Immediatelie as she was going away came Juno and Ceres, demaunding the
cause of her anger. Then Venus answered, Verily you are come to comfort
my sorrow, but I pray you with all diligence to seeke out one whose
name is Psyches, who is a vagabond, and runneth about the Countries,
and (as I thinke) you are not ignorant of the brute of my son Cupid,
and of his demeanour, which I am ashamed to declare. Then they
understanding the whole matter, endeavoured to mitigate the ire of
Venus in this sort: What is the cause Madam, or how hath your son so
offended, that you shold so greatly accuse his love, and blame him by
reason that he is amorous? and why should you seeke the death of her,
whom he doth fancie? We most humbly intreat you to pardon his fault if
he have accorded to the mind of any maiden: what do you not know that
he is a young man? Or have you forgotten of what yeares he is? Doth he
seeme alwayes unto you to be a childe? You are his mother, and a kind
woman, will you continually search out his dalliance? Will you blame
his luxury? Will you bridle his love? and will you reprehend your owne
art and delights in him? What God or man is hee, that can endure that
you should sowe or disperse your seed of love in every place, and to
make restraint thereof within your owne doores? certes you will be the
cause of the suppression of the publike paces of young Dames. In this
sort this goddesse endeavoured to pacifie her mind, and to excuse Cupid
with al their power (although he were absent) for feare of his darts
and shafts of love. But Venus would in no wise asswage her heat, but
(thinking that they did rather trifle and taunt at her injuries) she
departed from them, and tooke her voiage towards the sea in all haste.
In the meane season Psyches hurled her selfe hither and thither, to
seeke her husband, the rather because she thought that if he would not
be appeased with the sweet flattery of his wife, yet he would take
mercy on her at her servile and continuall prayers. And (espying a
Church on the top of a high hill) she said, What can I tell whether my
husband and master be there or no? wherefore she went thitherward, and
with great paine and travell, moved by hope, after that she climbed to
the top of the mountaine, she came to the temple, and went in, wheras
behold she espied sheffes of corn lying on a heap, blades withered with
garlands, and reeds of barly, moreover she saw hooks, sithes, sickles,
and other instruments, to reape, but every thing lay out of order, and
as it were cast in by the hands of laborers which when Psyches saw she
gathered up and put everything in order, thinking that she would not
despise or contemne the temples of any of the Gods, but rather get the
favour and benevolence of them all: by and by Ceres came in, and
beholding her busie and curious in her chapell, cried out a far off,
and said, O Psyches needfull of mercy, Venus searcheth for thee in
every place to revenge her selfe and to punish thee grievously, but
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