The god being burned in this sort, and perceiving that promise and faith was broken, be fled away without utterance of any word, from the eyes and hands of his most unhappy wife. But Psyche fortuned to catch him as he was rising by the right thigh, and held him fast as he flew above in the air, until such time as constrained by weariness she let go and fell down upon the ground. But Cupid followed her down, and lighted upon the top of a cypress tree, and angrily spake unto her in this manner: Oh simple Psyche, consider with thyself how I, little regarding the commandment of my mother (who willed me that thou shouldst be married to a man of base and miserable condition) did come myself from heaven to love thee, and wounded mine own body with my proper weapons, to have thee to my spouse: And did I seem a beast unto thee, that thou shouldst go about to cut off my head with a razor, who loved thee so well? Did not I always give thee a charge? Did not I gently will thee to beware? But those cursed aides and counselors of thine shall be worthily rewarded for their pains. As for thee thou shalt be sufficiently punished by my absence. When he had spoken these words he took his flight into the air. Then Psyche fell flat on the ground, and as long as she could see her husband she cast her eyes after him into the air, weeping and lamenting piteously: but when he was gone out of her sight she threw herself into the next running river, for the great anguish and dolour that she was in for the lack of her husband, howbeit the water would not suffer her to be drowned, but took pity upon her, in the honour of Cupid which accustomed to broil and burn the river, and threw her upon the bank amongst the herbs.
Then Pan the rustical god sitting on the riverside, embracing and [instructing] the goddess Canna to tune her songs and pipes, by whom were feeding the young and tender goats, after that he perceived Psyche in sorrowful case, not ignorant (I know not by what means) of her miserable estate, endeavored to pacify her in this sort: Oh fair maid, I am a rustic and rude herdsman, howbeit by reason of my old age expert in many things, for as far as I can learnt by conjecture (which according as wise men do term is called divination) I perceive by your uncertain gait, your pale hue, your sobbing sighs, and your watery eyes, that you are greatly in love. Wherefore hearken to me, and go not about to slay yourself, nor weep not at all, but rather adore and worship the great god Cupid, and win him unto you by your gentle promise of service.
When the god of shepherds had spoken these words, she gave no answer, but made reverence to him as to a god, and so departed.
After that Psyche had gone a little way, she fortuned unawares to come to a city where the husband of one of her sisters did dwell. Which when Psyche did understand, she caused that her sister had knowledge of her coming, and so they met together, and after great embracing and salutation, the sister of Psyche demanded the cause of her travel thither. Marry (quoth she) do you not remember the counsel you gave me, whereby you would that I should kill the beast which under colour of my husband did lie with me every night? You shall understand, that as soon as I brought forth the lamp to see and behold his shape, I perceived that he was the son of Venus, even Cupid himself that lay with me. Then I being stricken with great pleasure, and desirous to embrace him, could not thoroughly assuage my delight, but alas by evil ill chance the oil of the lamp fortuned to fall on his shoulder which caused him to awake, and seeing me armed with fire and weapons, gan say, How darest thou be so bold to do so great a mischief? Depart from me and take such things as thou didst bring: for I will have thy sister (and named you) to my wife, and she shall be placed in thy felicity, and by and by he commanded Zephyrus to carry me away from the bounds of his house.
Psyche had scantly finished her tale but her sister pierced with the prick of carnal desire and wicked envy ran home, and feigning to her husband that she had heard word of the death of her parents took shipping and came to the mountain. And although there blew a contrary wind, yet being brought in a vain hope she cried Oh Cupid take me a more worthy wife, and thou Zephyrus bear down thy mistress, and so she cast herself headlong from the mountain: but she fell not into the valley neither alive nor dead, for all the members and parts of her body were torn amongst the rocks, whereby she was made prey unto the birds and wild beasts, as she worthily deserved.
Neither was the vengeance of the other delayed, for Psyche travelling in that country, fortuned to come to another city where her other sister did dwell; to whom when she had declared all such things as she told to her other sister she ran likewise unto the rock and was slain in like sort. Then Psyche travelled about in the country to seek her husband Cupid, but he was gotten into his mother’s chamber and there bewailed the sorrowful wound which he caught by the oil of a burning
