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- Edition: Pericles
Apollonius of Tyre
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1081[Qualiter Appolinus vxoris sue mortem planxit.]
How Appolinus lamented the death of his wife.
1082 Appolinus whan he this knew,
1083For sorwe a swoune he overthrew,
1084That noman wiste in him no lif.
1085And whanne he wok, he seide, "Ha, wif,
1086Mi lust, mi joie, my desir,
1087Mi welthe and my recoverir,
1088Why schal I live, and thou schalt dye?
1089Ha, thou fortune, I thee deffie,
1090Nou hast thou do to me thi werste.
1091Ha, herte, why ne wolt thou berste,
1092That forth with hire I myhte passe?
1093Mi peines weren wel the lasse."
1094In such wepinge and in such cry
1095His dede wif, which lay him by,
1096A thousend sithes he hire kiste;
1097Was nevere man that sih ne wiste
1098A sorwe unto his sorwe lich;
1099For evere among upon the lich
1100He fell swounende, as he that soghte
1101His oghne deth, which he besoghte
1102Unto the goddes alle above
1103With many a pitous word of love;
1104Bot suche wordes as tho were
1105Yit herde nevere mannes Ere,
1106Bot only thilke whiche he seide.
1107The Maister Schipman cam and preide
1108With othre suche as be therinne,
1109And sein that he mai nothing winne
1110Ayein the deth, bot thei him rede,
1111He be wel war and tak hiede,
1112The See be weie of his nature
1113Receive mai no creature
1114Withinne himself as forto holde,
1115The which is ded: forthi thei wolde,
1116As thei conseilen al aboute,
1117The dede body casten oute.
1118For betre it is, thei seiden alle,
1119That it of hire so befalle,
1120Than if thei scholden alle spille.