the goddesse which I bare, did put and consecrate
them amongst the treasure of the temple. The next
day I was carryed to the market to be sold, and my
price was set at seaven pence more then Philebus gave
for me. There fortuned to passe by a Baker of
the next village, who after that he had bought a great
deale of corne, bought me likewise to carry it home,
and when he had well laded me therewith, be drave
me through a thorny and dangerous way to his bake
house; there I saw a great company of horses that went
in the mill day and night grinding of corne, but lest
I should be discouraged at the first, my master entertained
me well, for the first day I did nothing but fare
daintily, howbeit such mine ease and felicity did not
long endure, for the next day following I was tyed
to the mill betimes in the morning with my face covered,
to the end in turning amid winding so often one way,
I should not become giddy, but keepe a certaine course,
but although when I was a man I had seen many such
horsemills and knew well enough how they should be
turned, yet feining my selfe ignorant of such kind
of toile, I stood still and would not goe, whereby
I thought I should be taken from the mill as an Asse
unapt, and put to some other light thing, or else
to be driven into the fields to pasture, but my subtility
did me small good, for by and by when the mill stood
still, the servants came about me, crying and beating
me forward, in such sort that I could not stay to
advise my selfe, whereby all the company laughed to
see so suddaine a change. When a good part of
the day was past, that I was not able to endure any
longer, they tooke off my harnesse, and tied me to
the manger, but although my bones were weary, and
that I needed to refresh my selfe with rest and provender,
yet I was so curious that I did greatly delight to
behold the bakers art, insomuch that I could not eate
nor drinke while I looked on.
O good Lord what a sort of poore slaves were there;
some had their skinne blacke and blew, some had their
backes striped with lashes, some were covered with
rugged sackes, some had their members onely hidden:
some wore such ragged clouts, that you might perceive
all their naked bodies, some were marked and burned
in the heads with hot yrons, some had their haire
halfe clipped, some had lockes of their legges, some
very ugly and evill favoured, that they could scarce
see, their eyes and face were so blacke and dimme
with smoake, like those that fight in the sands, and
know not where they strike by reason of dust:
And some had their faces all mealy. But how should
I speake of the horses my companions, how they being
old and weake, thrust their heads into the manger:
they had their neckes all wounded and worne away:
they rated their nosethrilles with a continuall cough,
their sides were bare with their harnesse and great
travell, their ribs were broken with beating, their
hooves were battered broad with incessant labour, and
their skinne rugged by reason of their lancknesse.