The Golden Asse eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 277 pages of information about The Golden Asse.

The Golden Asse eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 277 pages of information about The Golden Asse.
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.

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The Golden Asse from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.