The Golden Ass | Page 9

and robbed us. And my bed whereon I lay being a truckle bed, fashioned in forme of a
Cradle, and one of the feet broken and rotten, by violence was turned upside downe, and I
likewise was overwhelmed and covered lying in the same. Then perceived I in my selfe,
that certaine affects of the minde by nature doth chance contrary. For as teares oftentimes
trickle downe the cheekes of him that seeth or heareth some joyfull newes, so I being in
this fearfull perplexity, could not forbeare laughing, to see how of Aristomenus I was
made like unto a snail [in] his shell. And while I lay on the ground covered in this sort, I
peeped under the bed to see what would happen. And behold there entred in two old
women, the one bearing a burning torch, and the other a sponge and a naked sword; and
so in this habit they stood about Socrates being fast asleep. Then shee which bare the
sword sayd unto the other, Behold sister Panthia, this is my deare and sweet heart, which
both day and night hath abused my wanton youthfulnesse. This is he, who little regarding
my love, doth not only defame me with reproachfull words, but also intendeth to run
away. And I shall be forsaken by like craft as Vlysses did use, and shall continually
bewaile my solitarinesse as Calipso. Which said, shee pointed towards mee that lay under
the bed, and shewed me to Panthia. This is hee, quoth she, which is his Counsellor, and
perswadeth him to forsake me, and now being at the point of death he lieth prostrate on
the ground covered with his bed, and hath seene all our doings, and hopeth to escape

scot-free from my hands, but I will cause that hee will repente himselfe too late, nay
rather forthwith, of his former intemperate language, and his present curiosity. Which
words when I heard I fell into a cold sweat, and my heart trembled with feare, insomuch
that the bed over me did likewise rattle and shake. Then spake Panthia unto Meroe and
said, Sister let us by and by teare him in pieces or tye him by the members, and so cut
them off. Then Meroe (being so named because she was a Taverner, and loved wel good
wines) answered, Nay rather let him live, and bury the corpse of this poore wretch in
some hole of the earth; and therewithall shee turned the head of Socrates on the other side
and thrust her sword up to the hilts into the left part of his necke, and received the bloud
that gushed out, into a pot, that no drop thereof fell beside : which things I saw with mine
own eyes, and as I thinke to the intent that she might alter nothing that pertained to
sacrifice, which she accustomed to make, she thrust her hand down into the intrals of his
body, and searching about, at length brought forth the heart of my miserable companion
Socrates, who having his throat cut in such sort, yeelded out a dolefull cry, and gave up
the ghost. Then Panthia stopped up the wide wound of his throat with the Sponge and
said, O sponge sprung and made of the sea, beware that thou not passe by running river.
This being said, one of them moved and turned up my bed, and then they strid over mee,
and clapped their buttocks upon my face, and all bepissed mee until I was wringing wet.
When this was over they went their wayes, and the doores closed fast, the posts stood in
their old places, and the lockes and bolts were shut againe. But I that lay upon the ground
like one without soule, naked and cold, and wringing wet with pisse, like to one that were
more than half dead, yet reviving my selfe, and appointed as I thought for the Gallowes,
began to say Alasse what shall become of me to morrow, when my companion shall be
found murthered here in the chamber? To whom shall I seeme to tell any similitude of
truth, when as I shall tell the trueth in deed? They will say, If thou wert unable to resist
the violence of the women, yet shouldest thou have cried for help; Wouldst thou suffer
the man to be slaine before thy face and say nothing? Or why did they not slay thee
likewise? Why did they spare thee that stood by and saw them commit that horrible fact?
Wherefore although thou hast escaped their hands, yet thou shalt not escape ours. While I
pondered these things with my selfe the night passed on, and so I resolved to take my
horse before day, and goe forward on my journey.
Howbeit the