syght of the worlde tyl the enmy of goodnes and mankynde by incessaunt enuy had ouerthroweÌ„ caste her in his snare as here after ensueth in thy story ¶ How by lechery and temptaÌ„cyon of the deuyll the kynge voyled his doughter Ca. ij Lucidas Anthiogê° 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 the kynge by euyll enchauffemeÌ„t and by temptacyon of the deuyll fyxed and set his loue on his doughter / and by the inextynguybl persecucyoÌ„s and prouocacyoÌ„s of the enemy he was moeued in his slepe / arose in a mornynge at the sprynge of the day and entred in to his doughters chambre coÌ„maunded 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 that 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 lameÌ„ted wepte her nouryse entred in to the chambre founde her in grete desolacyon and demauÌ„ded her the cause of her waylynge The poore lady durst not relate it for thabhomynacyon that 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 that my lyege lady your moder left you vnto me whaÌ„ 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 WhaÌ„ the lady herde that she prayed her so swetely she sayd A ryght dere moder and nouryse this same day I haue had the gretest losse of the fayrest and rychest Iewell that I had / that is the treasoure of my chaÌ„bre vyrgynall / for it is corrupte defyled or euer I had ony treaty of maryage The nourysse than sayd / who is he that hath ben so hardy suche a thyÌ„ge to vndertake to the 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 th ende that ye knowe it was my lorde my fader the 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 the nourysse began for to appease the lady shewynge her that 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 the inhumayne synÌ„e 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 questyoÌ„ 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 the gates of the cyte For this preposycyon neuertheles many kynges / dukes / erles / baroÌ„s / other grete lordes put them in dauÌ„ger 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 preposycyoÌ„ / and made them to be put out of the cyte to th ende that they which came for to haue his doughter myght take exaÌ„ple / for to euyte the demauÌ„de of her ¶ How kynge Appolyn assoyled the questyon of kynge Anthiogus of Anthyoche Ca. iij. THe kynge of Anthyoche aforenamed ledde his lyfe in that abhomynable synÌ„e of lechery by the space of loÌ„ge tyme. So it happened that the renowne of the beaute of the lady passed thrugh the regyoÌ„s adiacent and neyghbours tyll it came to the eeres of Appolyn kynge of Thyre whiche was a maÌ„ 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 the questyon And came tofore kynge Anthiogus salued hym honourably WhaÌ„ the kynge of Anthyoche sawe hym he doubted hym more than ony of the other for his wysdome to hym sayd Appolyn I knowe well wherfore thou arte comeÌ„ All they that haue wyues ben acquyted AppolyÌ„ 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 WhaÌ„ the kynge herde Appolyn thus speke he was so abasshed that he wyst not what to do / and thaÌ„ he sayd Appolyn thou knowest not the condycyons to haue my doughter Appolyn sayd I haue sene them wryteÌ„ at the portall of this cyte / and therfore the 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 / the 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 the questyon wtdrewe hym a lytell praynge god with good herte / so moche he dyde that he fouÌ„de the solucyoÌ„ / than came to the kynge and sayd Kynge of Anthyoche herkeÌ„ to my solucyon The kyng was ryght dolente of his wordes / and Appolyn sayd In that thou sayest that thou vsest synÌ„e thou sayest sothe / for thou holdest thy doughter in synÌ„e as I vnderstaÌ„de Anthiogus doubtynge that by Appolyn his synÌ„e shold be dysclosed he sayd vnto hym furyously Certes AppolyÌ„ thou arte ferre fro my questyon / well thou hast deserued for to lose thy heed / but of a specyall grace I gyue the .xxx.
his moost beloued wyfe and espouse on lyue the whiche with 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 that it can not be estemed / and anone it was spredde ouer all the countre that the 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 mouÌ„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 Dyonyse Tranquyle APpolyn beynge vpon the see with his wyfe his doughter exployted so moche that they ariued at the cyte of Anthyoche / in the whiche cyte the crowne of the realme was kepte for Appolyn And there he was crowned with grete solempnyte 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 the 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 that 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 that 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 with you And that 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 with grete ryches to nourysshe vnto Tranquyle Dyonyse his wyfe whan I retorned to fetch her they wolde not rendre her to me Dyonyse that herynge began for to saye How sholde we haue rendred her to you whan she was deed / and your owne selfe felt the sauour that 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 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 commauÌ„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 the 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 the 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 that she was so escaped ¶ How Appolyn was crowned kynge of Penthypolytayne / after his wyfes fader Ca. xxxvii AFter al these thyÌ„ges abouesayd Appolyn thaÌ„ked humbly the cytezyns abode there halfe a yere / and he toke his leue honourably mounted vpon the see and came to the 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 coÌ„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 Archycastres his doughter / and the other halfe he gaue to Tarcye the wyfe of Anthygoras / and after that 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 the 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 the maundement of the kynge for he thought nomore on it / and so he came all heuely afore hym / and thaÌ„ 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 that 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 the poorest was made the rychest Than he sent for hym that 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 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 with 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 fynyssâ—â— theyr regall nobles whiche myght not alway endure ¶ Thus endeth the moost pytefull hystory of the noble Appolyn somtyme kynge of Thyre newly translated out of frensshe in to englysshe And enprynted in the famous cyte of London in the Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de worde In the yere of our lorde M. d. and .x. the .xxviii. daye of the moneth of February The fyrst yere of the reygne of the moost excellent and noble prynce our ryght naturall and redoubted souerayne lorde kynge Henry the .viii. wynkyn de worde
forthwith he dyde sende them vnto Archycastres his doughter by Appolyn the 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 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 with these two rolles and prayeth you that ye sende bryefly the 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 the 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 the choyse of one of the two noble prynces for to elect and take to lorde and make / I indygne sauf onely by the feate of your hyghnes wherof I inwardly thanke you But knowe ye that 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 Kynge Appolyn AS the 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 the see / how mayst thou than haue passed the perylles of it Whan the kynge vnderstode that 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 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 the 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 the 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 the whiche is reasonable / knowe ye therfore that I hadde leuer haue hym the whiche hath passed the daungerous passages of the 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 the fyrst tyme that he played before the barony in your presence vpon my harpe without that euer ony knewe it The kynge herynge the amourous and pyteous wordes of his doughter sayd Ha welbeloued doughter know you certaynly that that the whiche pleaseth you dyspleaseth me not / and all your pleasure shall be fulfylled in this poynt at your owne desyre ¶ How kynge Appolyn espoused the fayre damoysel Archycastres the kynges doughter of Terme Ca. xvi THan incontynent kynge Archycastres sent for all the barons and grete