thinke under a colour to steale away something, hath waked me out of a
sound sleepe. Then I rose up joyfull with a merry countenance, saying,
Behold good Hostler, my friend, my companion and my brother, whom thou
didst falsly affirme to be slaine by mee this might. And therewithall I
embraced my friend Socrates and kissed him: but hee smelling the stinke
of the pisse wherewith those Hagges had embrued me, thrust me away and
sayd, Clense thy selfe from this filthy odour, and then he began gently
to enquire, how that noysome sent hapned unto mee. But I finely feigning
and colouring the matter for the time, did breake off his talk, and
tooke him by the hand and sayd, Why tarry we? Why lose wee the pleasure
of this faire morning? Let us goe, and so I tooke up my packet, and
payed the charges of the house and departed: and we had not gone a mile
out of the Towne but it was broad day, and then I diligently looked upon
Socrates throat, to see if I could espy the place where Meroe thrust in
her sword: but when I could not perceive any such thing, I thought with
my selfe, What a mad man am I, that being overcome with wine yester
night, have dreamed such terrible things? Behold I see Socrates is
sound, safe and in health. Where is his wound? Where is the Sponge?
Where is his great and new cut? And then I spake to him and said, Verily
it is not without occasion, that Physitians of experience do affirme,
That such as fill their gorges abundantly with meat and drinke, shall
dreame of dire and horrible sights: for I my selfe, not tempering my
appetite yester night from the pots of wine, did seeme to see this night
strange and cruel visions, that even yet I think my self sprinkled and
wet with human blood: whereunto Socrates laughing made answer and
said, Nay, thou art not wet with the blood of men, but art embrued with
stinking pisse; and verily I dreamed that my throat was cut, and that
I felt the paine of the wound, and that my heart was pulled out of my
belly, and the remembrance thereof makes me now to feare, for my knees
do so tremble that I can scarce goe any further, and therefore I would