Then Venus spake unto Psyches
againe saying: Seest thou the toppe of yonder great Hill, from whence
there runneth downe waters of blacke and deadly colour, which
nourisheth the floods of Stix, Cocytus? I charge thee to goe thither,
and bring me a vessell of that water: wherewithall she gave her a
bottle of Christall, menacing and threatening her rigorously. Then poor
Psyches went in all haste to the top of the mountaine, rather to end
her life, then to fetch any water, and when she was come up to the
ridge of the hill, she perceived that it was impossible to bring it to
passe: for she saw a great rocke gushing out most horrible fountaines
of waters, which ran downe and fell by many stops and passages into the
valley beneath: on each side shee did see great Dragons, which were
stretching out their long and bloody Neckes, that did never sleepe, but
appointed to keepe the river there: the waters seemed to themselves
likewise saying, Away; away, what wilt thou doe? flie, flie, or else
thou wilt be slaine. Then Psyches (seeing the impossibility of this
affaire) stood still as though she were transformed into a stone and
although she was present in body, yet was she absent in spirit and
sense, by reason of the great perill which she saw, insomuch that she
could not comfort her self with weeping, such was the present danger
that she was in. But the royall bird of great Jupiter, the Eagle
remembring his old service which he had done, when as by the pricke of
Cupid he brought up the boy Ganimedes, to the heavens, to be made
butler of Jupiter, and minding to shew the like service in the person
of the wife of Cupid, came from the high-house of the Skies, and said
unto Psyches, O simple woman without all experience, doest thou thinke
to get or dip up any drop of this dreadfull water? No, no, assure thy
selfe thou art never able to come nigh it, for the Gods themselves do
greatly feare at the sight thereof. What, have you not heard, that it
is a custome among men to sweare by the puissance of the Gods, and the
Gods do sweare by the majesty of the river Stix? but give me thy
bottle, and sodainly he tooke it, and filled it with the water of the
river, and taking his flight through those cruell and horrible dragons,
brought it unto Psyches: who being very joyfull thereof, presented it
to Venus, who would not yet be appeased, but menacing more and more
said, What, thou seemest unto me a very witch and enchauntresse, that
bringest these things to passe, howbeit thou shalt do nothing more.
Take this box and to Hell to Proserpina, and desire her to send me a
little of her beauty, as much as will serve me the space of one day,
and say that such as I had is consumed away since my sonne fell sicke,
but returne againe quickly, for I must dresse my selfe therewithall,
and goe to the Theatre of the Gods: then poore Psyches perceived the
end of all fortune, thinking verely that she should never returne, and
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