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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    Not Peer Reviewed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

    1455[Qualiter Leoninus Thaisim ad lupanar destinauit, vbi dei gracia preuenta ipsius virginitatem nullus violare potuit.]
    How Leonine sent Thaisis to a brothel, where, by the preventing grace of God, no man was able to violate her virginity.
    No wonder is thogh sche be wo:
    Clos in a chambre be hireselve,
    Ech after other ten or tuelve
    Of yonge men to hire in wente;
    1460Bot such a grace god hire sente,
    That for the sorwe which sche made
    Was non of hem which pouer hade
    To don hire eny vileinie.
    This Leonin let evere aspie,
    1465And waiteth after gret beyete;
    Bot al for noght, sche was forlete,
    That mo men wolde ther noght come.
    Whan he therof hath hiede nome,
    And knew that sche was yit a maide,
    1470Unto his oghne man he saide,
    That he with strengthe ayein hire leve
    Tho scholde hir maidenhod bereve.
    This man goth in, bot so it ferde,
    Whan he hire wofull pleintes herde
    1475And he therof hath take kepe,
    Him liste betre forto wepe
    Than don oght elles to the game.
    And thus sche kepte hirself fro schame,
    And kneleth doun to therthe and preide
    1480Unto this man, and thus sche seide:
    "If so be that thi maister wolde,
    That I his gold encresce scholde,
    It mai noght falle be this weie:
    Bot soffre me to go mi weie
    1485Out of this hous wher I am inne,
    And I schal make him forto winne
    In som place elles of the toun,
    Be so it be religioun,
    Wher that honeste wommen duelle.
    1490And thus thou myht thi maister telle,
    That whanne I have a chambre there,
    Let him do crie ay wyde where,
    What lord that hath his doghter diere,
    And is in will that sche schal liere
    1495Of such a Scole that is trewe,
    I schal hire teche of thinges newe,
    Which as non other womman can
    In al this lond." And tho this man
    Hire tale hath herd, he goth ayein,
    1500And tolde unto his maister plein
    That sche hath seid; and therupon,
    Whan than he sih beyete non
    At the bordel be cause of hire,
    He bad his man to gon and spire
    1505A place wher sche myhte abyde,
    That he mai winne upon som side
    Be that sche can: bot ate leste
    Thus was sche sauf fro this tempeste.
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