The Golden Ass | Page 7

insomuch that from his navel downwards he appeared all naked.
But I not willing to see him any longer in such great miserie and calamitie, took him by
the hand and lifted him up from the ground : who having his face covered in such sort,
Let Fortune (quoth he) triumph yet more, let her have her sway, and finish that which
shee hath begun. And therewithall I put off one of my garments and covered him, and
immediately I brought him to the Baine, and caused him to be anointed, wiped, and the
filthy scurfe of his body to be rubbed away; which done, though I were very weary my
selfe, yet I led the poore miser to my Inne, where he reposed his body upon a bed, and
then I brought him meat and drinke, and so wee talked together : for there we might be
merry and laugh at our pleasure, and so we were, untill such time as he (fetching a
pittifull sigh from the bottom of his heart, and beating his face in miserable sort, began to
say.

THE THIRD CHAPTER
How Socrates in his returne from Macedony to Larissa was spoyled and robbed, and how
he fell acquainted with one Meroe a Witch.
Alas poore miser that I am, that for the onely desire to see a game of triall of weapons,
am fallen into these miseries and wretched snares of misfortune. For in my returne from
Macedonie, wheras I sould all my wares, and played the Merchant 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.