The Golden Ass

might make her orison and prayer unto Venus. After that Venus was weary with searching by sea and land for Psyche, she returned toward heaven, and commanded that one should prepare her chariot, which her husband Vulcanus gave unto her by reason of marriage, so finely wrought that neither gold nor silver could be compared to the brightness thereof. Four white pigeons guided the chariot with great diligence, and when Venus was entered in a number of sparrows flew chirping about, making sign of joy, and all other kind of birds sang sweetly, foreshowing the coming of the great goddess: the clouds gave place, the heavens opened, and received her joyfully, the birds that followed nothing feared the eagle, hawks, or other ravenous fowls of the air. Incontinently she went unto the royal palace of god Jupiter, and with a proud and bold petition demanded the service of Mercury, in certain of her affairs, whereunto Jupiter consented: then with much joy she descended from heaven with Mercury, and gave him an earnest charge to put in execution her words, saying: Oh my brother, born in Arcadia, thou knowest well, that I (who am thy sister) did never enterprise to do anything without thy presence, thou knowest also how long I have sought for a girl and cannot find her, wherefore there resteth nothing else save that thou with thy trumpet do pronounce the reward to such as take her: see thou put in execution my commandment, and declare that whatsoever he be that retaineth her wittingly, against my will shall not defend himself by any mean or excusation: which when she had spoken, she delivered unto him a libel, wherein was contained the name of Psyche, and the residue of his publication, which done, she departed away to her lodging. By and by, Mercury (not delaying the matter) proclaimed throughout all the world, that whatsoever he were that could tell any tidings of a king’s fugitive daughter, the servant of Venus, named Psyche, should bring word to Mercury, and for reward of his pains, he should receive seven sweet kisses of Venus. After that Mercury had pronounced these things, every man was inflamed with desire to search out Psyche.

This proclamation was the cause that put all doubt from Psyche, who was scantly come in the sight of the house of Venus, but one of her servants called Custome came out, who espying Psyche, cried with a loud voice, saying: Oh wicked harlot as thou art, now at length thou shalt know that thou hast a mistress above thee. What, dost thou make thyself ignorant, as though thou didst not understand what travel we have taken in searching for thee? I am glad that thou art come into my hands, thou art now in the gulf of hell, and shalt abide the pain and punishment of thy great contumacy, and therewithal she took her by the hair, and brought her in, before the presence of the goddess Venus. When Venus spied her, she began to laugh, and as angry persons accustom to do, she shaked her head, and scratched her right ear saying, Oh goddess, goddess, you are now come at length to visit your husband that is in danger of death, by your means: be you assured, I will handle you like a daughter: where be my maidens, Sorrow and Sadness? To whom (when they came) she delivered Psyche to be cruelly tormented; then they fulfilled the commandment of their mistress, and after they had piteously scourged her with rods and whips, they presented her again before Venus; then she began to laugh again, saying: Behold she thinketh (that by reason of her great belly, which she hath gotten by playing the whore) to move me to pity, and to make me a grandmother to her child. Am not I happy, that in the flourishing time of all mine age, shall be called a grandmother, and the son of a vile harlot shall be accounted the nephew of Venus: howbeit I am a fool to term him by the name of my son, since as the marriage was made between unequal persons, in the field without witnesses, and not by the consent of parents, wherefore the marriage is illegitimate, and the child (that shall be born) a bastard; if we fortune to suffer thee to live so long till thou be delivered. When Venus had spoken these words she leaped upon the face of poor Psyche, and (tearing her apparel) took her by the hair, and dashed her head upon the ground. Then she took a great quantity of wheat, of barley, poppy seed, peasen, lintels, and beans, and mingled them altogether on a heap saying: Thou evil-favoured girl, thou seemest unable to get the grace of thy lover, by no other means, but only by diligent and painful service, wherefore I will prove what thou canst do: see that thou separate all these grains one from another, disposing them orderly in their quantity, and let it be done before night. When she had appointed this task unto Psyche, she departed to a great banquet that was prepared that day. But Psyche went not about to dissever the grain, (as being a thing impossible to be brought to pass by reason it lay so confusedly scattered) but being astonied at the cruel commandment of Venus, sat still and said nothing. Then the little pismire the emote, taking pity of her great difficulty and labour, cursing the cruelness of the daughter of Jupiter, and of so evil a mother, ran about, hither and thither, and called to all her friends, Ye quick sons of the ground, the mother of all things, take mercy on this poor maid, espouse to Cupid, who is in great danger of her person, I pray you help her with all diligence. Incontinently one came after another, dissevering and dividing the grain, and after that they had put each kind of corn in order, they ran away