Internet Shakespeare Editions

About this text

  • Title: Apollonius of Tyre
  • Editors: Tom Bishop, Andrew Forsberg

  • Copyright Tom Bishop and Andrew Forsberg. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: John Gower
    Editors: Tom Bishop, Andrew Forsberg
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Apollonius of Tyre

    [Qualiter Appolinus nudus super litus iactabatur, vbi quidam piscator ipsum suo collobio vestiens ad vrbem Pentapolim direxit.]
    How Appolinus was cast naked on the shore, where a certain fisherman dressed him in his gown and directed him to the city of Pentapolis.
    645 Thus was this yonge lord him one,
    Al naked in a povere plit:
    His colour, which whilom was whyt,
    Was thanne of water fade and pale,
    And ek he was so sore acale
    650That he wiste of himself no bote,
    It halp him nothing forto mote
    To gete ayein that he hath lore.
    Bot sche which hath his deth forbore,
    Fortune, thogh sche wol noght yelpe,
    655Al sodeinly hath sent him helpe,
    Whanne him thoghte alle grace aweie;
    Ther cam a Fisshere in the weie,
    And sih a man ther naked stonde,
    And whan that he hath understonde
    660The cause, he hath of him gret routhe,
    And onliche of his povere trouthe
    Of suche clothes as he hadde
    With gret Pite this lord he cladde.
    And he him thonketh as he scholde,
    665And seith him that it schal be yolde,
    If evere he gete his stat ayein,
    And preide that he wolde him sein
    If nyh were eny toun for him.
    He seide, "Yee, Pentapolim,
    670Wher bothe king and queene duellen."
    Whanne he this tale herde tellen,
    He gladeth him and gan beseche
    That he the weie him wolde teche:
    And he him taghte; and forth he wente
    675And preide god with good entente
    To sende him joie after his sorwe.