The Golden Asse eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 277 pages of information about The Golden Asse.

The Golden Asse eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 277 pages of information about The Golden Asse.
and socks of gold, having his haire laid out, and dressed in forme of a woman!  There was another ware legge-harnesse, and bare a target, a sallet, and a speare like a martial souldier:  after him marched one attired in purple with vergers before him like a magistrate! after him followed one with a maurell, a staffe, a paire of pantofles, and with a gray beard, signifying a philosopher:  after him went one with line, betokening a fowler, another with hookes declaring a fisher:  I saw there a meeke and tame beare, which in matron habite was carried on a stoole:  An Ape with a bonet on his head, and covered with lawne, resemling a shepheard, and bearing a cup of gold in his hand:  an Asse which had wings glewed to his backe, and went after an old man, whereby you would judge the one to be Pegasus, and the other Bellephoron.  Amongst the pleasures and popular delectations, which wandered hither and thither, you might see the pompe of the goddesse triumphantly march forward:  The woman attired in white vestiments, and rejoicing, in that they bare garlands and flowers upon their heads, bedspread the waies with hearbes, which they bare in their aprons, where this regall and devout procession should passe:  Other caried glasses on their backes, to testifie obeisance to the goddess which came after.  Other bare combs of Ivory, and declared by their gesture and motions of their armes, that they were ordained and readie to dresse the goddesse:  Others dropped in the wayes as they went Balme and other pretious ointments:  Then came a great number, as well of men as women, with Candels, torches, and other lights, doing honour to the celestiall goddesse:  After that sounded the musical harmony of instruments:  then came a faire companie of youth, apparelled in white vestiments, singing both meter and verse, with a comely grade which some studious Poet had made in honour of the Muses:  In the meane season, arrived the blowers of trumpets, which were dedicated unto Serapes, and to the temple before them were officers and beadles, preparing roome for the goddess to passe.  Then came the great company of men and women, which had taken divine orders, whose garments glistered all the streets over.  The women had their haire annointed and their heads covered with linnen:  but the men had their crownes shaven, which were the terrene stars of the goddesse, holding in their hand instruments of brasse, silver and gold, which rendered a pleasant sound.

The principall Priests which were apparelled with white surplesses hanging downe to the ground, bare the relikes of the puissant goddesse.  One carried in his hand a light, not unlike to those which we used in our houses, saving that in the middle thereof appeared a bole which rendred a more bright flame.  The second attired hike the other bare in his hand an Altar, which the goddesse her selfe named the succor of nations.  The third held a tree of palme with leaves of gold, and the verge of Mercurie.  The fourth shewed out a token of equitie by his left hand,

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The Golden Asse from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.