The Golden Ass

own essence, commanding me that I should be an advocate in the court, and not fear the slander and envy of ill persons, which bear me stomach and grudge by reason of my doctrine, which I had gotten by much labour: moreover, he would not that I should be any longer of the number of his priests, but he allotted me to be one of the decurions and senators: and after he appointed me a place within the ancient palace, which was erected in the time of Sylla, where I executed my office in great joy with a shaven crown.

Endnotes

1. That the hero transformed to an ass was the motive of two Greek romances can hardly be doubted after Photius’ statement. The one, he says, was the work of Lucius of Patrae (who wrote μεταμορφώσεων λόγους διαφόρους), the other the work of Lucian. The Λοὐκιος ἣ Ὄνος preserved in the works of Lucian, is doubtless one of the romances known to Photius. But its style and impartiality never for an instant suggest Lucian, who would have made the metamorphosis a peg for satire. And modern scholars are for the most part agreed that Lucian was not the author. Other considerations prevent our assigning it to Lucius, who, it is said, ran to a greater length, and it would be difficult to set forth the story in briefer terms than are employed by the author of Λοὐκιος ἣ Ὄνος. Probably it is the work of neither, though it may well be the romance attributed to Lucian by Photius. The only sure fact is that in the Λοὐκιος ἣ Ὄνος are to be found the dry bones of The Golden Ass. The curious may consult Professor Rohde’s Ueber Luciarfs Schrift Λοὐκιος ἣ Ὄνος und ihr Verhaeltniss zu Lucius von Patrae und den Metamorphosen des Apuleius. ↩

2. Loves Mistress: or, the Queens Masque. As it was three times presented before their two Excellent Majesties, within the space of eight days. In the presence of sundry foreign ambassadors. 1636. ↩

3. The first edition was “imprinted at London in Fleet street at the sign of the Oliphant by Henry Wykes, Anno 1566.” Other editions appeared in 1571, 1582 (the rarest), 1596, 1600, 1639. ↩

4. The full title runs thus: “A Special Remedy Against the Furious Force of Lawless Love. And also, a true description of the same. With other delightful devices of dainty delights to pass away idle time, with pleasure and profit. Newly compiled in English verse by W. A. Imprinted by Richard Ihones, and are to be sold at his shop over against S. Sepulchres Church without Newgate. 1579.” The tract, which is unique, was found in the Evidence Room in Northumberland House, and reprinted in 1844 by the Roxburghe Society. ↩

Colophon

The Golden Ass
was published in the 2nd century CE by
Apuleius.
It was translated from Latin in 1566 by
William Adlington.

This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
Paul King,
and is based on a transcription produced in 2006 by
Donal O’Danachair, David Widger, and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team
for
Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans from the
Internet Archive.

The cover page is adapted from
Fotis Sees Her Lover Lucius Transformed Into an Ass. Motif from Apeleius’ the Golden Ass,
a painting completed in 1809 by
Nicolai Abildgaard.
The cover and title pages feature the
League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy
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The League of Moveable Type.

The first edition of this ebook was released on
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