594[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.]

595 Fortune hath evere be muable

596And mai no while stonde stable:

597For now it hiheth, now it loweth,

598Now slant upriht, now overthroweth,

599Now full of blisse and now of bale,

600As in the tellinge of mi tale

601Hierafterward a man mai liere,

602Which is gret routhe forto hiere.

603This lord, which wolde don his beste,

604Withinne himself hath litel reste,

605And thoghte he wolde his place change

606And seche a contre more strange.

607Of Tharsiens his leve anon

608He tok, and is to Schipe gon:

609His cours he nam with Seil updrawe,

610Where as fortune doth the lawe,

611And scheweth, as I schal reherse,

612How sche was to this lord diverse,

613The which upon the See sche ferketh.

614The wynd aros, the weder derketh,

615It blew and made such tempeste,

616Non ancher mai the schip areste,

617Which hath tobroken al his gere;

618The Schipmen stode in such a feere,

619Was non that myhte himself bestere,

620Bot evere awaite upon the lere,

621Whan that thei scholde drenche at ones.

622Ther was ynowh withinne wones

623Of wepinge and of sorghe tho;

624This yonge king makth mochel wo

625So forto se the Schip travaile:

626Bot al that myhte him noght availe;

627The mast tobrak, the Seil torof,

628The Schip upon the wawes drof,

629Til that thei sihe a londes cooste.

630Tho made avou the leste and moste,

631Be so thei myhten come alonde;

632Bot he which hath the See on honde,

633Neptunus, wolde noght acorde,

634Bot altobroke cable and corde,

635Er thei to londe myhte aproche,

636The Schip toclef upon a roche,

637And al goth doun into the depe.

638Bot he that alle thing mai kepe

639Unto this lord was merciable,

640And broghte him sauf upon a table,

641Which to the lond him hath upbore;

642The remenant was al forlore,

643Wherof he made mochel mone.