is　she　so　excellent　a　person　as　you　name　her　to　be？　I　pray　you　tell　me。　　Then　answered　hee；　Verily　shee　is　a　Magitian；　which　hath　power　to　rule　the　heavens；　to　bringe　downe　the　sky；　to　beare　up　the　earth；　to　turne　the　waters　into　hills　and　the　hills　into　running　waters；　to　lift　up　the　terrestrial　spirits　into　the　aire；　and　to　pull　the　gods　out　of　the　heavens；　to　extinguish　the　planets；　and　to　lighten　the　deepe　darknesse　of　hell。　　Then　sayd　I　unto　Socrates；　Leave　off　this　high　and　mysticall　kinde　of　talke；　and　tell　the　matter　in　a　more　plaine　and　simple　fashion。　　Then　answered　he；　Will　you　hear　one　or　two；　or　more　of　her　facts　which　she　hath　done；　for　whereas　she　enforceth　not　onely　the　inhabitants　of　the　countrey　here；　but　also　the　Indians　and　the　Ethiopians　the　one　and　the　other；　and　also　the　Antictons；　to　love　her　in　most　raging　sort；　such　as　are　but　trifles　and　chips　of　her　occupation；　but　I　pray　you　give　eare；　and　I　will　declare　of　more　greater　matters；　which　shee　hath　done　openly　and　before　the　face　of　all　men。



THE　FOURTH　CHAPTER


How　Meroe　the　Witch　turned　divers　persons　into　miserable　beasts。

In　faith　Aristomenus　to　tell　you　the　truth；　this　woman　had　a　certaine　Lover；　whom　by　the　utterance　of　one　only　word　she　turned　into　a　Bever；　because　he　loved　another　woman　beside　her　：　and　the　reason　why　she　transformed　him　into　such　a　beast　is；　for　that　it　is　his　nature；　when　hee　perceiveth　the　hunters　and　hounds　to　draw　after　him；　to　bite　off　his　members；　and　lay　them　in　the　way；　that　the　hounds　may　be　at　a　stop　when　they　find　them；　and　to　the　intent　it　might　so　happen　unto　him　（for　that　he　fancied　another　woman）　she　turned　him　into　that　kind　of　shape。

Semblably　she　changed　one　of　her　neighbours；　being　an　old　man　and　one　that　sold　wine；　into　a　Frog；　in　that　he　was　one　of　her　occupation；　and　therefore　she　bare　him　a　grudge；　and　now　the　poore　miser　swimming　in　one　of　his　pipes　of　wine；　and　well　nigh　drowned　in　the　dregs；　doth　cry　and　call　with　an　hoarse　voice；　for　his　old　guests　and　acquaintance　that　pass　by。　　Like　wise　she　turned　one　of　the　Advocates　of　the　Court　（because　he　pleaded　and　spake　against　her　in　a　rightful　cause）　　into　a　horned　Ram；　and　now　the　poore　Ram　is　become　an　Advocate。　　Moreover　she　caused；　that　the　wife　of　a　certain　lover　that　she　had　should　never　be　delivered　of　her　childe；　but　according　to　the　computation　of　all　men；　it　is　eight　yeares　past　since　the　poore　woman　first　began　to　swell；　and　now　shee　is　encreased　so　big；　that　shee　seemeth　as　though　she　would　bring　forth　some　great　Elephant　：　which　when　it　was　knowne　abroad；　and　published　throughout　all　the　towne；　they　tooke　indignation　against　her；　and　ordayned　that　the　next　day　shee　should　most　cruelly　be　stoned　to　death。　　Which　purpose　of　theirs　she　prevented　by　the　vertue　of　her　inchantments；　and　as　Medea　（who　obtained　of　King　Creon　but　one　days　respit　before　her　departure）　did　burn　all　his　house；　him；　and　his　daughter　：　so　she；　by　her　conjurations　and　invocations　of　spirits；　（which　she　useth　in　a　certaine　hole　in　her　house；　as　shee　her　selfe　declared　unto　me　the　next　day　following）　closed　all　the　persons　in　the　towne　so　sure　in　their　houses；　and　with　such　violence　of　power；　that　for　the　space　of　two　dayes　they　could　not　get　forth；　nor　open　their　gates　nor　doore；　nor　break　downe　their　walls；　whereby　they　were　inforced　by　mutuall　consent　to　cry　unto　her；　and　to　bind　themselves　strictly　by　oaths；　that　they　would　never　afterwards　molest　or　hurt　her　：　and　moreover；　if　any　did　offer　her　any　injury　they　would　be　ready　to　defend　her。　　Whereupon　shee；　mooved　by　their　promises；　and　stirred　by　pitty；　released　all　the　towne。　　But　shee　conveyed　the　principal　Author　of　this　ordinance　about　midnight；　with　all　his　house；　the　walls；　the　ground；　and　the　foundation；　into　another　towne；　distant　from　thence　an　hundred　miles；　scituate　and　beeing　on　the　top　of　an　high　hill；　and　by　reason　thereof　destitute　of　water；　and　because　the　edifices　and　houses　were　so　nigh　built　together；　that　it　was　not　possible　for　the　house　to　stand　there；　she　threw　it　downe　before　the　gate　of　the　towne。　　Then　I　spake　and　said　O　my　friend　Socrates　you　have　declared　unto　me　many　marvellous　things　and　strange　chances；　and　moreover　stricken　me　with　no　small　trouble　of　minde；　yea　rather　with　great　feare；　lest　the　same　old　woman　using　the　like　practice；　should　fortune　to　heare　all　our　communication。　Wherefore　let　us　now　sleepe；　and　after　that　we　have　taken　our　rest；　let　us　rise　betimes　in　the　morning；　and　ride　away　hence　before　day；　as　far　as　we　can　possible。



THE　FIFTH　CHAPTER


How　Socrates　and　Aristomenus　slept　together　in　one　Chamber；　and　how　they　were　handled　by　Witches。

In　speaking　these　words；　and　devising　with　my　selfe　of　our　departing　the　next　morrow；　lest　Meroe　the　witch　should　play　by　us　as　she　had　done　by　divers　other　persons；　it　fortuned　that　Socrates　did　fall　asleepe；　and　slept　very　soundly；　by　reason　of　his　travell　and　plenty　of　meat　and　wine　wherewithall　hee　had　filled　him　selfe。　Wherefore　I　closed　and　barred　fast　the　doores　of　the　chamber；　and　put　my　bed　behinde　the　doore；　and　so　layed　mee　downe　to　rest。　But　I　could　in　no　wise　sleepe；　for　the　great　feare　which　was　in　my　heart；　　untill　it　was　about　midnight；　and　then　I　began　to　slumber。　But　alas；　behold　suddenly　the　chamber　doores　brake　open；　and　locks；　bolts；　and　posts　fell　downe；　that　you　would　verily　have　thought　that　some　Theeves　had　been　presently　come　to　have　spoyled　and　robbed　us。　　And　my　bed　whereon　I　lay　being　a　truckle　bed；　fashioned　in　forme　of　a　Cradle；　and　one　of　the　feet　broken　and　rotten；　　by　violence　was　turned　upside　downe；　and　I　likewise　was　overwhelmed　and　covered　lying　in　the　same。　　Then　perceived　I　in　my　selfe；　that　certaine　affects　of　the　minde　by　nature　doth　chance　contrary。　　For　as　teares　oftentimes　trickle　downe　the　cheekes　of　him　that　seeth　or　heareth　some　joyfull　newes；　so　I　being　in　this　fearfull　perplexity；　could　not　forbeare　laughing；　to　see　how　of　Aristomenus　I　was　made　like　unto　a　snail　＇in＇　his　shell。　　And　while　I　lay　on　the　ground　covered　in　this　sort；　　I　peeped　under　the　bed　to　see　what　would　happen。　　And　behold　there　entred　in　two　old　women；　　the　one　bearing　a　burning　torch；　and　the　other　a　sponge　and　a　naked　sword；　and　so　in　this　habit　they　stood　about　Socrates　being　fast　asleep。　　Then　shee　which　bare　the　sword　sayd　unto　the　other；　Behold　sister　Panthia；　this　is　my　deare　and　sweet　heart；　which　both　day　and　night　hath　abused　my　wanton　youthfulnesse。　This　is　he；　who　little　regarding　my　love；　doth　not　only　defame　me　with　reproachfull　words；　but　also　intendeth　to　run　away。　　And　I　shall　be　forsaken　by　like　craft　as　Vlysses　did　use；　and　shall　continually　bewaile　my　solitarinesse　as　Calipso。　　Which　said；　shee　pointed　towards　mee　that　lay　under　the　bed；　and　shewed　me　to　Panthia。　　This　is　hee；　quoth　she；　which　is　his　Counsellor；　and　perswadeth　him　to　forsake　me；　and　now　being　at　the　point　of　death　he　lieth　prostrate　on　the　ground　covered　with　his　bed；　and　hath　seene　all　our　doings；　and　hopeth　to　escape　scot…free　from　my　hands；　but　I　will　cause　that　hee　will　repente　himselfe　too　late；　　nay　rather　forthwith；　of　his　former　intemperate　language；　and　his　present　curiosity。　　Which　words　when　I　heard　I　fell　into　a　cold　sweat；　and　my　heart　trembled　with　feare；　insomuch　that　the　bed　over　me　did　likewise　rattle　and　shake。　　Then　spake　Panthia　unto　Meroe　and　said；　Sister　let　us　by　and　by　teare　him　in　pieces　or　tye　him　by　the　me