saying, Behold good Hostler, my friend, my companion and my brother,
whom thou didst falsly affirme to be slaine by mee this might. And
therewithall I embraced my friend Socrates and kissed him: but hee
smelling the stinke of the pisse wherewith those Hagges had embrued me,
thrust me away and sayd, Clense thy selfe from this filthy odour, and
then he began gently to enquire, how that noysome sent hapned unto mee.
But I finely feigning and colouring the matter for the time, did breake
off his talk, and tooke him by the hand and sayd, Why tarry we? Why
lose wee the pleasure of this faire morning? Let us goe, and so I tooke
up my packet, and payed the charges of the house and departed: and we
had not gone a mile out of the Towne but it was broad day, and then I
diligently looked upon Socrates throat, to see if I could espy the
place where Meroe thrust in her sword: but when I could not perceive
any such thing, I thought with my selfe, What a mad man am I, that
being overcome with wine yester night, have dreamed such terrible
things? Behold I see Socrates is sound, safe and in health. Where is
his wound? Where is the Sponge? Where is his great and new cut? And
then I spake to him and said, Verily it is not without occasion, that
Physitians of experience do affirme, That such as fill their gorges
abundantly with meat and drinke, shall dreame of dire and horrible
sights: for I my selfe, not tempering my appetite yester night from the
pots of wine, did seeme to see this night strange and cruel visions,
that even yet I think my self sprinkled and wet with human blood:
whereunto Socrates laughing made answer and said, Nay, thou art not wet
with the blood of men, but art embrued with stinking pisse; and verily
I dreamed that my throat was cut, and that I felt the paine of the
wound, and that my heart was pulled out of my belly, and the
remembrance thereof makes me now to feare, for my knees do so tremble
that I can scarce goe any further, and therefore I would faine eat
somewhat to strengthen and revive my spirits. Then said I, behold here
thy breakefast, and therewithall I opened my script that hanged upon my
shoulder, and gave him bread and cheese, and we sate downe under a
greate Plane tree, and I eat part with him; and while I beheld him
eating greedily, I perceived that he waxed meigre and pale, and that
his lively colour faded away, insomuch that beeing in great fear, and
remembring those terrible furies of whom I lately dreamed, the first
morsell of bread that I put in my mouth (that was but very small) did
so stick in my jawes, that I could neither swallow it downe, nor yet
yeeld it up, and moreover the small time of our being together
increased my feare, and what is hee that seeing his companion die in
the high-way before his face, would not greatly lament and bee sorry?
But when that Socrates had eaten sufficiently hee waxed very thirsty,
for indeed he had well nigh devoured a whole Cheese: and behold evill
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