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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    Not Peer Reviewed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

    [Qualiter Appolinus in portu Tharsis applicuit, vbi in hospicio cuiusdam magni viri nomine Strangulionis hospitatus est.]
    How Appolinus landed at the port of Tharsis, where he was received hospitably in his house by a nobleman named Strangulio.
    545 Bot over this now forto telle
    Of aventures that befelle
    Unto this Prince of whom I tolde,
    He hath his rihte cours forth holde
    Be Ston and nedle, til he cam
    550To Tharse, and there his lond he nam.
    A Burgeis riche of gold and fee
    Was thilke time in that cite,
    Which cleped was Strangulio,
    His wif was Dionise also:
    555This yonge Prince, as seith the bole,
    With hem his herbergage tok;
    And it befell that Cite so
    Before time and thanne also,
    Thurgh strong famyne which hem ladde
    560Was non that eny whete hadde.
    Appolinus, whan that he herde
    The meschief, hou the cite ferde,
    Al freliche of his oghne yifte
    His whete, among hem forto schifte,
    565The which be Schipe he hadde broght,
    He yaf, and tok of hem riht noght.
    Bot sithen ferst this world began,
    Was nevere yit to such a man
    Mor joie mad than thei him made:
    570For thei were alle of him so glade,
    That thei for evere in remembrance
    Made a figure in resemblance
    Of him, and in the comun place
    Thei sette him up, so that his face
    575Mihte every maner man beholde,
    So as the cite was beholde;
    It was of latoun overgilt:
    Thus hath he noght his yifte spilt.