onounce the
reward to such as take her: see thou put in execution my commandment,
and declare that whatsoever he be that retaineth her wittingly, against
my will shall not defend himselfe by any meane or excusation: which when
she had spoken, she delivered unto him a libell, wherein was contained
the name of Psyches, and the residue of his publication, which done,
she departed away to her lodging. By and by, Mercurius (not delaying the
matter) proclaimed throughout all the world, that whatsoever hee were
that could tell any tydings of a Kings fugitive Daughter, the servant
of Venus, named Psyches, should bring word to Mercury, and for reward of
his paines, he should receive seaven sweet kisses of Venus After that
Mercury had pronounced these things, every man was enflamed with desire
to search out Psyches.

This proclamation was the cause that put all doubt from Psyches, who was
scantly come in the sight of the house of Venus, but one of her servants
called Custome came out, who espying Psyches, cried with a loud voyce,
saying: O wicked harlot as thou art, now at length thou shalt know
that thou hast a mistresse above thee. What, dost thou make thy selfe
ignorant, as though thou didst not understand what travell wee have
taken in searching for thee? I am glad that thou art come into my
hands, thou art now in the golfe of hell, and shalt abide the paine and
punishment of thy great contumacy, and therewithall she tooke her by the
haire, and brought her in, before the presence of the goddesse Venus.
When Venus spied her, shee began to laugh, and as angry persons
accustome to doe, she shaked her head, and scratched her right eare
saying, O goddesse, goddesse, you are now come at length to visit your
husband that is in danger of death, by your meanes: bee you assured,
I will handle you like a daughter: where be my maidens, Sorrow and
Sadnesse? To whom (when they came) she delivered Psyches to be cruelly
tormented; then they fulfilled the commandement of their Mistresse,
and after they had piteously scourged her with rods and whips, they
presented her againe before Venus; then she began to laugh againe,
saying: Behold she thinketh (that by reason of her great belly, which
she hath gotten by playing the whore) to move me to pitty, and to make
me a grandmother to her childe. Am not I happy, that in the flourishing
time of al mine age, shall be called a grandmother, and the sonne of
a vile harlot shall bee accounted the nephew o