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  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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

    [De aduentu Appolini in Antiochiam, vbi ipse filiam Regis Antiochi in vxorem postulauit.]
    Of the arrival of Appolinus in Antioch, where he asked for King Antiochus's daughter as a wife.
    375 Til it befell upon a day
    Appolinus the Prince of Tyr,
    Which hath to love a gret desir,
    As he which in his hihe mod
    Was likende of his hote blod,
    380A yong, a freissh, a lusti knyht,
    As he lai musende on a nyht
    Of the tidinges whiche he herde,
    He thoghte assaie hou that it ferde.
    He was with worthi compainie
    385Arraied, and with good navie
    To schipe he goth, the wynd him dryveth,
    And seileth, til that he arryveth:
    Sauf in the port of Antioche
    He londeth, and goth to aproche
    390The kinges Court and his presence.
    Of every naturel science,
    Which eny clerk him couthe teche,
    He couthe ynowh, and in his speche
    Of wordes he was eloquent;
    395And whanne he sih the king present,
    He preith he moste his dowhter have
    The king ayein began to crave,
    And tolde him the condicion,
    Hou ferst unto his question
    400He mote ansuere and faile noght,
    Or with his heved it schal be boght:
    And he him axeth what it was.
    [Questio Regis Antiochi: Scelere vehor, materna carne vescor, quero patrem meum, matris mee virum, vxoris mee filium.]
    The Riddle of King Antiochus: I proceed in crime, I feed on mother's flesh, I seek my father, my mother's husband, my wife's son.
    The king declareth him the cas
    405With sturne lok and sturdi chiere,
    To him and seide in this manere:
    "With felonie I am upbore,
    I ete and have it noght forbore
    Mi modres fleissh, whos housebonde
    410Mi fader forto seche I fonde,
    Which is the Sone ek of my wif.
    Hierof I am inquisitif;
    And who that can mi tale save,
    Al quyt he schal my doghter have;
    415Of his ansuere and if he faile,
    He schal be ded withoute faile.
    Forthi my Sone," quod the king,
    "Be wel avised of this thing,
    Which hath thi lif in jeupartie."
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