115How Apollonius arriving at Tharsus, delivereth his yong daughter Tharsia unto Stranguilio and Dionisiades to be brought up; and how the nurce lying in her death-bed declareth unto Tharsia who were her parents.

116LET us leave now a while the lady Lucina among the holy nunnes in the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, and let us looke backe unto sorrowful Apollonius, whose ship with fortunate winde, and the good providence of god directing the same, arrived at the shoare of Tharsus, where hee immediatly came forth of the ship, and entred into the house of Stranguilio and Dionisiades, whom he saluted, and told then the heavy chances that had befallen him, both of the great stormes and tempests on the sea, which hee had endured, as also of the death of the good lady Lucina his wife: "howbeit" said he, "god be thanked, my daughter remaineth alive, for the which I am very glad: wherfore, deare friends Stranguilio and Dionisiades, according to the trust which I have in you, I mean in some things to use your friendship, while I go about to recover the kingdome which is reserved for me. For I will not returne backe againe unto King Altistrates my father-in-law, whose daughter, alas I have lost in the sea; but meaning rather to exercise the trade of merchandize, I commit my daughter unto you, to bee nourished and brought up with your yoong daughter Philomacia, and I will that my daughter be called Tharsia. Moreover I wil leave my deare wife Lucina's nurce here also, called Ligozides, to tend the child, that she may be lesse troublesome unto you." And when hee had made an end of talking, he delivered the infant and the nurce unto Stranguilio, and therewithal great store of gold, silver, and raiment; and hee sware a solemne othe, that he would not poule his head, clip his beard, nor pare his nailes, untill hee had married his daughter at ripe yeares. They wondred much at so strange an othe, promising faithfully to bring up his daughter with all diligence.

117When these things were ended according to his mind, Apollonius tooke his leave, departed unto his ship, and sailed into far countries, and unto the uppermost parts of Egypt. Therewhile the yoong maiden, Tharsia sprang up in yeeres, and when she was about five yeares olde, being free borne she was set to schoole with other free children, alwaies jointly accompanied with Philomacia, being of the same age that she was of. The time passed forth a pace, and Tharsia grew up so wel in learning as in yeers until comming to the age of fourteene yeeres, one day when she returned from schoole, she found Ligozides her nurce sodainly falne sicke, and sitting beside her upon the bed, demanded of her the cause, and maner of her sickenesse. Then said the nurce unto her, "hearken unto my wordes deare daughter Tharsia, and lay them up in thine heart. Whom thinkest thou to be thy father, and thy mother, and in what countrey supposest thou wast thou borne?" Tharsia answered, "why, nurce, why aske you me this question? Stranguilio is my father, Dionisiades my mother, and I was borne in Tharsus." Then sighed the nurce, and saide: "No, sweete Tharsia, no, thou art deceived.

118But hearken unto me, and I will declare unto thee the beginning of thy birth, to the intent thou mayst know how to guide thy selfe after my death. Apollonius the prince of Tyrus is thy father, and Lucina king Altistrates daughter was thy mother, who being in travell with thee, died after thou wast borne, and thy father, Appollonius, inclosed her bodie in a chest with princely ornaments, laying twenty talents of gold at her head, and as much at her feete in silver, with a scedule written, that whether soever it were driven, it might suffice to burie her, according to her estate. Thus wast thou born upon the Sea; and thy father's ship with much wrestling of contrarie windes, and with his unspeakeable griefe of minde arrived at this shoare, and brought thee in thy swading clothes unto this citie, where hee with great care delivered thee; unto this thine hoste Stranguilio and Dionisiades his wife to be fostered up diligently, and left me heere also to attend upon thee. Moreover he sware an othe, that he would not poule his head, clip his beard, nor pare his nayles, untill he had married thee unto some man at ripe yeares. Wherefore now I admonishe thee, that if after my death thine hoste or thine hostesse, whom thou callest thy parents, shall haply offer thee any injurie, then runne thou into the market place, where thou shalt find the stature of thy father standing; and take hold of it, and cry aloud saying: 'O Citizens of Tharsus, I am his daughter, whose image this is,' and the citizens being mindfull of thy father's benefites, will doubtlesse revenge thine injurie." Then answered Tharsia: "Deare nurce Ligozides, I take god to witnesse, if you had not told me thus much, I should utterly have been ignorant from whence I had come. And therefore now, good nurce, I thank thee with all my heart, and if ever need so require, thy counsel shal be followed." And while they were debating these matters betweene them, Ligozides being verie sicke and weake, gave up the ghost, and by the death of this present bodie, passed into the state of live everlasting.