In the mean season news was carried into my country (as swift as the flight of birds, or as the blast of winds) of the grace and benefit which I received of the goddess, and of my fortune worthy to be had in memory. Then my parents friends and servants of our house understanding that I was not dead, as they were falsely informed, came towards me with great diligence to see me, as a man raised from death to life: and I which never thought to see them again, was as joyful as they, accepting and taking in good part their honest gifts and oblations that they gave, to the intent I might buy such things as was necessary for my body: for after I had made relation unto them of all my pristine misery, and present joys, I went before the face of the goddess and hired me a house within the cloister of the temple to the end I might continually be ready to the service of the goddess, and ordinarily frequent the company of the priests, whereby I would wholly become devout to the goddess, and an inseparable worshipper of her divine name: it fortuned that the goddess appeared to me oftentimes in the night persuading and commanding me to take the order of her religion, but I, though I was indued with a desirous goodwill, yet the fear of the same withheld me considering her obeisance was hard and difficill, the chastity of the priests intolerable, and the life frail and subject to many inconveniences. Being thus in doubt, I refrained myself from all those things as seemed impossible.

On a night the great priest appeared unto me, presenting his lap full of treasure, and when I demanded what it signified, he answered, that it was sent me from the country of Thessaly, and that a servant of mine named Candidus was arrived likewise: when I was awake, I mused in myself what this vision should pretend, considering I had never any servant called by that name: but whatsoever it did signify, this I verily thought, that it was a foreshow of gain and prosperous chance: while I was thus astonied I went to the temple, and tarried there till the opening of the gates, then I went in and began to pray before the face of the goddess, the priest prepared and set the divine things of every altar, and pulled out the fountain and holy vessel with solemn supplication. Then they began to sing the mattins of the morning, testifying thereby the hour of the prime. By and by behold arrived my servant which I had left in the country, when Fotis by error made me an ass, bringing with him my horse, recovered by her through certain signs and tokens which I had upon my back. Then I perceived the interpretation of my dream, by reason that beside the promise of gain, my white horse was restored to me, which was signified by the argument of my servant Candidus.

This done I retired to the service of the goddess in hope of greater benefits, considering I had received a sign and token, whereby my courage increased every day more and more to take upon me the orders and sacraments of the temple: insomuch that I oftentimes communed with the priest, desiring him greatly to give me the degree of the religion, but he which was a man of gravity, and well renowned in the order of priesthood, deferred my affection from day to day, with comfort and better hope, as parents commonly bridle the desires of their children, when they attempt or endeavour any unprofitable thing, saying, that the day when anyone should be admitted into their order is appointed by the goddess, the priest which should minister the sacrifice is chosen by her providence, and the necessary charges of the ceremonies is allotted by her commandment, all which things he willed me to attend with marvelous patience, and that I should beware either of too much hastiness, or too great slackness, considering that there was like danger, if being called I should delay: or not called I should be hasty: moreover he said that there was none of his company either of so desperate a mind, or so rash and hardy, as to enterprise anything without the commandement of the goddess, whereby he should commit a deadly offence, considering that it was in her power to damn and save all persons, and if any were at the point of death, and in the way to damnation, so that he were capable to receive the secrets of the goddess, it was in her power by divine providence to reduce him to the path of health, as by a certain kind of regeneration: finally he said that I must attend the celestial precept, although it was evident and plain, that the goddess had already vouchsafed to call and appoint me to her ministry, and to will me refrain from profane and unlawful meats, as those priests which were already received, to the end I might come more apt and clean to the knowledge of the secrets of religion. Then was I obedient unto these words, and attentive with meek quietness, and probable taciturnity, I daily served at the temple: in the end the wholesome gentleness of the goddess did nothing deceive me, for in the night she appeared to me in a vision, showing that the day was come which I had wished for so long, she told me what provision and charges I should be at, and how that she had appointed her principalest priest Mythra to be minister with me in my sacrifices.

When I heard these divine commandments, I greatly rejoiced: and arose before day to speak with the great priest, whom I fortuned to espy coming out of his chamber: then I saluted him, and thought with myself to ask and demand his counsel with a bold courage, but as soon as he perceived me, he began first to say: Oh Lucius now know I well that thou art most happy and blessed, whom the divine goddess doth so greatly accept with mercy, why dost thou delay? Behold the day which thou desired when as thou shalt receive at my hands the order of religion, and know the most pure secrets of the gods, whereupon the old man took me by the hand, and led me to the gate of the great temple, where at the first entry he made a solemn celebration, and after morning sacrifice ended, brought out of the secret place of the temple books, partly written with unknown characters, and partly painted with figures of beasts declaring briefly every sentence, with tops and tails, turning in fashion of a wheel, which were strange and impossible to be read of the profane people: there he interpreted to me such things as were necessary to the use and preparation of mine order. This done, I gave charge to certain of my companions to buy liberally, whatsoever was needful and convenient, then he brought me to the next baines accompanied with all the religious sort, and demanding pardon of the goddess, washed me and purified my body, according to custom. After this, when no one approached, he brought me back again to the temple, presented me before the face of the goddess, giving a charge of certain secret things unlawful to be uttered, and commanding me, and generally all the rest, to fast by the space of ten continual days, without eating of any beast, or drinking any wine, which thing I observed with a marvelous continency. Then behold the day approached, when as the sacrifice should be done, and when night came there arrived on every coast, a great multitude of priests, who according to their order offered me many presents and gifts: then was all the laity and profane people commanded to depart, and when they had put on my back a linen robe, they brought me to the most secret and sacred place of all the temple. You would peradventure demand (you studious reader) what was said and done there, verily I would tell you if it were lawful for me to tell, you should know if it were convenient for you to hear, but both thy ears, and my tongue shall incur the like pain of rash curiosity: howbeit, I will content thy mind for this present time, which peradventure is somewhat religious and given to some devotion, listen therefore and believe it to be true: thou shalt understand that I approached near unto hell, even to the gates of Proserpina, and after that, I was ravished throughout all the element, I returned to my proper place: About midnight I saw the sun shine, I saw likewise the gods celestial and gods infernal, before whom I presented myself, and worshipped them: behold now have I told thee, which although thou hast heard, yet it is necessary thou conceal it; this have I declared without offence, for the understanding of the profane.

When morning came, and that the solemnities were finished, I came forth sanctified with twelve stoles and in a religious habit, whereof I am not forbidden to speak, considering that many persons saw me at that time: there I was commanded to stand upon a seat of wood, which stood in the middle of the temple, before the figure and remembrance of the goddess; my vestment was of fine linen, covered and embroidered with flowers. I had a precious cope upon my shoulders hanging down to the ground, whereon were beasts wrought of diverse colours as Indian dragons, and Hyperborian griffens, whom in form of birds, the other world doth engender; the priests commonly call such a habit, a celestial stole: in my right hand I carried a light torch, and a garland of flowers upon my head, with palm leaves sprouting out on every side: I was adorned like unto the sun, and made in fashion of an image, in such sort that all the people compassed about to behold me: then they began to solemnize the feast of the nativity, and the new procession with sumptuous banquets and delicate meats: the third day was likewise celebrated with like ceremonies with a religious dinner, and with all the consummation of the order: when I had continued there a good space, I conceived a marvelous great pleasure and consolation in beholding ordinarily the image of the goddess, who at length admonished me to depart homeward, not without rendering of thanks, which although it were not sufficient, yet they were according to my power. Howbeit I could uneath be persuaded to depart, before I had fallen prostrate before the face of the goddess, and wiped her steps with my face, whereby I began so greatly to weep and sigh that my words were interrupted, and as devouring my prayer, I began to say in this sort: Oh holy and blessed dame, the perpetual comfort of human kind, who by thy bounty and grace nourishest all the world, and hearest a great affection to the adversities of the miserable, as a loving mother thou takest no rest, neither art thou idle at any time in giving thy benefits, and succoring all men, as well on land as sea; thou art she that puttest away all storms and dangers from man’s life by thy right hand, whereby likewise thou restrainest the fatal dispositions, appeasest the great tempests of fortune and keepest back the course of the stars: the gods supernal do honour thee: the gods infernal have thee in reverence: thou environest all the world, thou givest light to the sun, thou governest the world, thou treadest down the power of hell: by thy mean the times return, the planets rejoice, the elements serve: at thy commandment the winds do blow, the clouds increase, the seeds prosper, and the fruits prevail, the birds of the air, the beasts of the hill, the serpents of the den, and the fishes of the sea, do tremble at thy majesty, but my spirit is not able to give thee sufficient praise, my patrimony is unable to satisfy thy sacrifice, my voice hath no power to utter that which I think, no if I had a thousand mouths and so many tongues: howbeit as a good religious person, and according to my estate, I will always keep thee in remembrance and close thee within my breast. When I had ended mine orison, I went to embrace the great priest Mythra my spiritual father, and to demand his pardon, considering I was unable to recompence the good which he had done to me: after great greeting and thanks I departed from him to visit my parents and friends; and within a while after by the exhortation of the goddess, I made up my packet, and took shipping toward the city of Rome, where with a prosperous wind I arrived about the twelfth day of December. And the greatest desire that I had there, was daily to make my prayers to the sovereign goddess Isis, who by reason of the place where her temple was builded, was called Campensis, and continually adored of the people of Rome. Her minister and worshipper was I, howbeit I was a stranger to her church, and unknown to her religion there.

When the year was ended, and the goddess warned me again to receive this new order and consecration, I marvelled greatly what it should signify, and what should happen, considering that I was a sacred person already, but it fortuned that while I partly reasoned with myself, and partly examining the thing with the priests and bishops, there came a new and marvelous thought in my mind, that is to say, I was only religious to the goddess Isis, but not sacred to the religion of great Osiris the sovereign father of all the goddesses, between whom, although there was a religious unity and concord, yet there was a great difference of order and ceremony. And because it was necessary that I should likewise be a minister unto Osiris, there was no long delay: for in the night after, appeared unto me one of that order, covered with linen robes, holding in his hands spears wrapped in ivy, and other things not convenient to declare, which then he left in my chamber, and sitting in my seat, recited to me such things as were necessary for the sumptuous banquet of mine entry. And to the end I might know him again, he showed me how the ankle of his left foot was somewhat maimed, which caused him a little to halt.

After that I manifestly knew the will of the god Osiris, when mattins was ended, I went from one to another, to find him out which had the halting mark on his foot, according as I learned by my vision; at length I found it true: for I perceived one of the company of the priests who had not only the token of his foot, but the stature and habit of his body, resembling in every point as he appeared in the night: he was called Asinius Marcellus, a name not much disagreeing from my transformation. By and by I went to him, which knew well enough all the matter, as being monished by like precept in the night: for the night before as he dressed the flowers and garlands about the head of the god Osiris, he understood by the mouth of the image which told the predestinations of all men, how he had sent a poor man of Madura, to whom he should minister his sacraments, to the end he should receive a reward by divine providence, and the other glory, for his virtuous studies. When I saw myself this deputed unto religion, my desire was stopped by reason of poverty, for I had spent a great part of my goods in travel and peregrination, but most of all in the city of Rome, whereby my low estate withdrew me a great while.

In the end being oft times stirred forward, not without great trouble of mind, I was constrained to sell my robe for a little money: howbeit sufficient for all my affairs. Then the priest spake unto me saying, How is it that for a little pleasure thou art not afraid to sell thy vestments, and entering into so great ceremonies, fearest to fall into poverty? Prepare thyself, and abstain from all animal meats, as beasts and fish. In the mean season I frequented the sacrifices of Serapis, which were done in the night, which thing gave me great comfort to my peregrination, and ministered unto me more plentiful living, considering I gained some money in haunting the court, by reason of my Latin tongue.

Immediately after I was eftsoons called and admonished by the god Osiris, to receive a third order of religion. Then I was greatly astonied, because I could not tell what this new vision signified, or what the intent of the celestial god was, doubting least the former priests had given me ill counsel, and fearing that they had not faithfully instructed me: being in this manner as it were incensed the god Osiris appeared to me the night following, and giving me admonition said, There is no occasion why thou shouldest be afraid with so often order of religion, as though there were somewhat omitted, but that thou shouldest rather rejoice, since as it hath pleased the gods to call thee three times, when as there was never yet any person that achieved to the order but once: wherefore thou mayest think thyself happy for so great benefits. And know thou that the religion which thou must now receive, is right necessary, if thou mean to persevere in the worshipping of the goddess, and to make solemnity on the festival day with the blessed habit, which thing shalt be a glory and renown to thee.

After this sort, the divine majesty persuaded me in my sleep, whereupon by and by I went towards the priest, and declared all that which I had seen, then I fasted ten days according to the custom, and of mine own proper will I abstained longer than I was commanded: and verily I did nothing repent of the pain which I had taken, and of the charges which I was at, considering that the divine providence had given me such an order, that I gained much money in pleading of causes: finally after a few days, the great god Osiris appeared to me in the night, not disguised in any other form, but in his own essence, commanding me that I should be an advocate in the court, and not fear the slander and envy of ill persons, which bear me stomach and grudge by reason of my doctrine, which I had gotten by much labour: moreover, he would not that I should be any longer of the number of his priests, but he allotted me to be one of the decurions and senators: and after he appointed me a place within the ancient palace, which was erected in the time of Sylla, where I executed my office in great joy with a shaven crown.