the golden asse-第29节

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ne　water　that　fell　the　day　before；　thither　I　ranne　hastily　and　plunged　my　selfe　therein；　in　such　sort　that　I　quenched　the　fire；　and　was　delivered　from　that　present　perill；　but　the　vile　boy　to　excuse　himselfe　declared　to　all　the　neighbours　and　shepheards　about；　that　I　willingly　tumbled　in　the　fire　as　I　passed　through　the　village。　　Then　he　laughed　upon　me　saying　：　How　long　shall　we　nourish　and　keepe　this　fiery　Asse　in　vaine？



THE　TWENTY…NINTH　CHAPTER

How　Apuleius　was　accused　of　Lechery　by　the　boy。

A　few　dayes　after；　the　boy　invented　another　mischiefe：　For　when　he　had　sold　all　the　wood　which　I　bare；　to　certaine　men　dwelling　in　a　village　by；　he　lead　me　homeward　unladen　：　And　then　he　cryed　that　he　was　not　able　to　rule　me；　and　that　hee　would　not　drive　mee　any　longer　to　the　hill　for　wood；　saying　：　Doe　you　not　see　this　slow　and　dulle　Asse；　who　besides　all　the　mischiefes　that　he　hath　wrought　already；　inventeth　daily　more　and　more。　For　he　espyeth　any　woman　passing　by　the　way；　whether　she　be　old　or　marryed；　or　if　it　be　a　young　child；　hee　will　throw　his　burthen　from　his　backe；　and　runneth　fiercely　upon　them。　　And　after　that　he　hath　thrown　them　downe；　he　will　stride　over　them　to　commit　his　buggery　and　beastly　pleasure；　moreover　hee　will　faine　as　though　hee　would　kisse　them；　but　he　will　bite　their　faces　cruelly；　which　thing　may　worke　us　great　displeasure；　or　rather　to　be　imputed　unto　us　as　a　crime　：　and　even　now　when　he　espyed　an　honest　maiden　passing　by　die　high　way；　he　by　and　by　threw　downe　his　wood　and　runne　after　her　：　And　when　he　had　throwne　her　down　upon　the　ground；　he　would　have　ravished　her　before　the　face　of　all　the　world；　had　it　not　beene　that　by　reason　of　her　crying　out；　she　was　succored　and　pulled　from　his　heeles；　and　so　delivered。　　And　if　it　had　so　come　to　passe　that　this　fearefull　maid　had　beene　slaine　by　him；　what　danger　had　we　beene　in？　　By　these　and　like　lies；　he　provoked　the　shepheards　earnestly　against　me；　which　grieved　mee　（God　wot）　full　sore　that　said　nothing。　Then　one　of　the　shepheards　said　：　Why　doe　we　not　make　sacrifice　of　this　common　adulterous　Asse？　　My　sonne　（quoth　he）　let　us　kill　him　and　throw　his　guts　to　the　dogges；　and　reserve　his　flesh　for　the　labourers　supper。　　Then　let　us　cast　dust　upon　his　skinne；　and　carry　it　home　to　our　master；　and　say　that　the　Woolves　have　devoured　him。　　The　boy　that　was　my　evill　accuser　made　no　delay；　but　prepared　himselfe　to　execute　the　sentence　of　the　shepheard；　rejoycing　at　my　present　danger；　but　O　how　greatly　did　I　then　repent　that　the　stripe　which　I　gave　him　with　my　heele　had　not　killed　him。　　Then　he　drew　out　his　sword　and　made　it　sharp　upon　the　whetstone　to　slay　me；　but　another　of　the　shepheards　gan　say；　Verely　it　is　a　great　offence　to　kill　so　faire　an　Asse；　and　so　（by　accusation　of　luxurie　and　lascivious　wantonnesse）　to　lack　so　necessarie　his　labour　and　service；　where　otherwise　if　ye　would　cut　off　his　stones；　he　might　not　onely　be　deprived　of　his　courage　but　also　become　gentle；　that　we　should　be　delivered　from　all　feare　and　danger。　　Moreover　he　would　be　thereby　more　fat　and　better　in　flesh。　　For　I　know　my　selfe　as　well　many　Asses；　as　also　most　fierce　horses；　that　by　reason　of　their　wantonnesse　have　beene　most　mad　and　terrible；　but　（when　they　were　gelded　and　cut）　they　have　become　gentle　and　tame；　and　tractable　to　all　use。　　Wherefore　I　would　counsell　you　to　geld　him。　And　if　you　consent　thereto；　I　will　by　and　by；　when　I　go　to　the　next　market　fetch　mine　irons　and　tooles　for　the　purpose　：　And　I　ensure　you　after　that　I　have　gelded　and　cut　off　his　stones；　I　will　deliver　him　unto　you　as　tame　as　a　lambe。　　When　I　did　perceive　that　I　was　delivered　from　death；　and　reserved　to　be　gelded；　I　was　greatly　sorrie；　insomuch　that　I　thought　all　the　hinder　part　of　my　body　and　my　stones　did　ake　for　woe；　but　I　sought　about　to　kill　my　selfe　by　some　manner　of　meanes；　to　the　end　if　I　should　die；　I　would　die　with　unperished　members。



THE　THIRTIETH　CHAPTER


How　the　boy　that　lead　Apuleius　to　the　field；　was　slaine　in　the　wood。

　While　I　devised　with　my　selfe　in　what　manner　I　might　end　my　life；　the　roperipe　boy　on　the　next　morrow　lead　me　to　the　same　hill　againe；　and　tied　me　to　a　bow　of　a　great　Oke；　and　in　the　meane　season　he　tooke　his　hatchet　and　cut　wood　to　load　me　withall；　but　behold　there　crept　out　of　a　cave　by；　a　marvailous　great　Beare；　holding　out　his　mighty　head；　whom　when　I　saw；　I　was　sodainly　stroken　in　feare；　and　（throwing　all　the　strength　of　my　body　into　my　hinder　heeles）　　lifted　up　my　strained　head　and　brake　the　halter；　wherewith　I　was　tied。　　Then　there　was　no　need　to　bid　me　runne　away；　for　I　scoured　not　only　on　foot；　but　tumbled　over　the　stones　and　rocks　with　my　body　till　I　carne　into　the　open　fields；　to　the　intent　I　would　escape　from　the　terrible　Beare；　but　especially　from　the　boy　that　was　worse　than　the　Beare。　Then　a　certaine　stranger　that　passed　by　the　way　（espying　me　alone　as　a　stray　Asse）　tooke　me　up　and　roade　upon　my　backe；　beating　me　with　a　staffe　（which　he　bare　in　his　hand）　through　a　wide　and　unknowne　lane；　whereat　I　was　nothing　displeased；　but　willingly　went　forward　to　avoid　the　cruell　paine　of　gelding；　which　the　shepherds　had　ordained　for　me；　but　as　for　the　stripes　I　was　nothing　moved；　since　I　was　accustomed　to　be　beaten　so　every　day。　　But　evill　fortune　would　not　suffer　me　to　continue　in　so　good　estate　long　：　For　the　shepheards　looking　about　for　a　Cow　that　they　had　lost　（after　they　had　sought　in　divers　places）　fortuned　to　come　upon　us　unwares；　who　when　they　espied　and　knew　me；　they　would　have　taken　me　by　the　halter；　but　he　that　rode　upon　my　backe　resisted　them　saying；　O　Lord　masters；　what　intend　you　to　do？　　Will　you　rob　me？　Then　said　the　shepheards；　What？　thinkest　thou　we　handle　thee　otherwise　then　thou　deservest；　which　hast　stollen　away　our　Asse？　　Why　dost　thou　not　rather　tell　us　where　thou　hast　hidden　the　boy　whom　thou　hast　slaine？　　And　therewithall　they　pulled　him　downe　to　the　ground；　beating　him　with　their　fists；　and　spurning　him　with　their　feete。　　Then　he　answered　unto　them　saying；　titathat　he　saw　no　manner　of　boy；　but　onely　found　the　Asse　loose　and　straying　abroad；　which　he　tooke　up　to　the　intent　to　have　some　reward　for　the　finding　of　him　and　to　restore　him　againe　to　his　Master。　And　I　would　to　God　（quoth　he）　that　this　Asse　（which　verely　was　never　seene）　could　speake　as　a　man　to　give　witnesse　of　mine　innocency　：　Then　would　you　be　ashamed　of　the　injury　which　you　have　done　to　me。　　Thus　（reasoning　for　Himselfe）　he　nothing　prevailed；　for　they　tied　the　halter　about　my　necke；　and　（maugre　his　face）　pulled　me　quite　away；　and　lead　me　backe　againe　through　the　woods　of　the　hill　to　the　place　where　the　boy　accustomed　to　resort。　　And　after　they　could　find　him　in　no　place；　at　length　they　found　his　body　rent　and　torne　in　peeces；　and　his　members　dispersed　in　sundry　places；　which　I　well　knew　was　done　by　the　cruell　Beare　：　and　verely　1　would　have　told　it　if　I　might　have　spoken；　but　（which　I　could　onely　do）　I　greatly　rejoiced　at　his　death；　although　it　came　too　late。　　Then　they　gathered　together　the　peeces　of　his　body　and　buried　them。　By　and　by　they　laid　the　fault　to　my　new　Master；　that　tooke　me　up　by　the　way；　and　（bringing　him　home　fast　bound　to　their　houses）　purposed　on　the　next　morrow　to　accuse　him　of　murther；　and　to　lead　him　before　the　Justices　to　have　judgement　of　death。



THE　THIRTY…FIRST　CHAPTER

How　Apuleius　was　cruelly　beaten　by　the　Mother　of　the　boy　that　was　slaine。

In　the　meane　season；　while　the　Parents　of　the　boy　did　lament　and　weepe　for　the　death　of　their　sonne；　the　shepheard　（according　to　his　promise）　came　with　his　instruments　and　tooles　to　geld　me。　Then　one　of　them　said；　Tush　we　little　esteeme　the　mischiefe　he　did　yesterday；　but　now　we　are　contented　that　to　morrow　his　stones　shall　not　onely　be　cut　off；　but　also　his　head。　So　was　it　brought　to　passe；　that　my　death　was　delayed　till　the　next　morrow；　but　what　thanks　did　I　give　to　that　good　boy；　who　（being　so　slaine）　was　the　cause　of　my　pardon　for　one　short　day。　Howbeit　I　had　no　time　then　to　rest　my　selfe；　for　the　Mother　of　the　boy；　weeping　and　lamenting　for　his　death；　attired　in　mourning　vesture；　tare　her　haire　and　beat　her　breast；　and　came　presently　into　the　stable；　saying；　Is　it　reason　that　this　carelesse　beast　should　do　nothing　all　day　but　hold　his　head　in　the　manger；　filling　and　belling　his　guts　with　meat　without　compassion　of　my　great　miserie；　or　remembrance　of　the　pittiful　death　of　his　slaine　Master　：　and　contemning　my　age　and　infirmity；　thinketh　that　I　am　unable　to　revenge　his　mischiefs；　moreover　he　would　perswade　me；　that　he　were　not　culpable。　　Indeed；　it　is　a　convenient　thing　to　looke　and　plead　for　safety；　when　as　the　conscience　doeth　confesse　the　offence；　as　theeves　and　malefactors　accustome　to　do。　　But　O　good　Lord；　thou　cursed　beast；　if　thou　couldest　utter　the　contents　of　thine　owne　mind；　whom　（though　it　were　the　veriest　foole　in　all　the　world）　mightest　thou　perswade　that　this　murther　was　voide　or　without　thy　fault；　when　as　it　lay　in　thy　power；　either　to　keepe　off　the　theeves　with　thy　heeles；　or　else　to　bite　and　teare　them　with　thy　teeth？　　Couldest　not　thou　（that　so　often　in　his　life　time　diddest　spurne　and　kicke　him）　defend　him　now　at　the　point　of　death　by　the　like　meane？　　Yet　at　least；　thou　shouldest　have　taken