ariness and travell: and while he went grazing freshly
in the field (casting his head sometimes aside, as a token of rejoycing
and gladnesse) I perceived a little before me two companions riding, and
so I overtaking them made a third. And while I listened to heare their
communication, the one of them laughed and mocked his fellow, saying,
Leave off I pray thee and speak no more, for I cannot abide to heare
thee tell such absurd and incredible lies; which when I heard, I desired
to heare some newes, and said, I pray you masters make me partaker
of your talk, that am not so curious as desirous to know all your
communication: so shall we shorten our journey, and easily passe this
high hill before us, by merry and pleasant talke.

But he that laughed before at his fellow, said againe, Verily this tale
is as true, as if a man would say that by sorcery and inchantment the
floods might be inforced to run against their course, the seas to be
immovable, the aire to lacke the blowing of windes, the Sunne to be
restrained from his naturall race, the Moone to purge his skimme upon
herbes and trees to serve for sorceries: the starres to be pulled from
heaven, the day to be darkened and the dark night to continue still.
Then I being more desirous to heare his talke than his companions, sayd,
I pray you, that began to tell your tale even now, leave not off so, but
tell the residue. And turning to the other I sayd, You perhappes that
are of an obstinate minde and grosse eares, mocke and contemme those
things which are reported for truth, know you not that it is accounted
untrue by the depraved opinion of men, which either is rarely seene,
seldome heard, or passeth the capacitie of mans reason, which if it be
more narrowly scanned, you shall not onely finde it evident and plaine,
but also very easy to be brought to passe.

THE SECOND CHAPTER

How Apuleius told to the strangers, what he saw a jugler do in Athens.

The other night being at supper with a sort of hungry fellowes, while
I did greedily put a great morsel of meate in my mouth, that was fried
with the flower of cheese and barley, it cleaved so fast in the passage
of my throat and stopped my winde in such sort that I was well nigh
choked. And yet at Athens before the porch there called Peale, I saw
with these eyes a jugler that swallowed up a two hand sword, with a very
keene edge, and by and by for a little money that we who looked on gave
him, hee devoured a chasing