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The Golden Asse by Lucius Apuleius
page 191 of 232 (82%)
this manner: Thou, thou, art the originall cause of all my dolour:
Thou art my comfort and onely health, for those thy comely eyes are
so enfastned within my brest, that unlesse they succour me, I shall
certainly die: Have pitty therefore upon me, be not the occasion of my
destruction, neither let my conscience reclaime to offend thy father,
when as thou shalt save the life of thy mother. Moreover since thou dost
resemble thy fathers shape in every point, it giveth me cause the more
to fancy thee: Now is ministred unto thee time and place: Now hast thou
occasion to worke thy will, seeing that we are alone. And it is a common
saying:

Never knowne, never done.

This young man troubled in mind at so suddaine an ill, although hee
abhorred to commit so beastly a crime, yet hee would not cast her off
with a present deniall, but warily pacified her mind with delay of
promise. Wherefore he promised to doe all according to her desire:
And in the meane season, he willed his mother to be of good cheere, and
comfort her selfe till as he might find some convenient time to come
unto her, when his father was ridden forth: Wherewithall hee got him
away from the pestilent sight of his stepdame. And knowing that this
matter touching the ruine of all the whole house needed the counsell
of wise and grave persons, he went incontinently to a sage old man and
declared the whole circumstance of the matter. The old man after long
deliberation, thought there was no better way to avoyd the storme of
cruell fortune to come, then to run away. In the meane season this
wicked woman impatient of her love, and the long delay of her sonne,
egged her husband to ride abroad into farre countreyes. And then she
asked the young-man the accomplishment of his promise, but he to rid
himselfe entirely from her hands, would find alwayes excuses, till in
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