THE THIRTY-NINTH CHAPTER

The Golden Ass

by Lucius Apuleius

THE THIRTY-NINTH CHAPTER, THE GOLDEN ASS by Lucius Apuleius


How the Priests of the goddesse Siria were taken and put in prison,
and how Apuleius was sold to a Baker.

After that we had tarried there a few dayes at the cost and
charges of the whole Village, and had gotten much mony by our
divination and prognostication of things to come: The priests of the
goddesse Siria invented a new meanes to picke mens purses, for
they had certaine lotts, whereon were written :

Coniuncti terram proscindunt boves ut in futurum loeta germinent
sata

That is to say : The Oxen tied and yoked together, doe till the
ground to the intent it may bring forth his increase : and by these
kind of lottes they deceive many of the simple sort, for if one had
demanded whether he should have a good wife or no, they would
say that his lot did testifie the same, that he should. be tyed and
yoked to a good woman and have increase of children. If one
demanded whether he should buy lands and possession, they said
that he should have much ground that should yeeld his increase. If
one demanded whether he should have a good and prosperous
voyage, they said he should have good successe, and it should be
for the increase of his profit. If one demanded whether hee should
vanquish his enemies, and prevaile in pursuite of theeves, they said
that this enemy should be tyed and yoked to him: and his pursuits
after theeves should be prosperous. Thus by the telling of fortunes,
they gathered a great quantity of money, but when they were
weary with giving of answers, they drave me away before them
next night, through a lane which was more dangerous and stony
then the way which we went the night before, for on the one side
were quagmires and foggy marshes, on the other side were falling
trenches and ditches, whereby my legges failed me, in such sort
that I could scarce come to the plaine field pathes. And behold by
and by a great company of inhabitants of the towne armed with
weapons and on horsebacke overtooke us, and incontinently
arresting Philebus and his Priests, tied them by the necks and beate
them cruelly, calling them theeves and robbers, and after they had
manacled their hands: Shew us (quoth they) the cup of gold, which
(under the colour of your solemne religion) ye have taken away,
and now ye thinke to escape in the night without punishment for
your fact. By and by one came towards me, and thrusting his hand
into the bosome of the goddesse Siria, brought out the cup which
they had stole. Howbeit for all they appeared evident and plaine
they would not be confounded nor abashed, but jesting and laughing
out the matter, gan say: Is it reason masters that you should thus
rigorously intreat us, and threaten for a small trifling cup, which the
mother of the Goddesse determined to give to her sister for a
present? Howbeit for all their lyes and cavellations, they were
carryed backe unto the towne, and put in prison by the Inhabitants,
who taking the cup of gold, and the goddesse which I bare, did put
and consecrate them amongst the treasure of the temple. The next
day I was carryed to the market to be sold, and my price was set at
seaven pence more then Philebus gave for me. There fortuned to
passe by a Baker of the next village, who after that he had bought
a great deale of corne, bought me likewise to carry it home, and
when he had well laded me therewith, be drave me through a
thorny and dangerous way to his bake house; there I saw a great
company of horses that went in the mill day and night grinding of
corne, but lest I should be discouraged at the first, my master
entertained me well, for the first day I did nothing but fare daintily,
howbeit such mine ease and felicity did not long endure, for the
next day following I was tyed to the mill betimes in the morning
with my face covered, to the end in turning amid winding so often
one way, I should not become giddy, but keepe a certaine course,
but although when I was a man I had seen many such horsemills
and knew well enough how they should be turned, yet feining my
selfe ignorant of such kind of toile, I stood still and would not goe,
whereby I thought I should be taken from the mill as an Asse
unapt, and put to some other light thing, or else to he driven into the
fields to pasture, but my subtility did me small good, for by and by
when the mill stood still, the servants came about me, crying and
beating me forward, in such sort that I could not stay to advise my
selfe, whereby all the company laughed to see so suddaine a
change. When a good part of the day was past, that I was not able
to endure any longer, they tooke off my harnesse, and tied me to
the manger, but although my bones were weary, and that I needed
to refresh my selfe with rest and provender, yet I was so curious
that I did greatly delight to behold the bakers art, insomuch that I
could not eate nor drinke while I looked on.

O good Lord what a sort of poore slaves were there; some had
their skinne blacke and blew, some had their backes striped with
lashes, some were covered with rugged sackes, some had their
members onely hidden: some wore such ragged clouts, that you
might perceive all their naked bodies, some were marked and
burned in the heads with hot yrons, some had their haire halfe
clipped, some had lockes of their legges, some very ugly and evill
favoured, that they could scarce see, their eyes and face were so
blacke and dimme with smoake, like those that fight in the sands,
and know not where they strike by reason of dust : And some had
their faces all mealy. But how should I speake of the horses my
companions, how they being old and weake, thrust their heads into
the manger : they had their neckes all wounded and worne away :
they rated their nosethrilles with a continuall cough, their sides were
bare with their harnesse and great travell, their ribs were broken
with beating, their hooves were battered broad with incessant
labour, and their skinne rugged by reason of their lancknesse.
When I saw this dreadfull sight, I began to feare, least I should
come to the like state : and considering with my selfe the good
fortune which I was sometime in when I was a man, I greatly
lamented, holding downe my head, and would eate no meate, but I
saw no comfort or consolation of my evill fortune, saving that my
mind was somewhat recreated to heare and understand what every
man said, for they neither feared nor doubted my presence. At that
time I remembred how Homer the divine author of ancient Poetry,
described him to be a wise man, which had travelled divers
countries and nations, wherefore I gave great thanks to my Asse
for me, in that by this meanes I had seene the experience of many
things, and was become more wise (notwithstanding the great
misery and labour which I daily sustained) : but I will tell you a
pretty jest, which commeth now to my remembrance, to the intent
your eares may be delighted in hearing the same.