The Patterne of painefull Aduentures Containing the most excellent pleasant and variable Historie of the strange accidents that befell vnto Prince Apollonius the Lady Lucina his wife and Tharsia his daughter Wherein the vncertaintie of this world and the fickle state of mans life are liuely described Gathered into English by LAVRENCE TVVINE Gentleman Imprinted at London by Valentine Simmes for the Widow Newman To the worshipfull Master Iohn Donning Customer and Iurate of the towne of Rie in Sussex BEing diuersly mooued in mind to signifie my good will and hartie loue towardes you gentle M. Donning I could not deuise any meanes more effectual then by presenting the same to you which had cost me some small labor and trauel Not seeming therby to acquite your manifold curtesies towards me diuersly extended but rather to discharge me of the note of Ingratitude which otherwise I might seeme to incurre Wherefore in steede of a greater present to counteruaile your friendlines I am bold in the setting foorth of this simple Pamflet vnder your name to make a proffer of my thankeful heart to you againe Wherin though want of farther abilitie appeare yet is there is no let but that a wel-willing heart may be exprest yea in the smallest gift Now if haply the argument hereof appeare vnto you other than you could much wish or I well afford yet haue I no feare of any great misliking considering your natural disposition which is to be delighted with honest pleasure and commendable recreation and not to lie euermore weltering as it were in dolefull dumpishnesse Which thing did put me in the greater hope that this worke would be the welcommer vnto you especially considering the delectable varietie and the often changes and chances contained in this present historie which cannot but much stirre vp the mind and sences vnto sundry affections What euer it be take it I beseech you in good part in stead of some better thing which I might well affoord promising the same when occasion shall serue not being at this present so well furnished as I could wish of God to whose good grace I recommend you and yours both nowe and euermore Your worships to vse Laurence Twine The Table HOw Antiochus committed incest with his owne daughter and beheaded such as sued vnto her for Marriage if they coulde not resolue his questions Chap. 1 How Apollonius arriuing at Antiochia resolued the Kings question and howe Taliarchus was sent to slay him Chap. 2 How Taliarchus not finding Apollonius at Tyrus departeth ioyfully and Apollonius arriuing at Tharsus relieueth the citie with victuall Chap. 3 How Apollonius departing frō Tharsus by the perswasion of Stranguilio and Dionisiades his wife committed shipwracke and was relieued by Altistrates king of Pentapolis Chap. 4 How Lucina king Altistrates daughter desirous to heare Apollonius aduentures fell in loue with him Chap. 5 How Apollonius is made Schoolemaster to Lucina and how shee preferreth the loue of him aboue all the Nobilitie of Pentapolis Chap. 6 How Apollonius was married to the Lady Lucina and hearing of king Antiochus death departeth with his wife towards his own country of Tyrus Chap. 7 How faire Lucina died in trauell of childe vpon the sea and being throwen into the water was cast on land at Ephesus and taken home by Cerimon a Physicion Chap. 8 How Lucina was restored to life by one of Cerimon the Physicions schollers and how Cerimon adopted hir to his daughter and placed her in the Temple of Diana Chap. 9 How Apollonius arriuing at Tharsus deliuereth his yong daughter Tharsia vnto Stranguilio and Dionisiades to be brought vp and how the Nurce lying in her death bed declareth vnto Tharsia who were hir parents Chap. 10 How after the death of Ligozides the Nurce Dionisiades enuying at the beautie of Tharsia conspired her death which should haue been accomplished by a villaine of the countrey Chap. 11 How certain Pirats rescued Tharsia when she shuld haue been slaine and carried her vnto the citie Machilenta to be sold among other bondslaues Chap. 12 How the Pirats which stole away Tharsia brought her to the citie Machilenta and sold her to a common bawd and how she preserued her virginitie Cha. 13 How Tharsia withstood a second assault of her virginitie and by what meanes shee was preserued Chap. 14 How Apollonius comming to Tharsus and not finding his daughter lamented her supposed death and taking ship againe was driuen by a tempest to Michalenta where Tharsia was Chap. 15 How Athanagoras prince of Machilenta seeing the beautie of Apollonius ship went aboord of it and did the best he could to comfort him Chap. 16 How Anathagoras sent for Tharsia to make her father Apollonius merrie and how after long circumstance they came into knowledge one of another Chap. 17 How Apollonius leauing off mourning came into the citie Machilenta where he commanded the bawd to be burned and how Tharsia was married vnto Prince Athanagoras Chap. 18 How Apollonius meaning to saile into his owne Countrey by Tharsus was commaunded by an Angell in the night to goe to Ephesus and there to declare all his aduentures in the Church with a loud voice Chap. 19 How Apollonius came to the knowledge of his wife the Ladie Lucina and how they reioyced at the meeting of ech other Chap. 20 How Apollonius departed from Ephesus and sailed himselfe his wife his sonne and daughter vnto Antiochia and then to Tyrus and from thence to Tharsus where he reuenged himselfe vpon Stranguilio and Dionisiades Chap. 21 How Apollonius sayled from Tharsus to visite his father in law Altistrates king of Pentapolis who died not long after Apollonius comming thither Chap. 22 How Apollonius rewarded the fisherman that relieued him after he had suffered shipwracke how he dealt also with old Calamitus and likewise with the Pirates that stole away Tharsia Chap. 23 How Apollonius had a yong sonne and heire by his wife Lucina likewise of Apollonius age and how hee died with some other accidents thereunto incident Chap. 24 FINIS The first Chapter Howe Antiochus committed incest with his owne daughter and beheaded such as sued vnto her for marriage if they coulde not resolue his questions THE most famous and mightie king Antiochus which builded the goodly citie of Antiochia in Syria and called it after his own name as the chiefest seat of all his dominions and most principal place of his abode begat vpon his wife one daughter a most excellent and beautifull yoong Ladie Who in processe of yéeres growing vp as wel in ripenesse of age as perfection of beautie many Princes and noble men resorted vnto her for intreaty of marriage offering inestimable riches in iointure Howbeit the king her father euermore requiring deliberation vpon whom rather than other to bestow his daughter perceiued eftsoones an vnlawfull concupiscence to boyle within his breast which he augmented with an outragious flame of crueltie sparkling in his heart so that he began to burne with the loue of his owne
they bee that way yea sometime God knowes in smaller causes than at the death of husband father or mother But as al things haue their time so haue sorrowe and teares also which are best dried vp with the towell of continuaunce which gaue nowe iust occasion vnto Apollonius to cast off drowsie sorrowe and to prouide for the funeralles of his father in lawe which he accomplished with so seasonable expedition and in so honourable a sort as was féemely for so mighty a king and so vertuous a prince whome hée buried among the auntient race of Kings his auncestours in the Temple within the citie of Pentapolis Which beeing all finished as it is also a worke of charitie to fulfill the will of the dead he applied himselfe to execute his fathers testament wherin he had giuen halfe his kingdome vnto Apollonius and the other halfe to Tharsia his néece to haue and to holde to them and to their heires for euer CHAP. XXIII ¶ How Apollonius rewarded the fisherman that releeued him after hee had suffered shipwracke howe hee dealt also with olde Calamitus and likewise with the Pyrates that stole away Tharsia BY this time when all cares were banished and Apollonius inioyed his kingdome in quiet possession he gaue himselfe sometimes to delight as other Princes are wont to do And it fortuned that on a day when he had dined he walked foorth for recreation vnto the sea side with his wife and a fewe seruants And when hée came there he sawe a small fisher boat fléeting vnder saile which hee thought by all signes he should knowe well for hee supposed it to be the fishermans boat which succoured him when he had suffered shipwracke in sailing from Tharsus towardes Pentapolis Wherefore hee commaunded some of his seruantes to take an other shippe which rode at anchor there on the shore to go after and take him and to bring the fisherman vnto him vnto the Court When the poore man saw himselfe boorded of so many and so gay a multitude hée feared they had béene pyrates and that they woulde haue slaine him and he fell downe on his knées and besought them to haue compassion vpon him he was but a poore fisherman and had not that which they sought for it were others that were more fit for their purpose to méete withall such as ventured further in greater vesselles carrying foorth great summes of money and bringing home plenty of costly merchandize As for him they should not only find miserable pouertie in ransacking his boat but if they were also determined to take away his life from him they should likewise with the same stroke bereaue the liues of his poore wife and many small Children which were maintained by his hand onely These or the like words vttered then the poore fisherman But they smiling in their conceits and mindefull of their Princes commaundement bade him not feare that they would robbe him but saide that he must goe with them and brought him away vnto the court And when he was come into the kings presence Apollonius knewe him well and saide vnto the Quéene and the Nobles that were about him Beholde this is the man that receiued me into his house and succoured mée when I suffered shipwracke and shewed me the way into the Citie by which meanes I came acquainted with good king Altistrates And he rose out of his seate and embraced him and said I am Apollonius Prince of Tyrus whome thou diddest succour and therefore bée of good chéere for thou shalt be rewarded And the poore fisherman wept excéedingly for ioy And Apollonius commaunded two hundred sestereies of gold to be giuen vnto him and thirty seruants and twenty handmaides and fortie horses and fiftie sutes of apparell and a faire pallace to dwel in and made him an earle and vsed no man so familiarly as he did him all the dayes of his life Nowe it was not long after that these things were done but one called Calamitus the master of the ship of Tyrus an olde man who as we haue before declared shewed vnto Apollonius as hée was walking by the sea side with Lucina that Antiochus and his daughter were dead and the kingdome was reserued for him came before Apollonius and falling downe on his knées Remember me my most gratious Lorde Apollonius saide hée since the time I tolde your grace the good tidings of king Antiochus death Then king Apollonius tooke him vp by the hand and caused him to sit downe by him and talked familiarly with him and gaue him great thankes and made him a great lord in his countrey Thus Apollonius busied himselfe not onely in bestowing himselfe curteously at home but he also prouided as well for the quiet gouernement of the state abroad as it appeared by the diligence of his officers who hauing lately taken certaine pyrates vpon the sea brought them to Pentapolis where Apollonius then remained to haue iustice executed vpon them When they were arriued they were found guilty of the facte of which they were accused and the next day being appointed for them to suffer when they came vnto the gallowes they confessed many robberies and among store how once at Tharsus they rescued a maide named Tharsia from a villaine that woulde haue slaine her and brought her to Machilenta where they solde her to him that offered most money and hée which bought her as they thought was a bawd When the citizens who were none of them ignorant of the Ladie Tharsias aduentures heard this they stayed execution and sent word vnto king Apollonius saying May it please your grace to vnderstand that we haue certaine pyrates at the gallowes ready to be exeted it appeareth that they be those that stole away the Lady Tharsia your daughter from Tharsus and sold her to the bawd at Machilenta Which when we perceiued we thought it good to know your Graces pleasure what shall be doone with them Apollonius thanked them and willed the pirats to be brought before him examined them diligently and found that they were the same men indéede that had preserued Tharsias life And hée gaue great thankes vnto God and them and imbraced them willingly pardoned them their liues And for that he knew that the sinister means which they hitherto had insued was caused most by constraint for want of other trade or abilitie to liue by he therefore made them all knights and gaue them plenty of gold and siluer and indowed them also with great possessions CHAP. XXIIII ¶ How Apollonius had a yoong sonne and heire by his wife Lucina likewise of Apollonius age and how he died with some other accidents thereunto incident WHile king Apollonius thus passed foorth his time in rewarding his friends which had doone him pleasure in his aduersitie the part of a thankeful and good natured man and also vnto his enemies in ministring iustice with mercie which is the duetie of a vertuous prince the quéene Lucina in the meane season conceiued childe and grewe euery daie
she is a wicked wretch and therefore thou shalt not denie to fulfill my request but doe as I commaund thée or els I sweare by God thou shalt dearely repent it But how shall I best doe it Mistres said the villaine Shée aunswered shée hath a custome as soone as shee returneth home from Schoole not to eate meat before that she haue gone into her Nurces sepulchre where I would haue thée stand readie with a dagger drawn in thine hand and when she is come in gripe her by the haire of the head and so slay her then take her bodie and cast it into the Sea and when thou hast so done I will make thée frée and besides reward thée liberally Then tooke the villaine a dagger and girded himselfe therewith and with an heauy heart and wéeping eies went forth toward the graue saying within himselfe Alas poore wretch that I am alas poore Theophilus that canst not deserue thy libertie but by shedding of innocent bloud and with that hee went into the graue and drue his dagger and made him readie for the déede Tharsia was nowe come from schoole and made haste vnto the graue with a flagon of wine as shée was woont to doe and entred within the vaut Then the villaine rushed violently vpon her and caught her by the haire of the head and threw her to the ground And while he was now readie to stab her with the dagger poore silly Tharsia all amazed casting vp her eies vpon him knew the villain and holding vp her handes said thus vnto him O Theophilus against whom haue I so gréeuously offended that I must die therefore The villaine answered Thou hast not offended but thy father hath which left thée behind him in Stranguilios house with so great a treasure in mony and princely ornaments O said the mayden would to God he had not done so but I pray thée Theophilus since there is no hope for me to escape with life giue mee licence to say my praiers before I die I giue thee licence saide the villaine and I take God to record that I am constrained to murther thée against my will CHAP. XII How certaine Pyrats rescued Tharsia when she should haue been slaine and carried her vnto the citie Machilenta to be sold among other bondslaues AS fortune or rather the prouidence of God serued while Tharsia was deuoutly making her praiers certaine pyrats which were come aland and stood vnder the side of an hill watching for some prey beholding an armed man offering violence vnto a mayden cried vnto him and said Thou cruel tyrant that maiden is our prey and not thy victorie and therfore hold thine hands from her as thou louest thy life When the villain heard that he ran away as fast as he could and hid himselfe behind the sepulchre Then came the Pyrats and rescued Tharsia and caried her away to their ships and hoysed saile and departed And the villaine returned home to his mistres and saide vnto her that which you commaunded me to doe is dispatched and therefore now I thinke it good that you put on a mourning garment and I also and let vs counterfeit great sorrowe and heauinesse in the sight of all the people and say that shée died of some gréeuous disease But Stranguilio himselfe consented not to this treason but so soone as hee heard of the foule mischaunce beeing as it were a mopte and mated with heauinesse and griefe he clad himselfe in mourning aray and lamented that wofull case saying Alas in what a mischiefe am I wrapped what might I doe or say herein The father of this mayden deliuered this citie from the peril of death for this cities sake he suffered shipwracke lost his goodes and endured penury and now he is requited with euil for goood His daughter which he committed vnto me to be brought vp is now deuoured by a most cruell Lionesse thus I am depriued as it were of mine owne eies forced to bewaile the death of an innocent and am vtterly spoiled through the fierce biting of a moste venemous serpent Then casting his eies vp towards heauen O God said hée thou knowest that I am innocent from the bloud of silly Tharsia which thou hast to require at Dionisiades handes and therewithall he looked towards his wife saying Thou wicked woman tell me how hast thou made away prince Apollonius daughter thou that liuest both to the slaunder of God and man Dionisiades answered in manie wordes euermore excusing herselfe and moderating the wrath of Stranguilio shee counterfeited a fained sorrowe by attiring her selfe and her daughter in mourning apparell and in dissembling teares before the people of the citie to whom shee saide Dearely beloued friendes and Citizens of Tharsus for this cause we doe wéepe and mourne in your sight because the ioy of our eyes and staffe of our olde age the Mayden Tharsia is dead leauing vnto vs bitter teares and sorrowfull heartes Yet haue we alreadie taken order for her funerals and buried her according to her degrée These wordes were right gréeuous vnto the people and there was almost none that let not fall some teares for sorrowe And they went with one accord vnto the market place whereas her fathers image stood made of brasse and erected also another vnto her there with this inscription Vnto the virgin Tharsia in liew of her fathers benefites the Citizens of Tharsus haue erected this monument CHAP. XIII How the Pirats which stole away Tharsia brought her to the citie Machilenta and solde her to a common bawd and how she preserued her virginitie THe meane time while these troubles were at Tharsus the Pirats being in their course vpon the Sea by benefite of happie winde arriued at Machilenta and came into the citie Nowe had they taken manie mo men and women besides Tharsia whom all they brought a shoare and set them to sell as slaues for money Then came there sundrie to buy such as they lacked for their purposes amongst whom a moste vile man-bawd beholding the beautie and tender yeeres of Tharsia offered money largely for her Howbeit Athanagoras who was Prince of the same Citie beholding likewise the noble countenance and regarding the great discretion of the mayden in communication out-bid the bawd and offered for her ten sestercies of gold But y e bawd being loth to loose so commodious a prey offered twenty And I wil giue thirty said Athanagoras Nay I wil giue forty said the bawd and I fiftie quoth Athanagoras and so they continued in outbidding one an other vntill the bawd offered an hundred sestercies of gold to be payed ready downe and whosoeuer wil giue more saide he I will yet giue ten sestercies more than he Then prince Athanagoras thus bethought him secretly in his minde if I should contend with the bawd to buy her at so hie a price I must néedes sell other slaues to pay for her which were both losse and shame vnto me Wherefore I will suffer him to buy her and when he
villaine vnto Tharsia tel me art thou yet a virgin She answered I am and shalbe as long as God will suffer me How then saide he hast thou gotten all this mony She answered with teares falling downe vpon her knées I haue declared mine estate humbly requesting all men to take compassion on my virginitie And nowe likewise falling then downe at his féete also take pitty on mee good friend which am a poore captiue and the daughter of a king and doe not defile me The villaine answered Our master the bawd is very couetous and gréedie of money and therefore I sée no meanes for thée to continue a virgin Whereunto Tharsia replied I am skilful in the liberall sciences and well exercised in all studies and no man singeth or playeth on instruments better than I wherefore bring mee into the market place of the citie that men may heare my cunning Or let the people propound any maner of questions and I will resolue them and I doubt not but by this practise I shall get store of money daily When the villaine heard this deuise and bewailed the maidens mishappe he willingly gaue consent thereto and brake with the bawd his master touching that matter who hearing of her skill and hoping for the gaine was easily perswaded Now when she was brought into the market place all the people came thronging to sée and heare so learned a virgin before whom shée vttered her cunning in musicke and her eloquence in speaking and aunswered manifestly vnto all such questions as were propounded vnto her with such perspicuitie that all confessed themselues fully satisfied and shée wonne great fame thereby and gained great summes of money But as for Prince Athanagoras he had euermore a speciall regard in the preseruation of her virginitie none otherwise than if she had béen his owne daughter and rewarded the villaine very liberally for his diligent care ouer her CHAP. XV. How Apollonius comming to Tharsus and not finding his daughter lamented her supposed death and taking shippe againe was driuen by a tempest to Machilenta where Tharsia was REturne we now againe vnto Prince Apollonius who whiles these things were doing at Machilenta when the fouretéenth yéere was expired arriued at Tharsus and came into the citie vnto the house of Stranguilio and Dionisiades with whome he had left his yong daughter Tharsia Whome when Stranguilio beheld and knew hée ranne hastily vnto his wife Dionisiades and saide Thou reportedst that Prince Apollonius was dead and loe now where he is come to require his daughter What shall wée now doe or say vnto him Then cried she out alas wretched husband and wife that we are let vs quickely put on our mourning attire and shead foorth teares and hée wil beléeue vs that his daughter died a naturall death And when they had apparelled themselues they came foorth vnto Apollonius who séeing them in mourning attire said vnto them My trusty friends Stranguilio and Dionisiades why wéep ye thus at my comming tell me I pray you which I rather beléeue whether these teares be not rather mine than yours Not so my lord Apollollnius answered the wicked woman And I woulde to God some other body and not mine husband or I were inforced to tel you these heauie tidings that your deare daughter Tharsia is dead Whē Apollonius heard that word hée was suddenly cut to the heart and his flesh trembled that he coulde scarce stand on his legges and long time hée stoode amazed with his eies intentiuely fixed on the ground but at length recouering himselfe and taking fresh breath he cast vp his eyes vpon her and saide O woman if my daughter be dead as thou sayest she is is the money also and apparell perished with her She answered some is and some yet remaineth And as for your daughter my Lorde we were alwaies in good hope that when you came you should haue found her aliue and merry But to the intent that you may the better beléeue vs concerning her death we haue a sufficient witnes For our citizens being mindfull of your benefites bestowed vpon them haue erected vnto her a monument of brasse by yours which you may go sée if you please And when she had so saide she brought foorth such money iewels and apparell which it pleased her to say were remaining of Tharsias store And Apollonius beléeuing indéede that she was dead saide vnto his seruants take vp this stuffe and beare it away vnto the ships and I will goe walke vnto my daughters monument and when he came there hée read the superscription in manner as is aboue written and he fell suddenly as it were into an outragious affection and cursed his owne eies saying O most cruell eies why can you not yéelde foorth sufficient teares and woorthily bewaile the death of my deare daughter and with that word with griefe and extreme sorrowe he fell into a sowne from which so soone as euer he was once reuiued immediatelie hée went vnto the shippes vnto his seruauntes vnto whome hée saide cast mée I beséech you into the very bottome of the sea for I haue no ioy of my life and my desire is to yéelde vp my Ghost in the water But his seruants vsed great perswasions with him to assuage his sorrowe wherein presently they some deale preuailed as they might in so wofull a case and partly the time which is a curer of all cares continually mittigated some part of the griefe and hee espying the winde to serue well for their departure hoised vp saile and bid the land adue They had not thus sailed long in their course but the winde came about to a contrary quarter and blew so stifly that it troubled both sea and shippes The raine fell fiercely ouer head the sea wrought wonderously vnder the ships and to be short the tempest was terrible for the time It was then thought best in that extremitie to strike saile and let the helme go and to suffer the shippe to driue with the tide whither it shoulde please God to direct it But as ioy euermore followeth heauinesse so was this sharpe storme occasion of a swéet méeting of the father with the daughter as in processe heereafter it shall appeare For while Apollonius shippe runneth thus at randon it striketh vpon the shoare of the Citie Machilenta where at that present his daughter Tharsia remained Nowe it fortuned that this verie day of their arriuall was the birth day of Prince Apollonius and when as the Marriners sawe themselues so happily come to the land both for the gladnesse of the one and ioy of the other the master of the shippe and all the whole company gaue a great shout When Apollonius who lay solitarily vnder the hatches heard such a sodaine voice of mirth hee called vnto the master and demaunded what it meant The master aunswered we reioyce and be you glad also with vs my lorde for this day we doe solemnize the feast of your birth Then Apollonius sighed and said himselfe all
as you sée not moued by my will but constrained by iniurie Wherfore tell me was I euer vnthankfull vnto your Citie in generall or vnto any of you al in particular They all aunswered with one voice no my lord and therfore wee are ready all to spend our liues in thy quarrell and as thou knowest well wée haue erected heere in perpetuall memorie of thee a statue of brasse because thou preseruedst vs from death and our citie from vtter destruction Then said Apollonius vnderstand then this much my friends that when I departed last from this citie I committed my daughter in trust vnto Stranguilio and his wife Dionisiades and when I came to require her they woulde not deliuer her vnto me nor tell me the trueth what is become of her Immediatly they were both called forth to aunswere vnto these matters before Apollonius where falling downe on their knees before him Dionisides answered in this manner My lord I beséech you stand fauourable vnto my poore husband and mee and not to beleeue any other thing concerning your daughter then that shée is departed this life And as for hir graue you haue seene it and also the monument of brasse erected by the whole citie in the memoriall of her and moreouer you haue read the superscription Then Apollonius commaunded his daughter to stand foorth in the presence of them all and shée saide vnto Dionisiades beholde thou wicked woman dead Tharsia is come to greete thée who as thou diddest well hope shoulde neuer haue béen forth comming to haue bewrayed thy wickednesse But when the miserable woman beheld Tharsia her heart quaked for feare and shée fell to the ground in a swoond and when shée recouered againe shee cried out vppon the iust iudgement of God and cursed the time that shee was borne And all the people ranne thronging about Tharsia and wondered at her thinking howe greatly they had been of long time abused by Stranguilio and Dionisiades and they reioyced much in her safetie and all knewe by her countenance that it was shée and none other O now who were able to declare the bitter griefe and intollerable care which eftsoones assaied the wearisome consciences of these twaine the husband and the wife when they sawe her liuing and in good liking before their faces whose death they had so traiterously conspired Euen hell it selfe is not comparable vnto so heauie a burden the vnspeakable weight whereof all men ought to feare and none can sufficiently describe vnlesse hée haue been semblably plunged in the like gulfe of horrible desperation Then Tharsia called for Theophilus Stranguilios villaine and when hée was come into her presence shée saide vnto him Theophilus aunswere mée aloud that all the people may heare who sent thee forth to slay me Hee aunswered Dionisiades my Mistresse What mooued her thereunto saide Tharsia None other thing I suppose saide the villaine but to enioy the money and ornamentes and also because thy beautie and comelinesse were commended aboue Philomacias her daughters Nowe when the people heard this they ranne vppon Stranguilio and Dionisiades and tooke them violently and bound them and drew them out of the citie and stoned them to death and would likewise haue slaine Theophilus the villaine for that that at his mistresse commandement he would haue murdered the innocent maiden But Tharsia intreated for him saying Not so my deare friends I pray you let me obtaine pardon for him at your handes for vnlesse he had giuen me respite to say my praiers I had not been heere now to haue spoken for him and when she had said so the furious multitude was appeased And Apollonius gaue many exceeding rich giftes vnto the citie and repared it strongly in many places where it was decaied and abode there with them the space of three monthes in feasting and making merry before he departed CHAP. XXII How Apollonius sailed from Tharsus to visite his father in law Altistrates king of Pentapolis who died not long after Apollonius comming thither THe terme of thrée monethes that Apollonius purposed for his delight to remaine at Tharsus was almost expired and he cōmanded all things to be prepared for the iourney and when the day was come hee made generall proclamation vppon paine of death euery man to ship And when the whole army was imbarked he took ship himselfe with his wife and his daughter being honourably accompanied by the citizens vnto the water side and after due courtesie on both sides done and receiued hee hoysed sayle and departed towardes Pentopolis king Altistrates Citie And when they had sailed with prosperous winde ten dayes vppon the Sea they discouered a farre off the Steeples and Towres of Pentapolis and the Souldiers reioyced and gaue a shout for gladnesse that they were so neere to their wished land Then they cast about and cut towards the hauen and cast anker and landed all safe and Apollonius with his wife and daughter after hee had taken order for the companie rode vnto the court vnto king Altistrates whom they found in good health and merry And when Altistrates saw his sonne in lawe his daughter and his neece Tharsia hee bid them welcome and reioyced exceedingly and sent for the Nobles of his land to keepe them companie and gaue them the best entertainement that hee could deuise and they soiourned with him an whole yeare in pleasure and pastime whereof the king tooke as great comfort as was possible for a man to doe in any worldly felicitie But as there was neuer yet any thing certaine or permanent in this mortall life but alwaies we be requited with sowre sauce to our sweete meate and when wee thinke our selues surest in the top of ioy then tilt wée downe soonest into the bottome of sorrow so fared it now vnto these personages in the midst of their iollitie For the good old king Altistrates fell sodainly sick which much appalled them all and grew euerie day weaker than other Then were the Phisitions sent for in haste who left nothing vntried that appertained vnto Art and experience to doe and aboue all Apollonius and Lucina his wife plaied the parts of duetifull children in tendring their aged and weake father with all care and diligence possible But alas olde age which of it selfe is an vncurable sickenesse and had béene growing nowe well nigh an hundred yeares lacking seuen vpon him accompanied with the intollerable paine of the gowt and the stone of the bladder had consumed naturall moisture so that his force gaue ouer to the disease and shortely after changed this transitorie life for a better When report was spread abroad of the kings death there was great sorrowe and lamentation made in all places neither was there any that tooke not grieuously the losse of so good a Prince But to describe the inward affliction of Apollonius and the teares of the Ladie Lucina and Tharsia her daughter woulde make any heart of flint to bléede considering the tender affections of women aboue men and howe prone