these words she leaped upon the face of poore Psyches,
and (tearing her apparell) tooke her by the haire,
and dashed her head upon the ground. Then she
tooke a great quantity of wheat, of barly, poppy seede,
peason, lintles, and beanes, and mingled them altogether
on a heape saying: Thou evil favoured girle,
thou seemest unable to get the grace of thy lover,
by no other meanes, but only by diligent and painefull
service, wherefore I will prove what thou canst doe:
see that thou separate all these graines one from
another, disposing them orderly in their quantity,
and let it be done before night. When she had
appointed this taske unto Psyches, she departed to
a great banket that was prepared that day. But
Psyches went not about to dissever the graine, (as
being a thing impossible to be brought to passe by
reason it lay so confusedly scattered) but being astonyed
at the cruell commandement of Venus, sate still and
said nothing. Then the little pismire the emote,
taking pitty of her great difficulty and labour, cursing
the cruellnesse of the daughter of Jupiter, and of
so evill a mother, ran about, hither and thither, and
called to all her friends, Yee quick sons of the ground,
the mother of all things, take mercy on this poore
maid, espouse to Cupid, who is in great danger of
her person, I pray you helpe her with all diligence.
Incontinently one came after another, dissevering and
dividing the graine, and after that they had put each
kinde of corne in order, they ranne away againe in
all haste. When night came, Venus returned home
from the banket wel tippled with wine, smelling of
balme, and crowned with garlands of roses, who when
shee had espied what Psyches had done, gan say, This
is not the labour of thy hands, but rather of his that
is amorous of thee: then she gave her a morsel
of brown bread, and went to sleep. In the mean
season, Cupid was closed fast in the surest chamber
of the house, partly because he should not hurt himself
with wanton dalliance, and partly because he should
not speake with his love: so these two lovers
were divided one from another. When night was
passed Venus called Psyches, and said, Seest thou
yonder Forest that extendeth out in length with the
river? there be great sheepe shining like gold, and
kept by no manner of person. I command thee that
thou go thither and bring me home some of the wooll
of their fleeces. Psyches arose willingly not
to do her commandement, but to throw her selfe headlong
into water to end her sorrows. Then a green reed
inspired by divine inspiration, with a gratious tune
and melody gan say, O Psyches I pray thee not to trouble
or pollute my water by the death of thee, and yet
beware that thou goe not towards the terrible sheepe
of this coast, untill such time as the heat of the
sunne be past, for when the sunne is in his force,
then seeme they most dreadfull and furious, with their
sharpe hornes, their stony foreheads and their gaping
throats, wherewith they arme themselves to the destruction