Book II
VIII
How Apuleius fortuned to meet with his cousin Byrrhena.
As soon as night was past, and the day began to spring, I fortuned to awake, and rose out of my bed as half amazed, and very desirous to know and see some marvelous and strange things, remembering with myself that I was in the middle part of all Thessaly, whereas by the common report of all the world, the sorceries and enchantments are most used, I oftentimes repeated with myself the tale of my companion Aristomenus touching the manner of this city, and being moved by great desire, I viewed the whole situation thereof, neither was there anything which I saw there, but that I did believe to be the same which it was indeed, but everything seemed unto me to be transformed and altered into other shapes, by the wicked power of sorcery and enchantment, insomuch that I thought that the stones which I found were indurate, and turned from men into that figure, and that the birds which I heard chirping, and the trees without the walls of the city, and the running waters, were changed from men into such kind of likenesses. And further I thought that the statues, images and walls could go, and the oxen and other brute beasts could speak and tell strange news, and that immediately I should see and hear some Oracles from the heavens, and from the gleed of the sun. Thus being astonied or rather dismayed and vexed with desire, knowing no certain place whither I intended to go, I went from street to street, and at length (as I curiously gazed on everything) I fortuned unawares to come into the market place, whereas I espied a certain woman, accompanied with a great many servants, towards whom I drew nigh, and viewed her garments beset with gold and precious stone, in such sort that she seemed to be some noble matron. And there was an old man which followed her, who as soon as he espied me, said to himself, Verily this is Lucius, and then he came and embraced me, by and by he went unto his mistress and whispered in her ear, and came to me again saying, How is it Lucius that you will not salute your dear cousin and singular friend? To whom I answered, Sir I dare not be so bold as to take acquaintance of an unknown woman. Howbeit as half ashamed I drew towards her, and she turned herself and said, Behold how he resembleth the very same grace as his mother Salvia doth, behold his countenance and stature, agreeing thereto in each point, behold his comely state, his fine slenderness, his vermilion colour, his hair yellow by nature, his gray and quick eye, like to the eagle, and his trim and comely gait, which do sufficiently prove him to be the natural child of Salvia. And moreover she said, Oh Lucius, I have nourished thee with mine own proper hand: and why not? For I am not only of kindred to thy mother by blood, but also by nurse, for we both descended of the line of Plutarch, lay in one belly, sucked the same paps, and were brought up together in one house. And further there is no other difference between us two, but that she is married more honorably than I: I am the same Byrrhena whom you have often heard named among your friends at home: wherefore I pray you to take so much pains as to come with me to my house, and use it as your own. At whose words I was partly abashed and said, God forbid Cousin that I should forsake mine host
