85How Lucina King Altistrates's daughter desirous to heare Apollonius's adventures, fel in love with him.

86Now while they sate at meate, discoursing of this and such like matters at the boord, suddenlie came in the king's daughter and onelie child named Lucina, a singular beautifull ladie, and a maiden now of ripe yeeres for marriage: and she approched nigh, and kissed the king her father, and al the guests that sate with him at the table. And when she had so done, she returned unto her father, and saide, "Good father, I pray you, what yong man is this which sitteth in so honourable a place over against you, so sorrowfull and I heavie?" "O sweete daughter," answered the king, "this yong man is a sea-wracked man, and hath done me great honour to day at the baines and place of exercise, for which cause I sent for him to sup with me; but I knowe not neither what, neither whence he is. If you be desirous to know these things, demaund of him, for you may understand all things; and peradventure when you shall knowe, you will be mooved with compassion towardes him." Nowe when the lady perceived hir father's mind, she turned about unto Apollonius, and saide: "Gentleman, whose grace and comlinesse sufficiently bewraieth the nobilitie of your birth, if it be not grievous unto you shew me your name I beseech you, and your adventures." Then answered Apollonius: "Madam, if you aske my name, I have lost it in the sea: if you enquire of my nobilite, I have left that at Tyrus." "Sir, I beseech you," then said the Lady Lucina, "tel me this more plainly, that I may understand."

87Then Apollonius, craving silence to speake, declared his name, his birth and nobilitie, and unripped the whole tragedie of his adventures, in order as is before rehearsed and when he had made an end of speaking, he burst foorth into most plentifull teares. Which when the king beheld, he saide unto Lucina: "deere daughter, you have done evill in requiring to know the yong man's name, and his adventures, wherein you have renued his forepassed griefes. But since nowe you have understoode all the trueth of him, it is meete, as it becommeth the daughter of a king, you likewise extend your liberalitie towards him, and whatsoever you give him I will see it be perfourmed." Then Lucina having already in hir heart professed to doe him good, and nowe perceiving very luckily her father's mind to be inclined to the desired purpose, she cast a friendly looke upon him, saying: "Apollonius, nowe lay sorrowe aside, for my father is determined to inrich you." And Apollonius, according to the curtesie that was in him, with sighes and sobbes at remembrance of that whereof he had so lately spoken, yeelded great thankes unto the faire ladie Lucina.

88Then saide the king unto his daughter: "Madame I pray you take your harpe into your handes, and play us some musike to refresh our guests withall, for we have all too long hearkened unto sorrowfull matters." And when she had called for her harpe, she beganne to play so sweetely, that all that were in companie highly commended her, saying that in all their lives they never heard pleasanter harmonie. Thus, whilest the guests, every man for his part much commended the ladie's cunning, onely Apollonius spake nothing. Then saide the king unto him: "You are too blame Apollonius, since all praise my daughter for her excellencie in musike, and you commend not her, or rather dispraise her by holding your peace." Apollonius answered: "My soveraine and good lord, might it please you to pardon me, and I will say what I think: The lady Lucina your daughter is pretily entred, but she is not yet come to perfection in musike. For proofe whereof, if it please your Grace to command the harp to be delivered unto me, she shal well perceive, that she shal heare that which she doth not yet know." The king answered: "I see well Apollonius you have skill in all things, and is nothing to be wished in a gentleman, but you have perfectly learned it, wherfore, hold, I pray you take the harpe, and let us heare some part of your cunning." When Apollonius had received the harp, he went forth, and put a garland of flowers upon his head, and fastned his raiment in comly maner about him, and entred into the parlour againe, playing before the king, and the residue with such cunning and sweetnes, that he seemed rather to be Apollo then Apollonius, and the king's guests confessed that in al their lives they never heard the like before.

89But when Lucina had heard and seene what was done, she felt hir selfe sodainely mooved within, and was sharpelie surprised with the love of Apollonius, and, turning to her father: "Nowe suffer me good father," saide she, "to give unto this yoong gentleman some reward, according as I shall think convenient." "I give you leave to do so faire daughter," saide the king. Then she, looking towards Apollonius, "My lord Apollonius," said she, "receive heere of my father's liberalitie two hundred talents of gold, foure hundred poundes of silver, store of raiment, twentie men servants, and tenne handmaidens." "Nowe therefore," said she unto the officers that stood by, "bring hither all these things which I have here promised, and lay them downe in the parlour, in the presence of our friends." And immediatly they were all brought into their sight as she had commaunded. When this was done, the guests arose from the table, and giving thankes unto the king and ladie Lucina, tooke their leave and departed. And Apollonius, thinking it likewise time for him to be gone, "Most gratious king Altistrates," quoth he, "thou which art a comforter of such as are in miserie; and thou also renowmed princesse, a favourer of philosophie, and lover of all good studies, I bid you now most heartily farewell, as for your great deserts toward me, I leave them to god to requite you with deserved recompence." And looking unto his servants which the ladie Lucina had given him, "Sirs, take up this geere," quoth hee, "which is given me, and bring it away, and let us go seeke some lodgings."

90When Lucina heard those words she was sodainlie stroken into a dump, fearing that she shoulde have lost her newe lover, before she had ever reaped anie fruit of his companie, and therefore turning to her father, said: "I beseech you good father and gratious king, forasmuch as it has pleased you this day to inrich Apolonius with many great gifts, you would not suffer him now to depart so late, lest he be by some naughtie persons spoiled of the things which you have given him." The king willingly granted the ladie's request, and commanded forthwith that there should be a faire lodging prepared for him and his, where he might lie honourably, and when he sawe convenient time he went to bed, and tooke his rest.