prayers. And (espying a Church on the top of a
high hill) she said, What can I tell whether my husband
and master be there or no? wherefore she went thitherward,
and with great paine and travell, moved by hope, after
that she climbed to the top of the mountaine, she
came to the temple, and went in, wheras behold she
espied sheffes of corn lying on a heap, blades withered
with garlands, and reeds of barly, moreover she saw
hooks, sithes, sickles, and other instruments, to
reape, but every thing lay out of order, and as it
were cast in by the hands of laborers which when Psyches
saw she gathered up and put everything in order, thinking
that she would not despise or contemne the temples
of any of the Gods, but rather get the favour and
benevolence of them all: by and by Ceres came
in, and beholding her busie and curious in her chapell,
cried out a far off, and said, O Psyches needfull
of mercy, Venus searcheth for thee in every place to
revenge her selfe and to punish thee grievously, but
thou hast more mind to be heere, and carest for nothing
lesse, then for thy safety. Then Psyches fell
on her knees before her, watring her feet with her
teares, wiping the ground with her haire, and with
great weeping and lamentation desired pardon, saying,
O great and holy Goddesse, I pray thee by thy plenteous
and liberall right hand, by the joyfull ceremonies
of thy harvest, by the secrets of thy Sacrifice, by
the flying chariots of thy dragons, by the tillage
of the ground of Sicilie, which thou hast invented,
by the marriage of Proserpin, by the diligent inquisition
of thy daughter, and by the other secrets which are
within the temple of Eleusis in the land of Athens,
take pitty on me thy servant Psyches, and let me hide
my selfe a few dayes amongst these sheffes of corne,
untill the ire of so great a Goddesse be past, or
until that I be refreshed of my great labour and travell.
Then answered Ceres, Verely Psyches, I am greatly
moved by thy prayers and teares, and desire with all
my heart to aide thee, but if I should suffer thee
to be hidden here, I should increase the displeasure
of my Cosin, with whom I have made a treatie of peace,
and an ancient promise of amity: wherefore I advise
thee to depart hence and take it not in evil part
in that I will not suffer thee to abide and remaine
here within my temple. Then Psyches driven away
contrary to her hope, was double afflicted with sorrow
and so she returned back againe. And behold she
perceived a far off in a vally a Temple standing within
a Forest, faire and curiously wrought, and minding
to over-passe no place whither better hope did direct
her, and to the intent she would desire pardon of
every God, she approached nigh unto the sacred doore,
whereas she saw pretious riches and vestiments ingraven
with letters of gold, hanging upon branches of trees,
and the posts of the temple testifying the name of
the goddesse Juno, to whom they were dedicate, then
she kneeled downe upon her knees, and imbraced the