The shout of the mob put our enemies so out of countenance that they went off heavily, but contriving a revenge; and therefore observing how we had put upon Lycurgus, they went back to expect him at his house, and set him right again. The solemnity ending later than was expected, we could not reach Lycurgus’s that night, and therefore he brought us to a half-way house, but left us asleep next morning, and went home to despatch some business, where he found Lycas and Tryphoena waiting for him, who so ordered the matter with him, that they brought him to secure us. Lycurgus naturally barbarous and faithless, began to contrive which way to betray us, and sent Lycas to get some help, whilst he secured us in the village.
Thither he came, ard at his first entry, treated us as Lycas had done: After which wringing his hands together, he upbraided us with the lye we had made of Lycas, and taking Ascyltos from us, lock’d us up in the room where we were, without so much as hearing him speak in our defence; but carrying him to his house, set a guard upon us, till himself should return.
On the road Ascyltos did what he could to mollifie Lycurgus; but neither entreaties, nor love, nor tears doing any good on him, it came into our comerades head to set us at liberty, and being all on fire at Lycurgus’s restiness, refus’d to bed with him that night, and by that means the more easily put in execution what he had been thinking on.
The family was in their dead sleep when Ascyltos took our fardels on his shoulders, and getting through a breach in the wall, which he had formerly taken notice of, came to the village by break of day, and meeting no one to stop him, boldly enter’d it and came up to our chamber; which the guard that was upon us, took care to secure; but the bar being of wood, he easily wrenched it with an iron crow, and waken’d us; for we snor’d in spight of fortune.
Our guard had so over-watched themselves, that they were fall’n into a dead sleep, and we only wak’d at the crack. To be short, Ascyltos came in and briefly told us what he had done for our sakes: On this we got up; and as we were rigging our selves, it came into my head to kill the guard, and rifle the village; I told Ascyltos my mind. He liked the rifling well enough, but gave us a wish’d delivery without blood, for being acquainted with every corner of the house, he pick’d the lock of an inner-room where the movables lay, and bringing us into it, we lifted what was of most value, and got off while it was yet early in the morning; avoiding the common road, and not resting till we thought our selves out of danger.
Then Ascyltos having got heart again, began to amplifie the delight he took in having pillag’d Lycurgus; of whose miserableness he, not without cause, complain’d; for he neither paid him for his nights service, nor kept a table that had either meat, or drink on’t, being such a sordid pinch-peny; that, notwithstanding his infinite wealth, he deny’d himself the common necessaries of life.


