THE FORTY-THIRD CHAPTER

The Golden Ass

by Lucius Apuleius

THE FORTY-THIRD CHAPTER, THE GOLDEN ASS by Lucius Apuleius


How Apuleius was found by his shadow.

As wee passed by the way wee met with a tall souldier (for so his
habite and countenance declared) who with proud and arrogant
words spake to my master in this sort:

Quorsum vacuum ducis Asinum?

My master somewhat astonied at the strange sights which he saw
before, and ignorant of the Latine tongue, roade on and spake
never a word : The souldier unable to refraine his insolence, and
offended at his silence, strake him on the shoulders as he sate on
my backe; then my master gently made answer that he understood
not what he said, whereat the souldier angerly demanded againe,
whither he roade with his Asse? Marry (quoth he) to the next City
: But I (quoth the souldier) have need of his helpe, to carry the
trusses of our Captaine from yonder Castle, and therewithall he
tooke me by the halter and would violently have taken me away :
but my master wiping away the blood of the blow which he
received of the souldier, desired him gently and civilly to take some
pitty upon him, and to let him depart with his owne, swearing and
affirming that his slow Asse, welnigh dead with sicknesse, could
scarce carry a few handfuls of hearbs to the next towne, much
lesse he was able to beare any greater trusses : but when he saw
the souldier would in no wise be intreated, but ready with his staffe
to cleave my masters head, my master fell down at his feete, under
colour to move him to some pitty, but when he saw his time, he
tooke the souldier by the legs and cast him upon the ground: Then
he buffetted him, thumped him, bit him, and tooke a stone and beat
his face and his sides, that he could not turne and defend himselfe,
but onely threaten that if ever he rose, he would choppe him in
pieces. The Gardener when he heard him say so, drew out his
javelin which hee had by his side, and when he had throwne it
away, he knockt and beate him more cruelly then he did before,
insomuch that the souldier could not tell by what meanes to save
himselfe, but by feining that he was dead, Then my master tooke
the javelin and mounted upon my backe, riding in all hast to the next
village, having no regard to goe to his Garden, and when he came
thither, he turned into one of his friends house and declared all the
whole matter, desiring him to save his life and to hide himselfe and
his Asse in some secret place, untill such time as all danger were
past. Then his friends not forgetting the ancient amity betweene
them, entertained him willingly and drew me up a paire of staires
into a chamber, my master crept into a chest, and lay there with the
cover closed fast : The souldier (as I afterwards learned) rose up
as one awaked from a drunken sleepe, but he could scarce goe by
reason of his wounds : howbeit at length by little and little through
ayd of his staffe he came to the towne, but hee would not declare
the matter to any person nor complaine to any justice, lest he should
be accused of cowardise or dastardnesse, yet in the end he told
some of his companions of all the matter that happened : then they
tooke him and caused him to be closed in some secret place,
thinking that beside the injury which he had received, he should be
accused of the breach of his faith, by reason of the losse of his
speare, and when they had learned the signes of my master, they
went to search him out : at last there was an unfaithfull neighbour
that told them where he was, then incontinently the souldiers went
to the Justice declaring that they had lost by the way a silver goblet
of their Captaines, and that a Gardener had found it, who refusing
to deliver the goblet, was hidden in one of his friends houses : by
and by the Magistrates understanding the losse of the Captaine,
came to the doores where we were, commanded our host to deliver
my master upon paine of death: howbeit these threatnings could not
enforce him to confesse that he was within his doores, but by
reason of his faithfull promise and for the safeguard of his friend,
he said, that hee saw not the Gardener a great while, neither knew
where he was : the souldiers said contrary, whereby to know the
verity of the matter, the Magistrates commanded their Seargants
and ministers to search every comer of the house, but when they
could find neither Gardener nor Asse, there was a great contention
betweene the souldiers and our Host, for they sayd we were within
the house : and he said no, but I that was very curious to know the
matter, when I heard so great a noyse, put my head out of the
window to learne what the stirre and tumult did signifie. It fortuned
that one of the souldiers perceived my shadow, whereupon he
began to cry, saying : that hee had certainly seene me; then they
were all glad and came up into the chamber, and pulled me downe
like a prisoner. When they had found mee, they doubted nothing of
the Gardener, but seeking about more narrowly, at length they
found him couched in a chest. And so they brought out the poore
gardener to the Justices, who was committed immediately to prison,
but they could never forbeare laughing from the time they found me
by my shadow, wherefore is risen a common Proverbe : ' The
shadow of the Asse.'