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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    Not Peer Reviewed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

    1875[Qualiter Appolinus Ephesim in templo Diane sacrificans, vxorem suam ibidem velatam inuenit; qua secum assumpta in nauim, versus Tyrum regressus est.]
    How Appolinus, sacrificing in the temple of Diana, found his wife there veiled; taking her with him on the ship, he retuned to Tyre.
    With worthi knyhtes environed
    The king himself hath abandoned
    Into the temple in good entente.
    The dore is up, and he in wente,
    1880Wher as with gret devocioun
    Of holi contemplacioun
    Withinne his herte he made his schrifte;
    And after that a riche yifte
    He offreth with gret reverence,
    1885And there in open Audience
    Of hem that stoden thanne aboute,
    He tolde hem and declareth oute
    His hap, such as him is befalle,
    Ther was nothing foryete of alle.
    1890His wif, as it was goddes grace,
    Which was professed in the place,
    As sche that was Abbesse there,
    Unto his tale hath leid hire Ere:
    Sche knew the vois and the visage,
    1895For pure joie as in a rage
    Sche strawhte unto him al at ones,
    And fell aswoune upon the stones,
    Wherof the temple flor was paved.
    Sche was anon with water laved,
    1900Til sche cam to hirself ayein,
    And thanne sche began to sein:
    "Ha, blessed be the hihe sonde,
    That I mai se myn housebonde,
    That whilom he and I were on!"
    1905The king with that knew hire anon,
    And tok hire in his Arm and kiste;
    And al the toun thus sone it wiste.
    Tho was ther joie manyfold,
    For every man this tale hath told
    1910As for miracle, and were glade,
    Bot nevere man such joie made
    As doth the king, which hath his wif.
    And whan men herde hou that hir lif
    Was saved, and be whom it was,
    1915Thei wondren alle of such a cas:
    Thurgh al the Lond aros the speche
    Of Maister Cerymon the leche
    And of the cure which he dede.
    The king himself tho hath him bede,
    1920And ek this queene forth with him,
    That he the toun of Ephesim
    Wol leve and go wher as thei be,
    For nevere man of his degre
    Hath do to hem so mochel good;
    1925And he his profit understod,
    And granteth with hem forto wende.
    And thus thei maden there an ende,
    And token leve and gon to Schipe
    With al the hole felaschipe.
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