Asse carrying of wood, and a lame fellow driving him, who will desire
thee to give him up the sticks that fall downe, but passe thou on and do
nothing; by and by thou shalt come unto a river of hell, whereas Charon
is ferriman, who will first have his fare paied him, before he will
carry the soules over the river in his boat, whereby you may see that
avarice raigneth amongst the dead, neither Charon nor Pluto will do any
thing for nought: for if it be a poore man that would passe over and
lacketh money, he shal be compelled to die in his journey before they
will shew him any reliefe, wherefore deliver to carraine Charon one of
the halfpence (which thou bearest for thy passage) and let him receive
it out of thy mouth. And it shall come to passe as thou sittest in the
boat thou shalt see an old man swimming on the top of the river, holding
up his deadly hands, and desiring thee to receive him into the barke,
but have no regard to his piteous cry; when thou art passed over the
floud, thou shalt espie old women spinning, who will desire thee to
helpe them, but beware thou do not consent unto them in any case, for
these and like baits and traps will Venus set to make thee let fall
one of thy sops, and thinke not that the keeping of thy sops is a light
matter, for if thou leese one of them thou shalt be assured never to
returne againe to this world. Then shalt thou see a great and marvailous
dogge, with three heads, barking continually at the soules of such as
enter in, but he can do them no other harme, he lieth day and night
before the gate of Proserpina, and keepeth the house of Pluto with great
diligence, to whom if thou cast one of thy sops, thou maist have accesse
to Proserpina without all danger: shee will make thee good cheere, and
entertaine thee with delicate meate and drinke, but sit thou upon the
ground, and desire browne bread, and then declare thy message unto her,
and when thou hast received such beauty as she giveth, in thy returne
appease the rage of the dogge with thy other sop, and give thy other
halfe penny to covetous Charon, and come the same way againe into the