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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    Not Peer Reviewed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 Dionisia Thaysim, vt occideretur, Theophilo seruo suo tradidit, qui cum noctanter longius ab vrbe ipsam prope litus maris interficere proposuerat, pirate ibidem latitantes Thaisim de manu carnificis eripuerunt, ipsamque vsque ciuitatem Mitelenam ducentes, cuidam Leonino scortorum ibidem magistro vendiderunt.]
    How Dionisia handed over Thaisis to Theophilus her servant for him to kill, who had planned to kill her at night near the seashore quite far form the city, but pirates lurking at that same place snatched her from the butcher's hands, and, taking her to the city of Mitelene, they sold her to one Leonine, a master of prostitutes there.
    The treson and the time is schape,
    1405So fell it that this cherles knape
    Hath lad this maiden ther he wolde
    Upon the Stronde, and what sche scholde
    Sche was adrad; and he out breide
    A rusti swerd and to hir seide,
    1410"Thou schalt be ded." "Helas!" quod sche,
    "Why schal I so?" "Lo thus," quod he,
    "Mi ladi Dionise hath bede,
    Thou schalt be moerdred in this stede."
    This Maiden tho for feere schryhte,
    1415And for the love of god almyhte
    Sche preith that for a litel stounde
    Sche myhte knele upon the grounde,
    Toward the hevene forto crave,
    Hire wofull Soule if sche mai save:
    1420And with this noise and with this cry,
    Out of a barge faste by,
    Which hidd was ther on Scomerfare,
    Men sterten out and weren ware
    Of this feloun, and he to go,
    1425And sche began to crie tho,
    "Ha, mercy, help for goddes sake!"
    Into the barge thei hire take,
    As thieves scholde, and forth thei wente.
    Upon the See the wynd hem hente,
    1430And malgre wher thei wolde or non,
    Tofor the weder forth thei gon,
    Ther halp no Seil, ther halp non Ore,
    Forstormed and forblowen sore
    In gret peril so forth thei dryve,
    1435Til ate laste thei aryve
    At Mitelene the Cite.
    In havene sauf and whan thei be,
    The Maister Schipman made him boun,
    And goth him out into the toun,
    1440And profreth Thaise forto selle.
    On Leonin it herde telle,
    Which Maister of the bordel was,
    And bad him gon a redy pas
    To fetten hire, and forth he wente,
    1445And Thaise out of his barge he hente,
    And to this bordeller hir solde.
    And he, that be hire body wolde
    Take avantage, let do crye,
    That what man wolde his lecherie
    1450Attempte upon hire maidenhede,
    Lei doun the gold and he schal spede.
    And thus whan he hath crid it oute
    In syhte of al the poeple aboute,
    He ladde hire to the bordel tho.
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