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THE SECOND BOOKE 193
fixing his eies upon him, to see whether he could call
him to remembrance, it was to all beholders a singular
pleasure to observe the love, the joy, and blandishments
each endevored to enter-shew one another.
Whereat the people raising a loud crie, and by their
shouting and clapping of hands seeming to be much
pleased, the Emperour willed the slave to be brought
before him, as desirous to understand of him the cause
of so strange and seld-seene an accident, who related
this new and wonderfull storie unto him.
My Master (said he) being Proconsull in AfFrica,
forsomuch as he caused me every day to be most
cruelly beaten, and held me in so rigorous bondage,
I was constrained, as being wearie of my life, to run
away; and safely to scape from so eminent a person,
and who had so great authoritie in the Countrie, I
thought it best to get me to the desart and most unfrequented
wildernesses of that region, with a full
resolution, if I could not compasse the meanes to
sustaine my selfe, to finde one way or other with
violence to make my selfe away. One day, the Sunne
about noone-tide being extremely hote, and the scorching
heat thereof intolerable, I fortuned to come unto
a wilde unhanted cave, hidden amongst crags and
almost inaccessible, and where I imagined no footing
had ever been; therein I hid myselfe. I had not long
been there but in comes this Lion, with one of his
pawes sore hurt, and bloody-goared, wailing for the
smart, and groaning for the paine he felt; at whose
arrivall I was much dismaied, but he seeing me lie
close-cowering in a corner of his den, gently made his
approaches unto me, holding forth his goared paw
toward* me, and seemed with shewing the same humbly
to sue and suppliantly to beg for help at my hands.
I, moved with ruth, taking it into my hand, pulled
out a great splint which was gotten into it, and shakingoff
all feare, first I wrung and crusht his sore, and
caused the filth and matter, which therein was gathered,
to come forth; then, as gently as for my heart I could,
I cleansed, wiped, and dried the same. He feeling
II, O