How the souldier drave Apuleius away, and how he came to a Captaines
house, and what happened there.
The next day how my master the Gardener sped, I knew not, but the
gentle souldier, who was well beaten for his cowardise, lead me to his
lodging without the contradiction of any man: Where hee laded me well,
and garnished my body (as seemed to me) like an Asse of armes. For on
the one side I bare an helmet that shined exceedingly: On the other
side a Target that glistered more a thousand folde. And on the top of
my burthen he put a long speare, which things he placed thus gallantly,
not because he was so expert in warre (for the Gardener proved the
contrary) but to the end he might feare those which passed by, when
they saw such a similitude of warre. When we had gone a good part of
our journey, over the plaine and easie fields, we fortuned to come to a
little towne, where we lodged at a certaine Captaines house. And there
the souldier tooke me to one of the servants, while he himselfe went
towards his captaine; who had the charge of a thousand men. And when we
had remained there a few dayes, I understood of a wicked and
mischievous fact committed there, which I have put in writing to the
end you may know the same. The master of the house had a sonne
instructed in good literature, and endued with vertuous manners, such a
one as you would desire to have the like. Long time before his mother
dyed, and when his father married a new wife, and had another child of
the age of xii. yeares. The stepdame was more excellent in beauty then
honesty: for she loved this young man her sonne in law, either because
she was unchast by nature, or because she was enforced by fate of
stepmother, to commit so great a mischiefe. Gentle reader, thou shalt
not read of a fable, but rather a tragedy: This woman when her love
began first to kindle in her heart, could easily resist her desire and
inordinate appetite by reason of shame and feare, lest her intent
should be knowne: But after it compassed and burned every part of her
brest, she was compelled to yeeld unto the raging flame of Cupid, and
under colour of the disease and infirmity of her body, to conceale the
wound of her restlesse mind. Every man knoweth well the signes and
tokens of love, and the malady convenient to the same: Her countenance
was pale, her eyes sorrowfull, her knees weake, and there was no
comfort in her, but continuall weeping and sobbing, insomuch that you
would have thought that she had some spice of an ague, saving that she
wept unmeasurably: the Phisitians knew not her disease, when they felt
the beating of her veines, the intemperance of her heart, the sobbing
sighes, and her often tossing of every side: No, no, the cunning
Phisitian knew it not, but a scholler of Venus Court might easily
conjecture the whole. After that she had beene long time tormented in
her affliction, and was no more able to conceale her ardent desire,
shee caused her sonne to be called for, (which word son she would faine
put away if it were not for shame:) Then he nothing disobedient to the
commandement of his mother, with a sad and modest countenance, came
into the chamber of his stepdame, the mother of his brother, but she
speaking never a word was in great doubt what she might doe, and could
not tell what to say first, by reason of shame. The young man
suspecting no ill, with humble courtesie demanded the cause of her
present disease. Then she having found an occasion to utter her intent,
with weeping eyes and covered face, began boldly to speake unto him in
this manner: Thou, thou, art the originall cause of all my dolour: Thou
art my comfort and onely health, for those thy comely eyes are so
enfastned within my brest, that unlesse they succour me, I shall
certainly die: Have pitty therefore upon me, be not the occasion of my
destruction, neither let my conscience reclaime to offend thy father,
when as thou shalt save the life of thy mother. Moreover since thou
dost resemble thy fathers shape in every point, it giveth me cause the
more to fancy thee: Now is ministred unto thee time and place: Now hast
thou occasion to worke thy will, seeing that we are alone. And it is a
common saying:
Never knowne, never done.
This young man troubled in mind at so suddaine an ill, although hee
abhorred to commit so beastly a crime, yet hee would not cast her off
with a present deniall, but warily pacified her mind with delay of
promise. Wherefore he promised to doe all according to her desire: And
in the meane season, he willed his mother to be of good cheere, and
comfort her selfe till as he might find some convenient time to come
unto her, when his father was ridden forth: Wherewithall hee got him
away from the pestilent sight of his stepdame. And knowing that this
matter touching the ruine of all the whole house needed the counsell of
wise and grave persons, he went incontinently to a sage old man and
declared the whole circumstance of the matter. The old man after long
deliberation, thought there was no better way to avoyd the storme of
cruell fortune to come, then to run away. In the meane season this
wicked woman impatient of her love, and the long delay of her sonne,
egged her husband to ride abroad into farre countreyes. And then she
asked the young-man the accomplishment of his promise, but he to rid
himselfe entirely from her hands, would find alwayes excuses, till in
the end she understood by the messengers that came in and out, that he
nothing regarded her. Then she by how much she loved him before, by so
much and more she hated him now. And by and by she called one of her
servants, ready to all mischiefes: To whom she declared all her
secrets. And there it was concluded betweene them two, that the surest
way was to kill the young man: Whereupon this varlet went incontinently
to buy poyson, which he mingled with wine, to the intent he would give
it to the young man to drinke, and thereby presently to kill him. But
while they were in deliberation how they might offer it unto him,
behold here happened a strange adventure. For the young sonne of the
woman that came from schoole at noone (being very thirsty) tooke the
pot wherein the poyson was mingled, and ignorant of the venim, dranke a
good draught thereof, which was prepared to kill his brother: whereby
he presently fell downe to the ground dead. His schoolemaster seeing
his suddaine change, called his mother, and all the servants of the
house with a lowd voyce. Incontinently every man declared his opinion,
touching the death of the child: but the cruell woman the onely example
of stepmothers malice, was nothing moved by the bitter death of her
sonne, or by her owne conscience of paracide, or by the misfortune of
her house, or by the dolour of her husband, but rather devised the
destruction of all her family. For by and by shee sent a messenger
after her husband to tell him the great misfortune which happened after
his departure. And when he came home, the wicked woman declared that
his sonne had empoysoned his brother, because he would not consent to
his will, and told him divers other leasings, adding in the end that
hee threatned to kill her likewise, because she discovered the fact:
Then the unhappy father was stroken with double dolour of the death of
his two children, for on the one side he saw his younger sonne slaine
before his eyes, on the other side, he seemed to see the elder
condemned to dye for his offence: Againe, where he beheld his wife
lament in such sort, it gave him further occasion to hate his sonne
more deadly; but the funerals of his younger sonne were scarce
finished, when the old man the father with weeping eyes even at the
returne from the grave, went to the Justice and accused his sonne of
the slaughter of his brother, and how he threatned to slay his wife,
whereby the rather at his weeping and lamentation, he moved all the
Magistrates and people to pitty, insomuch that without any delay, or
further inquisition they cryed all that hee should be stoned to death,
but the Justices fearing a farther inconvenience to arise by the
particular vengeance, and to the end there might fortune no sedition
amongst the people, prayed the decurions and other Officers of the
City, that they might proceed by examination of witnesses, and with
order of justice according to the ancient custome before the judging of
any hasty sentence or judgment, without the hearing of the contrary
part, like as the barbarous and cruell tyrants accustome to use:
otherwise they should give an ill example to their successours. This
opinion pleased every man, wherefore the Senatours and counsellors were
called, who being placed in order according to their dignity, caused
the accuser and defender to be brought forth, and by the example of the
Athenian law, and judgement materiall, their Advocates were commanded
to plead their causes briefly without preambles or motions of the
people to pitty, which were too long a processe. And if you demand how
I understood all this matter, you shall understand that I heard many
declare the same, but to recite what words the accuser used in his
invective, what answer the defender made, the orations and pleadings of
each party, verily I am not able to doe: for I was fast bound at the
manger. But as I learned and knew by others, I will God willing declare
unto you. So it was ordered, that after the pleadings of both sides was
ended, they thought best to try and boult out the verity by witnesses,
all presumptions and likelihood set apart, and to call in the servant,
who onely was reported to know all the matter: by and by the servant
came in, who nothing abashed, at the feare of so great a judgment, or
at the presence of the Judges, or at his owne guilty conscience, which
hee so finely fained, but with a bold countenance presented himselfe
before the justices and confirmed the accusation against the young man,
saying: O yee judges, on a day when this young man loathed and hated
his stepmother, hee called mee, desiring mee to poyson his brother,
whereby hee might revenge himselfe, and if I would doe it and keepe the
matter secret, hee promised to give me a good reward for my paines: but
when the young man perceived that I would not accord to his will, he
threatned to slay mee, whereupon hee went himselfe and bought poyson,
and after tempered it with wine, and then gave it me to give the child,
which when I refused he offered it to his brother with his own hands.
When the varlet with a trembling countenance had ended these words
which seemed a likelihood of truth, the judgement was ended: neither
was there found any judge or counsellor, so mercifull to the young man
accused, as would not judge him culpable, but that he should be put and
sowne in a skin, with a dogge, a Cocke, a Snake, and an Ape, according
to the law against parricides: wherefore they wanted nothing but (as
the ancient custome was) to put white stones and black into a pot, and
to take them out againe, to see whether the young-man accused should be
acquitted by judgment or condemned, which was a thing irrevocable.
In the mean season he was delivered to the hands of the executioner.
But there arose a sage and ancient Physitian, a man of a good
conscience and credit throughout all the City, that stopped the mouth
of the pot wherein the stones were cast, saying: I am right glad ye
reverend judges, that I am a man of name and estimation amongst you,
whereby I am accompted such a one as will not suffer any person to be
put to death by false and untrue accusations, considering there hath
bin no homicide or murther committed by this yong man in this case,
neither you (being sworn to judge uprightly) to be misinformed and
abused by invented lyes and tales. For I cannot but declare and open my
conscience, least I should be found to beare small honour and faith to
the Gods, wherefore I pray you give eare, and I will shew you the whole
truth of the matter. You shall understand that this servant which hath
merited to be hanged, came one of these dayes to speake with me,
promising to give me a hundred crownes, if I would give him present
poyson, which would cause a man to dye suddenly, saying, that he would
have it for one that was sicke of an incurable disease, to the end he
might be delivered from all torment, but I smelling his crafty and
subtill fetch, and fearing least he would worke some mischiefe withall,
gave him a drinke; but to the intent I might cleare my selfe from all
danger that might happen, I would not presently take the money which he
offered. But least any of the crownes should lacke weight or be found
counterfeit, I willed him to scale the purse wherein they were put,
with his manuell signe, whereby the next day we might goe together to
the Goldsmith to try them, which he did; wherefore understanding that
he was brought present before you this day, I hastily commanded one of
my servants to fetch the purse which he had sealed, and here I bring it
unto you to see whether he will deny his owne signe or no: and you may
easily conject that his words are untrue, which he alleadged against
the young man, touching the buying of the poyson, considering hee
bought the poyson himselfe. When the Physitian had spoken these words
you might perceive how the trayterous knave changed his colour, how hee
sweat for feare, how he trembled in every part of his body: and how he
set one leg upon another, scratching Ibis head and grinding his teeth,
whereby there was no person but would judge him culpable. In the end,
when he was somewhat returned to his former subtility, he began to deny
all that was said, and stoutly affirmed, that the Physitian did lye.
But the Physitian perceiving that he was rayled at and his words
denyed, did never cease to confirme his sayings, and to disprove the
varlet, till such time as the Officers by the commandment of the
Judges, bound his hands and brought out the seale, wherewith he had
sealed the purse which augmented suspition which was conceived of him
first. Howbeit, neither the feare of the wheele or any other torment
according to the use of the Grecians, which were ready prepared, no,
nor yet the fire could enforce him to confesse the matter, so obstinate
and grounded was he in his mischievous mind. But the Physitian
perceiving that the menaces of these torments did nothing prevaile, gan
say: I cannot suffer or abide that this young man who is innocent,
should against all law and conscience, be punished and condemned to
die, and the other which is culpable, should escape so easily, and
after mocke and flowte at your judgement: for I will give you an
evident proofe and argument of this present crime. You shall
understand, that when this caytiffe demanded of me a present and strong
poyson, considering that it was not my part to give occasion of any
others death, but rather to cure and save sicke persons by meane of
medicines: and on the other side, fearing least if I should deny his
request, I might minister a further cause of his mischiefe, either that
he would buy poyson of some other, or else returne and worke his wicked
intent, with a sword or some dangerous weapon, I gave him no poyson,
but a doling drinke of Mandragora, which is of such force, that it will
cause any man to sleepe as though he were dead. Neither is it any
marvaile if this most desperate man, who is certainly assured to be put
to death, ordained by an ancient custome, can suffer and abide these
facill and easie torments, but if it be so that the child hath received
the drinke as I tempered it with mine owne hands, he is yet alive and
doth but sleepe, and after his sleepe he shall returne to life againe,
but if he be dead indeed, then may you further enquire of the causes of
his death. The opinion of this ancient Physitian was found good, and
every man had a desire to goe to the Sepulchre where the child was
layd; there was none of the Justices, none of any reputation of the
towne, nor any of the common people, but went to see this strange
sight. Amongst them all the father of the child remooved with his owne
hands the stone of the Sepulchre, and found his Sonne rising up after
his dead and soporiferous sleepe, whom when he beheld, he imbraced him
in his armes, and presented him before the people, with great joy and
consolation, and as he was wrapped and bound in his grave, so he
brought him before the Judges, whereupon the wickednesse of the
Servant, and, the treason of the stepdame was plainely discovered, and
the verity of the matter revealed, whereby the woman was perpetually
exiled, the Servant hanged on a Gallowes, and the Physitian had the
Crownes, which was prepared to buy the poyson. Behold how the fortune
of the old man was changed, who thinking to be deprived of all his race
and posterity, was in one moment made the Father of two Children. But
as for me, I was ruled and handled by fortune, according to her
pleasure.