let him have her still, and possesse her according to his owne pleasure:
then he returned to Venus, and said, And you my daughter, take you no
care, neither feare the dishonour of your progeny and estate, neither
have regard in that it is a mortall marriage, for it seemeth unto me
just, lawfull, and legitimate by the law civill. Incontinently after
Jupiter commanded Mercury to bring up Psyches, the spouse of Cupid, into
the Pallace of heaven. And then he tooke a pot of immortality, and said,
Hold Psyches, and drinke, to the end thou maist be immortall, and that
Cupid may be thine everlasting husband. By and by the great banket and
marriage feast was sumptuously prepared, Cupid sate downe with his deare
spouse between his armes: Juno likewise with Jupiter, and all the other
gods in order, Ganimedes filled the pot of Jupiter, and Bacchus served
the rest. Their drinke was Nectar the wine of the gods, Vulcanus
prepared supper, the howers decked up the house with roses and other
sweet smells, the graces threw about blame, the Muses sang with sweet
harmony, Apollo tuned pleasantly to the Harpe, Venus danced finely:
Satirus and Paniscus plaid on their pipes; and thus Psyches was married
to Cupid, and after she was delivered of a child whom we call Pleasure.
This the trifling old woman declared unto the captive maiden: but I
poore Asse, not standing farre of, was not a little sorry in that I
lacked pen and inke to write so worthy a tale.





THE SIXTH BOOKE