faith, by reason of the losse of his speare, and when they had learned
the signes of my master, they went to search him out: at last there was
an unfaithfull neighbour that told them where he was, then
incontinently the souldiers went to the Justice declaring that they had
lost by the way a silver goblet of their Captaines, and that a Gardener
had found it, who refusing to deliver the goblet, was hidden in one of
his friends houses: by and by the Magistrates understanding the losse
of the Captaine, came to the doores where we were, commanded our host
to deliver my master upon paine of death: howbeit these threatnings
could not enforce him to confesse that he was within his doores, but by
reason of his faithfull promise and for the safeguard of his friend, he
said, that hee saw not the Gardener a great while, neither knew where
he was: the souldiers said contrary, whereby to know the verity of the
matter, the Magistrates commanded their Seargants and ministers to
search every corner of the house, but when they could find neither
Gardener nor Asse, there was a great contention betweene the souldiers
and our Host, for they sayd we were within the house: and he said no,
but I that was very curious to know the matter, when I heard so great a
noyse, put my head out of the window to learne what the stirre and
tumult did signifie. It fortuned that one of the souldiers perceived my
shadow, whereupon he began to cry, saying: that hee had certainly seene
me; then they were all glad and came up into the chamber, and pulled me
downe like a prisoner. When they had found mee, they doubted nothing of
the Gardener, but seeking about more narrowly, at length they found him
couched in a chest. And so they brought out the poore gardener to the
Justices, who was committed immediately to prison, but they could never
forbeare laughing from the time they found me by my shadow, wherefore
is risen a common Proverbe: “The shadow of the Asse.”
THE TENTH BOOKE
THE FORTY-FOURTH CHAPTER
How the souldier drave Apuleius away, and how he came to a Captaines
house, and what happened there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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