123How certaine Pyrats rescued Tharsia when she should have been slaine, and carried her unto the citie Machilenta to be sold among other bondslaves.

124AS fortune, or rather the providence of god served, while Tharsia was devoutly making her praiers, certaine pyrats which were come aland, and stood under the side of an hill watching for some prey, beholding an armed man offering violence unto a mayden, cried unto him, and said: "Thou cruel tyrant! that maiden is our prey and not thy victorie; and therfore hold thine hands from her, as thou lovest thy life." When the villain heard that, he ran away as fast as he could, and hid himselfe behind the sepulchre. Then came the pyrats and rescued Tharsia, and caried her away to their ships, and hoysed saile, and departed. And the villaine returned home to his mistres, and saide unto her: "that which you commaunded me to doe is dispatched, and therefore now I thinke it good that you put on a mourning garment, and I also, and let us counterfeit great sorrowe and heavinesse in the sight of all the people, and say that shee died of some greevous disease."

125But Stranguilio himselfe consented not to this treason, but so soone as hee heard of the foule mischaunce, beeing as it were a mopte, and mated with heavinesse and griefe, he clad himselfe in mourning aray, and lamented that wofull case, saying: "Alas in what a mischiefe am I wrapped? what might I doe, or say herein? The father of this mayden delivered this citie from the peril of death; for this citie's sake he suffered shipwracke, lost his goodes and endured penury, and now he is requited with evil for good. His daughter which he committed unto me to be brought up, is now devoured by a most cruell Lionesse: thus I am deprived as it were of mine owne eies, and forced to bewaile the death of an innocent, and am utterly spoiled through the fierce biting of a moste venemous serpent." Then casting his eies up towards heaven, "O god said hee, thou knowest that I am innocent from the bloud of silly Tharsia, which thou hast to require at Dionisiades handes," and therewithall he looked towards his wife, saying: "Thou wicked woman, tell me, how hast thou made away prince Apollonius daughter? thou that livest both to the slaunder of god, and man?"

126Dionisiades answered in manie wordes evermore excusing herselfe, and, moderating the wrath of Stranguilio, shee counterfeited a fained sorrowe by attiring her selfe and her daughter in mourning apparell, and in dissembling teares before the people of the citie, to whom shee saide: "Dearly beloved friendes and Citizens of Tharsus, for this cause we doe weepe and mourne in your sight, because the joy of our eyes and staffe of our olde age, the Mayden Tharsia is dead, leaving unto us bitter teares, and sorrowfull heartes. Yet have we alreadie taken order for her funerals, and buried her according to her degree." These wordes were right greevous unto the people, and there was almost none that let not fall some teares for sorrowe. And they went with one accord unto the market place, whereas her father's image stood, made of brasse, and erected also another unto her there with this inscription: Unto the virgin Tharsia in liew of her fathers benefites, the Citizens of Tharsus have erected this monument.