Golden Ass

Lucius Apuleius

Description

The Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius is the only complete Latin novel to have survived to this day. Lucius of Maudorus is insatiably curious about magic, but when he tries to magic himself into a bird, he transforms instead into a donkey. The story follows his literal and metaphorical journey, and was called by St Augustine The Golden Ass.

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775413547
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE GOLDEN ASS
THE METAMORPHOSES OF LUCIUS APULEIUS
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LUCIUS APULEIUS
Translated by
WILLIAM ADLINGTON
 
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The Golden Ass The Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius From a 1639 edition.
ISBN 978-1-775413-54-7
© 2009 THE FLOATING PRESS.
While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike.
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Contents
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Dedication The Life of Lucius Apuleius Briefly Described The Preface of the Author to His Sonne, Faustinus THE FIRST BOOKE The First Chapter The Second Chapter The Third Chapter The Fourth Chapter The Fifth Chapter The Sixth Chapter The Seventh Chapter THE SECOND BOOKE The Eighth Chapter The Ninth Chapter The Tenth Chapter The Eleventh Chapter THE THIRD BOOKE The Twelfth Chapter The Thirteenth Chapter The Fourteenth Chapter The Fifteenth Chapter The Sixteenth Chapter The Seventeenth Chapter THE FOURTH BOOKE The Eighteenth Chapter The Nineteenth Chapter The Twentieth Chapter The Twenty-First Chapter THE MARRIAGE OF CUPID AND PSYCHES The Twenty-Second Chapter THE SIXTH BOOKE The Twenty-Third Chapter THE SEVENTH BOOKE The Twenty-Fourth Chapter The Twenty-Fifth Chapter The Twenty-Sixth Chapter The Twenty-Seventh Chapter The Twenty-Eighth Chapter The Twenty-Ninth Chapter The Thirtieth Chapter The Thirty-First Chapter THE EIGHTH BOOKE The Thirty-Second Chapter The Thirty-Third Chapter The Thirty-Fourth Chapter The Thirty-Fifth Chapter The Thirty-Sixth Chapter THE NINTH BOOKE The Thirty-Seventh Chapter The Thirty-Eighth Chapter The Thirty-Ninth Chapter The Fortieth Chapter The Forty-First Chapter The Forty-Second Chapter The Forty-Third Chapter THE TENTH BOOKE The Forty-Fourth Chapter The Forty-Fifth Chapter The Forty-Sixth Chapter THE ELEVENTH BOOKE The Forty-Seventh Chapter The Forty-Eighth Chapter
Dedication
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To the Right Honourable and Mighty Lord, THOMAS EARLE OF SUSSEX,Viscount Fitzwalter, Lord of Egremont and of Burnell, Knight of the mostnoble Order of the Garter, Iustice of the forrests and Chases fromTrent Southward; Captain of the Gentleman Pensioners of the House of theQUEENE our Soveraigne Lady.
After that I had taken upon me (right Honourable) in manner of thatunlearned and foolish Poet, Cherillus, who rashly and unadvisedlywrought a big volume in verses, of the valiant prowesse of Alexander theGreat, to translate this present booke, contayning the Metamorphosis ofLucius Apuleius; being mooved thereunto by the right pleasant pastimeand delectable matter therein; I eftsoones consulted with myself, towhom I might best offer so pleasant and worthy a work, devised bythe author, it being now barbarously and simply framed in our Englishtongue. And after long deliberation had, your honourable lordship cameto my remembrance, a man much more worthy, than to whom so homely andrude a translation should be presented. But when I again remembred thejesting and sportfull matter of the booke, unfit to be offered to anyman of gravity and wisdome, I was wholly determined to make no EpistleDedicatory at all; till as now of late perswaded thereunto by myfriends, I have boldly enterprised to offer the same to your Lordship,who as I trust wil accept the same, than if it did entreat of someserious and lofty matter, light and merry, yet the effect thereoftendeth to a good and vertuous moral, as in the following Epistle to thereader may be declared. For so have all writers in times past employedtheir travell and labours, that their posterity might receive somefruitfull profit by the same. And therfore the poets feined not theirfables in vain, considering that children in time of their firststudies, are very much allured thereby to proceed to more grave anddeepe studies and disciplines, whereas their mindes would quickly loaththe wise and prudent workes of learned men, wherein in such unripeyears they take no spark of delectation at all. And not only that profitariseth to children by such feined fables, but also the vertues ofmen are covertly thereby commended, and their vices discommended andabhorred. For by the fable of Actaeon, where it is feigned that he sawDiana washing her selfe in a well, hee was immediately turned into anHart, and so was slain of his own Dogs; may bee meant, That when aman casteth his eyes on the vain and soone fading beauty of the world,consenting thereto in his minde, hee seemeth to bee turned into a brutebeast, and so to be slain by the inordinate desire of his owne affects.By Tantalus that stands in the midst of the floud Eridan, having beforehim a tree laden with pleasant apples, he being neverthelesse alwaysthirsty and hungry, betokeneth the insatiable desires of covetouspersons. The fables of Atreus, Thiestes, Tereus and Progne signifieththe wicked and abhominable facts wrought and attempted by mortall men.The fall of Icarus is an example to proud and arrogant persons, thatweeneth to climb up to the heavens. By Mydas, who obtained of Bacchus,that all things which he touched might be gold, is carped the foulsin of avarice. By Phaeton, that unskilfully took in hand to rule thechariot of the Sunne, are represented those persons which attempt thingspassing their power and capacity. By Castor and Pollux, turned into asigne in heaven called Gemini, is signified, that vertuous and godlypersons shall be rewarded after life with perpetuall blisse. And in thisfeined jest of Lucius Apuleius is comprehended a figure of mans life,ministring most sweet and delectable matter, to such as shall bedesirous to reade the same. The which if your honourable lordship shallaccept ant take in good part, I shall not onely thinke my small travelland labour well employed, but also receive a further comfort to attemptsome more serious matter, which may be more acceptable to your Lordship:desiring the same to excuse my rash and bold enterprise at this time, asI nothing doubt of your Lordships goodnesse. To whome I beseech AlmightyGod to impart long life, with encrease of much honour.
From Vniversity Colledge in Oxenforde, the xviij. of September, 1566.
Your Honours most bounden,
WIL. ADLINGTON.
The Life of Lucius Apuleius Briefly Described
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LUCIUS APULEIUS African, an excellent follower of Plato his sect, bornin Madaura, a Countrey sometime inhabited by the Romans, and under thejurisdiction of Syphax, scituate and lying on the borders of Numidia andGetulia, whereby he calleth himself half a Numidian and half a Getulian:and Sidonius named him the Platonian Madaurence: his father calledTheseus had passed all offices of dignity in his countrey with muchhonour. His mother named Salvia was of such excellent vertue, thatshe passed all the Dames of her time, borne of an ancient house, anddescended from the philosopher Plutarch, and Sextus his nephew. Hiswife called Prudentila was endowed with as much vertue and riches asany woman might be. Hee himselfe was of an high and comely stature,gray eyed, his haire yellow, and a beautiful personage. He flourishedin Carthage in the time of Iolianus Avitus and Cl. Maximus Proconsuls,where he spent his youth in learning the liberall sciences, and muchprofited under his masters there, whereby not without cause hee callethhimself the Nource of Carthage, and the celestial Muse and venerablemistresse of Africke. Soone after, at Athens (where in times past thewell of all doctrine flourished) he tasted many of the cups of themuses, he learned the Poetry, Geometry, Musicke, Logicke, and theuniversall knowledge of Philosophy, and studied not in vaine the nineMuses, that is to say, the nine noble and royal disciplines.
Immediately after he went to Rome, and studied there the Latine tongue,with such labour and continuall study, that he achieved to greateloquence, and was known and approved to be excellently learned, wherebyhe might worthily be called Polyhistor, that is to say, one that knowethmuch or many things.
And being thus no lesse endued with eloquence, than with singularlearning, he wrote many books for them that should come after: whereofpart by negligence of times be now intercepted and part now extant, doesufficiently declare, with how much wisdome and doctrine hee flourished,and with how much vertue hee excelled amongst the rude and barbarouspeople. The like was Anacharsis amongst the most luskish Scythes. Butamongst the Bookes of Lucius Apuleius, which are perished and prevented,howbeit greatly desired as now adayes, one was intituled Banquettingquestions, another entreating of the nature of fish, another of thegeneration of beasts, another containing his Epigrams, another called'Hermagoras': but such as are now extant are the foure books named'Floridorum', wherein is contained a flourishing stile, and a savorykind of learning, which delighteth, holdeth, and rejoiceth the readermarvellously; wherein you shall find a great variety of things, asleaping one from another: One excellent and copious Oration, containingall the grace and vertue of the art Oratory, where he cleareth himselfof the crime of art Magick, which was slanderously objected against himby his Adversaries, wherein is contained such force of eloquence anddoctrine, as he seemeth to passe and excell himselfe. There is anotherbooke of the god of the spirit of Socrates, whereof St. Augustine makethmention in his booke of the definition of spirits, and descriptionof men. Two other books of the opinion of Plato, wherein is brieflycontained that which before was largely expressed. One booke ofCosmography, comprising many things of Aristotles Meteors. The Dialogueof Trismegistus, translated by him out of Greeke into Latine, so fine,that it ra