The Golden Ass

door, which was fast barred, and knocked aloud. Then there came forth a maid which said, Ho sirrah that knocks so fast, in what kind of sort will you borrow money? Know you not that we use to take no gage, unless it be either plate or jewels? To whom I answered, I pray you maid speak more gently, and tell me whether thy master be within or no? Yes (quoth she) that he is, why do you ask? Marry (said I) I am come from Corinth, and have brought him letters from Demeas his friend. Then said the maid, I pray you tarry here till I tell him so, and therewithal she closed fast the door, and went in, and after a while she returned again and said, My master desireth you to alight and come in. And so I did, whereas I found him sitting upon a little bed, going to supper, and his wife sat at his feet, but there was no meat upon the table, and so by appointment of the maid I came to him and saluted him, and delivered the letters which I had brought from Demeas. Which when he had read he said, Verily, I thank my friend Demeas much, in that he hath sent me so worthy a guest as you are. And therewithal he commanded his wife to sit away and bid me sit in her place; which when I refused by reason of courtesy, he pulled me by my garment and willed me to sit down; for we have (quoth he) no other stool here, nor no other great store of household stuff, for fear of robbing. Then I according to his commandment, sat down, and he fell in further communication with me and said, Verily I do conjecture by the comely feature of your body, and by the maidenly shamefastness of your face that you are a gentleman born, as my friend Demeas hath no less declared the same in his letters. Wherefore I pray you take in good part our poor lodging, and behold yonder chamber is at your commandment, use it as your own, and if you be contented therewithal, you shall resemble and follow the virtuous qualities of your good father Theseus, who disdained not the slender and poor Cottage of Hecate.

And then he called his maid which was named Fotis, and said, Carry this gentleman’s packet into the chamber, and lay it up safely, and bring water quickly to wash him, and a towel to rub him, and other things necessary, and then bring him to the next baines, for I know that he is very weary of travel.

These things when I heard, I partly perceived the manners of Milo, and endeavouring to bring myself further into his favour, I said, Sir there is no need of any of these things, for they have been everywhere ministered unto me by the way, howbeit I will go into the baines, but my chiefest care is that my horse be well looked to, for he brought me hither roundly, and therefore I pray thee Fotis take this money and buy some hay and oats for him.

VII

How Apuleius going to buy fish, met with his companion Pythias.

When this was done, and all my things brought into the Chamber, I walked towards the baines; but first I went to the market to buy some victuals for my supper, whereas I saw great plenty of fish set out to be sold: and so I cheapened part thereof, and that which they at first held at an hundred pence, I bought at length for twenty. Which when I had done, and was departing away, one of mine old acquaintance, and fellow at Athens, named Pithias, fortuned to pass by, and viewing me at a good space, in the end brought me to his remembrance, and gently came and kissed me, saying, Oh my dear friend Lucius, it is a great while past since we two saw one another, and moreover, from the time that we departed from our master Vestius, I never heard any news from you. I pray you Lucius tell me the cause of your peregrination hither. Then I answered and said, I will make relation thereof unto you tomorrow: but I pray you tell me, what meaneth these servitors that follow you, and these rods or verges which they bear, and this habit which you wear like unto a magistrate, verily I think you have obtained your own desire, whereof I am right glad. Then answered Pithias, I bear the office of the clerk of the market, and therefore if you will have any pittance for your supper speak and I will purvey it for you. Then I thanked him heartily and said I had bought meat sufficient already. But Pithias when he espied my basket wherein my fish was, took it and shaked it, and demanded of me what I had paid for all my sprats. In faith (quoth I), I could scarce enforce the fishmonger to sell them for twenty pence. Which when I heard, he brought me back again into the market, and inquired of me of whom I bought them. I showed him the old man which sat in a corner, whom by and by, by reason of his office, he did greatly blame, and said, Is it thus you serve and handle strangers, and specially our friends? Wherefore sell you this fish so dear, which is not worth a halfpenny? Now perceive I well, that you are an occasion to make this place, which is the principal city of all Thessaly, to be forsaken of all men, and to reduce it into an uninhabitable desert, by reason of your excessive prices of victuals, but assure yourself that you shall not escape without punishment, and you shall know what mine office is, and how I ought to punish such as offend. Then he