mighty staffe, till he had left no haire on
all my body, no not so much as on mine eares, whereby I was compelled
by force of blowes to stand up. The same hangman boy did invent another
torment for me: he gathered a great many sharp thornes as sharp as
needles and bound them together like a fagot, and tyed them at my
tayle to pricke me, then was I afflicted on every side, for if I had
indeavoured to runne away, the thornes would have pricked me, if I had
stood still, the boy would have beaten mee, and yet the boy beate mee to
make me runne, whereby I perceived that the hangman did devise nothing
else save only to kill me by some manner of meanes, and he would sweare
and threaten to do me worse harme, and because hee might have some
occasion to execute his malicious minde, upon a day (after that I had
endeavoured too much by my patience) I lifted up my heeles and spurned
him welfavouredly. Then he invented this vengeance against me, after
that he had well laded me with shrubs and rubble, and trussed it round
upon my backe, hee brought me out into the way: then hee stole a burning
coale out of a mans house of the next village, and put it into the
middle of the rubbell; the rubbell and shrubs being very dry, did fall
on a light fire and burned me on every side. I could see no remedy how I
might save my selfe, and in such a case it was not best for me to stand
still but fortune was favourable towards me, perhaps to reserve me for
more dangers, for I espyed a great hole full of raine water that fell
the day before, thither I ranne hastily and plunged my selfe therein, in
such sort that I quenched the fire, and was delivered from that
present perill, but the vile boy to excuse himselfe declared to all the
neighbours and shepheards about, that I willingly tumbled in the fire as
I passed through the village. Then he laughed upon me saying: How long
shall we nourish and keepe this fiery Asse in vaine?

THE TWENTY-NINTH CHAPTER

How Apuleius was accused of Lechery by the boy.

A few dayes after, the boy invented another mischiefe: For when he had
sold all the wood which I bare, to certaine men dwelling in a village
by, he lead me homeward unladen: And then he cryed that he was not able
to rule me, and that hee would not drive mee any longer to the hill for
wood, saying: Doe you not see this slow and dulle Asse, who besides all
the mischiefes that he hath wrought already, inventeth daily more and
more. For he espyeth any w