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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    Not Peer Reviewed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 tres filii Principum filiam Regis singillatim in vxorem suis supplicacionibus postularunt.]
    How three sons of princes in turn by entreaties requested the king's daughter for wife.
    Bot fell a time, as he out wente
    To walke, of Princes Sones thre
    885Ther come and felle to his kne;
    And ech of hem in sondri wise
    Besoghte and profreth his servise,
    So that he myhte his doghter have.
    The king, which wolde his honour save,
    890Seith sche is siek, and of that speche
    Tho was no time to beseche;
    Bot ech of hem do make a bille
    He bad, and wryte his oghne wille,
    His name, his fader and his good;
    895And whan sche wiste hou that it stod,
    And hadde here billes oversein,
    Thei scholden have ansuere ayein.
    Of this conseil thei weren glad,
    And writen as the king hem bad,
    900And every man his oghne bok
    Into the kinges hond betok,
    And he it to his dowhter sende,
    And preide hir forto make an ende
    And wryte ayein hire oghne hond,
    905Riht as sche in hire herte fond.