ng, to see how of Aristomenus I was made like unto a snail [in]
his shell. And while I lay on the ground covered in this sort, I peeped
under the bed to see what would happen. And behold there entred in two
old women, the one bearing a burning torch, and the other a sponge and
a naked sword; and so in this habit they stood about Socrates being
fast asleep. Then shee which bare the sword sayd unto the other, Behold
sister Panthia, this is my deare and sweet heart, which both day and
night hath abused my wanton youthfulnesse. This is he, who little
regarding my love, doth not only defame me with reproachfull words, but
also intendeth to run away. And I shall be forsaken by like craft as
Vlysses did use, and shall continually bewaile my solitarinesse as
Calipso. Which said, shee pointed towards mee that lay under the
bed, and shewed me to Panthia. This is hee, quoth she, which is his
Counsellor, and perswadeth him to forsake me, and now being at the point
of death he lieth prostrate on the ground covered with his bed, and hath
seene all our doings, and hopeth to escape scot-free from my hands,
but I will cause that hee will repente himselfe too late, nay rather
forthwith, of his former intemperate language, and his present
curiosity. Which words when I heard I fell into a cold sweat, and my
heart trembled with feare, insomuch that the bed over me did likewise
rattle and shake. Then spake Panthia unto Meroe and said, Sister let us
by and by teare him in pieces or tye him by the members, and so cut them
off. Then Meroe (being so named because she was a Taverner, and loved
wel good wines) answered, Nay rather let him live, and bury the corpse
of this poore wretch in some hole of the earth; and therewithall shee
turned the head of Socrates on the other side and thrust her sword up to
the hilts into the left part of his necke, and received the bloud that
gushed out, into a pot, that no drop thereof fell beside: which things
I saw with mine own eyes, and as I thinke to the intent that she might
alter nothing that pertained to sacrifice, which she accustomed to make,
she thrust her hand down into the intrals of his body, and searching
about, at length brought forth the heart of my miserable companion
Socrates, who having his throat cut in such sort, yeelded out a dolefull
cry, and gave up the ghost. Then Panthia stopped up the wide wound of
his throat with the Sponge and said, O sponge sprung and made of the
sea, beware that thou n