the golden asse-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ree　of　the　Provinciall　Judge　：　Thy　wife　（having　ended　her　mourning　time　in　lamentable　wise；　with　face　and　visage　blubbered　with　teares；　in　such　sort　that　she　hath　well　nigh　wept　out　both　her　eyes）　is　constrained　by　her　parents　to　put　out　of　remembrance　the　unfortunate　losse　and　lacke　of　thee　at　home；　and　against　her　will　to　take　a　new　husband。　　And　dost　thou　live　here　as　a　ghost　or　hogge；　to　our　great　shame　and　ignominy？

Then　he　answered　he　to　me　and　said；　O　my　friend　Aristomenus；　now　perceive　I　well　that　you　are　ignorant　of　the　whirling　changes；　the　unstable　forces；　and　slippery　inconstancy　of　Fortune　：　and　therewithall　he　covered　his　face　（even　then　blushing　for　very　shame）　with　his　rugged　mantle　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。

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