225How Apollonius departed from Ephesus, and sailed himselfe, his wife, his sonne, and daughter unto Antiochia, and then to Tyrus, and from thence to Tharsus, where he revenged himselfe upon Stranguilio, and Dionisiades.

226APOLLONIUS and Lucina his wife, and the residue of their traine, having rested themselves and made merrie sufficient time at Ephesus, when the winde served, tooke leave of their friendes and went aboord of their ships, and lanched from the shore and departed unto Antiochia; where according as Calamitus the maister of the ship of Tyrus had tolde him before, the kingdome was reserved for him since the death of Antiochus. But when the citizens heard that he was arrived, they were all exceeding glad, and put on their bravest apparell, and garlandes of bayes upon their heads, and went forth in procession to meet him, and brought him in triumph into the Citie, and crowned him king with all joy and gladnesse. And when all the solemnities of the coronation, the feastes, triumphes, largesses, and pardons were finished, hee abode with them certaine daies to dispose some matters in order that required redresse, and to establish certaine lawes for the due administration of justice.

227Which being all accomplished according to his desire, he tooke his leave of the Citizens, and with his wife, sonne, and daughter, departed to the sea, and sayled unto Tyrus his owne native country, where he was joyfully received of his subjects, and found his kingdome governed in good order. There placed he for his lieuetenant his sonne in lawe Athanagoras, which had married his daughter Tharsia, to rule the countrey in his absence, and when he had aboden a convenient time amongst them to make merrie, and to provide necessaries for his farther affaires, he levied in shorter space a mightie armie of the best approoved souldiours, with sufficient store of money and munition, and taking with him moreover his lady, and his daughter Tharsia, tooke shipping in the haven, and had so prosperous winde, that in few dayes they landed in the coast of Tharsus.

228And when they were come all ashoare, they marched forward in battell aray, and came into the Citie to the great terrour of al the inhabitants. When he was come into the market place, he commaunded that Stranguilio and Dionisiades should be brought before him, which being done, he thus spake unto the people. "Ye Citizens of Tharsus, I am come hither in armes as you see, not moved by my will, but constrained by injurie. Wherfore tell me, was I ever unthankfull unto your Citie in generall, or unto any of you al in particular?" They all answered with one voice "no my lord, and therfore wee are ready all to spend our lives in thy quarrell: and as thou knowest well wee have erected heere, in perpetuall memorie of thee, a statue of brasse, because thou preservedst us from death, and our citie from utter destruction." Then said Apollonius, "understand then this much my friends, that when I departed last from this citie, I committed my daughter in trust unto Stranguilio and his wife Dionisiades; and when I came to require her they would not deliver her unto me, nor tell me the trueth what is become of her."

229Immediatly they were both called forth to answere unto these matters before Apollonius, where falling downe on their knees before him, Dionisiades answered in this manner: "My lord, I beseech you stand favourable unto my poore husband and mee, and not to beleeve any other thing concerning your daughter, then that shee is departed this life. And as for hir grave, you have seene it, and also the monument of brasse erected by the whole citie in the memoriall of her, and moreover you have read the superscription." Then Apollonius commaunded his daughter to stand foorth in the presence of them all, and shee saide unto Dionisiades: "beholde thou wicked woman, dead Tharsia is come to greete thee, who as thou diddest well hope, shoulde never have been forth comming to have bewrayed thy wickednesse." But when the miserable woman beheld Tharsia, her heart quaked for feare, and shee fell to the ground in a swoond: and when shee recovered againe, shee cried out upon the just judgment of god, and cursed the time that shee was borne. And all the people ranne thronging about Tharsia, and wondered at her, thinking howe greatly they had been of long time abused by Stranguilio, and Dionisiades; and they rejoyced much in her safetie, and all knewe by her countenance that it was shee, and none other.

230O now, who were able to declare the bitter griefe and intolerable care which eftsoones assaied the wearisome consciences of these twaine, the husband and the wife when they sawe her living and in good liking before their faces, whose death they had so traiterously conspired. Even hell it selfe is not comparable unto so heavie a burden, the unspeakable weight whereof all men ought to feare, and none can sufficiently describe unlesse hee have been semblably plunged in the like gulfe of horrible desperation. Then Tharsia called for Theophilus Stranguilios's villaine, and when he was come into her presence, shee saide unto him: "Theophilus, aunswere mee aloud that all the people may heare, who sent thee forth to slay me?" Hee aunswered, "Dionisiades my Mistresse." "What mooved her thereunto?" saide Tharsia. "None other thing, I suppose," saide the villaine, "but to enjoy the money and ornamentes, and also because thy beautie and comelinesse were commended above Philomacias her daughters."

231Nowe when the people heard this, they ranne uppon Stranguilio, and Dionisiades, and tooke them violently, and bound them, and drew them out of the citie, and stoned them to death; and would likewise have slaine Theophilus the villaine, for that at his mistress commandement he would have murdered the innocent maiden. But Tharsia intreated for him, saying, "Not so my deare friends. I pray you let me obtaine pardone for him at your handes; for unlesse he had given me respite to say my praiers, I had not been heere now to have spoken for him." And when she had said so, the furious multitude was appeased. And Apollonius gave many exceeding rich giftes unto the citie, and repared it strongly in many places where it was decaied, and abode there with them the space of three monthes in feasting and making merry before he departed.