216How Apollonius, meaning to sail into his own country by Tharsus, was commanded by an Angel in the night to go to Ephesus, and there to declare all his adventures in the Church with a loud voice.

217THE solemnities of the wedding being finished, Apollonius made haste to depart; and, all things being in a readiness, he took shipping with his son-in-law and his daughter, and weighed anchor and committed the sails unto the wind and went their way, directing their course evermore toward Tharsus, by which Apollonius purposed to pass unto his own country Tyrus. And when they had sailed one whole day, and night was come that Apollonius laid him down to rest, there appeared an Angel in his sleep, commanding him to leave his course toward Tharsus and to sail unto Ephesus, and to go into the Temple of Diana, accompanied with his son-in-law and his daughter, and there with a loud voice to declare all his adventures, whatsoever had befallen him from his youth unto that present day.

218When Apollonius awoke in the morning he wondered at the vision, and called for Athanagoras his son-in-law and his daughter Tharsia, and declared it to them in order as is before recited. Thus said he unto them," What counsel do you give me in this matter?" They answered, "Whatsoever it pleaseth to you to do that we shall like well of." Then Apollonius called unto him the master of the ship and commanded him to wind sail and coast towards Ephesus, which he did; and immediately the wind served them so prosperously that in few days they safely arrived there. Apollonius and his company forthwith forsook their ships and came a-land, and, according to the commandment of the Angel, took his journey to the Temple of Diana, whereas it is before mentioned his long-lamented wife, Lady Lucina, remained in virtuous life and holy contemplation among the religious nuns. And when he was come thither, he besought one of the nuns that had the keeping of the temple that he might have licence to go in, and she willingly granted his request and opened the door unto him. By this time, report was blown abroad that a certain strange prince was lately landed with his son-in-law and his daughter in very costly and rich ornaments, and gone into the Temple: and the Lady Lucina, as desirous as the rest to see the strangers, decked her head with rich attire and put on a purple robe and, with convenient retinue attending upon her, came into the temple.

219Now Lucina was passing beautiful, and for the great love which she bore unto chastity all men reverenced her, and there was no virgin in all the number in like estimation unto her. Whom when Apollonius beheld, although he knew not what she was, yet such was the exceeding brightness and majesty of her countenance that he fell down at her feet, with his son-in-law likewise and his daughter, for he thought she glittered like a diadem and exceeded brightest stars in beauty. But Lucina courteously lifted them up from the ground and bid them welcome, and afterward went to bestow the plate and ornaments of the temple in decent order, which thing was part of the nuns' duty.

220Then Apollonius settled himself to do as the Angel had commanded him in the vision, and thus he began to say: "I, being born Prince of Tyrus, was called Apollonius, and when in youth I had attained unto all kind of knowledge, I resolved the cruel King Antiochus' parable, to the intent to have married with his daughter, whom he most shamefully defiled and kept her from all men to serve his own filthy lust, and sought means to slay me. Then I fled away, and lost all my goods in the sea, hardly escaping myself with life, and in my greatest extremity I was courteously entertained by Altistrates, King of Pentapolis, and so highly received into favor that he left no kinds of favor on me untried, insomuch that he bestowed upon me his fair daughter and only childe, Lucina, to be my wife. But when Antiochus and his daughter, by the just judgement of God, were struck dead by lightning from heaven, I carried my wife with me to receive my kingdom, and she was delivered of this my daughter and hers upon the sea and died in the travail, whom I enclosed in a chest and threw into the sea, laying twenty sesterces of gold at her head, and as much in silver at her feet, to the intent that they that should find her might have wherewithal to bury her honorably, leaving also a superscription that they might perceive with what grief of her friends she died and of what princely parentage she descended. Afterwards I arrived at the city of Tharsus, where I put in trust my young daughter to be brought up unto certain wicked persons, and from thence I departed unto the higher parts of Egypt. But when from that time fourteen years were expired and I returned thither to fetch my daughter, they told me that she was dead, which I believing to be true put on mourning attire and desired nothing so much as to die, and while I was in the extremity of sorrow and determined to have sailed unto Tyrus, while I was on my way upon the sea, the wind turned and there arose a tempest and drove me unto the city Machilenta, where my daughter was restored unto me. Then went I with my son-in-law and my daughter once again, to have sailed unto Tyrus by Tharsus; and as I was now in the journey, I was admonished in my sleep by an Angel to turn my course unto Ephesus, and there in the temple to declare aloud all my adventures that had befallen me since my youth unto this present day, [and God] which hath hitherto guided me in all my troubles, will now send an happy end unto all mine afflictions."