644[Qualiter Appolinus nudus super litus iactabatur, vbi quidam piscator ipsum suo collobio vestiens ad vrbem Pentapolim direxit.]

645 Thus was this yonge lord him one,

646Al naked in a povere plit:

647His colour, which whilom was whyt,

648Was thanne of water fade and pale,

649And ek he was so sore acale

650That he wiste of himself no bote,

651It halp him nothing forto mote

652To gete ayein that he hath lore.

653Bot sche which hath his deth forbore,

654Fortune, thogh sche wol noght yelpe,

655Al sodeinly hath sent him helpe,

656Whanne him thoghte alle grace aweie;

657Ther cam a Fisshere in the weie,

658And sih a man ther naked stonde,

659And whan that he hath understonde

660The cause, he hath of him gret routhe,

661And onliche of his povere trouthe

662Of suche clothes as he hadde

663With gret Pite this lord he cladde.

664And he him thonketh as he scholde,

665And seith him that it schal be yolde,

666If evere he gete his stat ayein,

667And preide that he wolde him sein

668If nyh were eny toun for him.

669He seide, "Yee, Pentapolim,

670Wher bothe king and queene duellen."

671Whanne he this tale herde tellen,

672He gladeth him and gan beseche

673That he the weie him wolde teche:

674And he him taghte; and forth he wente

675And preide god with good entente

676To sende him joie after his sorwe.