221How Apollonius came to the knowledge of his wife the ladie Lucina, and how they rejoyced at the meeting of ech other.

222THE ladie Lucina was not so busie in executing her office in the Church, but that she gave also attentive eare unto her lord Apollonius's talke, whom at first she knew not. But when shee heard the long discourse, whereby she knewe by all signes that hee was her husband, and shee was his wife, her heart burned within her, and she could scarce temper her affections until hee had done talking. Yet measuring her love with modestie, as nowe of long time having learned the true trade of pacience, shee gave him libertie to make an end: which done, shee ran hastily unto him and embraced him hard in her armes, and woulde have kissed him. Which thing, when Apollonius sawe, hee was moved with disdaine, and thrust her from him, as misliking such lightnesse in her whose modestie and good grace hee had so lately before commended in his heart, and nothing at all suspecting that she had been his wife. Then shee, pouring foorth teares aboundantly, "O my lord Apollonius," said she, "the one halfe of my life, why deal you thus ungently with me? I am your wife, daughter unto Altistrates, king of Pentapolis, and my name is Lucina. And you are Apollonius, prince of Tyrus, my lord and deare husband, and you are my schoolemaister, which taught mee musicke: and moreover you are the sea-wrecked man whom I especially loved above many, not for concupiscence sake, but for desire of wisedome."

223When Apollonius heard those words, he was sodainly astonied; and as the strangenes of the chance appalled him much: so the great joy revived his spirites againe, and he cast his eies earnestly uppon her, and immediatly called her to remembrance, and knew perfitly that it was shee indeede, and he went unto her, and fell uppon her necke, and for exceeding joy brast out into teares, and then lifting up his handes and eyes to heaven, hee saide: "Blessed be the moste mightie god of heaven, which sitteth above and beholdeth the state of men on earth, and dealeth with them according to his great mercie: who nowe also of his unspeakeable goodnesse, hath restored unto mee my wife and my daughter." Then did hee most lovingly embrace and kisse his ladie, whom he supposed long before to be dead: and shee likewise requited him with the like fruites of good will and courtesie, whom she surely thought she should never have seene againe. And when they had continued a good space in intertaining the one another: "O my moste deare lord Apollonius," saide the lady Lucina, "where is my childe, whereof I was delivered?" Apollonius aunswered: "My best beloved Ladie, it was a daughter, and she was named Tharsia, and this is she," and therewithal he shewed her Tharsia. Then kissed and embraced she her daughter, and likewise her sonne in law Athanagoras, and they greatly rejoyced one in another.

224And when report heereof was spread abroad, there was great joy throughout all the Citie of Ephesus, and the report has blowen about in everie place how prince Apollonius had found out his ladie and wife among the Nunnes in the Temple. Then Lucina discoursed unto her lord and husband Apollonius, of all the strange accidents that happened unto her after his casting her forth into the Sea. Namely, howe her chest was cast on land at the coast of Ephesus, and taken up by a Phisition; and how she was revived and by him adopted, and for preservation of her honestie, placed among the Nunnes in the Temple of Diana, where hee there found her, accordingly as it appeareth before in the historie, wherefore they blessed the name of god, and yeelded most heartie thankes unto him, that hee had preserved them hitherto, and graunted them so joyfull a meeting.