The metamorphosis, or golden ass, and philosophical works, of Apuleius [A. on the God of Socrates; A. on the habitude of the doctrines of Plato] / Translated from the original Latin, by Thomas Taylor.

  • Apuleius
Date:
1822
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The metamorphosis, or golden ass, and philosophical works, of Apuleius [A. on the God of Socrates; A. on the habitude of the doctrines of Plato] / Translated from the original Latin, by Thomas Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    20 care of yourself, but especially beware of the evil arts and nefarious blandishments of that Pamphile, the wife of Milo, whom you say is your host. She is one of the most renowned witches, and is believed to be mistress of every necromantic incantation; so that by branches of trees and stones, and other frivolous things of the like kind, when she has breathed on them with magic words, she knows how to merge into the depths of Tartarus, and into ancient chaos, all this light of the starry world. For as soon as she has beheld any youth of a beautiful form, she is captivated by his elegance, and immediately turns upon him the sight both of her eyes and of her mind. She employs blandishments, she invades his spirit, she binds him with the eternal fetters of pro- found love. Then despising those who are not sufficiently obedient to her, and who rank among the vulgar, she changes them in a moment of time into stones and cattle, and any kind of beast; but others she entirely destroys. I tremble for you on account of these things, and entreat you to beware of them. For she burns with an eternal love, and you, through your youth and your beauty, are fitted for her purpose. This was what Byrrhsena, who was very solicitous for my welfare, said to me. But Ϊ, who was otherwise inquisitive, as soon as I heard the name of the magic art, which I always wished to obtain the knowledge of, was so far from dreading the blandishments of Pamphile, that I voluntarily longed to become a proficient in that science, even though at a great price, and to precipitate myself entirely, with an accelerated leap, into the gulf of magic. Hence, I hastily and insanely liberated myself from her hand, as from a certain bond, and having speedily said farewell, I flew to the house of Milo. And while, like one deprived of intellect, I thus accelerate my pace, I said, Now, O Lucius, be vigilant and attentive to yourself. For now you have the wished-for opportunity [of learning magic], and you may satiate your mind with admirable tales, which you have long desired to do. Away then with puerile
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