73How, Taliarchus not finding Apollonius at Tirus, departeth joyfully, and Apollonius arriving at Thasus, relieveth the citie with vittell.

74IN the middes of this sorrowful season Taliarchus commeth to Tirus to execute the cruell commandement of Antiochus; where, finding al-thing shut up, and a generall shew of mourning, meeting with a boy in the streete. "Tell me," said he, "or I will slay thee, for what cause is al this citie thus drowned in heavines?" To whom the child answered: "My friend, doest thou not know the cause, that thou askest it of me? This citie mourneth because the Prince thereof Apollonius, returning back from king Antiochus, can no where be found or heard of." Now, so soone as Taliarchus heard these tidings, he returned joyfully unto his ships, and tooke his journey backe to Antiochia, and being landed, he hastened unto the king, and fell downe on his knees before him, saying: "All haile most mightie Prince, rejoyce and be glad; for Apollonius being in feare of your grace is departeth no man knoweth whether." Then answered the king: "He may well flie away from mee, but he shall never escape my handes." And immediatly he made proclamation, that whosoever could take that contemner of the king Apollonius prince of Tirus, and bring him alive unto the king's presence, should have an hundred talents of golde for his labour, and whosoever coulde bring his head, should have fiftie talentes. Which proclamation beeing published, not onely Apollonius's ennemies, but also his friendes, made all haste possible to seeke him out, allured thereto with covetouseness of the money. Thus was this poore Prince sought for about by sea and by land, tbrough woodes and wilde deserts, but could not be found.

75Then the king commanded a great Navie of ships to be prepared to scoure the seas abroad, if haply they might meet with him; but for that every thing requireth a time ere it can be done, in the mean season Apollonius arriveth at Tharsus, where walking along by the sea side, he was espied by one of his owne servauntes, named Elinatus, who landed there not long before, and overtooke him as he was going; and comming neere unto him with dutifull obeisance, said unto him: "god save you prince Apollonius." But he being saluted, did even so as noble men and princes use to doe, set light by him. But Elinatus taking that behaviour unkindly, saluted him againe saying: "god save you Prince Apollonius salute me againe, and I despise not povertie beautified with honestie. And if you knewe that which I know, you would take good heed to your self." Then answered Apollonius: "lf you thinke good, I pray you tell me." Elinatus answered, "you are by proclamation commanded to be slaine." "And who," said Apollonius, "dares commaund by proclamation, the prince of a countrey to be slaine?" "Antiochus," said Elinatus. "Antiochus! For what cause?" demanded Apollonius. "For that," said Elinatus, "thou wouldst be unto his daughter which he himselfe is." Then demanded Apollonius, "For what summe of mony is my life sold by that proclamation?" Elinatus answered, "whosoever can bring you alive unto the king shall have an hundred talents of gold in recompence: but whoso bringeth your head shall have fiftie talents of gold for his labour, and therefore I advise you my lord, to flie unto some place for your defence." And when he had so said he tooke his leave and departed. But Apollonius called him againe, and said that hee would giue him an hundred talents of gold; "for," said he, "receive thus much now of my povertie, where nothing is now left unto me but flight, and pining misery. Thou hast deserved the reward, wherefore draw out thy sword, and cut off my head, and present it to the king, as the most joyfull sight in the world. Thus mayst thou win an hundred talents of gold, and remaine without all blame or note of ingratitude, since I my selfe have hyred thee in the king's behalfe to gratefie him with so acceptable a present." Then answered Elinatus: "god forbid my lord that by anie such sinister means I should deserve a reward. In all my life I never consented to any such matter in my heart. And, my lord, if the deed were good, the love of vertue were a sufficient force to allure any man thereunto. But since it respecteth your life, to whome in consideration of the cause no man may doe violence without villanie: I commit both you and your matter unto god, who no doubt will be your defender." And when he had thus said, he departed.

76But Apollonius walked forth along upon the shoare, where he had gone not farre, but he descried a man afarre off comming towardes him with heavie cheere and a sorrowfull countenance; and this was Stranguilio a Tharsian borne, and of good reputation in the citie. To whom saide Apollonius, "god save you Stranguilio." And he likewise resaluted him saying, "And you likewise my good lord Apollonius: I pray you tel me what is the cause that you walk in this place thus troubled within your minde?" Apollonius answered: "because, being promised to have king Antiochus's daughter to my wife, if I told him the true meaning of his question, nowe that I have so done, I am notwithstanding restrained from her. Wherefore I request you it may so be, that I may live secretly in your citie; for why, I stand moreover in some doubt of the king's farther displeasure." Stranguilio answered: "My lord Apollonius, our citie at this present is verie poore, and not able to sustaine the greatnesse of your dignitie: and even now we suffer great penurie and want of vittell, insomuch that there remaineth small hope of comfort unto our citizens, but that we shall perish by extreme famine: and now certes there resteth nothing but the fearefull image of gastly death before our eies." When Apollonius heard these wordes, he said unto him: "Then give thankes unto god, who in my flight hath brought me a land into your costes. For I have brought great store of provision with me, and will presently give unto your citie an hundreth thousand bushels of wheate, if you will only conceale my comming hither." At these wordes Stranguilio being strooken, as it were, into a sodaine amazednesse, as it happeneth when a man is overjoyed with some glad tidinges, fell downe prostrate before prince Apollonius's feete, and saide: "My lord Apollonius, if you coulde, and also if it might please of your great goodnesse, in such sort as you say, to succour this afflicted and famished citie, we wil not onely receive you gladly, and conceale your abode: but also, if neede so require, willingly spend our lives in your quarrell. Which promise of mine, to the intent you may heare to be confirmed by the full consent of the citizens, might please your Grace to enter into the citie, and I most willingly will attend upon you."

77Apollonius agreed thereto, and when they came into the citie, he mounted up into the place of judgment, to the intent he might the better be heard, and, gathering al the people together: thus hee spake unto the whole multitude. "Ye citizens of Tharsus, whom penurie of vittell pincheth at this present understand ye, that I Apollonius prince of Tirus, am determined presently to relieve you: In respect of which benefite I trust ye will be so thankfull as to conceale mine arriving hither. And know ye moreover, that not as being driven away through the malice of king Antiochus, but sayling along by the Seas I am happily fallen into your haven. Wherefore I meane to utter unto you an hundred thousand bushels of wheate, paying no more than I bought it for in mine own countrey, that is to say, eight peeces of brasse for every bushell." When the citizens heard this, they gave a shout for joy, crying, "god save my Lord Apollonius," promising to live and die in his quarrell, and they gave him wonderfull thankes, and the whole citie was replenished with joy, and they went forthwith unto the ships, and bought the corne. But Apollonius, doubting lest by this deede, he should seeme to put off the dignitie of a prince, and put on the countenance of a merchant rather than a giver, when he had received the price of the wheate, he restored it backe againe to the use and commoditie of the same citie. And when the citizens perceived the great benefites which he had bestowed upon their citie, they erected in the marked place a monument in the memoriall of him, his stature made of brasse standing in a charret, holding corne in his right hand, and spurning it with his left foot: and on the baser foot of the pillar whereon it stoode, was ingraven in great letters this superscription: Apollonius prince of Tirus gave a gift unto the citie of Tharsus whereby hee delivered it from a cruel death.