THE

METAMORPHOSES,

OR GOLDEN* ASS OF APULEIUS.

PREFACE.

In the following Milesian† narrative, I will string together various stories, and regale your listening ears with some merry whispers, if only you will not disdain to look upon this Egyptian papyrus, written with the subtle point of a Nilotic reed; and I will proceed to astonish you with the adventures of men changed into different shapes, and, after various vicissitudes, restored to their original forms. Who I am, I will tell you in a few words:

Hymettus of Attica, the Isthmus of Ephyre, and Tænarus § of Sparta, famous lands, immortalized in books still more famous,

* Golden.]-The following remarks relative to this epithet are from Dr. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography :'-" The epithet 'aureus' is generally supposed to have been bestowed in consequence of the admiration in which this tale was held, for, being considered as the most excellent composition of its kind, it was compared to the most excellent of metals. Warburton, however, ingeniously contends that aureus' was the common epithet bestowed upon all Milesian tales, because they were such as strollers used to rehearse for a piece of money to the rabble in a circle, after the fashion of oriental story-tellers. He founds his conjecture upon an expression in one of Pliny's Epistles (ii. 20), Assem para, et accipe auream fabulam,'-' give me a piece of copper, and receive in return a story worth a piece of gold,' or, precious as gold,' which brings 18 back to the old explanation."

6

+ Milesian.]-The people of Miletus were famed for their love of merri'nent and luxury; hence stories of an amatory or mirthful nature were generally known by the name of Milesian stories.'

Ephyre ]-The ancient name of Corinth.

Tænarus.]-This seems a preferable reading to Tenedos.

are my old nurseries.* There, in the early studies of my youth, I learned the Attic tongue. Soon after, a stranger in the Latian city, I applied myself to the study of the native language of the Romans; which I acquired with painful labour, without the help of a master.

Behold, then, I preface with asking pardon, should I in any way offend by my unskilful use of a strange and foreign tongue. Indeed this very change of language well befits the description of the transformatory art of magic, of which we purpose here to treat. We will begin, then, a Grecian story: Reader, attend, you will be delighted.

*My old nurseries.]-Mea vetus prosapia est.' Taylor, following the Delphin interpretation, takes this to mean : 'are the ancient originals of my race.' This version is either expressly warranted or tacitly admitted by all the commentators; but, however respectable the authorities in its favour, it wants that of common sense. If Lucius, who was a native of Medaura, in Africa, had intended to tell us where his progenitors had lived, why should he have omitted Thessaly, the country of his mother's ancestors? It is just possible that his father might have traced back his pedigree, through a pair inhabiting one of the places named, to a male and female ancestor belonging severally to the other two; but would it have followed thence that Lucius should have pursued his early studies in those very three places? What he desires to make known to the reader is, that Greek was the language of his youth, and Latin a later acquirement, a fact upon which the nationality of two of his remote ancestors could have no bearing whatever. We incline to think that the word 'prosapia,' which literally means, lineage, is here used in a figurative sense, akin to that in which Englishmen speak of their university as their 'alma mater.' Unfortunately we cannot decide the question by references to other authors; for prosapia, as we learn from Quintilian, is one of those antiquated and obsolete words to the use of which Apuleius and his contemporary Aulus Gellius were inordinately addicted. At all events, 'original seat of a race,' is quite as arbitrary a rendering of 'prosapia' as that which we have ventured to assign to it.-K.

† A Grecian story.]-This name is probably given to the story, from the scene being laid in Thessaly. It is also not improbable that he calls the work by this epithet in consequence of having derived it from Lucius of Patræ, a Grecian writer, from whom, also, Lucian derived his work, which is somewhat similar, called ovog, 'the ass.'

BOOK THE FIRST.

LUCIUS, JOURNEYING FROM CORINTH TO THESSALY, OVERTAKES AND CONVERSES WITH TWO TRAVELLERS-FIRST EPISODE: TALE OF ARISTOMENES, THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER-LUCIUS ARRIVES AT HYPATA-BECOMES THE GUEST OF MILO-MEETS AN OLD AC" QUAINTANCE IN THE FISH MARKET-A ZEALOUS MAGISTRATE.

I HAD occasion to visit Thessaly on business; for it was there that our origin on the maternal side was derived, in the first place, from the celebrated Plutarch,* and afterwards from his grandson, Sextus, the philosopher, a thing which reflects so much honour upon us. I had travelled over lofty mountains, slippery valleys, dewy turf, and thick-clodded plains, being mounted on a milk-white horse of that country; and as he was now much fatigued, I jumped upon my feet, in order that I too might shake off the numbness of my limbs by walking; then carefully wiped the sweat from my horse with a handful of leaves, † stroked his ears, threw the reins over his head, and walked him along at a gentle pace, until the usual functions of nature had relieved his weariness.

And now, while bending down his head, and cropping the grass sideways, he was taking his ambulatory breakfast, I made a third with two persons who were travelling together, and who happened to be on the road a little before me. While I listened to hear what was the subject of their conversation, one of them, bursting into a loud laugh, said to the other, "Do leave off telling such absurd, such monstrous lies."

Hearing this, I, who am generally athirst after novelty, struck

* Plutarch.]-Plutarch, the historian, was a native of Boeotia, and his nephew, Sextus, the preceptor of Marcus Antoninus, in all probability lived later than the time of Apuleius. It consequently follows either that Plutarch of Chæronæa is not the person here meant, or that, if he is, the allusion to Sextus is a mere gloss. There seems no reason to suppose that Apuleius refers here to his own descent from Plutarch through his mother, Salvia, though most of the early commentators adopted that notion. A handful of leaves.]- Fronde.' Some read 'fronte,' i. e. I wiped the sweat from my horse's forehead.'

Monstrous.]'Immania' seems a preferable reading to ‘inania.'

in, and said, "May I beg you will make me acquainted with your story; not, indeed, that I would be impertinently inquisitive, but I long to know everything, or at least as much as I can; besides, some pleasant amusing tales will smooth the ruggedness of this hill we are just ascending."

"Decidedly," said the first speaker, "this lying story is about as true as if a person should think fit to assert, that by magical mutterings rapid rivers can be made to run backwards, the ocean be congealed, the winds robbed of breath, the sun stopped in his course, the moon made to drop her foam,* the stars plucked from their spheres, the day annihilated, and the night indefinitely prolonged."

On this, assuming a somewhat confident air, "Do not you,' said I, "who began the story, repent of having so done, nor think it a trouble to tell the remainder." And then, turning to the other: "But as for you," said I, "you reject with dull ears and stubborn disposition, a statement of things which, perhaps, are true. Little are you aware, by Hercules! by what perversity of opinion those things are thought to be lies, which appear either novel to the hearing, or strange to the sight, or at least exalted beyond the range of thought; whereas, if you examine them a little more attentively, you will find them not only manifest to the senses, but even easy of accomplishment. Why, it was only last evening, that, while I was endeavouring to eat faster than my fellow-guests, and to swallow too large a mouthful of cheesecake, I was all but choked through the spongy nature of the glutinous morsel sticking in my throat, and stopping up my breath at the bottom of my windpipe. And yet, it was but very lately that at Athens, in front of the Poecile Portico,† I beheld with these two eyes a juggler swallow a horseman's two-edged broad-sword, sharp

*Her foam.]-It was a common notion with the ancients, that the moon shed a noxious or poisonous venom or foam, and that sorcerers or magicians were able to draw her down to the earth by their incantations. The so-called Lunar virus' was a principal ingredient in spells and magical compositions.

† Poecile Portico.]-This portico was so called from the Greek word TOLKIλn variegated,' or 'painted.' It was at Athens, and was adorned with numerous pictures, the works of Polygnotus and Mycon. The battle of Marathon was there represented.

‡ A juggler.]—It is not improbable that the mountebanks and jugglers of the ancients received their name of circulatores' from their exhibiting in a ring of people, like those of the present day.

in the extreme, blade foremost, and afterwards, for a trifling inducement, bury deep in his entrails a hunter's spear, with that part of it downward which threatens destruction. And, wondrous to tell! behind the iron head of the spear, at the part where the handle of the immersed weapon* passed up the throat, towards the hinder part of the head, a beautiful boy mounted up, and wriggled and twisted himself about as if he had been without sinew or bone in his body, to the admiration of all of us who were present. You would have said it was the noble serpent, clinging with its slippery coils to the knotted staff, with half-clipped branches, which the God of Medicine carries. But you, who began the story, be good enough to repeat it again, I pray you. I will believe you if he will not, and will ask you to dinner at the first inn we come to. This I propose as your remuneration."

"I thankfully decline your offer," he replied, "but will begin my story over again. And, in the first place, I will swear to you by that sun, the all-seeing god, that what I relate I know by experience to be true. Nor will you any longer doubt that such is the fact, when once you come to the next city of Thessaly, for there the story is in every body's mouth, as it relates to matters that publicly took place there. that you may first know who I am, and of what country, by what pursuits I live, listen to my narrative."

FIRST EPISODE.

TALE OF ARISTOMENES, THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER.

But,

and

"I AM a native of Ægina, and I travel to and fro through Thessaly, Ætolia, and Boeotia, for the purpose of purchasing honey of Hypata, as also cheese, and other articles of traffic

*Immersed weapon.]-We follow the Delphin editor, who with manifest propriety substitutes 'immersi' for the common reading, 'inversi.' + Up the throat.]—' Ingluviem' seems a preferable reading to 'inguen.' Decline your offer.]—' Æqui bonique facio,' is a form of thanks which implies refusal without expressing it, just like the French word 'merci.' Aqui bonique consulere,' means, on the contrary, to accept in good part. Neither Taylor nor Head seem to have been aware of the distinction. They both make Aristomenes accept the invitation, though the event shows that Lucius did not understand his reply in that sense.-K.