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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    Not Peer Reviewed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

    [Qualiter corpus predicte defuncte super litus apud Ephesim quidam medicus nomine Cerymon cum aliquibus suis discipulis inuenit; quod in hospicium suum portans et extra cistam ponens, spiraculo vite in ea adhuc inuento, ipsam plene sanitati restituit.]
    How a certain doctor, Cerimon by name, and some of his students found the found the body of the aforesaid dead woman on the shore at Ephesus; which, carrying into his household and taking out of the chest, having found a breath of life still in her, he restored fully to health.
    Bot now to mi matiere ayein,
    I telle as olde bokes sein,
    1180This dede corps of which ye knowe
    With wynd and water was forthrowe
    Now hier, now ther, til ate laste
    At Ephesim the See upcaste
    The cofre and al that was therinne.
    1185Of gret merveile now beginne
    Mai hiere who that sitteth stille;
    That god wol save mai noght spille.
    Riht as the corps was throwe alonde,
    Ther cam walkende upon the stronde
    1190A worthi clerc, a Surgien,
    And ek a gret Phisicien,
    Of al that lond the wisest on,
    Which hihte Maister Cerymon;
    Ther were of his disciples some.
    1195This Maister to the Cofre is come,
    He peiseth ther was somwhat in,
    And bad hem here it to his In,
    And goth himselve forth withal.
    Al that schal falle, falle schal;
    1200They comen hom and tarie noght;
    This Cofre is into chambre broght,
    Which that thei finde faste stoke,
    Bot thei with craft it have unloke.
    Thei loken in, where as thei founde
    1205A bodi ded, which was bewounde
    In cloth of gold, as I seide er,
    The tresor ek thei founden ther
    Forth with the lettre, which thei rede.
    And tho thei token betre hiede;
    1210Unsowed was the bodi sone,
    And he, which knew what is to done,
    This noble clerk, with alle haste
    Began the veines forto taste,
    And sih hire Age was of youthe,
    1215And with the craftes whiche he couthe
    He soghte and fond a signe of lif.
    With that this worthi kinges wif
    Honestely thei token oute,
    And maden fyres al aboute;
    1220Thei leide hire on a couche softe,
    And with a scheete warmed ofte
    Hire colde brest began to hete,
    Hire herte also to flacke and bete.
    This Maister hath hire every joignt
    1225With certein oile and balsme enoignt,
    And putte a liqueur in hire mouth,
    Which is to fewe clerkes couth,
    So that sche coevereth ate laste:
    And ferst hire yhen up sche caste,
    1230And whan sche more of strengthe cawhte
    Hire Armes bothe forth sche strawhte,
    Hield up hire hond and pitously
    Sche spak and seide, "Ha, wher am I?
    Where is my lord, what world is this?"
    1235As sche that wot noght hou it is.
    Bot Cerymon the worthi leche
    Ansuerde anon upon hire speche
    And seith, "Ma dame, yee ben hiere,
    Where yee be sauf, as yee schal hiere
    1240Hierafterward; forthi as nou
    Mi conseil is, conforteth you:
    For trusteth wel withoute faile,
    Ther is nothing which schal you faile,
    That oghte of reson to be do."
    1245Thus passen thei a day or tuo;
    Thei speke of noght as for an ende,
    Til sche began somdiel amende,
    And wiste hireselven what sche mente.