The Golden Asse

L >> Lucius Apuleius >> The Golden Asse


On a night the great priest appeared unto me, presenting his lap full
of treasure, and when I demanded what it signified, he answered, that
it was sent me from the countrey of Thessaly, and that a servant of
mine named Candidus was arived likewise: when I was awake, I mused in
my selfe what this vision should pretend, considering I had never any
servant called by that name: but what soever it did signifie, this I
verely thought, that it was a foreshew of gaine and prosperous chance:
while I was thus astonied I went to the temple, and taried there till
the opening of the gates, then I went in and began to pray before the
face of the goddesse, the Priest prepared and set the divine things of
every Altar, and pulled out the fountaine and holy vessell with solempne
supplication. Then they began to sing the mattens of the morning,
testifying thereby the houre of the prime. By and by behold arived my
servant which I had left in the country, when Fotis by errour made me
an Asse, bringing with him my horse, recovered by her through certaine
signes and tokens which I had upon my backe. Then I perceived the
interpretation of my dreame, by reason that beside the promise of gaine,
my white horse was restored to me, which was signified by the argument
of my servant Candidus.

This done I retired to the service of the goddesse in hope of greater
benefits, considering I had received a signe and token, whereby my
courage increased every day more and more to take upon me the orders and
sacraments of the temple: insomuch that I oftentimes communed with the
Priest, desiring him greatly to give me the degree of the religion,
but he which was a man of gravitie, and well renowned in the order of
priesthood, deferred my affection from day to day, with comfort and
better hope, as parents commonly bridle the desires of their children,
when they attempt or indeavour any unprofitable thing, saying, that the
day when any one should be admitted into their order is appointed by the
goddesse, the Priest which should minister the sacrifice is chosen by
her providence, and the necessary charges of the ceremonies is alotted
by her commandement, all which things he willed me to attend with
marvailous patience, and that I should beware either of too much
hastinesse, or too great slacknesse, considering that there was like
danger, if being called I should delay: or not called I should be hasty:
moreover he said that there was none of his company either of so
desperate a mind, or so rash and hardy, as to enterprise any thing
without the commandernent of the goddesse, whereby he should commit a
deadly offence, considering that it was in her power to damne and save
all persons, and if any were at the point of death, and in the way
to damnation, so that he were capable to receive the secrets of the
goddesse, it was in her power by divine providence to reduce him to the
path of health, as by a certaine kind of regeneration: Finally he said
that I must attend the celestiall precept, although it was evident and
plaine, that the goddesse had already vouchsafed to call and appoint me
to her ministery, and to will me refraine from prophane and unlawfull
meates, as those Priests which were already received, to the end I might
come more apt and cleane to the knowledge of the secrets of religion.
Then was I obedient unto these words, and attentive with meek
quietnesse, and probable taciturnity, I daily served at the temple: in
the end the wholesome gentlenesse of the goddesse did nothing deceive
me, for in the night she appeared to me in a vision, shewing that the
day was come which I had wished for so long, she told me what provision
and charges I should be at, and how that she had appointed her
principallest Priest Mythra to be minister with me in my sacrifices.

When I heard these divine commandements, I greatly rejoyced: and arose
before day to speake with the great Priest, whom I fortuned to espie
comming out of his chamber: Then I saluted him, and thought with my
selfe to aske and demand his counsell with a bold courage, but as soone
as he perceived me, he began first to say: O Lucius now know I well
that thou art most happy and blessed, whom the divine goddesse doth so
greatly accept with mercy, why dost thou delay? Behold the day which
thou desiredst when as thou shalt receive at my hands the order of
religion, and know the most pure secrets of the gods, whereupon the old
man tooke me by the hand, and lead me to the gate of the great temple,
where at the first entrie he made a solempne celebration, and after
morning sacrifice ended, brought out of the secret place of the temple
books, partly written with unknown characters, and partly painted
with figures of beasts declaring briefly every sentence, with tops
and tailes, turning in fashion of a wheele, which were strange and
impossible to be read of the prophane people: There he interpreted to me
such things as were necessary to the use and preparation of mine order.
This done, I gave charge to certaine of my companions to buy liberally,
whatsoever was needfull and convenient, then he brought me to the next
bains accompanied with all the religious sort, and demanding pardon
of the goddesse, washed me and purified my body, according to custome.
After this, when noone approached, he brought me backe againe to the
temple, presented me before the face of the goddesse, giving a charge of
certaine secret things unlawfull to be uttered, and commanding me, and
generally all the rest, to fast by the space of ten continuall daies,
without eating of any beast, or drinking any wine, which thing I
observed with a marvellous continencie. Then behold the day approached,
when as the sacrifice should be done, and when night came there arrived
on every coast, a great multitude of Priests, who according to their
order offered me many presents and gifts: then was all the Laity and
prophane people commanded to depart, and when they had put on my back a
linnen robe, they brought me to the most secret and sacred place of all
the temple. You would peradventure demand (you studious reader) what was
said and done there, verely I would tell you if it were lawfull for me
to tell, you should know if it were convenient for you to heare,
but both thy eares, and my tongue shall incur the like paine of rash
curiositie: Howbeit, I will content thy mind for this present time,
which peradventure is somewhat religious and given to some devotion,
listen therefore and beleeve it to be true: Thou shalt understand that
I approached neere unto Hell, even to the gates of Proserpina, and after
that, I was ravished throughout all the Element, I returned to my proper
place: About midnight I saw the Sun shine, I saw likewise the gods
celestiall and gods infernall, before whom I presented my selfe, and
worshipped them: Behold now have I told thee, which although thou hast
heard, yet it is necessarie thou conceale it; this have I declared
without offence, for the understanding of the prophane.

When morning came, and that the solemnities were finished, I came forth
sanctified with xii. Stoles and in a religious habit, whereof I am not
forbidden to speake, considering that many persons saw me at that time:
there I was commanded to stand upon a seate of wood, which stood in the
middle of the temple, before the figure and remembrance of the goddesse;
my vestiment was of fine linnen, covered and embroidered with flowers.
I had a pretious Cope upon my shoulders hanging downe to the ground,
whereon were beasts wrought of divers colours as Indian dragons, and
Hiperborian Griphons, whom in forme of birds, the other world doth
ingender; the Priests commonly call such a habit, a celestiall Stole: in
my right hand I carried a light torch, and a garland of flowers upon my
head, with Palme leaves sprouting out on every side: I was adorned like
unto the Sun, and made in fashion of an Image, in such sort that all the
people compassed about to behold me: then they began to solemnize the
feast of the nativitie, and the new procession with sumptuous bankets
and delicate meates: the third day was likewise celebrated with like
ceremonies with a religious dinner, and with all the consummation of the
order: when I had continued there a good space, I conceived a marvailous
great pleasure and consolation in beholding ordinarily the Image of the
goddesse, who at length admonished me to depart homeward, not without
rendring of thanks, which although it were not sufficient, yet they were
according to my power. Howbeit I could unneth be perswaded to depart,
before I had fallen prostrate before the face of the goddesse, and wiped
her steps with my face, whereby I began so greatly to weepe and sigh
that my words were interrupted, and as devouring my prayer, I began to
say in this sort: O holy and blessed dame, the perpetuall comfort of
humane kind, who by thy bounty and grace nourishest all the world, and
hearest a great affection to the adversities of the miserable, as a
loving mother thou takest no rest, neither art thou idle at any time in
giving thy benefits, and succoring all men, as well on land as sea; thou
art she that puttest away all stormes and dangers from mans life by thy
right hand, whereby likewise thou restrainest the fatall dispositions,
appeasest the great tempests of fortune and keepest backe the course of
the stars: the gods supernall doe honour thee: the gods infernall have
thee in reverence: thou environest all the world, thou givest light to
the Sunne, thou governest the world, thou treadest downe the power of
hell: By thy meane the times returne, the Planets rejoyce, the Elements
serve: at thy commandment the winds do blow, the clouds increase, the
seeds prosper, and the fruits prevaile, the birds of the aire, the
beasts of the hill, the serpents of the den, and the fishes of the
sea, do tremble at thy majesty, but my spirit is not able to give thee
sufficient praise, my patrimonie is unable to satisfie thy sacrifice, my
voice hath no power to utter that which I thinke, no if I had a thousand
mouths and so many tongues: Howbeit as a good religious person, and
according to my estate, I will alwaies keepe thee in remembrance and
close thee within my breast. When I had ended mine orison, I went to
embrace the great Priest Mythra my spirituall father, and to demand his
pardon, considering I was unable to recompence the good which he had
done to me: after great greeting and thanks I departed from him to visit
my parents and friends; and within a while after by the exhortation of
the goddesse. I made up my packet, and tooke shipping toward the Citie
of Rome, where with a prosperous winde I arrived about the xii. day of
December. And the greatest desire that I had there, was daily to make
my praiers to the soveraigne goddesse Isis, who by reason of the place
where her temple was builded, was called Campensis, and continually
adored of the people of Rome. Her minister and worshipper was I, howbeit
I was a stranger to her Church, and unknowne to her religion there.

When the yeare was ended, and the goddesse warned me againe to receive
this new order and consecration, I marvailed greatly what it should
signifie, and what should happen, considering that I was a sacred.
person already, but it fortuned that while I partly reasoned with my
selfe, and partly examining the thing with the Priests and Bishops,
there came a new and marvailous thought in my mind, that is to say, I
was onely religious to the goddesse Isis, but not sacred to the religion
of great Osiris the soveraigne father of all the goddesses, between
whom, although there was a religious unitie and concord, yet there was
a great difference of order and ceremony. And because it was necessary
that I should likewise be a minister unto Osiris, there was no long
delay: for in the night after, appeared unto me one of that order,
covered with linnen robes, holding in his hands speares wrapped in Ivie,
and other things not convenient to declare, which then he left in my
chamber, and sitting in my seate, recited to me such things as were
necessary for the sumptuous banket of mine entrie. And to the end I
might know him againe, he shewed me how the ankle of his left foote was
somewhat maimed, which caused him a little to halt.

After that I manifestly knew the will of the God Osiris, when mattins
was ended, I went from one to another, to find him out which had the
halting marke on his foote, according as I learned by my vision; at
length I found it true: for I perceived one of the company of the
Priests who had not onely the token of his foote, but the stature and
habite of his body, resembling in every point as he appeared in the
night: he was called Asinius Marcellus, a name not much disagreeing from
my transformation. By and by I went to him, which knew well enough all
the matter, as being monished by like precept in the night: for the
night before as he dressed the flowers and garlands about the head of
the god Osiris, he understood by the mouth of the image which told the
predestinations of all men, how he had sent a poore man of Madura, to
whom he should minister his sacraments, to the end hee should receive
a reward by divine providence, and the other glory, for his vertuous
studies. When I saw my selfe this deputed unto religion, my desire was
stopped by reason of povertie, for I had spent a great part of my goods
in travell and peregrination, but most of all in the Citie of Rome,
whereby my low estate withdrew me a great while.

In the end being oft times stirred forward, not without great trouble
of mind, I was constrained to sell my robe for a little money: howbeit
sufficient for all my affaires. Then the Priest spake unto me saying,
How is it that for a little pleasure thou art not afraid to sell thy
vestiments, and entring into so great ceremonies, fearest to fall into
povertie? Prepare thy selfe, and abstaine from all animall meats, as
beasts and fish. In the meane season I frequented the sacrifices of
Serapis, which were done in the night, which thing gave me great comfort
to my peregrination, and ministred unto me more plentifull living,
considering I gained some money in haunting the court, by reason of my
Latin tongue.

Immediately after I was eftsoones called and admonished by the god
Osiris, to receive a third order of religion. Then I was greatly
astonied, because I could not tell what this new vision signified, or
what the intent of the celestiall god was, doubting least the former
Priests had given me ill counsell, and fearing that they had not
faithfully instructed me: being in this manner as it were incensed the
god Osiris appeared to me the night following, and giving me admonition
said, There is no occasion why thou shouldest be afraid with so often
order of religion, as though there were somewhat omitted, but that thou
shouldest rather rejoyce, since as it hath pleased the gods to call thee
three times, when as there was never yet any person that atchieved to
the order but once: wherefore thou maist thinke thy selfe happy for
so great benefits. And know thou that the religion which thou must
now receive, is right necessary, if thou meane to persever in the
worshipping of the goddesse, and to make solempnity on the festivall
day with the blessed habite, which thing shalt be a glory and renowne to
thee.

After this sort, the divine majesty perswaded me in my sleepe, whereupon
by and by I went towards the Priest, and declared all that which I had
seene, then I fasted ten dayes according to the custome, and of mine
owne proper will I abstained longer then I was commanded: and verely I
did nothing repent of the paine which I had taken, and of the charges
which I was at, considering that the divine providence had given me such
an order, that I gained much money in pleading of causes: Finally after
a few dayes, the great god Osiris appeared to me in the night, not
disguised in any other forme, but in his owne essence, commanding me
that I should be an Advocate in the court, and not feare the slander and
envie of ill persons, which beare me stomacke 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 Senatours: and after he appointed me
a place within the ancient pallace, which was erected in the time of
Silla, where I executed my office in great joy with a shaven Crowne.