the golden asse-第31节

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　was　Wrapped）　got　her　secretly　into　a　chamber　and　purposed　to　finish　her　life　there　with　dolour　and　tribulation。　　But　Thrasillus　was　very　importunate；　and　at　length　brought　to　passe；　that　at　the　intercession　of　the　Parents　and　friends　of　Charites；　she　somewhat　refreshed　her　fallen　members　with　refection　of　meate　and　baine。　　Howbeit；　she　did　it　more　at　the　commandement　of　her　Parents；　then　for　any　thing　else　：　for　she　could　in　no　wise　be　merry；　nor　receive　any　comfort；　but　tormented　her　selfe　day　and　night　before　the　Image　of　her　husband　which　she　made　like　unto　Bacchus；　and　rendred　unto　him　divine　honours　and　services。　　In　the　meane　season　Thrasillus　not　able　to　refraine　any　longer；　before　Charites　had　asswaged　her　dolor；　before　her　troubled　mind　had　pacified　her　fury；　even　in　the　middle　of　all　her　griefes；　while　she　tare　her　haire　and　rent　her　garments；　demanded　her　in　marriage；　and　so　without　shame；　he　detected　the　secrets　and　unspeakeable　deceipts　of　his　heart。　But　Charites　detested　and　abhorred　his　demand；　and　as　she　had　beene　stroken　with　some　clap　of　thunder；　with　some　storme；　or　with　the　lightning　of　Jupiter；　she　presently　fell　downe　to　the　ground　all　amazed。　　Howbeit　when　her　spirits　were　revived　arid　that　she　returned　to　her　selfe；　perceiving　that　Thrasillus　was　so　importunate；　she　demanded　respite　to　deliberate　and　to　take　advise　on　the　matter。　　In　the　meane　season；　the　shape　of　Lepolemus　that　was　slaine　so　miserably；　appeared　to　Charites　saying；　O　my　sweet　wife　（which　no　other　person　can　say　but　I）　I　pray　thee　for　the　love　which　is　betweene　us　two；　if　there　he　any　memorie　of　me　in　thy　heart；　or　remembrance　of　my　pittifull　death；　marry　with　any　other　person；　so　that　thou　marry　not　with　the　traitour　Thrasillus；　have　no　conference　with　him；　eate　not　with　him；　lie　not　with　him；　avoid　the　bloudie　hand　of　mine　enemie；　couple　not　thy　selfe　with　a　paricide；　for　those　wounds　（the　bloud　whereof　thy　teares　did　wash　away）　were　not　the　wounds　of　the　teeth　of　the　Boare；　but　the　speare　of　Thrasillus；　that　deprived　me　from　thee。　Thus　spake　Lepolemus；　unto　his　loving　wife；　and　declared　the　residue　of　the　damnable　fact。　　Then　Charites；　awaking　from　sleepe；　began　to　renew　her　dolour；　to　teare　her　garments；　and　to　beate　her　armes　with　her　comely　hands；　howbeit　she　revealed　the　vision　which　she　saw　to　no　manner　of　person；　but　dissimuling　that　she　knew　no　part　of　the　mischiefe；　devised　with　her　selfe　how　she　might　be　revenged　on　the　traitor；　and　finish　her　owne　life　to　end　and　knit　up　all　sorrow。　　Incontinently　came　Thrasillus；　the　detestable　demander　of　sodaine　pleasure；　and　wearied　the　closed　eares　of　Charites　with　talke　of　marriage；　but　she　gently　refused　his　communication；　and　coloring　the　matter；　with　passing　craft　in　the　middest　of　his　earnest　desires　gan　say；　Thrasillus　you　shall　understand　that　yet　the　face　of　your　brother　and　my　husband；　is　alwayes　before　mine　eies；　I　smell　yet　the　Cinamon　sent　of　his　pretious　body；　I　yet　feele　Lepolemus　alive　in　my　heart　：　wherefore　you　shall　do　well　if　you　grant　to　me　miserable　woman；　necessarie　time　to　bewaile　his　death；　that　after　the　residue　of　a　few　moneths；　the　whole　yeare　may　be　expired；　which　thing　toucheth　as　well　my　shame　as　your　wholsome　profit；　lest　peradventure　by　your　speed　and　quicke　marriage　we　should　justly　raise　and　provoke　the　spirit　of　my　husband　to　worke　our　destruction。　　Howbeit；　Thrasillus　was　not　contented　with　this　promise；　but　more　and　more　came　upon　her　：　Insomuch；　that　she　was　enforced　to　speake　to　him　in　this　manner　：　My　friend　Thrasillus；　if　thou　be　so　contented　untill　the　whole　yeare　be　compleate　and　finished；　behold　here　is　my　bodie；　take　thy　pleasure；　but　in　such　sort　and　so　secret　that　no　servant　of　the　house　may　perceive　it。　　Then　Thrasillus　trusting　to　the　false　promises　of　the　woman；　and　preferring　his　inordinate　pleasure　above　all　things　in　the　world；　was　joyfull　in　his　heart　and　looked　for　night；　when　as　he　might　have　his　purpose。　　But　come　thou　about　midnight　（quoth　Charites）　disguised　without　companie；　and　doe　but　hisse　at　my　chamber　doore；　and　my　nourse　shall　attend　and　let　thee　in。　This　counsell　pleased　Thrasillus　marveilously；　who　（suspecting　no　harme）　did　alwaies　looke　for　night；　and　the　houre　assigned　by　Charites。　The　time　was　scarce　come；　when　as　（according　to　her　commandement）　he　disguised　himselfe；　and　went　straight　to　the　chamber；　where　he　found　the　nourse　attending　for　him；　who　（by　the　appointment　of　her　Mistresse）　fed　him　with　flattering　talke；　and　gave　him　mingled　and　doled　drinke　in　a　cup；　excusing　the　absence　of　her　Mistresse　Charites；　by　reason　that　she　attended　on　her　Father　being　sick；　untill　such　time；　that　with　sweet　talke　and　operation　of　the　wine；　he　fell　in　a　sound　sleepe：　Now　when　he　lay　prostrate　on　the　ground　readie　to　all　adventure；　Charites　（being　called　for）　came　in；　and　with　manly　courage　and　bold　force　stood　over　the　sleeping　murderer；　saying：　Behold　the　faithfull　companion　of　my　husband；　behold　this　valiant　hunter；　behold　me　deere　spouse；　this　is　the　hand　which　shed　my　bloud；　this　is　the　heart　which　hath　devised　so　many　subtill　meanes　to　worke　my　destruction；　these　be　the　eies　whom　I　have　ill　pleased；　behold　now　they　foreshew　their　owne　destinie：　sleepe　carelesse；　dreame　that　thou　art　in　the　hands　of　the　mercifull；　for　I　will　not　hurt　thee　with　thy　sword　or　any　other　weapon：　God　forbid　that　I　should　slay　thee　as　thou　slewest　my　husband；　but　thy　eies　shall　faile　thee；　and　thou　shalt　see　no　more；　then　that　whereof　thou　dreamest：　Thou　shalt　thinke　the　death　of　thine　enemie　more　sweet　then　thy　life：　Thou　shalt　see　no　light；　thou　shalt　lacke　the　aide　of　a　leader；　thou　shalt　not　have　me　as　thou　hopest；　thou　shalt　have　no　delight　of　my　marriage；　thou　shalt　not　die；　and　yet　living　thou　shalt　have　no　joy；　but　wander　betweene　light　and　darknesse　as　an　unsure　Image：　thou　shalt　seeke　for　the　hand　that　pricked　out　thine　eies；　yet　shalt　thou　not　know　of　whom　thou　shouldest　complaine：　I　will　make　sacrifice　with　the　bloud　of　thine　eies　upon　the　grave　of　my　husband。　But　what　gainest　thou　through　my　delay？　　Perhaps　thou　dreamest　that　thou　embracest　me　in　thy　armes：　leave　off　the　darknesse　of　sleepe　and　awake　thou　to　receive　a　penall　deprivation　of　thy　sight；　lift　up　thy　face；　regard　thy　vengeance　and　evill　fortune；　reckon　thy　miserie；　so　pleaseth　thine　eies　to　a　chast　woman；　that　thou　shall　have　blindnesse　to　thy　companion；　and　an　everlasting　remorse　of　thy　miserable　conscience。　When　she　had　spoken　these　words；　she　tooke　a　great　needle　from　her　head　and　pricked　out　both　his　eies：　which　done；　she　by　and　by　caught　the　naked　sword　which　her　husband　Lepolemus　accustomed　to　weare；　and　ranne　throughout　all　the　Citie　like　a　mad　woman　towards　the　Sepulchre　of　her　husband。　　Then　all　we　of　the　house；　with　all　the　Citizens；　ranne　incontinently　after　her　to　take　the　sword　out　of　her　hand；　but　she　clasping　about　the　tombe　of　Lepolemus；　kept　us　off　with　her　naked　weapon；　and　when　she　perceived　that　every　one　of　us　wept　and　lamented；　she　spake　in　this　sort　：　I　pray　you　my　friends　weepe　not；　nor　lament　for　me；　for　I　have　revenged　the　death　of　my　husband；　I　have　punished　deservedly　the　wicked　breaker　of　our　marriage；　now　is　it　time　to　seeke　out　my　sweet　Lepolemus；　and　presently　with　this　sword　to　finish　my　life。　　And　therewithall　after　she　had　made　relation　of　the　whole　matter；　declared　the　vision　which　she　saw　and　told　by　what　meane　she　deceived　Thrasillus；　thrusting　her　sword　under　her　right　brest；　and　wallowing　in　her　owne　bloud；　at　length　with　manly　courage　yeelded　up　the　Ghost。　　Then　immediately　the　friends　of　miserable　Charites　did　bury　her　body　within　the　same　Sepulchre。　Thrasillus　hearing　all　the　matter；　and　knowing　not　by　what　meanes　he　might　end　his　life；　for　he　thought　his　sword　was　not　sufficient　to　revenge　so　great　a　crime；　at　length　went　to　the　same　Sepulchre；　and　cryed　with　a　lowd　voice；　saying：　o　yee　dead　spirites　whom　I　have　so　highly　and　greatly　offended；　vouchsafe　to　receive　me；　behold　I　make　Sacrifice　unto　you　with　my　whole　body　：　which　said；　hee　closed　the　Sepulchre；　purposing　to　famish　himselfe；　and　to　finish　his　life　there　in　sorrow。　　These　things　the　young　man　with　pitifull　sighes　and　teares；　declared　unto　the　Cowheards　and　Shepheards；　which　caused　them　all　to　weepe　：　but　they　fearing　to　become　subject　unto　new　masters；　prepared　themselves　to　depart　away。



THE　THIRTY…THIRD　CHAPTER


How　Apuleius　was　lead　away　by　the　Horsekeeper　：　and　what　danger　he　was　in。

By　and　by　the　Horsekeeper；　to　whom　the　charge　of　me　was　committed；　brought　forth　all　his　substance；　and　laded　me　and　other　Horses　withall；　and　so　departed　thence　：　we　bare　women；　children；　pullets；　sparrowes；　kiddes；　whelpes；　and　other　things　which　were　not　able　to　keepe　pace　with　us；　and　that　which　I　bare　upon　my　backe；　although　it　was　a　mighty　burthen；　yet　seemed　it　very　light　because　I　was　driven　away　from　him　that　most　terribly　had　appointed　to　kill　me。　　When　we　had　passed　over　a　great　mountaine　full　of　trees；　and　were　come　againe　into　the　open　fields；　behold　we　approached　nigh　to　a　faire　and　rich　Castell；　where　it　was　told　unto　us　that　we　were　not　able　to　passe　in　our　journey　that　night；　by　reason　of　the　great　number　of　terrible　Wolves　which　were　in　the　Country　about；　so　fierce