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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    Not Peer Reviewed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 Appolinus portum Tharsis relinquens, cum ipse per mare nauigio securiorem quesiuit, superueniente tempestate nauis cum omnibus preter ipsum solum in eadem contentis iuxta Pentapolim periclitabatur.]
    How Appolinus left Tharsis and, as he sought by ship a more secure haven across the sea, his ship and everyone in it except him was imperiled near Pentapolis in a rising storm.
    595 Fortune hath evere be muable
    And mai no while stonde stable:
    For now it hiheth, now it loweth,
    Now slant upriht, now overthroweth,
    Now full of blisse and now of bale,
    600As in the tellinge of mi tale
    Hierafterward a man mai liere,
    Which is gret routhe forto hiere.
    This lord, which wolde don his beste,
    Withinne himself hath litel reste,
    605And thoghte he wolde his place change
    And seche a contre more strange.
    Of Tharsiens his leve anon
    He tok, and is to Schipe gon:
    His cours he nam with Seil updrawe,
    610Where as fortune doth the lawe,
    And scheweth, as I schal reherse,
    How sche was to this lord diverse,
    The which upon the See sche ferketh.
    The wynd aros, the weder derketh,
    615It blew and made such tempeste,
    Non ancher mai the schip areste,
    Which hath tobroken al his gere;
    The Schipmen stode in such a feere,
    Was non that myhte himself bestere,
    620Bot evere awaite upon the lere,
    Whan that thei scholde drenche at ones.
    Ther was ynowh withinne wones
    Of wepinge and of sorghe tho;
    This yonge king makth mochel wo
    625So forto se the Schip travaile:
    Bot al that myhte him noght availe;
    The mast tobrak, the Seil torof,
    The Schip upon the wawes drof,
    Til that thei sihe a londes cooste.
    630Tho made avou the leste and moste,
    Be so thei myhten come alonde;
    Bot he which hath the See on honde,
    Neptunus, wolde noght acorde,
    Bot altobroke cable and corde,
    635Er thei to londe myhte aproche,
    The Schip toclef upon a roche,
    And al goth doun into the depe.
    Bot he that alle thing mai kepe
    Unto this lord was merciable,
    640And broghte him sauf upon a table,
    Which to the lond him hath upbore;
    The remenant was al forlore,
    Wherof he made mochel mone.
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