¶How y^e kynge of Anthyoche begate on his wyfe a fay­re doughter / at whose byrthe his wyfe deyed. Ca. j.

IN the autentyke and noble cyte of Anthyo­che in the partyes of Syrye was somtyme a myghty kynge the whych hadde to name Anthiogus. This kyng helde vnder his de­mayne many terryen sygnouryes & lorde­shyppes as cytees / townes / castels and ma­ny other fortresses / bycause of the which he was not only fered and dredde of his subge­ctes of his realme / but also of other regyons therto adiacent. He hadde also vnto wyfe in maryage a moche fayre and elygaunt lady wyse / eloquent and comen of noble lygnage by whome he had a doughter at whose na­tuiyte or byrthe the noble lady and quene his wyfe deyed whiche was grete harme and dyspleasure to all the real­me as here after is declared. The doole was grete amō ­ge the people for the losse of theyr quene. The funeralles and obsequyes ended of the quene / the kynge made his doughter wel and ryally for to be nourysshed and fostred as it appertayned vnto the doughter of suche a kynge. This mayden encreased and became so beautyfull that al they that sawe her Iuged her to be the fayrest creatu­re that was in all the worlde / for lyke as y^e reed rose and the lely passeth all other naturall floures in beaute and nobles so that mayden passed all other maydēs and wo­men in her tyme / for nature had put nothynge in obly­uyon at the fourmynge of her but as a chefe operacyon had set her in the syght of the worlde tyl y^e enmy of good­nes and mankynde by incessaunt enuy had ouerthrowē & caste her in his snare as here after ensueth in thy story.

¶How by lechery and temptācyon of the deuyll the kyn­ge voyled his doughter. Ca. ij.

AS this mayden was comen vnto the age for to be maryed kynges / prynces / dubes / erles / and many other grete and noble estates came for to haue her in maryage. The kynge made his counseyle for to be assembled for to knowe what man was moost conuenable for to haue his doughter. Durynge this tyme y^e kynge by euyll enchauffemēt and by temptacyon of the deuyll fyxed and set his loue on his doughter / and by the inextynguybl persecucyōs and prouocacyōs of the enemy he was moeued in his slepe / & [Page] arose in a mornynge at the sprynge of the day and entred in to his doughters chambre & cōmaunded all that were there for to yssue out in makynge semblaunt that he wol­de speke with her in secrete for certayne thynges to her be houe and prouffite. And he abydyng alone with her of ardaunt desyre put hymselfe in bedde with her / and she doubtynge his inhumanyte durst not gaynsay hym. And so moche he dyde y^t he not onely maculed her bedde / but also he bereft the treasure of her vyrgynyte & left her dystytute of all consolacyon tenderly wepynge / & so yssued out of her chambre. Thus as she lamēted & wepte her nouryse entred in to the chambre & founde her in grete desolacyon and demaūded her the cause of her waylynge. The poore lady durst not relate it for thabhomynacyon y^t she had in the fayt. The nouryse than began for to say. A my moost honourable & of me so well beloued lady & doughter kno­we ye y^t my lyege lady your moder left you vnto me whā she passed this lyfe / & I that so moche loue you and haue so derely holden & tenderly nourysshed prayeth you for to tell me the cause of your dyscomforte. Whā y^e lady herde that she prayed her so swetely she sayd. A ryght dere mo­der and nouryse this same day I haue had y^e gretest losse of the fayrest and rychest Iewell y^t I had / that is y^e trea­soure of my chābre vyrgynall / for it is corrupte & defyled or euer I had ony treaty of maryage. The nourysse than sayd / who is he y^t hath ben so hardy suche a thȳge to vndertake to y^e dyshonour of the kynge & of his realme / & began for to crye / but the lady sayd. A my nourysse for god mercy / for yf ye say ony thynge I am but deed & you also For suche hath done it that it is not conuenyent for to say And to thende that ye knowe: it was my lorde my fader y^e [Page] whiche this day came hyder / and so she recounted all the maner and fayt vnto her nourysse / and prayed her for to holde it secrete. And than y^e nourysse began for to appease y^e lady shewynge her y^t the kynge bare the culpe & synne.

AS this cursed kynge had accoplysshed this horryble synne as it is abouesayd he shewed semblaunce before his people as good and de­bonayre vnto his doughter / and that he was in mynde for to enquyre for some noble man for to gyue his doughter in maryage / the which thynge he thought not / but he purposed that his doughter shold remayne alway with hym in y^e inhumayne syn̄e. And to eschewe and cause that none sholde haue her / and for to fere them that shold demaunde her he purpensed a falacious polycy & cautelous wyle / and made a preposycyon in this wyse. He that shall haue my doughter to wyfe shall be called sapyent & worthy to haue a kynges doughter / & he that feleth hymselfe vnable and ygnoraunt in the so­lucyon of my questyō lete hym not prease to it / for I shall do smyte of his heed as nought worthy for to haue a kynges doughter. The which preposycyon he dyde do set at y^e gates of y^e cyte. For this preposycyon (neuertheles) many kynges / dukes / erles / barōs / & other grete lordes put them in daūger for the beaute of his doughter dystytute of the solucyon of the kynges qestyon. And whan they founde not the solucyon of the questyon the kynge made for to smyte of theyr heedes without mercy accordynge to his preposycyō / and made them to be put out of the cyte to thende that they which came for to haue his dough­ter myght take exāple / & for to euyte the demaūde of her.

¶How kynge Appolyn assoyled y^e questyon of kynge Anthiogus of Anthyoche. Ca. iij.

THe kynge of Anthyoche aforenamed ledde his lyfe in that abhomynable syn̄e of lechery by y^e space of lōge tyme. So it happened that y^e re­nowne of the beaute of y^e lady passed thrugh y^e regyōs adiacent and neyghbours tyll it came to y^e eeres of Appolyn kynge of Thyre whiche was a mā fayre / yonge / ioyous / eloquent / and a ryght good clerke / & also he was a bacheler. This kynge herynge of the da­moysell aforesayd toke on hym for to assoyle y^e questyon. And came tofore kynge Anthiogus & salued hym honou­rably. Whā the kynge of Anthyoche sawe hym he doub­ted hym more than ony of y^e other (for his wysdome) & to [Page] hym sayd. Appolyn I knowe well wherfore y^u arte comē All they that haue wyues ben acquyted. Appolȳ answe­red / that that ye saye is the laste ende of the cause / for I haue no wyfe / but I desyre for to haue your doughter in maryage. Whā the kynge herde Appolyn thus speke he was so abasshed that he wyst not what to do / and thā he sayd. Appolyn thou knowest not the condycyons to haue my doughter. Appolyn sayd I haue sene them wrytē at the portall of this cyte / and therfore y^e ryght shall be sene yf it please god. The kynge of Anthyoche than had grete indygnacyon & euyll wyll towarde kynge Appolyn / and vnto hym sayd. Appolyn take hede vnto my questyon for it is doubtable / and here it is. ¶Grete synne do I vse / y^e flesshe of my moder I abuse. I demaunde broder dere / yf I touche my fader nere. I as husbande to my wyfe byn­de / and agaynst nature I do kynde.

APpolyn vnderstandynge y^e questyon w^tdrewe hym a lytell praynge god with good herte / & so moche he dyde that he foūde the solucyō / & than came to the kynge and sayd. Kynge of Anthyoche herkē to my solucyon. The kyng was ryght dolente of his wordes / and Appolyn sayd. In that thou sayest that y^u vsest syn̄e y^u sayest sothe / for thou holdest thy doughter in syn̄e as I vnderstāde. Anthiogus doubtyn­ge y^t by Appolyn his syn̄e shold be dysclosed he sayd vnto hym furyously. Certes Appolȳ y^u arte ferre fro my questyon / & well thou hast deserued for to lose thy heed / but of a specyall grace. I gyue y^e .xxx. dayes of respyte / & whan y^u hast founde the solucyon y^u shalte haue my doughter / & yf not certaynly thou shalte lese thyn heed. And this sayd y^e noble kynge Appolyn retorned to his realme of Thyre.

¶How y^e kynge of Anthyoche sent his stuarde towarde kynge Appolyn of Thyre for to putte hym vnto dethe. Ca. iiij.

NOt longe after that Appolyn kȳge of Thyre was departed frō Anthyoche kȳge Anthyo­gus called vnto hym his stuarde the which was named Thalyarchy & sayd. Mȳ owne trusty and faythfull frende & seruaunt. Kno­we thou for certayne that Appolyn kynge of Thyre hath founde and determyned the solucyon of my questyon / for the whiche I pray the and commaunde the that y^u moūt vpō the see as shortly as thou mayst and pursue hym in to his realme. And whā thou comest vnto Thyre demaū de for thy moost frende & for thy moost enmye. And do so moche by ony maner that thou slee hym oute of handes [Page] for good or for yll / and by ony machynacyon of treason / & here is grete somme of money for to do thy vyage / & whā thou retornest agayne I shall satysfy y^t at thyn owne de­syre and pleasure. Than Thalyarchy toke his leue of the kynge and went through the realme of Thyre where as kynge Appolyn reygned.

¶How kynge Appolyn mounted secretly on y^e see. Ca. v.

SOone after that kyng Appolyn was retour­ned ī to his realme gentle of Thyre it befell y^t as he was in his palays he begā for to rede ī his bookes / & whā he had redde ynoughe he foūde none other solucyon to the questyon of kyng Anthyogus / & sayd to hymselfe Ha Appolyn Appolyn and what menest thou / hast thou not foūde the solu­cyon [Page] / yes certaynly. For the questyon of the kynge of An­thyoche is payed & yet haste y^u not his doughter. Certes I trowe that he hath lengthed the .xxx. dayes but for to put the to dethe within the sayd terme. And after he sate & studyed a grete whyle / & whā he came out of his study he went vnto an hauen of the see and spake to some of the patrons / and made them for to make redy thre shyppes and charged them with corne and whete and grete habū daunce of other vytayles with moche treasure and fewe folke / and on a nyght at mydnyght he entred in to y^e see.

ON the morowe after y^t kynge Appolyn was departed his mē came in to his chambre for to seke hym but they foūde hym not where of they were abasshed and meruayled whe­re he was becomen. And the marchauntes and men of crafte of the cyte were a certayne tyme that they opened not theyr shoppes nor dyde no werke but wayled and mourned for theyr kyng that was gone they wyst not whyder / and were well y^e space of thre yere ma­kynge grete sorowe for hym. Duryng this pyteous sea­son came Thalyarchy the kynge of Anthyoches stuarde in to the cyte of Thyre and sawe how the people were so sorowfull. He demaunded of a good aeged man wherfore the people made suche sorowe. The good mā answered / wherfore demaunde ye / for ye knowe well syth that our good and gracyous kynge departed from Anthyoche we sawe hym neuer / nor we wote not where he is. Whan Thalyarchy herde these tydynges he was gladde and Ioyfull and retorned shortly vnto the kynge Anthiogus of Anthyoche. And whan he was comen before hym re­counted [Page] vnto hȳ y^e maner how he had seen and herde of kyng Appolyn of Thyre / y^e which doubtynge your puys­saūce and fyers courage is gone by see pryuely without the knowlege of ony of his realme / and is gone they can not tell where / wherfore they make grete lamentacyon and waylynge for hym.

Kynge Anthyogus vnderstandynge the wordes of his stuarde wold by no maner holde hym styll but to hym sayd that he wolde make a crye that who someuer he were that brought the persone of kynge Appolyn sholde haue .l. besauntes of golde / and who that brought his heed sholde haue an .C. And than y^e sayd Anthyogus made for to make redy shyppes and he wold be captayne of them hymselfe. ¶Now leue we to speke of kynge Anthyogus and retorne we vnto kynge Appolyn of Thyre beynge vpon the see.

¶How Appolyn aryued at the cyte of Tharcye. Ca. vj.

VPon a day as kynge Appolyn was vpon the see in grete heuinesse and thought the patron sayd. Syr haue ye no fere of our arte. And Appolyn sayd. I haue no fere of your arte nor of the see / but I haue fere of y^e kynge of Anthyoche that me pursueth. The mayster of y^e shyppe sayd / we haue nede of many thynges y^t vnto vs belongeth wher­fore go we and take porte at the cyte of Tharcye y^t is he­re by and than may we take fresshe water & all that we haue nede of. It pleaseth me well sayd Appolyn. Than sayled they forthe / and y^e wynde was good that within shorte tyme they came to the sayd cyte of Tharcye with [Page] theyr shyppes / and than yssued Appolyn and came vpon the londe and walked by the portes syde. And thus as he walked in grete thoughtes and heuynesses vpon y^e ryuage of y^e see there came a man vnto hym and sayd secretly God saue y^e Appolyn kynge of Thyre. I pray y^e syr kyng dyspyse not my pouerte but herken what I wyl saye for perauēture thou knowest it not. Say on sayd kynge Appolyn. Knowe thou for certayne sayd the poore man that thou arte banysshed out of thy countree and kyngdom w^t crye and sowne of trompettes. Appolyn answered / who may banysshe me out of my coūtre or out of ony other al­so. Certaynly sayd the good mā it was the kynge of An­thyoche for that thou wold marye his doughter. And he hath sayd also that what mā that bryngeth the afore hȳ shall haue .l. besauntes of fyne golde / & he that bryngeth thy heed shall haue an hondred. And therfore I pray the to departe and go ferder vnto the tyme that thou knowe a better ende / & by y^e grace of god it shall be otherwyse to thy pleasure and hertes ease in shorte tyme. This confor­ted well the sorowfull kynge / kynge Appolyn / and he gaue hym an hondred besauntes of golde and sayd. Here is as moche as yf thou had borne myheed to y^e kynge of Anthyoche. The good man thā sayd / neuer wyll I take ony salayre or rewarde of you for this cause / for to a good mā nedeth neuer no rewarde / and so the good man went his waye and lefte the kynge.

¶How kynge Appolyn mette with an aeged man and of theyr deuyses. Ca. vij.

AS soone as the good man was gone y^e kynge Appolyn sawe comynge another good auncyent man with an hoore heed and a chere sadde and stedfast that had to name Tranquyle the which man kynge Appolyn knewe well and sayd to hȳ / ye be ryght welcome Tranquyle. And y^e olde man answered / ye be well founde noble kynge of Thyre. Tell me now by thy fayth how thou art comē in to these regyons / for me thynketh that thou arte troubled in thy courage. Truely sayd kynge Appolyn I shall tell it the. Knowe thou that I haue payed and assoyled a questyon vnto the kynge of Anthyoche and demaunded his doughter in maryage (the whiche he entreteyneth for his para­mours) [Page] and therfore he maketh me to be pursued for to make medye. Wherfore yf thou mayst do so moche that I may abyde here a certayne space of tyme thou shold do me a grete pleasure. Syr sayd Tranquyle this cyte is so lytell and thy puyssaunce is so grete that thou mayst not be lodged in it. And an other cause is also / for the famyne and honger is so grete that none may exteme y^e vehemēte payne that we endure & sustayne / for we haue none espe­raūce nor no good trust for to haue ony adiutory and con­forte / but onely in the cours and torne of fortune. Than Appolyn answered and sayd. Tranquyle my dere frende rendre graces and thankes vnto our lord of the good for­tune that hathe made me for to aryue here at the porte of this cyte / for I shall gyue vnto this cyte an hōdred thou­sande charges of wheet & corne / vpon the condycyon y^t ye holde me secretely within your cyte. And whan Trāquyle herde hym say so he fell downe prostrate at his fete and sayd. Lorde yf thou gyue vnto the poore cyte famysshed for honger socours we not onely shall holde the secretely within the enclose of our sayd cyte but we shall be all well content for to lyue and deye with the. Whan y^e noble kyn­ge Appolyn sawe his frende Trāquyle so lye grouelyng on the grounde petyously wepynge for the persecucyon of the cyte he lyke a curteys kyng and humble prynce to­ke hym vp from the grounde and set hym on his fete cō ­fortynge hym saynge. Ha Tranquyle myn olde good frē ­de be of good conforte and make glad chere for I shall not fayle you as longe as I may lyue. Thā Tranquyle thā ­ked hym hyghly and anone went and tolde vnto the go­uernoures of y^e cyte how kynge Appolyn of Thyre was aryued at the hauen and what he had sayd & promysed.

¶How kynge Appolyn delyuered the cyte of Tharcye fro grete famyne and honger. Ca. viij.

WHā the lordes and chefe of the cyte herde this they were surprysed with grete Ioye & ano­ne they assembled togyder in counceyle for to wyte what were to be done / and than they concluded for to go in goodly ordynaūce to mete the kyn­ge / and whan they came to his presence they fell too the grounde gracyously besechynge his highnes for to helpe them & delyuer theyr cyte from the mortall plage of hon­ger / and he toke them vp promysynge helpe so that they wolde kepe hȳ in theyr cyte secretly / whiche they promy­sed to do. Than they brought hȳ in to the cyte w^t grete honour & reuerence. Appolyn thā in the myddes of y^e cyte in [Page] a place before all the people moūted vpon a scaffolde and sayd vnto y^e cytezyns of Tharcye whiche susteyned and suffred grete famyne of honger. I Appolyn kynge dystytute of Thyre dooth you for to knowe and vnderstande y^t I wyll fulfyll and furnysshe your cyte with wheet for y^e same pryce that I bought it in my realme to thende and on condycyon that ye holde & kepe me secrete in your cyte where as I am / & I thynke that in tyme future ye wyll not put in oblyuyon yf euer I haue done you ony good / & I tell you that the kynge of Anthyoche pursueth me of a pursuyte mortell and therfore haue I left my realme and am come hyder secretly with such shyppes as ye se for to be socoured of you. Thā the cytezyns remercyed & than­ked him of y^e grete goodnes that he them offred. So they gaue hym the pryce that he demaūded / and Appolyn ga­ue them plente and habundaunce / & that none he rendred to them theyr money to thende that it shold not be sayd y^t he were a marchaunt and no kynge. And whā he had gyuen all this fraūchyse and boūte to them they in remem­braunce of hym and for an extreme colaudacyon made an ymage or statue of clene golde vnto his semylytude and semblaunce and situate it in the myddes of the cyte vpon an hygh colomne or pyler / y^e whiche ymage or statue hel­de in his ryght hāde a shefe of whete / & w^t his lyft fote he put corne in to the mesure. And at y^e fete of the sayd yma­ge vpō the pyller was wryten in letters of golde a clause vercyfyēge in this wyse. Tharcye cyte by Appolyn kyn­ge of Thyre was furnyshed / & by his fraunchyse it was releued / with wheet and corne he hathe it fostred / and frō the swerde of honger he hathe it delyuered / and from the stroke of dethe he hathe it preserued.

¶How kynge Appolyn of Thyre sayled towarde the cy­te of Terme where as his shyppes peryshed nygh vnto the porte / and all his men drowned and he onely preser­ued by a fyssher. Ca. ix.

THan whan Appolyn kynge of Thyre hadd so Iourned longe tyme in the cyte of Tharcye it fortuned on a daye that he was in company w^t the auncyent man Tranquylle and his wyfe named Dyonyse the whiche sayd vnto kynge Appolyn that it were thynge vtyle & expedyent he for to withdrawe hym and retray in to some other countre / for longe tyme it was syth he came thyder / for lōge contynuaunce in a place maketh reuelacyon and knowlege to the persones adiacent and neyghbours. Appolyn herynge y^e counceyle of them toke leue ioyously of all the cytezyns y^e which were sory for his departynge / and entred in to his [Page] shyppes and mounted on the see for to goo to the cyte of Terme that was in y^e coūtree of Pentapolytayns / thyn­kynge there to be sure / for the cyte was pleasaunt & strō ­ge. And whan he was vpon y^e see with his thre shyppes they exployted so moche that w^tin thre dayes they approched nygh to the cyte of Terme. And they beynge there y^t ayre chaunged / y^e wyndes waxed furyous / y^e weder tor­ned in to grete tempestes and blastes heuynge the fee ro­rynge with tempestyous wawes and droue y^e thre shyppes here and there agaynst the rockes and sande / and all to roue and sparpeled thē in thousandes of pyeces / bothe maste / sayle / and stere / & drowned all within them bothe man and goodes without remyssyon saufe all onely Ap­polyn y^t saued hymselfe vpon a poost and all naked came to the see side. And whan he was out of the peryll of y^e see he torned hym towarde the place were as his shyppes & men were drowned and with lachrymate chekes tēderly he sayd. O fortune ingenyous of mē / fals / fekyll / and vn­stedfast euer tornynge and varyenge as a feder in y^e wynde without cease / haste thou abyden & wayted this grete peryll for to do me so moche harme at one tyme / for thou hast put me totally in extreme pouerte / and hast lefte me alone and all naked of goodes and of all esperaūce / cursed be thou. Certaynly yf so were that kyng Anthyogus coude do me no harme thou hast done me more than suffycy­ent for hym / wors than enraged is he that trusteth in thy feate / alas. He beyng in this calamynous sorowe sawe comynge towarde hym a fyssher poorely arayed & ragged with a blacke mantell and gyrded with a roten corde. Appolyn was in many tribulacyons and anguysshes for he hadde doubte / thought / melancoly / heuines / sorowe / hō ­ger [Page] / thyrst / and inwarde care / he went and fell downe flat at the fete of the fyssher and sayd. Dere broder who som­euer thou be I requyre the that y^u wylte haue mercy on the poore naked the whiche hath lost all that he had in y^e body of y^e see. And to thēde that thou mayst knowe what I am / knowe thou that I am named Appolyn kynge of Thyre the which by fortune and the see is brought in to perdycyon / wherfore I praye the haue compassyon ouer me and that thou gyue me some conforte and helpe of ly­uynge (This sayd) the fyssher behelde hym lōge & sawe hym so fayre and gracyous and vnderstode that he was a kynge pyte moeued his spirytes by maner of cōpulcyō to haue compassyon vpon hym / & than he ledde Appolyn vnto a lytell hous besyde the see wher as he w^tdrew hym whan he had fysshed and gaue hȳ of suche poore meetes as fysshers do ete whan they ben hongry. And the better for to accomplysshe his good dedes and for inwarde pyte that he had of hym he gaue vnto hym y^e one halfe of his blacke mantell for to couer his body with / and sayd vnto hym go in to the cyte of Terme the which is here by and thou shalt fynde some that wyll haue pyte vpon the. And yf thou fynde none that wyll haue pyte vpon the retorne agayne to me here / and for all my pouerte I shall not fayle the of suche as I haue / and yf it so be we two shall take fysshe for to gete our lyuynge. But I pray the yf fortune be and that god wyll that thou remoūte vnto thyn estate that thou dyspyse me not of that the whiche I haue gy­uen to the y^t is the one half of my mantell. Appolyn sayd / yf I thynke not on y^e goodnes that thou haste done to me an other tyme may I suffre the daungerous perylles of y^e see and that I may neuer fynde ony good persone that [Page] wyll haue mercy vpon me. Thā the fyssher shewed hym the way / and so Appolyn went to the cyte poorely arayed as he was.

¶How kynge Appolyn poorely arayed entred within y^e cyte of Terme and played with the kynge. Ca. x.

KYnge Appolyn comen in to the cyte he wyste not what to do / but behelde all about to se the cyte in abydynge the conuercyon of fortune / and as he wente towarde the kynges palays he sawe comynge a yonge man that cryed to the lordes / cytezyns / pylgryms and all other of what estate or degree so euer they were that wolde play with the swerde rebated and at the shel­de lete them appareyle theyr feate redy and come to a place that he assygned. Whā Appolyn herde this crye he be­crye [Page] he began for to complayne hymselfe and sayd thus. Alas poore caytyf and myserable kynge what shalte thou do / whyder shalt thou go / thou hast grete cause for to complayne seynge that thou a kynge hast not soo moche as a poore begger or pylgryme / where ben thy treasours and rychesses / where ben thy precyous vestures and clothes / where ben thy lordes and seruauntes: thy grete coursers & stedes for to ryde vpon thy fote men and pages to cōduyte the where as thou wolde be / thou arte dystytute and vn­purueyed of all thynges belongynge vnto the / for in stede of treasours and rychesses thou hast pouerte and nede / in stede of precyous vestures and clothes thou arte wrapped in a pyece of an olde mantel or cloke / in stede of lordes and seruauntes to reioyce the thou arte all alone in a straunge regyon full of sorowe and dolour of herte / in stede of cour­sers and myghty stedes to ryde vpon thou goost on thy fete vpon the bare stones in the fylthy stretes and wayes / in stede of fote men and pages to conduyte the thou hast a staffe for feere of beestes goynge amonge poore pylgry­mes and beggers whiche take scorne of the / alas y^u mayst well complayne thy grete mysfortunes yet neuertheles y^u shalt not abyde behynde but put thy selfe forthe amonge the other poore pylgrymes to se the kynge and the maner of his realme (& yf it happen) to playe with some persone. In makynge these complayntes with many syghes and teeres the myddaye passed. And after dyner the kynge named Archystrates and all the lordes came for to se y^e play Than they began to playe bothe lordes and other gentyl­men a grete whyle. Whan Appolyn had longe beholden y^e playe he demaunded of one and of other of poore estate yf they wolde play for to do pleasure to the company / but of [Page] them all none there was that wolde answere hym but dysdeyned to play w^t hym for his poore clothes and rayment This seynge the kyng Archystrates lorde of the cyte he entred in to the playe accompanyed with many knyghtes & squyres and sawe that there was none that wolde playe agaynst Appolyn / he toke vp the swerde and began to smyte fast / and as euyll clothed as Appolyn was he retorned to the kynge and helde hym ryght shorte. The lordes seynge Appolyn so poorely arayed smyte vnto the kinge so hardely they wolde haue chased hym away / but the kynge cō maunded them to lete hym alone. The kȳge played yet an other torne / and Appolyn retorned it more styfly. Whan the kynge sawe hym play so he merueyled of hym gretely / and sware to y^e knyghtes by his crowne that neuer in his dayes he had founde none that played soo nymbly and soo expertly as he dyde. Whan Appolyn herde how the kynge praysed and commended his playenge to the knyghtes he reioyced gretely / and in maner halfe shamefast and glad he shewed certayne strokes of y^e shelde or bokeler whiche pleased the kynge moche. And whan the playe was fynys­shed Appolyn toke leue curtesly of y^e kynge and departed. Whan he was gone the kynge sayd vnto his knyghtes I twere to you by my saluacyon that syth the daye of my natyuyte I sawe neuer a better and more gentyll player at the swerde and shelde than he is to my gre and pleasure / & it dyspleaseth me that I knowe not what he is / for myn herte Iugeth hym to be extrayt of some noble house. And anone he called one of his gentylmen and badde hym for to go and se yf he myght fynde the poore man that played at the shelde hym and brynge hym to the courte. Than the gentylman departed and founde Appolyn / and whan he [Page] sawe hym apparayled in so vyle and poore vestures he re­torned without saynge of ony worde and went to y^e kynge and sayd. Syr that man that ye demaunde ought and se­meth to be a fyssher or elles a rower in a galey or els some shyppe swayne. How knowest thou it sayd the kynge. Certaynly his habyte or clothynge demonstreth and sheweth it by reason. Ha sayd the kynge the habyte maketh not the relygyous man / and therfore incontynent retorne thou to hym and tell hym that I demaunde hym. Than the gen­tylman retorned as the kynge commaunded hym & foun­de Appolyn syttynge & wepynge for his departynge from so noble a company and sayd to hym. Aryse and come and speke with the kynge for he demaundeth the. This heryn­ge Appolyn he wyped his vysage / and for to obey vnto the kynge he arose all sorowfull and folowed the gentylman vnto the gate of y^e kynges palays / and than he sayd vnto the gentylman. Frende I wyll not entre for ony thynge: for there within is none but men of worshyp & grete esta­tes / and to me for to entre within a palays royall so euyll arayed it were grete scorne and shame. But goo vnto the kynge and praye hym to tell the his wyll and I shall aby­de the here. The squyre went vnto the kynge & sayd. Syr the poore man y^t ye demaunde is at the gate & wyll not en­tre / for he sayth that he shall be ashamed for to come in to suche a noble court as yours is in so euyll & foule clothȳge Than the kynge commaunded y^t he sholde haue one of his robes & that he sholde be well clothed / and so it was done. Whan kynge Appolyn was well appoynted he entred in to the palays / & whan he came in to the hall he made reuerence ryght honourably vnto the kynge and vnto all the lordes and assystentes. Thenne the kynge ryght curteysly [Page] welcomed hym and badde hym sytte saynge / thou shalte soupe this daye with me amonge my knyghtes. Appolyn than beynge shamefast lete hȳselfe somwhat to be prayed but at the laste he sate hym downe at the table / and w^tout etynge he behelde the noble company of lordes and grete estates for he had ben accustomed for to lyue in nobles and to be nourysshed in honour. Thus as be loked all about a grete lorde that serued at the kynges table sayd vnto the kynge. Certes syr this man wolde gladly your honour for he dooth not ete but beholdeth hertely your noble magny­fycence and is in poynt to wepe. Certaynly sayd the kynge peraduenture he hath lost mo goodes than these ben / and therfore he hath remembraunce of theym now.

¶How kynge Appolyn souped in the kynges hall. Ca. xi.

AS he sate and behelde the kynge bad hym ete and be mery & better thinges and greter gyue you god. And in saynge these wordes came in the kynges doughter accompanyed with ma­ny ladyes and damoyselles whose splendente beaute were to longe to endyte / for her rosacyate coloure was medled with grete fauour. She dranke vnto her fa­der and to all the lordes / and to all them that had ben at y^e play of the shelde. And as she behelde here and there she espyed kynge Appolyn & than she sayd vnto her fader. Syr what is he that sytteth so hye as by you / it semeth by hym that he is angry or sorowfull. The kynge sayd I can not tell what he is my lefe doughter / but I sawe neuer so nimble and pleasaunt a player at the shelde and therfore haue I made hym for to come & soupe with my knyghtes. And yf ye wyll knowe what he is demaunde hym / for peraduē ture he wyll tell you sooner than me. And whan he hathe tolde you ye may tell hym some thynge & gyue hym some good / for me thynke that he is departed frome some good place / and I thynke in my mynde that some thynge is be fallen hym for the whiche he is sory. This sayd the noble damoysell wente vnto Appolyn & sayd. Fayre syr graunt me a boone. And he graunted her with good herte / & she sayd vnto hym. All be it that your vysage be tryst & heuy your behauour sheweth noblesse and facundyte / and therfore I pray you to tel me of your affayre and estate. Appolyn answered / yf ye demaūde of my rychesses I haue lost them in y^e see. The damoysell sayd I pray you that ye tell me of your aduētures y^t I may vnderstōde you playnly.

¶How Appolyn fell in conceyte with the kynges dough­ter of Terme for playenge on the harpe. Ca. xii

APpolyn herynge the wyll of the damoysell began for to tell his aduersytees and vnfortunate aduentures had vpon the see and elles where. And whan he had ended his parlement he began for to wepe tenderly with many sadde syghes. Whan the kynge sawe hym so wepe he sayd vnto his doughter. Certaynly ye haue doone euyll / for thorow your wordes he hathe renouelled and begon his dolours. Wherfore I wyll that for to appease all his sorowes and persuacyons ye gyue hym of myn all that it pleaseth you. Whan the damoysell Archycastres vnderstode y^t she had puyssaunce for to gyue hym what she wolde she had grete pleasure / & anone she came vnto Appolyn and sayd. Leue thy wepynge from hensforthe / for syth it hath pleased vn­to my fader that I gyue the of his goodes I shall make y^e ryche. Appolyn all wepynge thanked her humbly & sayd. [Page] Honourable lady I thanke you of the worshyp y^t ye wold me (more than I am worthy. Durynge this tyme y^e kȳge came to his doughter and sayd. Fayre doughter I praye you play a lytell vpon your harpe for to reioyce this gentyl man & brȳge hym out of his heuy thoughtes in to lyghter The damoysel anone sent for her harpe / and whan it was comen she sowned so swetely as in the worlde had not ben her parayle. Appolyn behelde her ryght amourosly & sayd neuer aworde. Than sayd the kȳge vnto hym. Gentylmā what do ye thynke / eche man reioyceth of the feest of my doughter and ye say nothynge how say ye playeth she not well. Syr sayd Appolyn your doughter sowneth meruay­lously well and syngeth armonyously. But yet for feere of your dyspleasure and hers yf I helde the harpe I coude shewe you where she fayleth. Than the mayden gaue her harpe vnto Appolyn the whiche began to sowne to swetely that echone meruayled of his fayre playenge sayng that he was parfyte in the arte. Than was the damoysell soo amourous on Appolyn that it may not be recounted / and than she sayd vnto her fader. Ye haue promysed me that al that I wolde gyue vnto this gentylman sholde contente you. Truly sayd the kynge I am content that ye gyue hȳ what it pleaseth you. Than Archycastres amourously be­helde Appolyn and sayd. Dere frende for y^e loue y^t I haue vnto you / & for your well playenge on the harpe w^t the ly­cence of my fader I gyue you .CC. be sauntes of golde / & xx. mark of syluer / & cloth of golde to clothe you w^t / & .xxiiii clothes of sylk for .xxx. of your men / & so it was done: wherfore echone praysed y^e fraūchyse of y^e kyng & his doughter.

¶How Archycastres was loue seke for Appolyn. Ca. xiii

WHan the feest was fynysshed and doone Appolyn toke leue of the kyng and of his doughter and thanked them ryght humbly of y^e honoure and worshyp that they had doone vnto hym. After that he hadde taken leue he toke that y^t was gyuen to hym / and than he and his seruauntes went theyr waye togyder for to take theyr lodgys in the towne But whan the damoysell sawe that her welbeloued fren­de went his way she doubted that she sholde neuer se him agayne and sayd vnto her fader. Fayre fader syth that it hath pleased your debonayre for to do so moche honour & goodnes vnto this gentyll man I pray you lete hym not go out of your palays for to lodge in the towne / for vnto you it sholde be grete shame seynge y^t there is lodgis suffycyent for hym within your court. And on the other parte he is a straunger not knowynge the maner and condycy­ons of the people of this your realme / wherfore some may doo hym suche thynge that ye sholde not be well content. It pleaseth me well sayd the kynge that he abyde in the courte and haue a chambre for hym and for his seruaūtes. The damoysell than hadde grete Ioye and sente a squyre after Appolyn and made him for to retorne vnto her / and than she made for to apparayle a fayre chambre nygh vn­to hers. Kynge Appolyn was so fyxed in y^e herte of Archy­castres that she myght not forbere the presence of hym / ne suffre hym to go out of the courte / she myght not slepe nor take her reste / but alwaye thought on the beaute & bounte of Appolyn / and laye tornynge and walowynge without ony repose or ease. For to tell the sorowe that she made for Appolyn were to longe for to recounte. On a mornynge betyme as she laye in her bedde and myght not slepe for [Page] the thynkynge on kynge Appolyn / she arose and as halfe amased for loue she went out of her chamber and entred in to the chamber of the kynge her fader. And whan the kynge sawe her he sayd. Fayre doughter what eyleth you that ye be rysen thus erly. Whan Archycastres herde the voyce of her fader as she had wakened out of her slepe she gaue a sterte / and sodaynly al abasshed she sayd. Ryght honoured fader knowe ye that the grete voluute and wyll y^t I haue for lerne the scyence of this gentylman letteth me for to slepe and to take my naturall reste / and therfore I beseche you y^t it wyl please you for to speke vnto hȳ / and y^t he shewe and teche me his arte. The kynge ryght Ioyous of the wordes of his doughter and of her wyll arose and went vnto the chambre of Appolyn whome he founde makynge a songe of his mysfortunes and vnhappynesses / & songe it with many syghes and lamentacyons and played it on an harpe syttynge in his bedde. Than the kynge salued hym / and Appolyn hym agayne gyuȳge hym good day and than Archystrates sayd. O [...]entyll man the vertue of your affyled engyn and of your armonyous scyence moe­neth my doughter Archycastres incessauntly for to be en­doctryned of you. Wherfore I promyse you vpon the fy­delyte & trouthe that I owe vnto y^e dyademe of Terme that yf ye wyll do my volunty and heest for to rendre vnto you as moche as ye haue loste in the see and vpon the lōde Appolyn answered ryght humbly that he was redy and content for to fulfyll and do therin his commaundement. Than Appolyn arose and made hym redy and came in to Archycastres chambre where he founde her syttynge sore studyenge. And whan Appolyn approched to her and that she espyed hym lytell lacked that she ne swouned for Ioye [Page] but she absteyned her courage & hydde her chere as wel as she coude / and than he salued her and she hym agayne reuerently and anone sent for her harpe & prayed hym for to teche her of his arte. And he shewed her dylygently so that within a whyle she became a good maystresse of his arte. For she had a parfyte style & an excellente wytte / & many goodly wordes spake she vnto hym / and in no maner coude she vnto her gre shewe her loue vnto hym tyll on a day that she was so feruently taken in his loue that she coude no longer bere it / and than she fayned an other accydent & layde her downe seke in her bed. And whan y^e kynge wyst it he was sory & sente for physycyens & surgyens but they founde no sekenes in her that they myght remedy / & thus was she longe seke / and the kynge her fader was dolente / for he had no chylde but her / the whiche was al his Ioye.

¶How two kynges sones came to haue had Archicastres in maryage. Ca. xiiii.

VPon a day the kynge went out at the gate of the palays for to solace and sporte hym in y^e feldes / and whan he hadde gone a whyle he espyed comynge two kynges sones the whiche oft tymes had demaūded his doughter in maryage. They salued the kynge in the honourablest wyse that they myght / and he full frēdely and curteysly rendred thē theyr salutacyon. And after many wordes they entred in to y^e palays with grete solempnyte and tryumphe. Whan they had soiourned there a certayne tyme y^e kynge demaū ded of them sayenge. How & wherfore are ye comen hyder togyder. Certaynly syr sayd one of theym ye knowe well that we demaunde and requyre your doughter to wyfe / we haue ben here certayne tymes & ye haue alwayes pro­longed vs with wordes / and ye knowe wel of what lygnage we ben comen / and therfore we ben hyder comen for to knowe vnto whiche of vs bothe it pleaseth you best for to gyue your doughter. As for that sayd y^e kynge ye be ryght welcom / but ye ben comen in an euyll season as in y^t poynt for my doughter lyeth seke and hath done longe whiche sore dyspleaseth me. And for that ye say that I prolonge you by wordes wryte eche of you his name in a rolle & I shall sende it to my doughter / and whan she hath redde the rol­les she shall chese one of you bothe the whiche her semeth best to her owne pleasure / and as she cheseth I shall holde me contente. And than eche of them wrote his name in a rolle and gaue them vnto the kynge / and forthwith he dy­de sende them vnto Archycastres his doughter by Appo­lyn y^e whiche after salutacyon made presented them vnto-Archycastres saynge. All the souerayne celestyall goddes gyue you good lyfe and Ioye. The kynge your moost wel [Page] beloued fader greteth your ladyship by me symple and vnworthy seruaunt sendynge you these rolles for to certyfye whiche of the two prynces ye seme best vnto your honour and preemynence. And whan the damoysell sawe & herde the noble Appolyn speke so demurely and sawe the goodly countenaunce of hym and his behauoure she hadde grete Ioye and sayd. Gentylman how ben ye comen here al alone without company or felawshyp. Madame sayd Appo­lyn. My lorde the kynge your fader sent me hyder w^t these two rolles and prayeth you that ye sende bryefly y^e responce. Than the damoysell toke the rolles of Appolyn and began for to rede them / and whan she had redde theym she stode styll and sayd no worde / and than she behelde Appolyn in castynge a grete sygh and after she sayd vnto hym. By the faythe of your body wolde ye not haue grete do­lour in your herte yf I toke you to husbande and leue all other lordes for your sake. Appolyn y^e whiche thought no harme answered and sayd. Certes madame I sholde ha­ue grete Ioye yf ye hadde suche a prynce to your make as vnto your hyghnes apperteyneth for there can none be to bountefull for your persone / for yeare parfyte in beaute / bounte / and scyence. Certaynly sayd the damoysell Archicastres yf that ye loued me as moche as I loue you at the herte and courage ye wolde not saye as ye do for nothȳge. And whan she hadde fynisshed her wordes she toke paper penne and ynke and by grete hardynesse of loue that en­braced her herte towarde Appolyn she wrote a lettre con­teynynge the feruent desyre and amourous prouocacions of her mynde and sealed it with a knotte of loue / and than she gaue it vnto Appolyn her loue for to bere it to her fa­der / and the wrytynge sayd thus.

MY moost redoubted and of me moost honoured my lorde my fader syth that it hath pleased your grace for to wryte your mynde and voluntary goodnes vnto me your humble doughter and handmayden for myn ho­nour and felycyte that is for to put me to y^e choyse of one of the two noble prynces for to elect and take to lorde and make / (I indygne sauf onely by y^e feate of your hyghnes) wherof I inwardly thanke you. But knowe ye y^t I wyll and yf it please your haboundaunt bounte haue hym the whiche hath passed the daungerous vndes and perylles of the see / all other to refuse. And meruayle you not of me so symple a vyrgyn without shame & dyshonoure to haue wryten vnto you my wyll whiche I durste not shewe by the relacyon of my tonge.

¶How Appolyn bare lettres vnto the kynge. Ca. xv.

AS y^e lettre was made and sealed Appolyn re­ceyued it of the fayre damoysell Archycastres and toke his leue of her ryght curteysly / & she of hym full amourously / and lothe for to haue hym out of her felawshyp. And whan he came before the kynge he delyuered hym the lettre. Whan kȳge Archycastres had receyued it he went a lytel asyde & redde it / whan it was redde he torned hym to the two prynces & sayd. Whiche of you hathe passed the perylles of the see. Than answered one of them. I am he. The other prynce this herynge was moeued with anger & sayd. How darest thou say say suche thynges before the kynge and me. For thou & I haue ben nourysshed togyder all our lyfe dayes without separacyon and neuer we entred in to y^e see / how mayst thou than haue passed the perylles of it. Whan the kynge vnderstode y^t it was none of them twayne he sayd Appolyn. Rede ye this lettre for to se yf ye can vnderstan­de that the whiche I can not. Appolyn at the kynges commaundement redde the lettre and founde that it spake of hym / than he waxed all reed and drewe hym asyde. Than the kyng sayd / haue ye founde the tenoure of the lettre / & Appolyn answered neuer a worde. The kȳge behelde his countenaunce and sawe that he sayd no worde / he aduy­sed hym of the perylles of the see that Appolyn had passed and than he knewe perfytely that the lettre spake of hym and the loue that his doughter Archycastres had to hym / wherof he had grete Ioye in saynge vnto Appolyn / wherfore are ye ashamed of the endytynge of this letttre for I haue grete pleasure of that that my doughter wylleth the thȳge that I desyre. Notwithstandynge that I neuer shewed nor durst tel ne make relacion to her of it. Whan they [Page] hadde fynysshed theyr communycacyon the kynge wente towarde the two kynges sones and sayd. Truely I tolde you that ye were not comen in a good season forcause of y^e infyrmite & sykenesse of my doughter Archycastres / wherfore ye may retorne in to your countrees / and whan she is guarysshed and hole I shal sende for you for at this tyme ye can not spede. This heryng the two prynces they were not well content. And than they toke leue of the kynge ho­nourably and retorned in to theyr countrees vnpurueyed of theyr entencyons. Than the kynge Archycastres toke Appolyn by the hande and entred ioyously in to y^e palays & so in to the chambre of the fayre damoysell Archycastres And as sone as she espyed her fader she salued hym honourable / and he rendred her salutacyon and sayd. My moost welbeloued doughter whom haue ye chosen for your lorde and husbonde. The damoysell herynge thexamynacyon of her fader espouentably kneled downe afore hym and sayd. O myghty kynge and fader syth it hath pleased you for to knowe my mynde and femynyne volunte y^e whiche is reasonable / knowe ye therfore that I hadde leuer haue hym the whiche hath passed the daungerous passages of y^e see that is Appolyn than ony kynge or prynce that lyueth in this worlde. And of one thynge the whiche I shall tell you I beseche you for to pardon me and that ye wyll accepte my petycyon / that is that yf ye gyue me not vnto hym certaynly ye shall lese me and neuer durynge my lyfe shal I haue Ioye and consolacyon without the presence of his persone. And for his loue I haue suffred many infyrmy­tees and greuous afflyccyons of ardaunte desyres of loue syth y^e fyrst tyme that he played before the barony in your presence vpon my harpe without that euer ony knewe it. [Page] The kynge herynge the amourous and pyteous wordes of his doughter sayd. Ha welbeloued doughter know you certaynly that that y^e whiche pleaseth you dyspleaseth me not / and all your pleasure shall be fulfylled in this poynt at your owne desyre.

¶How kynge Appolyn espoused y^e fayre damoysel Archycastres the kynges doughter of Terme. Ca. xvi.

THan incontynent kynge Archycastres sent for all the barons and grete lordes of his realme & sayd [Page] vnto them. Lordes and frendes knowe ye that I wyll shewe vnto you myn entent & wherfore that I haue sent for you. The cause is this that I wyl gyue my doughter Archicastres vnto Appolȳ in maryage. And therfore dy­splease you not / for it pleaseth me and my doughter also. And thanked be our lord y^t she hath chosen a mā so secrete and so intellectyf as he is. Whan the barōs vnderstode y^e wordes of the kynge and the effect of his entent they we­re accorded & were ryght Ioyfull of it. The noble kynge seynge the perfyte wyll and true entēt of his baronny he was ryght well pleased and thanked thē saynge that as true subgectes they had accorded vnto theyr souerayne and lyege lorde. And that he assygned vnto his barons a certayne day for to come vnto y^e spousayles of his dough­ter / for he wolde that they shold be there in the honoura­blest wyse that myght be ordeyned and had / & that they sholde spare for none exspence / and so they dyde. Whan y^e day of the spousaylles was comen y^e damoysell Archyca­stres was appareylled and aourned in the moost tryum­phaunt maner that coude be deuysed / in clothes of golde set with fyne perles and precyous stones / and owches of grete value. And y^e noble kynge Appolyn was clothed in the same suyte also. Than after that y^e espousaylles was finysshed they reentred in to the palays with grete melo­dy of mynstrelles and musycyens. But for to recount of y^e seruyces that day / y^e tryumphe and noblesse of that feest: y^e games and dedes of worthynes that was there deter­myned / of the ryche gyftes that were gyuē to lordes and ladyes it were to longe for to recount. What sholde I make longe processe all thynge was doone so nobly that no man was myscontent / but reioyced gretly of y^e excellence [Page] therof. And the feest accomplysshed and done the lordes & estates of the realme toke theyr leue of the kynge & at Appolyn and at the fayre damoysell Archicastres and retor­ned with grete Ioy and tryumphe in to theyr countrees and lordshyppes.

¶How tydynges came by a galey to kȳge Appolyn that the kynge of Anthyoche was deed. xvj.

A Certayne tyme after the ryche maryage and espousalles of the noble Appolyn was ache­ued and done y^e damoysell Archicastres wax­ed grete of a doughter wherof y^e kyng her fa­der and Appolyn were ryght Ioyous. Vpon a certayne day as Appolin came from studye / he and his [Page] spouse fayre Archycastres wente for to sporte them vpon the ryuage of the see / and as they walked vnder the sha­dowe of y^e boughes they sawe where as came swymmȳ ­ge a myghty vessel that aryued at the porte or hauen of y^e cyte. Whan Appolyn hadde seen and beholden it a whyle he sayd fayre loue and lady lete vs go and se yonder fayre vessell / with a good wyll sayd Archicastres / so they wēte vnto the galey. And whan Appolyn had longe beholden it and aduysed y^e maner and speche of y^e galyotes and by many other sygnes he knewe that it was of his realme of Thyre. Thā he demaūded of the patron of whens the galey was / and wherfore it was so decked and arayed w^t blacke. The patrō all sorowfully sayd / we ben of y^e kyng­dome af Thyre. Appolyn this herynge was gladde / & in a maner sory / for he wyst not wherfore it was comē into y^e countree / whyder for his socoure or for to dystroy hym. And than Appolyn sayd / ye ben of my countree. Dere syr sayd the patron I knowe you not / but I pray you tell me yf it please you yf ye knowe ony tydynges of the lorde of Thyre. Certaynly sayd Appolȳ I wote wher he is. Alas syr sayd the patron for god / yf ye wolde shewe me hym ye myhht do to hym grete honour and to me grete Ioy and pleasure / for we ben comen hyder for to feche hym and to brynge hȳ in to his realme royall of Thyre / for kyng An­thiogus of Anthyoche & his doughter for whō our noble kynge is out of his realme & coūtree ben deed wretchedly by y^e thonder that fell vpō them / and all his kyngdomes / lordeshyppes and treasoures be kept for our good kynge Appolyn. Than was Appolyn gladde and sayd vnto his wyfe archycastres. Swete loue now may ye knowe yf y^e aduentures that I haue tolde you ben true or not. And I [Page] praye you hertely as ye loue me that ye be not dyspleased of one thynge that is that I wyll go & receyue my prete­ryte realme & the other the whiche ben for me attendaūt and comen by ryght. The damoysell than wepyng sayd. Appolyn swete lorde and frende I thynke this that yf ye were ferre fro me ye wolde come vnto myn enfauntemēt and delyueraunce of chylde. Wherfore I pray you y^t you leue me not alone / but haue me with you. Appolyn seyn­ge and vnderstandynge the parfyte loue that she hadde vnto hym sayd. I am content yf it please my lorde youre fader. Than wente the damoysell vnto the kynge her fa­der and sayd. Right honoured and redoubted fader reioy­ce you and be mery / for true it is that kynge Anthiogus of Anthioche and his doughter ben put to dethe by thon­der of y^e heuens for that he enhabyted & kept her as par­amours / and all his kyngedomes & seygnouryes apper­teyneth vnto my well beloued husbande & lorde Appolyn the whiche wyll go and receyued them / for a galey of his countree is aryued at an hauen here by the whiche hath denounced vnto hym all the fayte / and abydeth tyll hy departe / wherfore I praye you yf it please you for to gyue me lycence to go w^t hym / for though ye lete go one dough­ter with the grace of y^e potencyall goddes we shall retor­ne twayne. The kynge beynge gladde and Ioyfull of the wordes of his doughter & of her tydynges he vnto her & accorded in all that she wolde. And anone he made to or­deyne and apparayle shyppes and dromōdes with all suche thinges as to them necessary was / and many ladyes and damoyselles and her nouryce named Lycordes for to helpe her yf necessyte happened. And than Appolyn & Archicastres toke leue of the kynge and in goodly aray they [Page] mounted vpon the see for to go vnto y^e realme of Anthyo­che and Thyre.

¶How kyng Appolyn entred the see with his wyfe / and how she was delyuered of a doughter. Ca. xviij.

KYnge Appolyn and Archycastres beynge on the see sayled longe with grete tryumphe and Ioye and so longe they exployted by theyr Iourneys that they came in to the hye see / and thā the fayre weder began for to chaunge and the wynde arose makynge grete noyse and it thondred and lyghtned impyteously that all they were sore abasshed. Than on a daye after grete trauayle feere and payne Archycastres began for to tra­uayle of chylde with grete throwes and dyseases & was [Page] delyuered of a fayre doughter / but for coldenes and we­rynes wherwith she was surprysed all y^e vaynes of her body opened and the bloode ranne by al the conduytes of the matryce that was newly opened soo that the bloode congyled within her body that she laye as she hadde ben deed. And all the damoyselles and gentylwomen sayd y^t there was no lyfe in her and that they coude not remedy it for she hadde taken a surfyte of colde in her conceyuyn­ge. Whā Appolyn sawe his wyfe thus tourmented and left for deed he toke her in his armes kyssinge her swetly and sayd. Ha my swere loue y^e onely doughter of a kynge and myn espouse the which from the perdycyō of the see hath me deliuered & restored / which in one onely houre I haue lost. Alas what shall I say to y^e kynge your fader y^t I haue done w^t you / alas I wote not / whyder shall I go / or where shall I reste that my herte be not sorowfull / certes I wote not. Ha countreuerse fortune / varyaunt & vnstable y^e which persecuteth thus me poore kyng. Suf­fyseth it not the to haue chased me out of my realme and drowned my shyppes and seruaūtes but that y^u must be­reue me of my wyfe that I so moche loued / and y^t was al my conforte and desyre. Truely thou ponysshest me sore / but neuertheles I am not the fyrst nor the laste that thou hast had lust to play y^e fole w^t / but alway thanked be god. In makynge these complayntes & many other he enbra­ced her bytwene his armes w^t so feruent affeccyō y^t he fel ouerth warte her in a swoune more thā halfe an houre / & whan he came agayne to hymself he made y^e pyteoust cō ­playntes y^t ony mā myght here. And thus as he cōplay­ned the patron came to hym and sayd. Syr all that ye do & we also auayleth nothynge / for ye muste cast this body [Page] in to the see. Appolyn than loked vpō hym furyously and sayd. O cursed man how arte thou so hardy for to tell me that I sholde cast in to y^e see the corps that hath done vn­to me so moche honour and worshyppe / the patron than sayd vnto hym agayne. But yf ye wyll that you & all we dye and perysshe in the water cast that body in to the see. For ye knowe wel that y^e see bereth no body that deed is. Whan Appolin herde this he doubted y^e perylles that he had passed afore tyme. And recoūted vnto the patron the maner how he escaped the perylles of y^e fee / & of the kyn­denesses done to hym by that damoysell.

¶How after that Archicastres was delyuered she was cast in to the see in an arche of leed. Ca. xix.

AS Appolin had ended his tale and sawe that he must nedes caste his wyfe in to y^e see wyte ye well he was sory in his herte / & lete make a fayre arche well leeded and surely / & made for to aray his wyfe in the goodlyest and best aournementes that she had / and set a ryche crowne vp­on her heed and layde her so within the arche / and he put vnder her heed an hondred besauntes of fyne golde with a lytell breuet or lettre that sayd thus. Thou that findest this arche take y^e halfe of the golde that is therin & with the other halfe lete this corps be honourably sepultured and buryed / the whiche thynge yf thou do not I pray to the heuenly goddes that thou mayst be the last of thy ly­gnage / and that thou mayste dye as a cursed creature / & that thou mayst neuer fynde ony that wyll bury the / and this doone they closed y^e arche faste so that no water shol­de come therin / and with grete sorowe and moche lamentacyon and wepynge they lete it falle in to the see softely / prayenge vnto the sempyternal goddes for to sende her a good hauen and buryell accordynge to her degree. Than kynge Appolin made his doughter curyously and ryche­ly for to be nourysshed thynkynge alway that in tyme for to come to shewe her vnto her grantfader in the stede of his wyfe. Thus leue we Appolyn vpon the see makyng grete lamentacyon for his wyfe / and speke we of Archy­castres that aryued in the londe of Ephesym.

¶How Archycastres was foūde and made hole / and af­ter went in to a monastery of Dyane. Ca. xx.

THe seconde daye after that the quene was cast in to the see she aryued in the londe of y^e Ephe­syens. Thā it was so that a physycyan called Cyromon dwelled nyghe to the ryuage of these where as y^e arche aryued. This physycyan vpon a daye sported hym vpon the see stronge and sawe this arche the whiche came tombelynge & rollyng in the wawes of the water that kest it vpon the londe. Thā he made his seruauntes for to take it vp and bere it home to his hous thynkynge to haue founde therin grete treasoures and made incontynent for to open it and foūde the la­dy within it hauynge y^e vysage as well coloured as euer she had / and he thoughte that by false dethe she had ben cast in to the see. And thā he sayd. Ha swete lady ye haue made to cast many a teere of your frendes / and than they founde the byll y^t was vnder her heed and whā they had [Page] redde it they thought y^t the best remedy was to bury her Thus as they were thynkynge & deuysynge there came in one of his prentyses ryght experte & of good wytte the whiche incontynent toke of the best oyntementes that he had & sayd. We muste se yf this lady haue ony lyfe or not Than he enbawmed all her body softely and dylygently / and whā he had done his felawes & his mayster tasted y^e poūces of her armes / and her nose / and they coude fynde no heet & they all sayd that she was deed / but y^e appren­tyse sayd. Certes I haue good esperaūce that she is aly­ue / and yf ye wyll suffre me this nyght with her I shall enforce me to socour her from dethe. His demaunde was alowed of all his felawes / and his mayster accorded / and than he put her in a fayre softe bedde and warmed grete foyson of oyles & dystylled waters and wrapped her bo­dy in warme shetes so that within a whyle y^e conduytes that were shytte began for to open and flowe / and y^e blo­de that was congyled begā for to renne in to euery vayne and y^e Ioyntes and synewes began for to waxe souple y^e tofore was styffe and colde / and her coloure came more & more. And whan the houre of mydnyght came y^e lady be­gan to speke and sayd. What so euer thou be touch me no more for I am a kynges doughter. Whā the yonge phy­sycyan herde her speke for Ioy that he hadde he ranne to his mayster and sayd. I requyre you come & se my cure. Whā his mayster entred in to the chambre and herde the lady speke y^t he helde for deed he sayd. Certaynly I loue & prayse thy cure / & more conuenyent it were for y^t to be a mayster than apprentyse / wherfore I praye y^e that thou leue her not for faute of syluer for she hath brought ynou­ghe w^t her / and than they ordeyned her metes & drynkes [Page] & all thynges that was necessary for her / so that within shorte space she was parfytely hole / & than they demaū ­ded her what her entencyon was to doo. And she prayed them for to enquere where ony monastery were wher as honourably she myght dwell / and so they dyde. And she payed them with suche gold as she had brought at theyr owne pleasure / and than they ledde her vnto a monasteri of women whereas the goddesse Dyane was adoured & worshypped. And there abode all womē that wolde kepe chastite. And they dyde her this honour bycause she sayd always that she wold kepe chastyte.

¶How Appolyn aryued at Tharcye and left his doughter with Tranyuyle and Dyonyse his wife. Ca xxj.

WHan Appolyn had cast the quene his wyfe in to the see he sayled so longe with many dolo­rous complayntes that he aryued in the cyte of Tharcye y^e whiche he had delyuered from honger. And anone he wente to the hous of his frendes Tranquyles and Dyonyse his wyfe whereas he was honourably receyued / & vnto thē he recounted his payn­full aduentures wherof they hadde grete doole. And thā Appolyn sayd vnto them. Frendes syth I haue loste my moost welbeloued lady and wyfe in this maner I praye you that ye haue this yonge mayden my doughter and her nourysse for recommaunded / and that it wyll please you for to holde my doughter at whom with you for to be endoctrined and taught in good maners & thewes. For I haue esperaūce that she shall haue goodes & come to gre­te dominacyons. And I wyll that she be called and haue to name after your cyte that is Tharcie. And here is gol­de and syluer / perles and precyous stones / clothes of gol­de and sylkes / to thende that she be well and honestely re­tayned and besene as apperteyneth to her estate / & in ty­me to come I shall rendre the goodes that ye doo to her. And thus the goddes haue you in kepynge for I wyll go and receyue the realmes that ben ordeyned for me. And I make a vowe vnto god that I shal neuer shaue my berde vnto the tyme that my doughter be maryed. And I pro­myse you whā she is of aege to be maryed that I shal co­me and se you and not afore. And than eyther toke leue of other / & Appolyn remoūted vpon the see makynge grete sorowe for his wyfe. ¶Now leue we Appolyn vpon the see takynge his cours toward the countree of Egypte / & speke we of his doughter that he left with Tranquyle & [Page] Dyonyse his wyfe for to be instructe and lerned.

¶Whan the mayden was of the aege of .v. yeres Tran­quyle set her to scole with a yonge maydē his doughter y^t he had. Whan she was of the aege of .xiiij. yere she was so well taught in all nurtures and scyēces and of so good behauour that eche persone spake of her beaute / bounte / and curteysye. Vpon a daye as she came fro the scole she founde her nouryce seke / and she went and sate her dow­ne by her for she loued her moche / and she demaunded her what she eyled and conforted her in y^e best maner that she coude. Her nouryce herynge the confortable wordes / and perceyuynge the goodly mayntene and amyte of y^e may­den that was so tender of aege sayd in this wyse. Ryght honoured and moost excellent mayden & doughter I am sore seke. Wherfore I pray you gyue to me audyēce and vnderstāde well my wordes for they shal be to your salu­te and helthe in tyme comynge. Saye me fayre mayden who thynke ye is your fader & your moder / of what coū ­tree ye be and of what lygnage. This herynge y^e mayde she was sore abasshed for she went that Tranquyle had ben her fader and Dyonyse her moder & sayd. Certayn­ly my swete nouryse I thynke that Tranquile is my fader and Dyonyse his wyfe my moder / and that I am borne in this cyte of Tharcye wherof I bere the name / for I was neuer in no straunge countrees or regyons / ne I neuer knewe that I had other fader and moder. The nouryse herynge and knowynge the ygnouraunce of the mayden began strongely for to wepe in saynge vnto her. Dere doughter herkē vnto me to thende that no persone bere shame ne domage neyther to you ne to your fader I shall shewe and declare vnto you who is your fader and [Page] who is your moder and the lignage out of the whiche ye be abstracte and spronge.

¶How the nouryce recounted to the chylde Tarcye who was her fader and who was her moder and how her nouryce dyed. Ca. xxij.

CErtaynly your fader was named Appolin & is kȳg of Thyre & of many other realmes / & your moders name is archicastres doughter of Archycastres kynge of y^e cyte of Terme & ye were borne vpō y^e see / and your fader kest her in too the see in an arche of leed full of golde and syl­uer and a rollet or lettre that sayd / who that sholde fynde [Page] her sholde bury her honourably. Whan your fader hadde this done he toke all his confort in you / and deliuered you vnto me and vnto Tranquyle and Dyonyse his wyfe / & left with them grete rychesses for to mayntene you with and for to endoctryne and teche you maners. And whan he departed he made auowe neuer to shaue his berde vn­to the tyme y^t ye were maryed. And he promysed Tran­quyle for to retorne whā ye were of the aege to be mary­ed. But syth it is that he is abyden so lōge & that he hath sent no mesenger I thynke that he be deed / and therfore aduyse you. For after my dethe they that ye thynke for to be your fader and moder wolde do agaynst your honoure and therfore I wyll that ye goo in to the market place of this cyte / and there ye shall fynde on a pyler the ymage & semblaunce of your fader / take it by the hande and decla­re vnto the people all that I sayd vnto you. And whan y^e cytezyns shall here you they wyll remembre y^e goodnes that I haue herde say that your fader dyde to them in tyme past. Than y^e mayden thanked her nouryse debonary rely sayenge. Dere moder and nouryse yf that ye had dysceased or ye hadde shewed me this I sholde not haue knowen who was my fader and moder / and in sayenge these wordes the nouryse gaue vp the goost. And than y^t mayden wept and complayned pyteously and begā for to cry so hye that all they that were in the hous had meruayle what it myght be and came in to the chambre and foūde her nouryse deed therfore they were gretly abasshed and sore dysmayed / and they founde Tarcye that made y^e py­ceoust cōplayntes that ony myght make / for all her affy­aunce and trust was in her. Thā after the custome they wounde her and entyered her by the see syde. And by the [Page] cōmaundement of them of the cyte of Tharcye was ma­de a monument of coper for remembraunce of kynge Ap­polyn. Whan the mayden hadde worne the doole as lōge as she ought for to do she left it and than went vnto y^e sco­le. And always as she came homewarde she toke a bacyn full of water & wente and wasshed the tombe of her nou­ryce and kepte it contynually fayre and clene.

¶How Dyonyse Tranquyls wyfe ymagyned the dethe of Tarcye kynge Appolyns doughter. Ca. xxiij.

VPon a daye Dyonyse Tranquyles wyfe her doughter and Tarcye went for to sporte them And as they passed through the stretes / some yonge cytezyns or bachelers began for to say that well happy were he y^t myght haue one [Page] of yonder two damoyselles vnto his wyfe / and more of Tarcye than of the other. Whan Dyonyse herde the peo­ple prayse Tarcie for her beaute & semelynesse more than her doughter she thought a grete velany and contracte a­gaynst y^e same mayden saynge within her selfe. It is all redy .xiiij. yere passed syth her fader sawe her / and on the other syde her nouryse is deed / and now hath she none to kepe her but I / certes I shall fynde y^e meanes to be dys­acombred of her and put her to some secrete dethe / for yf she lyue she wyll haue the good renowne and reporte of y^e people / and moreouer she shal gete her a ryche maryage / and my doughter shall be set at nought. Whā she had en­ded her malycyous thought and purpose as an vnreaso­nable & enuyous beest she sente for an esclaue and drudge of hers named Theophyle y^e whiche dwelled without y^e cyte / whā she was comen Dyonyse sayd. Thou knowest well that thou hast serued me longe / and I haue well re­warded the / and for the I toke neuer none other in to my seruyce / wherfore yf thou wylte kepe my counceyle secrete y^t I shall tell y^e truely I shal make y^e ryche and I wyll do for the that thou shalt be content. The esclaue or bond-woman answered / all that lyeth in my power is redy for to do you seruyce. Certes sayd the cursed woman I wyll that thou go and put this mayden to dethe. Whā she herde her maystres speke so she sayd. Wherfore wyll ye put to dethe this fayre damoysell in whome all excellēt beau­te resplendyssheth / what harme hath she doone vnto you whan the cursed womā herde that thesclaue petyed her she as furyous and halfe enraged sayd. How darest thou be so hardy and counterdysaunt for to contrary and gayn say my commaūdement and wyll. Certes yf thou do not [Page] as I haue boden the I shall shewe y^e that it dyspleaseth me. Now auaunce the shortly and go and sle her inconty­nent. And whan thou hast slayne her I promyse the that I shall make the fre of thy seruage. Thesclaue than ano­ne toke a knyfe and wente and hydde it by the tombe of y^e nouryse to thende y^t whan the mayden came as she was accustomed she than to slee her. Whan the mayden came as tofore is sayd for to wasshe the tombe of her nouryce y^e esclaue toke her and had her to the see syde / & sayd to her. I wyll cut of thy heed. Whan the mayden herde her say so she was all afrayed of her wordes and countenaunce & in wepynge tenderly she sayd. A swete frende Theofyle what harme haue I done vnto the that thou wylt sle me and defyle thy handes in my symple and virgynall blode I pray the haue mercy vpon me. Whan Theophyle her­de her speke so pyteously she wept & sayd. I knowe well that ye neuer dyde harme vnto me / but I shall tell you y^e cause wherfore I wyll sle you. It is true that your fader lefte you well adoubed and rychely arayed & a ryght fayre damoysell the whiche is the cause of your dethe. Whā the mayden herde thesclaue saye so she sayd. I requyre y^e syth that I muste dye that y^u suffre me to make my pra­yers and commende my spyryte vnto god the fourmer of all creatures. Thou mayst pray ynough sayd thesclaue / but nedes must thou dye / and this that I do is by force & constraynt. And therfore thynke not that I haue y^e culpe for puttynge of the to dethe / but I praye the pardon me. Euē so as she made her prayers there came a galey swȳ ­mynge bytwene two waters that apperceyued wel that she wolde put the mayden to dethe. And than they begā for to crye as loude as they myght. Traytresse traytresse [Page] leue that damoysell for yf we may gete the y^u shalde deye & not she. Whan y^e esclaue herde how they of y^e galey cry­ed and sawe that they approched the lande she lefte there the maydē and ranne away as fast as she myght / & they of the galey came and toke Tarcye & had her w^t them / & demaunded her wherfore she wold haue put her to dethe And she answered that she coude not tell.

¶How after that the galey had away Tarcye y^e esclaue tolde Dyonyse that she had slayne her / and of the fayned sorowe that Dyonyse made. Ca. xxiiij.

WHan the esclaue sawe that they ledde her awaye / she retorned to Dyonyse & sayd. I haue done your [Page] maūdement. And therfore holde that ye haue promysed me. Why sayd her maystresse hast y^u commysed murdre & yet demaundest grace. Certes thou hast well deserued dethe / and therfore speke therof no more / but retorne shor­tely to thy laboure without delay. The esclaue thā all an­gry retorned vnto her werke in prayeng god for to shewe some example vnto that cursed womā / and rendred gra­ces vnto hym that he hadde not accomplysshed the synne of homycyde in that maydē and was ryght Ioyous of y^t the galey had saued her. The cursed & abhominable wo­man Dyonyse for to hyde and couer her cursednes and y^e dethe of the damoysell sent for all her kynnesmen and frē ­des and some of the cytezyns of Tharcye. And whā they were comen she with fayned semblaunce came out of her chambre all clothed in blacke / vnhosed & vnshodde in her heer makynge semblaūt for to be doleful and sory and be­gan for to saye. My kynnesmen and frendes knowe ye y^e Tarcye doughter of kynge Appolyn dyed this other day of sodayne dethe wherof we ben in grete sorowe / & in dy­enge she prayed me that she myght be buryed and entye­red besyde her nouryce / and so I haue buryed her there. And therfore I haue sente for you to thende that we doo some honoures vnto her for the loue of her fader the whiche hath doone so moche good for this cyte in tyme paste / whan they herde these tydynges they hadde grete doole for they wende that that she hadde sayd hadde ben very­table and trewe. Soo they ordeyned for her a fayre se­pulture and monumente of syluer curyously and rychely wrought as it apperteyned vnto the doughter of a kyng and that she sholde be entiered & layde at y^e fete of her nouryse as she had desyred / and so it was done honourably [Page] and put in wrytyng. Tarcye vyrgyn doughter vnto kynge Appolyn for the goodnes that her fader hath doone to this cyte in tyme passed hath ful well deserued thus to be buryed. And whan all this was doone they lete enclose y^e two tombes w^t walles of fayre marble. ¶Thus stynte we to speke of the cytezyns makynge grete lamentacyon for the dethe of Tarcye / and lete vs shewe of them that hadde her in the galey.

¶How the galey mē solde Tarcye to a ruffyen in the cy­te of Mylytayne. Ca. xxv.

THe galey in the which Tarcye was aryued at a cyte named Milytayne and there they ledde her for to sell as an esclaue and bondmayden / There was a ruffyen y^t was mayster of all y^e impudyke women and harlottes / & helde ma­ny wenches & women in publyke & open place. And whā he sawe Tarcye so fayre he thought that she shold wyn̄e more than ony of y^e other. And so he offred an hondred be­saūtes of fyne golde. But Anthygoras that was prynce of the cyte sette her at fyfty to thende that he sholde leue her / & bycause he sawe her so fayre he thought y^e it sholde be grete pyte that she were put in suche a shamfull place. And the ruffyen sayd y^t he wolde gyue alway .x. besaun­tes more than ony other. Anthygoras y^t herde hym thus speke sayd vnto hymselfe. What may I auayle to stryue agaynst this meschaūte and vnthryfty man for I maye nothynge wynne / for whan I se that he hath her I may be the fyrst that shall haue to do with her yf it please me / and as good shall she be to me as yf I hadde bought her with myn owne money. And thus she abode vnto y^e ruf­fyen y^e whiche dyde lede her in to y^e bordell & publyke pla­ce & put her in to a chambre wherin was an ymage ouer detestable & abhomynable for to se / and he badde her to worshyppe y^t ymage. But Tarcye y^t was sore dysplea­saunt to se it sayd. Neuer be god pleased yf I adoure and do honour vnto suche an ymage. Thou knowest not sayd the ruffyen that I haue bought the but knowe thou that I haue bought the for to put y^t in this place publyke for to wynne thy lyfe amonge other women / and to occupy thy body as they do. Whan y^e damoysell herde the ruffyē speke thus she fell downe vnto his fete & sayd. A good syr [Page] I pray you haue mercy on me / and y^t I lese not thus my vyrgynyte and maydēhede & not to be put in so abhomy­ble synne. Thā y^e ruffyen sayd in mockynge her. Ryse vp lady for wepȳge before a ruffyen ben but teeres lost. And than he called an esclaue that mynystred to all the other women & sayd. I wyll that thou make redy a fayre chā ­bre in y^e bordell for this mayden and that she be curyously clothed / and that thou go and make a crye through y^e cy­te that of all men that shall enhabyte with her carnally y^e fyrst shall gyue me a pounde of golde / and after that echo ne a peny of golde. Whan the thyrde day came y^t the crye was made Tarcye was ledde in to y^e bordell with sow­nes of taboures and trompettes. Than anone as Anthy­goras prynce of the cyte it wyste went and he dysguysed hymselfe and went to the bordell where as Tarcye was & whan he came there he sate hym downe by her & wol­de haue kyssed her & done his pleasure. But the mayden anone fell downe to his fete & sore wepynge helde vp her handes saynge. Syr what so euer ye be haue pyte & compassyon vpon me / & take not fro me in this wyse my vyr­gynyte / for ye knowe not what I am nor from whens I come. And to thende that ye knowe / I am doughter of y^e kynge of Thyre named Appolin / and than she recounted vnto hym all her aduentures and fortunes. Whā Anthi­goras herde the damoysell speke in y^t wyse he was moe­ued with mercy and pyte & sayd vnto her. Fayre damoy­sell ryse vp for by me ye gete no maner of harme ne dyshonoure but all y^e pleasure and seruyce that I may do shall be at your good commaundemente. And abasshe you no­thynge for euery persone must passe his good or euyl for­tunes and predestynacyons euen so as the celestyall god [Page] hath ordeyned vnto his pleasure. It is not lōge syth my wyfe dysceased and hath left me a doughter y^e which god maye in lykewyse dyspose yf it be his wyll. And therfore dysconforte you not & here is forty pēs in golde more thā your vyrgynyte is solde for. And therfore gyue it to them that shall come to you in prayenge them for to saue your honoure and kepe your madenhene / & whan ye haue gy­uen all ye shall haue more of me. The damoysell thanked hym ryght humbly prayenge hym that he sholde say no­thyng. And than she sayd / I beseche the hye god that he haue myserycorde vpon you as ye haue had compyssyon ouer me. Than Anthygoras full of pyte retorned in y^e cy­te all sorowfull for y^e poore damoysell that was in so fou­le mysery and perplexyte / that is beynge in feere for to be lost in carnall concupyscence and to lese y^t treasoure of her vyrgynyte. Than as soone as Anthygoras was gone y^e sclaue that receyued the wynnynges of y^e pudyke womē entred in to y^e chambre of Tarcye and sayd vnto her. Me thynketh that he whiche gooth away hath not habyted w^t the for he gooth wepyng. Thou hast not well aduysed hym sayd Tarcye / but neuertheles here is .xl. pēce of gol­ge y^t he hath gyuen me. And thus as they were spekyng another man entred in to the chambre and thesclaude de­parted. And y^e mā y^t abode with Tarcye sayd. Tell me by your trouth what he hath gyuē you y^t came to you fyrst. Forty pens sayd Tarcye. I knowe well nay sayd y^e man for he wolde haue had shame to haue gyuē so lytell / for he is prynce of this cyte and is named Anthygoras / & to the ende that ye knowe that I loue you better thā he here is fyfty. Anthigoras was hydde in a place wheras he her­de and sawe all y^t euer they dyde & sayd. And thā he sayd [Page] secretly vnto hymselfe / the more that I sholde gyue y^t more sholde I lese. Whan he had spoken ynough the yonge man wolde haue doone his wyll with her & gaue her .xl. pence of golde / but she anone kneled downe & cryed hym mercy / and tolde to hym her aduentures as she had done vnto Anthigoras. Whan the yonge mā herde and vnder stode her reason he had grete pyte in his hert / and sayd to her. Fayre syster aryse ye vp / for by me ye shall neyther haue dyspleasure ne shame / & wepynge for pyte wēt his way. Whan Anthygoras sawe hȳ out he went streyght vnto hym & sayd. I trowe that thou and I ben felawes in this affayre / tell me by thy faythe what it semeth the. Certes it is grete pyte for to here her speke / there they a­bode lōge beholdȳg thē y^t retorned w^t theyr purses empty.

¶How Tarcye gaue her money to the ruffyen / and how he wolde haue made his esclaue to lye w^t her. Ca. xxvj.

AS soone as y^e nyght was comē Tarcye went vnto y^e hous of her ruffyen and gaue his wy­fe all the money that she had receyued in say­enge / haue here the pryce of my vyrgynyte & maydenhede. The ruffyen sayd I can not tell how thou arte so Ioyous of this takynge / it behoueth y^e to take more largely than this / and so she brought euery daye more. Vpon a daye the ruffyen sayd vnto thesclaue y^e kept her / certaynly I knowe well that Tarcye is yet a mayden / wherfore I wyll that thou go & lye with her this nyght for to bereue her of her maydenhede. Thā the esclaue at nyght ledde her in to a fayre chambre wheras he thought to haue hadde his pleasure / and whā he had made hym redy and wolde haue gone to bedde with her he sayd. Tel me by thy faythe yf thou be yet a mayden or not. And she answered / what wolde ye yf. I be or not. Certaynly sayd he for I wyll knowe / for yf thou be a maydē thou sai [...]e be none or it be the mornynge. Tarcye this he­rynge was ryght pensyf and myscōtent / and with a me­ke and sorowfull he [...]e sayd. Veryly a mayden I am and shall be as longe as my creatoure wyll gyue me grace for to kepe me so. The esclaue thā said. I haue grete meruayle how thou getest so many pyeces of golde euery daye & arte yet a mayden as thou sayst. By my helthe sayd she a mayden am I / for whā ony man cometh hyder vnto me they gyue me it / and than I fall downe vpō my knees & crye them mercy and vnto them shewe and reherce myn estate and aduentures wherof they haue grete pyte and compassion / and they go theyr way and leue theyr money with me the which I gyue vnto your mayster. And thā the esclaue sayd. Knowe you that our mayster hath sente [Page] me hyder and hathe commaūded me for to slepe with the this nyght and to take away thy mayden hede / wherfore haste the and make the redy and go to bedde that I may accomplysshe and fulfyll his commaundemente. Tarcye thā all ferefull and espouented of his wordes fell prostra­te at the fete of the esclaue & cryed hym mercy in prayen­ge vnto god deuoutly sayenge. Fayre fader fourmer of y^e heuens and preseruatour of people I repete and praye y^e for to preserue and kepe y^e vyrgynal body of me thy poore ancylle and handmayden / and delyuer me that I be not thus vylaynously defouled and corrumped in this horry­ble vyce of lechery / and reconforte me poore desolate and dystytute kynges doughter. Whan theselaue herde y^t she sayd y^t she was a kynges doughter he was sore admer­uayled and sayd. Arte thou a kynges doughter for veray certaynte / ye syr in good faythe sayd she that am I. And than she began for to wepe and shewed and declared vnto hym her infortunate aduentures as she hadde done vnto the other aforesayd. Than thesclaue hadde grete pyte on her and sayd. In an euyll houre was our mayster borne for to holde and retayne suche a noble damoysell in suche a foule and dyshonest place for to be defloured in this vyle synne / and I doubt me moche of one thynge that is that ye may not longe kepe your pusyllage or vyrgynyte. It shall be kept sayd she as longe as it pleaseth my creatour y^t it be so. But wolde god that I had a lute for to playe on for by the meanes of a lute I thinke for to kepe my may­denhede well / for I shall make suche a melody w^t it that all that shall here it shall haue grete meruayle and delyte in y^e sowne of it. Damoysell sayd thesclaue gyue me mo­ney & I shall bye you one / & so she dyde. And he wente in [Page] to the cyte & bought a fayre lute & forthwith he brought it vnto her saynge. God gyue the grace to play with it ac­cordyng to thy desyre. And whā she had it she was ryght Ioyous / and than she began for to playe on it so melody­ously and soo meruaylously well that a man wolde haue left his mete and drȳke for to here her melody / wherfore the people were sore admeruayled and came from all partes of the cyte for to here and se her playe. And the more y^e she sawe the people come y^e more she sowned hye / & loude and the faster and better she played. And whan that she hadde played ynough vpon the lute she begā for to synge balladdes and rondelles that it was Ioy for to here / and in syngynge she began for to recount and tell her aduen­tures in suche wyse that the people hadde grete pyte and lamented her moche. And than they toke her in to so grete loue for her behauour and gracyous mayntene that they gaue her more than she demaunded for to gyue vnto her ruffyen to thende that she sholde not lese her vyrgynyte. And in this maner she lyued without synne by the space of longetyme kepynge her body pudyke and clene from y^e abhominable and fylthy synne of lechery. Anthygoras y^e prynce of the cyte hadde so grete feere that she sholde lese her vyrgynyte that he gaue her euery day more than she ought to gyue vnto her ruffyen.

¶How kynge Appolyn came to the cyte of Tharcye for to se his doughter. Ca. xxvij.

THis tyme durynge kynge Appolyn aduysed hym of his doughter Tarcye / & sayd in hym selfe that he wolde goo and se her / and anone he made for to make redy a fayre shippe with all suche thynges as longed therto and as it appertay­ned vnto so noble a man. And than he mounted vpon the see and within shorte space they aryued at the cyte of Tharcye / and Appolyn went into the towne so secretely that none of the cytezyns knewe of it / and wente and lod­ged hym in the hous of Tranquyle and the cursed wo­man Dyonyse his wyfe y^e whiche mysknewe hym longe tyme tyll that Trāquyle espyed that it was he / and than he sayd vnto his wyfe secretely. Cursed and meschaunte [Page] woman thou sayd that Appolyn y^e kynge of Thyre was deed & he is now here / tell me now what rekenynge we shall gyue hȳ of his doughter Tarcye. Certes sayd Dyonyse I shall fynde a good excusacyō / for we shal clothe vs w^t blacke and say y^t his doughter is deed of the colyke passyon or sekenesse of the wōbe. And thus as they were spekynge Appolyn entred in to the hall whereas they were And whan the cursed malycyous womā espyed hym she toke of her spattle & in stede of teeres she wette her eyen and her husbāde also / and in that maner they came afore kynge Appolyn makynge the gretest cōplayntes and la­mentacions that myght be seen or herde. And whan that Appolyn sawe thē in that plyght he sayd. What meneth this that at my comynge hyder ye make these sorowes & lamētable complayntes. Certes sayd Dyonyse the grete dolours y^t we haue maketh vs thus to wepe. And I shall tell you wherfore. It is trouthe that your doughter Tarcye is dysceased and deed this other day of sodayne dethe Whan Appolyn herde these tydynges it nedeth not for to be demaūded yf he were sorowful or not for forthwith he fell in a swoune on the erthe / & was a grete whyle that he myght not speke / & whan he came agayne to hymselfe he sayd. A my frendes the anguysshe and payne y^t streyneth my herte no man can tel. Alas what may I do / cursed be fortune so vnstedfast and moenable. I pray you gyue me her Iewelles that I may haue remēbraunce of her / and than anone they were delyuered vnto hym. And thā the cursed woman sayd vnto hym. We & all y^e cytezyns haue had grete dole for the dethe of her / & for the goodnes that ye haue done in tyme past vnto this cyte they haue made for her a fayre monumente or sepulture all of fyne syluer [Page] to entyer your doughter & haue layde her at y^e fete of her nouryce as ye shall se. Than the cursed wyfe doubtyng y^t he wolde go & se the tombe of his doughter aduised her of a cautelous wyle / for in y^t hous was a shepe that had ben deed foure dayes y^t stanke ryght sore which she toke & ba­re to Tarcyes tombe to thende that Appolyn sholde thynke that the stynke came frome her / and than she retorned without makynge semblaunce of ony thynge.

¶Of the lamentacyon of kynge Appolyn. Ca. xxviij.

AS kynge Appolyn had abyden there a why­le he sayd that he wolde go and se the monu­ment of his dere and tendre dougther Tarcye and toke two or thre of his mooste secrete men for to go with hym / and cōmaūded his other seruauntes for to take the Iewelles and bere them to the shyppe / and so incontynent they dyde. Than he went to y^e see syde and founde the sepulture of his doughter / & than he foundred in teeres & all wepyng with a greuous pan­ge of trystres of herte he sayd. O fortune. And than with out power to pronoūce one onely word he stode styll / & w^t a ryght sorowful courage he behelde the superscrypcyon that the cytezyns hadde made vpon the monument. And knowe ye that there was a grete stynke about it forcause of the deed shepe that the cursed wyfe hadde put there / & whan he had redde it he sayd with an hye voyce. O mal heurous & vnhappy eyen how may ye gyue me syght to se and rede the dyscrypcyon and remembraūce of y^e dethe of my doughter without source of lacrymous sprynges. O vnhappy tongue how mayst thou pronoūce the fynall memoryall of my doughter. O vnfortunate body how & in what maner mayst thou be vpholden and susteyned w^t thyn other corporall membres / without tremblynge and fallynge downe prostrate w^t anguysshous sorowes ma­kynge lamentacyon for thy naturall chylde / seynge that she that was so fayre delectable & swete lyeth here foule abhomynable and stynkynge as a rotten beest or caryon. Alas my doughter that somtyme was named the fayre Tarcye / now arte thou foule / lothely / and ferefull to loke vpon I am come oute of my realme noble of Thyre with grete bobaunce to fetche the and to mary the vnto a kyn­ge [Page] or to some other potēcyall man w^t hye magnyfycēce / & now I must leue the dystytute of all beaute bounte & suauytude in a straunge regyon ferre from thy frendes and parentes. And thā in maner of takynge his leue he sayd. Farwell my doughter Tarcye y^e onely fode of my lyfe corporall. Farwell the Ioyes of my dayes / farwell my cōforte and consolacyon / farwell farwell for neuer shall I se y^e more. And in makynge these complayntes w^t many other he fell downe in a swoune / & whan he reuyued and came agayne to hymselfe he went to the monumēt of his dou­ghter & takynge his leue he kyssed it. And in that melan­coly and dystresse he moūted vpon the see saynge that he wolde neuer haue Ioy ne consolacyon. Than he purpo­sed for to go in to his realmd of Thyre for to perfourme his dayes in dolourous & lamentable sorewynges. And whan they were nygh vnto Thyre al sodaynly y^e wynde reuerted agaynst them so impyteously that they were cō streyned to abādon theyr vessell & lete it folowe the cours of the water and wynde. Whan Appolyn sawe y^e weder so impyteous & stormy and pondred his countreuers for­tunes for very pure anguysshe he lefte y^e rest of his caban and for no man he wolde retorne in to it but went byneth vnder the batche where as was no maner of clerenes nor lyght of the day / and there he laye wepynge & sobbynge makynge his regretes & bewaylynges / & he was dryuē from cost to coste tyll all wery they were dryuen vnto the cyte of Mylytayne where as his doughter Tarcye was / but he knewe nothynge of it. Thus they aryued vpō the feest of saynt Iohan on the whiche day the patron of the shyppe and all the company reioyced them for the good dayes sake. Appolin was vnder y^e hatche in grete dolou­re [Page] / & whan he herde the chere that they made he had gre­te meruayle and demaunded them wherfore they made suche Ioy and reuell / and the patron answered. Syr we reioyce vs for the hyghe and solempne feest and for the loue of saynt Iohan for whom this day is made celebracy­on & solempnyte. Than Appolyn sore syghynge vnto the sayd. I pray you that ye euerychone assemble togyder & make you mery for my sake. And than he called his trea­sourer and commaūded hym for to gyue vnto eche of the maryners fyue pens of golde and a marke of syluer for to reioyce them with that day / and than he sayd to them. I requyre you that ye pray all for me vnto our lorde that it may please hym for to sende me Ioy and conforte and re­leas of my bytter sorowes / and than all wepynge he made for to couer y^e hatche aboue his heed where as he sayd that he wolde lede his lyfe in tenebrosite and derkenes to the tyme that god sholde sende hym Ioy and cōsolacyon. Thā the patron descended from the shyppe for to go and puruey for all suche thinges as to them was behouable. And whan he was retorned he apparayled y^e shyppe ry­ally / and dysplayed the baners that were fayre & bryght for the honoure of the good day / and as the custome is of maryners / & than he made for to apparayle theyr dyner and couered the tables.

¶How kynge Appolyn aryued at Mylytayne / and how his doughter luted afore hym / & other maters. Ca. xxix.

ANthygoras prynce of the cyte of Mylytayne went sportynge hym by the ryuage of the see for his recreacyon and sporte and sawe y^e shyp of kȳge Appolyn / and he thought that it was the fayrest shyppe that euer he hadde seen to his aduyse / and he sayd vnto his chyualry. Certes lordes the beaute of this shyp pleaseth me moche. The patron thā beynge nygh vnto hym sayd. Syr the shyppe is at your cōmaū ­dement and good pleasure / and syth that ye are so nygh / come aborde and se it / and yf it please you dyne with vs. The prynce was ryght well content of the wordes of the patrō and sayd. Syth ye say it with so good hert here is v. besaūtes of golde & certaynly I wyll dyne w^t you. And incōtynent they toke a barge for hym & aborded the shyp whā he was entred he sawe thē ete theyr mete all heuely [Page] wherby he thoughte y^t the mayster of y^e shyppe was not there. And thā he demaūded of y^e maryners for the may­ster of the shyppe / and the patron answered to hym and sayd. Our mayster is in wepynges & waylynges / for he hath lost his wyfe on the see & his doughter that he had on londe. Than y^e prynce sayd to the patron / here is two pens of golde and go vnto your mayster & tell hym / that here is the prynce of the cyte y^t wyll speke with hym / ye shal pardon me sayd the patron for he hath sayd that the fyrst that were so bolde for to speke to hym sholde lese his heed. Now than sayd Anthygoras syth ye dare not go to hym shewe me his name & of what coūtree he is. True­ly sayd y^e patron he is named Appolyn and is kynge of y^e londe of Thyre. Whan Anthygoras herde hym speke of Appolyn of Thyre he had grete meruayle and thoughte vpon Tarcye his doughter y^e whiche he knewe in y^e cyte & how she had tolde hym that kynge Appolyn of Thyre was her fader / and anone he wēt to the hatche as y^e ma­ryners had ensygned hym and entred to hym in callynge hym by his name saynge. Hayle Appolyn kynge of Thyre. Appolyn the whiche knewe hym not answered neuer a worde. Whan Anthygoras herde y^t he gaue hym no re­sponce ne rēdred his salutacyō he sayd agayne. Appolyn speke vnto me for knowe thou y^t I am prynce of this cy­te and am hyder comen for to behold y^e beaute of this ves­sell / and your maryners of theyr fre volunte prayed me y^t I sholde come dyne with them and soo I haue done / and I demaunded them where theyr mayster was / and they answered that ye were in grete wepynges & waylynges y^e whiche dyspleaseth me sore. But of one thynge I pray you that ye wyll yssue out of this derstenes & reioyce you [Page] in esperaunce that god shall helpe you. And Appolyn an­swered wepynge. Dere frende what soo euer ye be that ye make good chere and reioyce you with my folke / & shewe no semblaunce of Ioye ne myrth vnto me / for I am euyll fortuned and voyde of all consolacyon and cōforte. Than Anthygoras sayd / ye must yf it please you yssue out of this tenebrous and obscure place. Appolyn sayd pardon me for this tyme / and than he torned hym asyde sore syghynge. And Anthygoras retorned to them that dyned and sayd that he myght not retray theyr mayster fro that derke place that he was in / for gladly he wolde haue founde some meanes to haue withdrawen hȳ thens. And than he sayd secretely to one of his seruauntes. Go in to the bordell and say vnto the mayster of the ruffyens that he come and spe­ke with me / & that he brynge Tarcye w^t hym with all her musycall instrumentes / for she is a parfyte maystresse in all maner of Ioyous playes and melodyes / and we shall se yf by case of aduenture she may reioyce hym. Than the seruaunt went as his lorde had commaunded hym. And whan the ruffyen vnderstode the tydynges of the seruaūt it greued hym moche for to haue Tarcye thyder / but force it was so to do for to obey vnto his souerayne. Whan Tarcye was comen to the shyppe Anthygoras sayd. Fayre da­moysell ye must shewe here your scyence / for it is of necessite for to reioyce the mayster of this shyppe the whiche hath lost his wyfe on the see and his doughter on the londe / he is here benethe in tenebres and obscurete / and for nothynge that I may do he wyll not yssue out of the place where as he is. And yf ye may do so moche as to make hym yssue here is thyrty pens of golde for your labour / and .l. other for to kepe your vyrgynyte. Than incontynent she wente [Page] went to the har [...]he and sayd vnto Appolyn. Syr god sen­de you salute and Ioye. I desyre and requyre you that ye wyll reioyce you at my comynge hyder / for ye are not ve­syted of a woman corrupt and defouled / but of a mayden chaste and vyrgyn / for lyke as the rose groweth amonge thornes and sharpe pryckes and is not of it selfe pryckȳge all in semblable wyse is it of me / for I remayne amonge people infect and vnchast / and yet neuertheles I haue ob­serued and kept my vyrgynyte hyderto with all my dyly­gence. And therwith I haue a specyall confydence & trust in god / for I thynke that whan it lyketh hym he shall deiecte and delyuer me from that vylenes / and so he wyl whā he thynketh tyme. And therfore fayre syr conforte your selfe. Appolyn than lyft vp his heed and sayd vnto her. Fayre damoysell I praye you speke not to me of consolacyon & conforte / for I desyre them not / neuertheles me thynke y^t ye be exstrayte of some noble place / but I requyre you go your way and that ye pardon me of that ye desyre / all be it I beseche almyghty god that he sende me Ioye or I re­torne in to my realme. And certaynly ye haue done me more pleasure than yf ye had made me for to come out of this place. And for your good wyll and loue I gyue vnto you two hondred pens of golde for to kepe your vyrgynyte / & I beseche you that ye trauayle no more for me / for your tē der and amyable wordes reneweth my dolourous anguysshes. The mayden toke the golde that he hadde gyuen her and thanked hym hyghly prayenge god to sende hym his hertes desyre and wolde haue yssued out of the shyppe / but Anthygoras retorned her and sayd. Fayre syster haue ye holpen the poore dyscomforted for to leue and cease of his sorowes and lachrymous lamentacyons. Certes fayre lorde [Page] sayd Tarcye I haue done all therto that lyeth in my power but nothynge it auayleth / and he hathe gyuen to me two hondred pens of golde and prayed me to go my waye and lete hym alone for my wordes renouelleth his dolou­res. Than Anthygoras sayd I shall gyue you foure hon­dred pens of golde so that ye retorne to hym and shewe hȳ that ye desyre nothynge of hym but his welfare and helthe Than the mayden mekely retorned at his commaunde­ment streyght to Appolyn and sayd to hym. Syr I wyll sytte me doune by you yf it please you / and yf ye can shewe to me the solucyon of a questyon or twayne I shall go fro you / & yf ye can not than must ye reioyce you by some meanes / and here is your pens for I wyll nothynge but your salute and welfare and that ye enioye in my saynges / and anone she began her questyon in this maner. There is a lodges in the erthe that souneth with an hye voyce / y^e host that enhabyteth in it is dombe and sayth noo worde / and yet neuertheles the lodges and the hoost entre ensueth to­gyder / now answere dyrectly vnto this question. Appolyn incontynent answered / the lodges that ye say souneth w^t an hyghe soune is the see / the hoost therin enhabytaunt & is dombe without saynge of ony worde and that entre en­sueth ben the fysshes y^e whiche foloweth the cours and rennynge of the see / and that is the solucyon of your question The mayden than preposed an other questyon sayenge in this maner In the water of the floode that renneth by the brymme spryngeth that of the whiche musyke and swete songe is made / & is not of colour sable / the messenger of allegraunce by touchynge. Than Appolyn answered that y^e sprȳgeth in the brȳme of the flode ben y^e redes wherof musike is made & swete soune whā one maketh a pype or other [Page] instrument of rede / for it is not of blacke coloure / but it is whyte / messenger of allegrance whan it is touched vpon the pertuys and holes / for it is made to gyue what soune that one wyll. The mayden preposed an other questyon in saynge. All about gooth the fyre in the hous and dooth noo harme / and maketh soo grete lyght in the myddes of the hous that with grete payne it may be endured / and y^e ho­ste is naked within the hous. Appolyn answered and sayd The hous is a bayne in to the whiche the fyre entreth all about and maketh grete here and may do no harme / the ho­ste is naked for he hath noo nede of clothynge in a bayne. The damoysell than preposed an other questyon the whi­che is this. Within this monster shynynge / approcheth al­way an endynge / the moone often resembleth the sonne / & sheweth nothynge but that that is to come. Appolyn thā remembrynge his dolours fel to wepynge agayne. Whan the damoysell hadde made her questyons and that Appo- had soyled them all saue the last wherto he sayd nothynge she had meruayle / and in beholdynge him she sawe that he wept / wherfore she wyst not what to do but went and toke hym in her armes saynge. Alas it is grete domage that a man of soo grete noblenesse as you be sholde vse his lyfe in suche doloures and anguysshes / I pray you be of good conforte for whan it pleaseth our creatour he wyll rendre vnto you your wyfe and your doughter / and than she to­ke hym by the goune makynge semblaunt for to drawe hȳ out from vnder the hatche. Appolyn seynge that she wol­de haue had hym out drewe backewarde / and they pulled so bytwene them that her holde slypped and she fell to the grounde and hurte her knee sore. Whan she felte that she was hurte she began pyteously to wepe saynge.

¶How Tarcye cōplayned of her mysfortunes before kynge Appolyn for hurtynge of her knee. Ca. xxx.

A Gracyous god fourmer of thynges interyour and exteryour of nought and suffreth al operacyons for to be thought and determyned / how mayst thou suffre that thy symple and humble handmayden not culpable of ony malyce to endure so many greuous perylles and mysfortunes / for syth the houre that I was borne I haue had but aduersytees and trybulacyons / for of the dolour that my moder hadde with me in my natyuyte she departed oute of this lyfe / & was casten in to the see in an arche leeded / and afterwar­de I was brought in to the cyte of Tharcye of the whiche I bere the name / and was delyuered and recōmaunded vnto a cytezyn of that same cyte named Tranquyle / and vnto his wyfe named Dyonyse / and vnto a nouryce ad­mytted by my fader the whiche ryght wel and dylygently kept me. And whan that she laye vpon her deed bedde she recounted vnto me before her dethe all myn exstraught & lygnage / and all the aduentures whiche I hadde passed in myn adalescency / and yf she had not tolde me than I had not knowen who was my fader ne who was my moder / for I had wende afore that Tranquyle hadde ben my fa­der Dyonyse his wyfe my moder / by the whiche Dyonyse I was prepayred to be slayne of her esclaue vpon the see syde / but it happened that a galey came swymmynge therby that toke me and delyuered me from the handes of the esclaue / and the men of the sayd galey solde me in this cyce vnto a ruffyen whiche hathe kept me by force in the place publyke for haue made me enclyne to that moost vyle syn̄e [Page] of luxurye / but graces be gyuen to our lorde by whose po­wer I haue kept my vyrgynyte vnto this houre. Alas my lorde my fader was named Appolyn and was kynge of y^e londe of Thyre / and than she began for too complayne in saynge w^t a pyteous voyce. Ha my ryght dere fader whe­re be ye now / in what londe ben ye remaynynge y^t ye come not for to se me / and delyuer me from this payne & shame full scandalyzacyon in the whiche I am / & where I haue soo longe abyden without conforte sauf onely of the cur­teys prynce of this cyte whome our lorde rewarde.

¶Of the Ioye bytwene Appolyn & Tarcye. Ca. xxxi.

KYnge Appolyn heryng y^e wordes of his doughter in that maner was so feruently taken and surprysed with Ioye and gladnes that of lon­ge tyme he coude not speke & pronounce a worde / but whan his speche came without aduyse he began for to crye. O all ye my seruauntes leue your he­uynes and make Ioye. Than all they of the shyppe ranne vnto hym wenynge that he had ben from his wytte. And whan they came they founde hym holdynge his doughter bytwene bothe his armes / and than he sayd vnto theym. Certaynly my dere frendes here is my doughter Tarcye for whome I haue had so moche trauayle & endured so many sorowes. Than he and she deuysed and talked of many thynges & of theyr straunge aduentures / and after he ys­sued with grete Ioye. Than Appolyn clothed his dough­ter with ryche aournementes & clothes and apparaylled hymselfe at al poyntes. And Anthygoras had grete pleasure to se that aduēture. Than she began for to tell her fader [Page] how she was solde vnto the cursed ruffyen the whiche wolde haue maynteyned her in synne and voluptuousnes / & what payne she hadde for to kepe her vyrgynyte / & how the prynce Anthygoras had ayded and socoured her for to to kepe her vyrgynyte and to saue her frome that horryble synne of carnal concupyscence. So after the complayntes made of the one and of y^e other they demeaned grete Ioye bytwene them of theyr sodayne encountrynge. And at the laste Anthygoras prayed kynge Appolyn instauntly that he wolde gyue vnto hym his doughter Tarcye in marya­ge / the whiche Appolyn hym ottroyed and graunted for y^e pleasure that he hadde doone to her in helpynge her for to kepe her body immaculate and vyrgynall / & than he sayd to Appolyn. I requyre you to gyue me a gyft / and Appo­lyn graunted hym / and the prynce sayd. I demaunde of you vengeaunce to be executed vpon this cursed and mes­chaunt ruffyen whiche in this wyse hath withholden your doughter / to the whiche request Appolyn accorded lyghtly Than anone Anthygoras ledde Appolyn and his dough­ter Tarcye in to y^e cyte with grete magnyfycence and try­umphe. And whan they were entred & had abyden awhy­le Anthygoras the prynce commaunded that all the cyte­zyns sholde be redy in goodly ordynaunce for to assemble afore kynge Appolyn and his doughter Tarcye And as soone as they were comen he mounted vpon a scaffolde a­monge them and sayd as here after foloweth.

¶How the ruffyen that kept Tarcye was brent. Ca. xxxii

O Ye cytezyns of this cyte of Mylytayne I Anthygoras prynce of the same and gouernoure for the wele publyke or comune do you for to knowe and vnderstande that ye and I ben in grete peryl syth a lytell space. For Appolyn y^e myghty kyng of Thyre and Anthyoche is aryued with an huge nauye of men armes for to be auenged vpon vs and to put our cyte to mortall ruyne for cause of this cursed ruffyen the whiche hath holden his doughter Tarcye in y^e bordell publykely and openly in the moost shamefull wyse as esclaue and comyn woman. And therfore I lete you wete to thende that our cyte be not dystroyed for suche an euyll man. And anone al the cytezyns sayd. Lorde we wyll y^t he gyuen to Appolyn / & that he take vengeaunce on hym at [Page] his pleasure rather thā he sholde make our cyte to be dy­stroyed. Than incontynent y^e ruffyen was brought afore the prynce Anthygoras his hādes boūden behynde hym and there was apparayled a fayre chayre in the myddes of the cyte / and Appolin was made for to sytte therin holdynge his doughter by the hāde & than he sayd to all the people there beynge in presence. Citezyns of Mylytayne by your grete goodnes and gentylnes ye ben here assem­bled for to se the Ioy and solace that I haue of my doughter the whiche I veryly supposed had ben deed in the cy­te of Tharcye whome I haue this day founde / y^e whiche this cursed ruffyen hath holden for esclaue and bonmay­den. And yet it suffysed hym not so to do / but he hath hol­den her in the publyke bordell as impudyke for to dysho­nour and shame her for euer / but yet notwithstandynge his cruell malyce by the grace of god & adiutory of you & other lordes here present she hath preserued and kept her maydenheed wherof I thāke you cordyally. And for y^t I and my doughter shall be beholden vnto you for to rendre vnto you as grete a pleasure / wherfore I requyre in the way of ryghtwysnes that ye do suche Iustyce vpō hym as belongeth to suche a cursed and meschaūt man for the retaynynge of my sayd doughter. Than all the cytezyns sayd with one voyce / we wyll that he be brent in y^e myd­des of the cyte. Than anone a grete fyre was made in y^e market and the ruffyen was bounde to a pyler in y^e myd­des therof / and so with grete payne and shame he fynys­shed his dayes before all the people. Thā sayd Tarcye to the esclaue that had kept her vyrgynyte and bought her lute / for the wele and seruyce that thou hast done to me I make y^e free of all seruage and thraldome / and here I gy­ue [Page] the an hondred besauntes of golde to make the a good man. Than she gaue to all the women y^t were in the bor­dell grete fynaunce and ryches to thende that they sholde leue theyr synne and go oute of that place. After all these thynges done Appolyn arose out of his chayre and sayd to the prynce of y^e cyte. O Anthigoras prynce of grete ver­tue and replete with boūte I thanke the of y^e grete good­nes and honoure that thou hast doone to me. For by the I haue goten my moost welbeloued doughter. And also all you noble cytezyns of mylytayne I thāke and remer­cy you of the grete debonayrte and frēdshyp that ye haue done vnto me and vnto my doughter / for by the grace of god and you she hathe yet her vyrgynyte & maydenhede. And for the goodnes that ye haue doone to me and to her I gyue you frely fyfty charges of syluer. They seȳg his fraunchyse and good wyll thanked hym gretely / and for his sake they dyde do make an ymage or statute too his semblaūce all of fyne syluer / & set it in y^e middle of the cyte The whiche statue helde in his hāde a shyppe / & bytwe­ne his armes his doughter Tarcie / and vnder his fete he helde y^e ruffyen in whose hādes was a wrytynge in gol­den lettres that sayd thus. ¶Appolin the noble kynge of Thyre by his lyberalyte and fraūchyse hath made of ne­we the walles of the cyte of Mylytayne / and fortefyed it with plente of treasoures and rychesses / for whose loue & his doughter Tarcye vyrgyn pudyke and chaste y^e cyte­zyns of y^e sayd cyte hath do to be made this present yma­ge or statue.

¶Of the maryage of Anthygoras prynce of Mylytayne and of Tarcye kynge Appolyns doughter. Ca. xxxiij.

A Certayne tyme after that Appolyn had gyuē his doughter Tarcye vnto Anthigoras for to be his wyfe as is aforesayd he anounced it to all the cytezyns / wherof they had grete Ioye and thā he prepayred and apparaylled all su­che thynges as to the maryage apperteyned / and thā w^t grete magnyfycēce and glory the espousaylles were ma­de & the feest endured .viij. dayes whiche were to longe to tell. And whā y^e feest was determyned Appolyn desyred sore for to retorne in to Thyre / & wolde passe throughe the cyte of Tharcye for to be auēged on Tranquyle & Dyonyse his wyfe. He beynge in this purpose on a nyght he had a vysyō y^e sayd yf he sacryfied not to y^e goddesse Diane he sholde neuer retorne on lyue to Thyre / for she had kepte y^e vyrgynyte of Tarcye. Thā Appolyn shewed it to Anthy­goras / & he sayd y^t it were well done to make oblacyon to [Page] Dyane / and for to lede with hym his doughter Tarcye. Anone he went and made for to prepayre & aray shyppes and set hym on the waye / and so longe they sayled y^t they aryued in the lōde of Ephesym / & whan they were in the cyte they demaūded of y^e people where y^e temple of Dya­ne was / the whiche anone they shewed / and whan they came to the temple they founde a nonne at y^e entrynge of the gate the whiche sayd vnto Appolyn and his cōpany. Lordes I pray you for to pardone me for none may entre in this temple without the lycēce of my lady the abbesse. But yf it please you for to remayne here a whyle I shall go and anounce her of your aduenyment.

¶How Appolyn and his doughter went to the temple of dyane where as his quene was abbesse. Ca. xxxiiij.

IN this forsayd temple ne dwelled none other but ladyes and damoyselles the whiche had made y^e vowe of chastite / and at that tyme Archystrates kynge Appolyns wyfe was chosen abbesse that he helde for deed. And it was .xiiii. passed syth she had ben therin. The portresse went to the abbesse and sayd vnto her that at the gate was a kynge that was rychely arayed and precyously besene and accompanyed with grete chyualry and other people the whiche kynge is come for to make oblacyon and prayer vnto the goddesse Dyane. Whan the abbesse vnderstode that it was a kynge she made for to brynge a chayre in to the quere of the chyrche / & whan it was brought she dyde sytte her doune therin. And than she commaunded the portesse for to open the gate / & Appolyn entred in to the temple holdinge his doughter by the hande and all the chyualry folowed after theym. And whan he sawe the lady in the chayre so curyously and so rychely besene he wende that it hadde ben Dyane the god­desse and wolde haue kneled doune, before her for to haue made his prayer and oblacyon accordynge to his pylgry­mage / but it was tolde hym that it was thabbesse / & than he went towarde the awter / and she made for to open all the tabernacles of Dyane. And than kynge Appolyn fell doune vpon his knees ryght deuoutly and made his deuocyons / and than he presented his doughter tofore the tro­ne of Dyane to thende that eche myght knowe wherfore he was comen thyder / and in presentinge her he made this complaynt. O Dyane relucent goddesse the whiche illu­myneth the superiour partyes of the terryen mancyon w^t thy splendēt leames enclyne thyn humblenes vnto the cō templatyfe orayson of me Appolyn kynge of Thyre thyn [Page] oratoure the whiche hath suffred so many euyls and grete trybulacyons durynge my lyfe. For whan I was of the aege of .xv. yeres I was introducte and endoctryned in al the artes and scyences that a yonge man ought to haue / and for that I founde the solucyon of a questyon that the kynge of Anthyoche made vnto me for the demaundinge of his doughter which he occupyed carnally he procured the meanes for tosse me / for the whiche I was constrey­ned for to leue my realme and fledde by the see towarde the cyte of Tharcye whiche I delyuered from honger / & than dredynge to be knowen I remounted vpon the see / & sayled towarde y^e cyte of Terme where I loste all y^t I had and naked I entred into the sayd cyte in the whiche reygneth the good kynge Archystrates of whome I was receyued / and at the last of his grete fraunchyse & noblesse he gaue to me his doughter in maryage. And it befell so y^t I had tydynges how the kynge of Anthyoche was deed / wherfore I concluded for to go and take possessyon of his realme the whiche vnto me belonged. And whan I was on the see and my wyfe with me the whiche was grete w^t chylde / she had not ben longe vpon the see but for fere and dysease y^t she suffred she was delyuered of this my dough­ter whiche I present here vnto the / at the byrthe of who­me my wyfe deyed / whom god pardon / for whose sake to me is comen the grete sorowe whiche I haue suffred And yet moreouer I was constreyned for to close her in an ar­che leeded with plente of golde and syluer for to burye her with as to a kynges doughter apperteyned & after that to cast her in to y^e see. And afterwarde I gaue my doughter in the cyte of Tharcye vnto a man whose cursed wyfe had commaunded for tosse her by her esclaue the whiche ledde [Page] her to these syde for to doo her to dethe / but of aduenture there came a galey that led her to the cyte of Mylytayne and solde her to a ruffyen with whom she was longe tyme with grete payne to kepe her maydenheed / whereas I dyde fynde her syth. And whan I retorned thyder for to mary my doughter they told me that she was deed and buryed besyde y^e tombe of her nouryce nygh to the see syde. And whan I sawe my self so dyspoyled and voyde of al welthe and dystytute of my wyfe / and of my doughter I was so surprysed with sorowe that I had leuer haue deyed than lyued. And now gracious goddesse y^u hast gyuen me so moche grace y^t I haue founde my chylde y^t I present the here.

¶Of the Ioye that was betwene Appolyn and his wyfe in the temple of Dyane. Ca. xxxv.

WHan the abbesse Archycastres herde and vnder­stode all these thynges she was enspyred with so grete Ioye that she myght not absteyne her selfe tyll he hadde made his oblacyon or sacryfyce but ranne vnto Appolyn with her armed stretched and enbraced hym by grete feruour of loue and kyssed hym mo than an hon­dred tymes / and after she sayd with an hye voyce. Ha Ap­polyn kynge of Thyre hast thou no recognysaunce ne knowelege of me. Whan Appolyn hadde well herde her & saw her demeanour he was gretely astonyed and sayd. Of the knowlege of you I am vnpuruayed for I was neuer in this place. Than she perceyuynge that he mysknewe her sayd all wepȳge. Certaynly I am Archycastres your owne espouse that ye kest in to the see in a leeded arche / and that ye so moche haue desyred. Than Appolyn & Tarcye toke herin theyr armes and enbraced her sore wepȳge for Ioye so that all they about theym wept for pyte. And the­re they recounted theyr fortunes and meruaylous aduen­tures. O what Ioye and consolacyon had that noble kynge for to be fyrst restored in to his realme out of the which he was deiect / and secondaryly to fynde his naturall chyl­de the whiche he thought hadde ben buryed at the cyte of Tharcye / and thyrdly how grete Ioye hadde he to fynde his moost beloued wyfe and espouse on lyue the whiche w^t his owne handes he hadde casten into the see / well may ye thynke that he had grete lyesse and Ioye / his sorowes were torned to myrthes and consolacyons. He fyrst was vn­fortunate & lost londes / rychesses / wyfe / doughter / and al his other goodes / & now he hath founde all agayne. Thus the Ioye was so grete amonge theym y^t it can not be este­med / and anone it was spredde ouer all the countre that y^e [Page] abbesse had founde her husbande / wherof they of the cyte had grete Ioy / and put an other abbesse in her place. And there they soiourned a certayne tyme and after they toke theyr leue thankynge the cytezyns and so departed & moū ted vpon the se.

¶How Appolyn was crowned at Anthyoche / & after re­torned to the cyte of Tharcye & caused execucyon to be done vpon Tranquyle & Dyonyse his wyfe. Ca. xxxvi

APpolyn beynge vpon the see w^t his wyfe & his doughter exployted so moche that they ariued at the cyte of Anthyoche / in the whiche cyte y^e crowne of the realme was kepte for Appolyn. And there he was crowned with grete solem­pnyte [Page] and tryumphe & was honourably receyued as to a kynge apperteyneth. And than he departed thens & retor­ned to his owne realme of Thyre where as he was also re­ceyued with grete reuerence / and the feestes endured .viii. dayes for the loue of the quene and her doughter. And for his welcome home he gaue vnto Anthygoras y^e sayd countree. Than afterwarde they retorned vpon the see & went so longe by theyr Iourneys that they aryued at the cyte of Tharcye / where as they were welcomed with grete Ioye And than Appolyn sent for Tranquyle and Dyonyse his wyfe / & whan they were comen he went in to the myddes of the cyte & stode vnder the ymage y^t was made to his sy­mylytude / and torned hym to the people and sayd. O you cytezyns of Tharcye ye haue caused me to endure many trybulacyons. And they answered all nay lorde / but we alwayes haue sayd y^t the crowne of this cyte shold remayne to you for the benefaytes that in tyme past ye haue doone vnto vs / & we ben all content for to lyue and deye w^t you. And y^t ymage shall be for euer a memoryall of your goodnes. Therfore I sayd it sayd Appolyn / for whan I went last out of your cyte I left and gaue my doughter w^t grete ryches to nourysshe vnto Tranquyle & Dyonyse his wyfe & whan I retorned to fetch her they wolde not rendre her to me. Dyonyse y^t herynge began for to saye. How sholde we haue rendred her to you whan she was deed / and your owne selfe felt the sauour y^t came from her whan ye redde the superscrypcion of the monument that the cytezyns dyde make for the honour of her and the loue of you. Than Appolyn was somwhat moeued with impacyence whan he herde how falsely she made her excuse and made to call forthe his doughter Tarcye tofore al the people / and than [Page] he sayd to her. My fayre doughter now must ye bere wyt­nesse and recorde of your dethe. Than the maden came to­fore Dyonyse and sayd. God saue the Dyonyse I am Tarcye whiche is rysen from dethe vnto lyfe. Whan the cursed woman herde her speke thus she began for to tremble for feere and wyst not what to say. Than Tharcye commaū ­ded for to brynge forthe thesclaue that sholde haue put her to dethe. And as soone as she was comen Tarcye sayd to her. Theophyle knowe thou that I am Tarcye of whome thou wolde haue smyten of the heed / wherfore I am co­men hyder for be auenged and do y^e same to the. And ther­fore tell here openly who commaunded the so to doo. And thesclaue sayd / certaynly it was Tranquyle and Dionyse his wyfe / and so tofore the cytezyns he recounted al theyr fayte and false preposycyon of theym. Whan the cytezyns herde and vnderstode this they cryed all with one voyce brenne them / brenne them. And incontynent without longer abydyng was made two grete fyres and in y^e one they put Tranquyle / and in the other Dyonyse his wyfe / and thus they fynysshed theyr dayes for theyr falsenes. Than they wolde haue brent thesclaue / but Tarcie saued her lyfe and sayd. For that thou suffred me to saye my prayers I was delyuered from dethe / & therfore I wyll that thou be saued / & also I gyue the an .C. besauntes of golde / & make the fre of all seruage / wherof she thanked her / & went her waye makynge grete Ioye y^t she was so escaped.

¶How Appolyn was crowned kynge of Penthypolytayne / after his wyfes fader. Ca. xxxvii.

AFter al these thȳges abouesayd Appolyn thā ked humbly the cytezyns & abode there halfe a yere / and he toke his leue honourably & mounted vpon the see and came to y^e cyte of Terme where as his wifes fader reygned. And whan he knewe that his sone Appolyn and his doughter Archycastres came to hym he went & met them with a grete cō ­pany of lordes & welcomed theym hyghly. And there they abode a yere in grete Ioye & solace. And at the ende of the yere kynge Archystrates deyed for aege / and Appolyn honourably made hym to be entyered. But or he deyed he gaue to Appolyn the cyte and dyademe of Terme whiche he receyued and was crowned with grete nobles and mag­nyfycence / and the other parte of his realme he deuyded after his pleasaunce / and gaue the one halfe therof vnto [Page] Archycastres his doughter / and the other halfe he gaue to Tarcye y^e wyfe of Anthygoras / and after y^t the doole was made a yere. And at the ende of the yere euery persone be­gan for to reioyce them. And vpon a daye as Appolyn and his wyfe were talkynge of one thynge and other done in tymes past he bethought hym on the poore fyssher y^e whi­che hadde gyuen hym the halfe of his mantell / and forth with he sente for hym. The poore man was sore afrayed whan he herde y^e maundement of the kynge for he thought nomore on it / and so he came all heuely afore hym / and thā Appolyn sayd to the quene. Here is the man by the occasy­on whome I recouerd that whiche I hadde lost in the see For he gaue me the one halfe of his mantell / and shewed me the way for to come to this cyte / where as I was well receyued of my lorde your fader whome god pardon. And than he toke the fyssher by the hande and sayd. Be ye not remembred how ye saued me and conforted me whan I had loste my shyppes & was caste naked on the see syde / & the poore man sayd yes my lorde. Certes sayd Appolyn I sayd to you y^t yf euer I came to myn aboue I sholde thynke on you / & incontynent he gaue hym .i. besauntes of gol­de / and thre fayre houses in the cyte / so that he that was y^e poorest was made the rychest. Than he sent for hym y^t had brought hym tydynges from Anthyoche that kynge An­thyogus was deed / and made hym ryche in lykewyse as he dyde the other.

¶How kynge Appolyn dysceased and his wyfe also / and how theyr sone possessed theyr realmes. Ca. xxxviii.

BY processe and length of tyme kynge Appolyn had a sone by his wyfe Archycastres the whiche was kynge and reygned after theym in the realme of Thyre. Than they retorned in to Anthyoche & lyued there the space of .lxxiiii. yere in grete Ioye & noblesse / peas and tranquylyte. And thus in his lyfe he was kynge of Thyre of Anthyoche / and of Terme / and of dyuers other real­mes the whiche he helde and mayteyned in good peas du­rynge his lyfe. And durynge his dayes he wrote and put in remembraunce the fortunes and peryllous aduentures the whiche vnto hym were happened and comen / and he [Page] compyled .vi. volumes of bokes / of the whiche one remay­ned in the temple of Dyane in the londe of Ephesym. The seconde in the cyte of Terme. The thyrde in the cyte of Anthyoche. The fourthe in the cyte of Mylytayne. The fyfth in the cyte of Tharcye. And the syxte in his realme gentyll of Thyre. After all these thynges and many other he dys­ceased out of this worlde / and in deyenge he enbraced his wyfe and kyssed her in takynge his loue. And she for veray pure sorowe and loue enbrac d hym and makinge grete lamentacyons and complayntes she gaue vp her spyryte w^t hym / wherfore the realmes made grete doles and sorowe And than they were bothe taken vp and layde in an arche of golde and they were sepultured accordinge to theyr estate. And thus it pleased almyghty god to call theym to his reygne and to fynyss [...] theyr regall nobles whiche myght not alway endure.