THE FOURTH CHAPTER

The Golden Ass

by Lucius Apuleius

THE FOURTH CHAPTER, THE GOLDEN ASS by Lucius Apuleius


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 let us now sleepe, and after that we have taken our
rest, let us rise betimes in the morning, and ride away hence before
day, as far as we can possible.