After this she shewed them the storehouses of treasure, shee caused
them to hear the voyces which served her, the bain was ready, the meats
were brought in, and when they had filled themselves with divine
delecates, they conceived great envy within their hearts, and one of
them being curious, did demand what her husband was, of what estate,
and who was Lord of so pretious a house? But Psyches remembring the
promise which she had made to her husband, feigned that hee was a young
man, of comely stature, with a flaxen beard, and had great delight in
hunting the dales and hills by. And lest by her long talke she should
be found to trip or faile in her words, she filled their laps with
gold, silver, and Jewels, and commanded Zephyrus to carry them away.
When they were brought up to the mountain, they made their wayes
homeward to their owne houses, and murmured with envy that they bare
against Psyches, saying, behold cruell and contrary fortune, behold how
we, borne all of one Parent, have divers destinies: but especially we
that are the elder two bee married to strange husbands, made as
handmaidens, and as it were banished from our Countrey and friends.
Whereas our younger sister hath great abundance of treasure, and hath
gotten a god to her husband, although shee hath no skill how to use
such great plenty of riches. Saw you not sister what was in the house,
what great store of jewels, what glittering robes, what Gemmes, what
gold we trod on? That if shee hath a husband according as shee
affirmeth, there is none that liveth this day more happy in all the
world than she. And so it may come to passe, at length for the great
affection which hee may beare unto her that hee may make her a
goddesse, for by Hercules, such was her countenance, so she behaved her
self, that as a goddesse she had voices to serve her, and the windes
did obey her.
But I poore wretch have first married an husband elder than my father,
more bald than a Coot, more weake than a childe, and that locketh me up
all day in the house.
Then said the other sister, And in faith I am married to a husband that
hath the gout, twyfold, crooked, nor couragious in paying my debt, I am
faine to rub and mollifie his stony fingers with divers sorts of oyles,
and to wrap them in playsters and salves, so that I soyle my white and
dainty hands with the corruption of filthy clouts, not using my self
like a wife, but more like a servant. And you my sister seem likewise
to be in bondage and servitude, wherefore I cannot abide to see our
younger sister in such felicity; saw you not I pray you how proudly and
arrogantly she handled us even now? And how in vaunting her selfe she
uttered her presumptuous minde, how she cast a little gold into our
laps, and being weary of our company, commanded that we should be borne
and blown away?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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