The Golden Asse
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Translated by William Adlington
Dedication
To the Right Honourable and Mighty Lord, THOMAS EARLE OF
SUSSEX, Viscount Fitzwalter, Lord of Egremont and of Burnell,
Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, Iustice of the
forrests and Chases from Trent Southward; Captain of the
Gentleman Pensioners of the House of the QUEENE our
Soveraigne Lady.
After that I had taken upon me (right Honourable) in manner of
that unlearned and foolish Poet, Cherillus, who rashly and
unadvisedly wrought a big volume in verses, of the valiant
prowesse of Alexander the Great, to translate this present booke,
contayning the Metamorphosis of Lucius Apuleius; being mooved
thereunto by the right pleasant pastime and delectable matter
therein; I eftsoones consulted with myself, to whom I might best
offer so pleasant and worthy a work, devised by the author, it being
now barbarously and simply framed in our English tongue. And
after long deliberation had, your honourable lordship came to my
remembrance, a man much more worthy, than to whom so Homely
and rude a translation should be presented. But when I again
remembred the jesting and sportfull matter of the booke, unfit to be
offered to any man of gravity and wisdome, I was wholly
determined to make no Epistle Dedicatory at all; till as now of late
perswaded thereunto by my friends, I have boldly enterprised to
offer the same to your Lordship, who as I trust wil accept the
same, than if it did entreat of some serious and lofty matter, light
and merry, yet the effect thereof tendeth to a good and vertuous
moral, as in the following Epistle to the reader may be declared.
For so have all writers in times past employed their travell and
labours, that their posterity might receive some fruitfull profit by the
same. And therfore the poets feined not their fables in vain,
considering that children in time of their first studies, are very
much allured thereby to proceed to more grave and deepe studies
and disciplines, whereas their mindes would quickly loath the wise
and prudent workes of learned men, wherein in such unripe years
they take no spark of delectation at all. And not only that profit
ariseth to children by such feined fables, but also the vertues of
men are covertly thereby commended, and their vices
discommended and abhorred. For by the fable of Actaeon, where
it is feigned that he saw Diana washing her selfe in a well, hee
was immediately turned into an Hart, and so was slain of his own
Dogs; may bee meant, That when a man casteth his eyes on the
vain and soone fading beauty of the world, consenting thereto in his
minde, hee seemeth to bee turned into a brute beast, and so to be
slain by the inordinate desire of his owne affects. By Tantalus that
stands in the midst of the floud Eridan, having before him a tree
laden with pleasant apples, he being neverthelesse always thirsty
and hungry, betokeneth the insatiable desires of covetous persons.
The fables of Atreus, Thiestes, Tereus and Progne signifieth the
wicked and abhominable facts wrought and attempted by mortall
men. The fall of Icarus is an example to proud and arrogant
persons, that weeneth to climb up to the heavens. By Mydas, who
obtained of Bacchus, that all things which he touched might be gold,
is carped the foul sin of avarice. By Phaeton, that unskilfully took
in hand to rule the chariot of the Sunne, are represented those
persons which attempt things passing their power and capacity. By
Castor and Pollux, turned into a signe in heaven called Gemini, is
signified, that vertuous and godly persons shall be rewarded after
life with perpetuall blisse. And in this feined jest of Lucius
Apuleius is comprehended a figure of mans life, ministring most
sweet and delectable matter, to such as shall be desirous to reade
the same. The which if your honourable lordship shall accept ant
take in good part, I shall not onely thinke my small travell and
labour well employed, but also receive a further comfort to attempt
some more serious matter, which may be more acceptable to your
Lordship : desiring the same to excuse my rash and bold enterprise
at this time, as I nothing doubt of your Lordships goodnesse. To
wHome I beseech Almighty God to impart long life, with encrease
of much honour.
>From Vniversity Colledge in Oxenforde, the xviij. of September,
1566.
Your Honours most bounden,
WIL. ADLINGTON.
The life of Lucius Apuleius Briefly Described
LUCIUS APULEIUS African, an excellent follower of Plato his
sect, born in Madaura, a Countrey sometime inhabited by the
Romans, and under the jurisdiction of Syphax, scituate and lying on
the borders of Numidia and Getulia, whereby he calleth himself half
a Numidian and half a Getulian : and Sidonius named him the
Platonian Madaurence : his father called Theseus had passed all
offices of dignity in his countrey with much honour. His mother
named Salvia was of such excellent vertue, that she passed all the
Dames of her time, borne of an ancient house, and d
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