Internet Shakespeare Editions

About this text

  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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

    [Nota qualiter Thaliartus Miles, vt Appolinum veneno intoxicaret, ab Antiocho in Tyrum missus, ipso ibidem non inuento Antiochiam rediit.]
    How the soldier Thaliart was sent from Antioch to Tyre to poison Appolinus, and, finding him not there, returned to Antioch.
    Bot se we now what is befalle
    Upon the ferste tale plein,
    505And torne we therto ayein.
    Antiochus the grete Sire,
    Which full of rancour and of ire
    His herte berth, so as ye herde,
    Of that this Prince of Tyr ansuerde,
    510He hadde a feloun bacheler,
    Which was his prive consailer,
    And Taliart be name he hihte:
    The king a strong puison him dihte
    Withinne a buiste and gold therto,
    515In alle haste and bad him go
    Strawht unto Tyr, and for no cost
    Ne spare he, til he hadde lost
    The Prince which he wolde spille.
    And whan the king hath seid his wille,
    520This Taliart in a Galeie
    With alle haste he tok his weie:
    The wynd was good, he saileth blyve,
    Til he tok lond upon the ryve
    Of Tyr, and forth with al anon
    525Into the Burgh he gan to gon,
    And tok his In and bod a throwe.
    Bot for he wolde noght be knowe,
    Desguised thanne he goth him oute;
    He sih the wepinge al aboute,
    530And axeth what the cause was,
    And thei him tolden al the cas,
    How sodeinli the Prince is go.
    And whan he sih that it was so,
    And that his labour was in vein,
    535Anon he torneth hom ayein,
    And to the king, whan he cam nyh,
    He tolde of that he herde and syh,
    Hou that the Prince of Tyr is fled,
    So was he come ayein unsped.
    540The king was sori for a while,
    Bot whan he sih that with no wyle
    He myhte achieve his crualte,
    He stinte his wraththe and let him be.