Then the little pismire the emote,
taking pitty of her great difficulty and labour, cursing the
cruellnesse of the daughter of Jupiter, and of so evill a mother, ran
about, hither and thither, and called to all her friends, Yee quick
sons of the ground, the mother of all things, take mercy on this poore
maid, espouse to Cupid, who is in great danger of her person, I pray
you helpe her with all diligence. Incontinently one came after another,
dissevering and dividing the graine, and after that they had put each
kinde of corne in order, they ranne away againe in all haste. When
night came, Venus returned home from the banket wel tippled with wine,
smelling of balme, and crowned with garlands of roses, who when shee
had espied what Psyches had done, gan say, This is not the labour of
thy hands, but rather of his that is amorous of thee: then she gave her
a morsel of brown bread, and went to sleep. In the mean season, Cupid
was closed fast in the surest chamber of the house, partly because he
should not hurt himself with wanton dalliance, and partly because he
should not speake with his love: so these two lovers were divided one
from another. When night was passed Venus called Psyches, and said,
Seest thou yonder Forest that extendeth out in length with the river?
there be great sheepe shining like gold, and kept by no manner of
person. I command thee that thou go thither and bring me home some of
the wooll of their fleeces. Psyches arose willingly not to do her
commandement, but to throw her selfe headlong into water to end her
sorrows. Then a green reed inspired by divine inspiration, with a
gratious tune and melody gan say, O Psyches I pray thee not to trouble
or pollute my water by the death of thee, and yet beware that thou goe
not towards the terrible sheepe of this coast, untill such time as the
heat of the sunne be past, for when the sunne is in his force, then
seeme they most dreadfull and furious, with their sharpe hornes, their
stony foreheads and their gaping throats, wherewith they arme
themselves to the destruction of mankinde. But untill they have
refreshed themselves in the river, thou must hide thy selfe here by me,
under this great plaine tree, and as soone as their great fury is past,
thou maist goe among the thickets and bushes under the wood side and
gather the lockes their golden Fleeces, which thou shalt finde hanging
upon the briers. Then spake the gentle and benigne reed, shewing a mean
to Psyches to save her life, which she bore well in memory, and with
all diligence went and gathered up such lockes as shee found, and put
them in her apron, and carried them home to Venus. Howbeit the danger
of this second labour did not please her, nor give her sufficient
witnesse of the good service of Psyches, but with a sower resemblance
of laughter, did say: Of a certaine I know that this is not thy fact,
but I will prove if that thou bee of so stout, so good a courage, and
singular prudency as thou seemest to bee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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