Not long after, the thieves laded us again, but especially me, and brought us forth of the stable, and when we had gone a good part of our journey what with the long way, my great burden, the beating of staves, and my worn hooves, I was so weary that I could scantly go. Then I saw a little before me a river running with fair water, and I said to myself, Behold, now I have found a good occasion: for I will fall down when I come yonder, and surely I will not rise again, neither with scourging nor with beating, for I had rather be slain there presently, than go any further.

And the cause why I had determined so to do was this, I thought that the thieves when they did see me so feeble and weak that I could not travel, to the intent they would not stay in their journey, they would take the burden from my back and put it on my fellows, and so for my further punishment to leave me as a prey to the wolves and ravening beasts. But evil fortune prevented so good a consideration; for the other ass being of the same purpose that I was of, by feigned and coloured weariness fell down first, with all his burden on the ground as though he were dead, and he would not rise neither with beating nor with pricking, nor stand upon his legs, though they pulled him by the tail, by his legs, and by his ears: which when the thieves beheld, as without all hope they said one unto another, What should we stand here so long about a dead or rather a stony ass? let us be gone: and so they took his burden, and divided some to me, and some to my horse. And then they drew out their swords and cut off his legs, and threw his body from the point of a hill down into a great valley. Then I considering with myself of the evil fortune of my poor companion, and purposed now to forget all subtlety and deceit, and to play the good ass to get my masters favour, for I perceived by their talk that we were come home well-nigh at our journey’s end. And after that we had passed over a little hill, we came to our appointed place, and when we were unladen of our burdens, and all things carried in, I tumbled and wallowed in the dust, to refresh myself instead of water. The thing and the time compelleth me to make description of the places, and especially of the den where the thieves did inhabit, I will prove my wit in what I can do, and then consider you whether I was an ass in judgment and sense, or no. For first there was an exceeding great hill compassed about with big trees very high, with many turning bottoms full of sharp stones, whereby it was inaccessible. There was many winding and hollow valleys, environed with thickets and thorns, and naturally fortressed round about. From the top of the hill ran a running water as clear as silver, that watered all the valleys below, that it seemed like unto a sea enclosed, or a standing flood. Before the den where was no hill stood an high tower, and at the foot thereof were sheepcotes fenced and walled with clay. Before the gate of the house were paths made instead of walls, in such sort that you could easily judge it to be a very den for thieves, and there was nothing else except a little cote covered with thatch, wherein the thieves did nightly accustom to watch by order, as I after perceived. And when they were all crept into the house, and we were all tied fast with halters at the door, they began to chide with an old woman there, crooked with age, who had the government and rule of all the house, and said, How is it old witch, old trot, and strumpet, that thou sittest idly all day at home, and having no regard to our perilous labours, hast provided nothing for our suppers, but sittest eating and swilling thyself from morning till night? Then the old woman trembled, and scantly able to speak gan say, Behold my puissant and faithful masters, you shall have meat and pottage enough by and by: here is first store of bread, wine plenty, filled in clean rinsed pots, likewise here is hot water prepared to bathe you.

Which when she had said, they put off all their garments and refreshed themselves by the fire. And after they were washed and anointed with oil, they sat down at the table garnished with all kind of dainty meats. They were no sooner sat down, but in came another company of young men more in number than was before, who seemed likewise to be thieves, for they brought in their prize of gold and silver, plate, jewels, and rich robes, and when they had likewise washed, they sat among the rest, and served one another by order. Then they drank and eat exceedingly, laughing, crying and making much noise, that I thought that I was among the tyrannous and wild Lapiths, Thebans, and centaurs. At length one of them more valiant than the rest, spake in this sort, We verily have manfully conquered the house of Milo of Hippata, and beside all the riches and treasure which by force we have brought away, we are all come home safe, and are increased the more by this horse and this ass. But you that have roved about in the country of Boetia, have lost your valiant captain Lamathus, whose life I more regarded than all the treasure which you have brought: and therefore the memory of him shall be renowned forever amongst the most noble kings and valiant captains: but you accustom when you go abroad, like men with ganders’ hearts to creep through every corner and hole for every trifle. Then one of them that came last answered, Why are you only ignorant, that the greater the number is, the sooner they may rob and spoil the house? And although the family be dispersed in diverse lodgings, yet every man had rather to defend his own life, than to save the riches of his master: but when there be but a few thieves, then will they not only rather regard themselves, but also their substance, how little or great soever it be. And to the intent you may believe me I will show you an example: we were come nothing nigh to Thebes, where is the fountain of our art and science, but we learned where a rich chuff called Chriseros did dwell, who for fear of offices in the public well dissembled his estate, and lived sole and solitary in a small cote, howbeit replenished with abundance of treasure, and went daily in ragged and torn apparel. Wherefore we devised with ourselves to go to his house and spoil him of all his riches. And when night came we drew towards the door, which was so strongly closed, that we could neither move it, nor lift it out of the hooks, and we thought it best not to break it open lest by the noise we should raise up to our harm the neighbours by. Then our strong and valiant captain Lamathus trusting in his own strength and force, thrust in his hand through a hole in the door, and thought to pull back the bolt: but the covetous caitiff Chriseros being awake, and making no noise came softly to the door and caught his hand and with a great nail nailed it fast to the post: which when he had done, he ran up to the high chamber and called every one of his neighbours by name, desiring them to succor him with all possible speed, for his own house was on fire. Then everyone for fear of his own danger came running out to aid him, wherewith we fearing our present peril, knew not what was best to be done, whether we should leave our companion there, or yield ourselves to die with him: but we by his consent devised a better way, for we cut off his arm by the elbow and so let it hang there: then we bound his wound with cloths, lest we should be traced by the drops of blood: which done we took Lamathus and led him away, for fear we would be taken: but being so nigh pursued that we were in present danger, and that Lamathus could not keep our company by reason of faintness; and on the other side perceiving that it was not for his profit to linger behind, he spake unto us as a man of singular courage and virtue, desiring us by much entreaty and prayer and by the puissance of the god Mars, and the faith of our confederacy, to deliver his body from torment and miserable captivity: and further he said, How is it possible that so courageous a captain can live without his hand, wherewith he could sometime rob and slay so many people? I would think myself sufficiently happy if I could be slain by one of you. But when he saw that we all refused to commit any such fact, he drew out his sword with his other hand, and after that he had often kissed it, he drove it clean through his body. Then we honoured the corpse of so puissant a man, and wrapped it in linen cloths and threw it into the sea. So lieth our master Lamathus, buried and hid in the grave of water, and ended his life as I have declared. But Alcinus, though he were a man of great enterprise, yet could he not beware by Lamathus, nor void himself from evil fortune, for on a day when he had entered into an old woman’s house to rob her, he went up into a high chamber, where he should first have strangled her: but he had more regard to throw down the bags of money and gold out at a window, to us that stood under; and when he was so greedy that he would leave nothing behind, he went into the old woman’s bed where she lay asleep, and would have taken off the coverlet to have thrown down likewise, but she awaked, and kneeling on her knees, desired him in this manner: Oh sir I pray you cast not away such torn and ragged cloths into my neighbours houses, for they are rich enough, and need no such things. Then Alcinus thinking her words to be true, was brought in belief, that such things as he had thrown out already, and such things as he should throw out after, was not fallen down to his fellows, but to other men’s houses, wherefore he went to the window to see, and as he thought to behold the places round about, thrusting his body out of the window, the old woman marked him well, and came behind him softly, and though she had but small strength, yet with sudden force she took him by the heels and thrust him out headlong, and so he fell upon a marvelous great stone and burst his ribs, whereby he vomited and spewed great flakes of blood, and presently died. Then we threw him to the river likewise, as we had done Lamathus before.

When we had thus lost two of our companions, we liked not Thebes, but marched towards the next city called Platea, where we found a man of great fame called Demochares, that purposed to set forth a great game, where should be a trial of all kind of weapons: he was come of a good house, marvelous rich, liberal, and well deserved that which he had and had prepared many shows and pleasures for the common people, insomuch that there is no man can either by wit or eloquence show in words his worthy preparations: for first he had provided all sorts of arms, he greatly delighted in hunting and chasing, he ordained great towers and tables to move hither and thither: he made many places to chase and encounter in: he had ready a great number of men and wild beasts, and many condemned persons were brought from the judgment place, to try and fight with those beasts. But amongst so great preparations of noble price, he bestowed the most part of his patrimony in buying of bears, which he nourished to his great cost, and esteemed more than all the other beasts, which either by chasing he caught himself, or which he dearly bought, or which were given him from diverse of his friends.

Howbeit for all his sumptuous cost, he could not be free from the malicious eyes of envy, for some of them were well-nigh dead with too long tying up, some meager with the broiling heat of the sun, some languished with lying, but all having sundry diseases, were so afflicted that they died one after another, and there was well-nigh none left, in such sort that you might see them lying in the streets piteously dead. And the common people having no other meat to feed on, little regarding any curiosity, would come forth and fill their bellies with the flesh of the bears. Then by and by Babulus and I devised a pretty sport, we drew one of the greatest of the Bears to our lodging, as though we would prepare to eat thereof, where we flayed of his skin, and kept his ungles whole, but we meddled not with the head, but cut it off by the neck, and so let it hang to the skin. Then we razed off the flesh from the neck, and cast dust thereon, and set it in the sun to dry.