The Life of Lucius Apuleius Briefly Described
The Preface of the Author To His Sonne, Faustinus And unto the Readers of this Book
The First Booke
The Second Chapter How Apuleius told to the strangers, what he saw a jugler do in Athens.
The Fourth Chapter How Meroe the Witch turned divers persons into miserable beasts.
The Seventh Chapter How Apuleius going to buy fish, met with his companion Pythias.
The Second Booke
The Eighth Chapter How Apuleius fortuned to meet with his Cousin Byrrhena.
The Ninth Chapter How Apuleius fell in love with Fotis.
The Third Booke
The Twelfth Chapter How Apuleius was taken and put in prison for murther.
The Thirteenth Chapter How Apuleius was accused by an old man, and how he answered for himselfe.
The Fifteenth Chapter How Fotis told to Apuleius, what witchcraft her mistresse did use.
The Sixteenth Chapter How Fotis brought Apuleius to see her Mistresse enchant.
The Fourth Booke
The Twentieth Chapter How Thrasileon was disguised in a Beares skin, and how he was handled.
The Twenty-First Chapter How the Theeves stole away a Gentlewoman, and brought her to their den.
The Marriage of Cupid and Psyches
The Sixth Booke
The Seventh Booke
The Twenty-Fifth Chapter How the death of the Asse, and the Gentlewoman was stayed.
The Twenty-Sixth Chapter How all the Theeves were brought asleepe by their new companion.
The Twenty-Ninth Chapter How Apuleius was accused of Lechery by the boy.
The Thirtieth Chapter How the boy that lead Apuleius to the field, was slaine in the wood.
The Thirty-First Chapter How Apuleius was cruelly beaten by the Mother of the boy that was slaine.
The Eighth Booke
The Thirty-Third Chapter How Apuleius was lead away by the Horsekeeper: and what danger he was in.
The Ninth Booke
The Thirty-Eighth Chapter Of the deceipt of a Woman which made her husband Cuckold.
The Fortieth Chapter How Apuleius was handled by the Bakers wife, which was a harlot.
The Forty-Third Chapter How Apuleius was found by his shadow.
The Tenth Booke
The Eleventh Booke
The Forty-Seventh Chapter How Apuleius by Roses and prayer returned to his humane shape.
How the boy that lead Apuleius to the field, was slaine in the wood.
While I devised with my selfe in what manner I might end my life, the roperipe boy on the next morrow lead me to the same hill againe, and tied me to a bow of a great Oke, and in the meane season he tooke his hatchet and cut wood to load me withall, but behold there crept out of a cave by, a marvailous great Beare, holding out his mighty head, whom when I saw, I was sodainly stroken in feare, and (throwing all the strength of my body into my hinder heeles) lifted up my strained head and brake the halter, wherewith I was tied. Then there was no need to bid me runne away, for I scoured not only on foot, but tumbled over the stones and rocks with my body till I came into the open fields, to the intent I would escape from the terrible Beare, but especially from the boy that was worse than the Beare. Then a certaine stranger that passed by the way (espying me alone as a stray Asse) tooke me up and roade upon my backe, beating me with a staffe (which he bare in his hand) through a wide and unknowne lane, whereat I was nothing displeased, but willingly went forward to avoid the cruell paine of gelding, which the shepherds had ordained for me, but as for the stripes I was nothing moved, since I was accustomed to be beaten so every day. But evill fortune would not suffer me to continue in so good estate long: For the shepheards looking about for a Cow that they had lost (after they had sought in divers places) fortuned to come upon us unwares, who when they espied and knew me, they would have taken me by the halter, but he that rode upon my backe resisted them saying, O Lord masters, what intend you to do? Will you rob me? Then said the shepheards, What? thinkest thou we handle thee otherwise then thou deservest, which hast stollen away our Asse? Why dost thou not rather tell us where thou hast hidden the boy whom thou hast slaine? And therewithall they pulled him downe to the ground, beating him with their fists, and spurning him with their feete. Then he answered unto them saying, titathat he saw no manner of boy, but onely found the Asse loose and straying abroad, which he tooke up to the intent to have some reward for the finding of him and to restore him againe to his Master. And I would to God (quoth he) that this Asse (which verely was never seene) could speake as a man to give witnesse of mine innocency: Then would you be ashamed of the injury which you have done to me. Thus (reasoning for Himselfe) he nothing prevailed, for they tied the halter about my necke, and (maugre his face) pulled me quite away, and lead me backe againe through the woods of the hill to the place where the boy accustomed to resort. And after they could find him in no place, at length they found his body rent and torne in peeces, and his members dispersed in sundry places, which I well knew was done by the cruell Beare: and verely I would have told it if I might have spoken, but (which I could onely do) I greatly rejoiced at his death, although it came too late. Then they gathered together the peeces of his body and buried them. By and by they laid the fault to my new Master, that tooke me up by the way, and (bringing him home fast bound to their houses) purposed on the next morrow to accuse him of murther, and to lead him before the Justices to have judgement of death.