the golden asse-第39节

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ell　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　of　their　Captaines；　and　that　a　Gardener　had　found　it；　who　refusing　to　deliver　the　goblet；　was　hidden　in　one　of　his　friends　houses　：　by　and　by　the　Magistrates　understanding　the　losse　of　the　Captaine；　came　to　the　doores　where　we　were；　commanded　our　host　to　deliver　my　master　upon　paine　of　death：　howbeit　these　threatnings　could　not　enforce　him　to　confesse　that　he　was　within　his　doores；　but　by　reason　of　his　faithfull　promise　and　for　the　safeguard　of　his　friend；　he　said；　that　hee　saw　not　the　Gardener　a　great　while；　neither　knew　where　he　was　：　the　souldiers　said　contrary；　whereby　to　know　the　verity　of　the　matter；　the　Magistrates　commanded　their　Seargants　and　ministers　to　search　every　comer　of　the　house；　but　when　they　could　find　neither　Gardener　nor　Asse；　there　was　a　great　contention　betweene　the　souldiers　and　our　Host；　for　they　sayd　we　were　within　the　house　：　and　he　said　no；　but　I　that　was　very　curious　to　know　the　matter；　when　I　heard　so　great　a　noyse；　put　my　head　out　of　the　window　to　learne　what　the　stirre　and　tumult　did　signifie。　　It　fortuned　that　one　of　the　souldiers　perceived　my　shadow；　whereupon　he　began　to　cry；　saying　：　that　hee　had　certainly　seene　me；　then　they　were　all　glad　and　came　up　into　the　chamber；　and　pulled　me　downe　like　a　prisoner。　　When　they　had　found　mee；　they　doubted　nothing　of　the　Gardener；　but　seeking　about　more　narrowly；　at　length　they　found　him　couched　in　a　chest。　　And　so　they　brought　out　the　poore　gardener　to　the　Justices；　who　was　committed　immediately　to　prison；　but　they　could　never　forbeare　laughing　from　the　time　they　found　me　by　my　shadow；　wherefore　is　risen　a　common　Proverbe　：　'　The　shadow　of　the　Asse。'




THE　TENTH　BOOKE



THE　FORTY…FOURTH　CHAPTER


　How　the　souldier　drave　Apuleius　away；　and　how　he　came　to　a　Captaines　house；　and　what　happened　there。

　The　next　day　how　my　master　the　Gardener　sped；　I　knew　not；　but　the　gentle　souldier；　who　was　well　beaten　for　his　cowardise；　lead　me　to　his　lodging　without　the　contradiction　of　any　man　：　Where　hee　laded　me　well；　and　garnished　my　body　（as　seemed　to　me）　like　an　Asse　of　armes。　　For　on　the　one　side　I　bare　an　helmet　that　shined　exceedingly　：　On　the　other　side　a　Target　that　glistered　more　a　thousand　folde。　　And　on　the　top　of　my　burthen　he　put　a　long　speare；　which　things　he　placed　thus　gallantly；　not　because　he　was　so　expert　in　warre　（for　the　Gardener　proved　the　contrary）　but　to　the　end　he　might　feare　those　which　passed　by；　when　they　saw　such　a　similitude　of　warre。　　When　we　had　gone　a　good　part　of　our　journey；　over　the　plaine　and　easie　fields；　we　fortuned　to　come　to　a　little　towne；　where　we　lodged　at　a　certaine　Captaines　house。　　And　there　the　souldier　tooke　me　to　one　of　the　servants；　while　he　himselfe　went　towards　his　captaine；　who　had　the　charge　of　a　thousand　men。　And　when　we　had　remained　there　a　few　dayes；　I　understood　of　a　wicked　and　mischievous　fact　committed　there；　which　I　have　put　in　writing　to　the　end　you　may　know　the　same。　The　master　of　the　house　had　a　sonne　instructed　in　good　literature；　and　endued　with　vertuous　manners；　such　a　one　as　you　would　desire　to　have　the　like。　Long　time　before　his　mother　dyed；　and　when　his　father　married　a　new　wife；　and　had　another　child　of　the　age　of　xii。　yeares。　The　stepdame　was　more　excellent　in　beauty　then　honesty　：　for　she　loved　this　young　man　her　sonne　in　law；　either　because　she　was　unchast　by　nature；　or　because　she　was　enforced　by　fate　of　stepmother；　to　commit　so　great　a　mischiefe。　　Gentle　reader；　thou　shalt　not　read　of　a　fable；　but　rather　a　tragedy　：　This　woman　when　her　love　began　first　to　kindle　in　her　heart；　could　easily　resist　her　desire　and　inordinate　appetite　by　reason　of　shame　and　feare；　lest　her　intent　should　be　knowne：　But　after　it　compassed　and　burned　every　part　of　her　brest；　she　was　compelled　to　yeeld　unto　the　raging　flame　of　Cupid；　and　under　colour　of　the　disease　and　infirmity　of　her　body；　to　conceale　the　wound　of　her　restlesse　mind。　　Every　man　knoweth　well　the　signes　and　tokens　of　love；　and　the　malady　convenient　to　the　same　：　Her　countenance　was　pale；　her　eyes　sorrowfull；　her　knees　weake；　and　there　was　no　comfort　in　her；　but　continuall　weeping　and　sobbing；　insomuch　that　you　would　have　thought　that　she　had　some　spice　of　an　ague；　saving　that　she　wept　unmeasurably：　the　Phisitians　knew　not　her　disease；　when　they　felt　the　beating　of　her　veines；　the　intemperance　of　her　heart；　the　sobbing　sighes；　and　her　often　tossing　of　every　side　：　No；　no；　the　cunning　Phisitian　knew　it　not；　but　a　scholler　of　Venus　Court　might　easily　conjecture　the　whole。　After　that　she　had　beene　long　time　tormented　in　her　affliction；　and　was　no　more　able　to　conceale　her　ardent　desire；　shee　caused　her　sonne　to　be　called　for；　（which　word　son　she　would　faine　put　away　if　it　were　not　for　shame　：）　Then　he　nothing　disobedient　to　the　commandement　of　his　mother；　with　a　sad　and　modest　countenance；　came　into　the　chamber　of　his　stepdame；　the　mother　of　his　brother；　but　she　speaking　never　a　word　was　in　great　doubt　what　she　might　doe；　and　could　not　tell　what　to　say　first；　by　reason　of　shame。　　The　young　man　suspecting　no　ill；　with　humble　courtesie　demanded　the　cause　of　her　present　disease。　Then　she　having　found　an　occasion　to　utter　her　intent；　with　weeping　eyes　and　covered　face；　began　boldly　to　speake　unto　him　in　this　manner　：　Thou；　thou；　art　the　originall　cause　of　all　my　dolour　：　Thou　art　my　comfort　and　onely　health；　for　those　thy　comely　eyes　are　so　enfastned　within　my　brest；　that　unlesse　they　succour　me；　I　shall　certainly　die　：　Have　pitty　therefore　upon　me；　be　not　the　occasion　of　my　destruction；　neither　let　my　conscience　reclaime　to　offend　thy　father；　when　as　thou　shalt　save　the　life　of　thy　mother。　Moreover　since　thou　dost　resemble　thy　fathers　shape　in　every　point；　it　giveth　me　cause　the　more　to　fancy　thee　：　Now　is　ministred　unto　thee　time　and　place　：　Now　hast　thou　occasion　to　worke　thy　will；　seeing　that　we　are　alone。　　And　it　is　a　common　saying　：

　Never　knowne；　never　done。

　This　young　man　troubled　in　mind　at　so　suddaine　an　ill；　although　hee　abhorred　to　commit　so　beastly　a　crime；　yet　hee　would　not　cast　her　off　with　a　present　deniall；　but　warily　pacified　her　mind　with　delay　of　promise。　　Wherefore　he　promised　to　doe　all　according　to　her　desire　：　And　in　the　meane　season；　he　willed　his　mother　to　be　of　good　cheere；　and　comfort　her　selfe　till　as　he　might　find　some　convenient　time　to　come　unto　her；　when　his　father　was　ridden　forth　：　Wherewithall　hee　got　him　away　from　the　pestilent　sight　of　his　stepdame。　　And　knowing　that　this　matter　touching　the　ruine　of　all　the　whole　house　needed　the　counsell　of　wise　and　grave　persons；　he　went　incontinently　to　a　sage　old　man　and　declared　the　whole　circumstance　of　the　matter。　　The　old　man　after　long　deliberation；　thought　there　was　no　better　way　to　avoyd　the　storme　of　cruell　fortune　to　come；　then　to　run　away。　　In　the　meane　season　this　wicked　woman　impatient　of　her　love；　and　the　long　delay　of　her　sonne；　egged　her　husband　to　ride　abroad　into　farre　countreyes。　And　then　she　asked　the　young…man　the　accomplishment　of　his　promise；　but　he　to　rid　himselfe　entirely　from　her　hands；　would　find　alwayes　excuses；　till　in　the　end　she　underst