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And wrot ayein and thus sche saide：
〃The schame which is in a Maide
With speche dar noght ben unloke；
Bot in writinge it mai be spoke；
So wryte I to you； fader； thus：
Bot if I have Appolinus；
Of al this world； what so betyde；
I wol non other man abide。 900
And certes if I of him faile；
I wot riht wel withoute faile
Ye schull for me be dowhterles。〃
This lettre cam； and ther was press
Tofore the king； ther as he stod；
And whan that he it understod；
He yaf hem ansuer by and by；
Bot that was do so prively；
That non of othres conseil wiste。
Thei toke her leve； and wher hem liste 910
Thei wente forth upon here weie。
The king ne wolde noght bewreie
The conseil for no maner hihe；
Bot soffreth til he time sihe：
And whan that he to chambre is come；
He hath unto his conseil nome
This man of Tyr； and let him se
The lettre and al the privete；
The which his dowhter to him sente：
And he his kne to grounde bente 920
And thonketh him and hire also；
And er thei wenten thanne atuo；
With good herte and with good corage
Of full Love and full mariage
The king and he ben hol acorded。
And after； whanne it was recorded
Unto the dowhter hou it stod；
The yifte of al this worldes good
Ne scholde have mad hir half so blythe：
And forth withal the king als swithe； 930
For he wol have hire good assent；
Hath for the queene hir moder sent。
The queene is come； and whan sche herde
Of this matiere hou that it ferde；
Sche syh debat； sche syh desese；
Bot if sche wolde hir dowhter plese；
And is therto assented full。
Which is a dede wonderfull；
For noman knew the sothe cas
Bot he himself； what man he was； 940
And natheles； so as hem thoghte；
Hise dedes to the sothe wroghte
That he was come of gentil blod：
Him lacketh noght bot worldes good；
And as therof is no despeir；
For sche schal ben hire fader heir；
And he was able to governe。
Thus wol thei noght the love werne
Of him and hire in none wise；
Bot ther acorded thei divise 950
The day and time of Mariage。
Wher love is lord of the corage；
Him thenketh longe er that he spede；
Bot ate laste unto the dede
The time is come； and in her wise
With gret offrende and sacrifise
Thei wedde and make a riche feste；
And every thing which was honeste
Withinnen house and ek withoute
It was so don； that al aboute 960
Of gret worschipe； of gret noblesse
Ther cride many a man largesse
Unto the lordes hihe and loude；
The knyhtes that ben yonge and proude；
Thei jouste ferst and after daunce。
The day is go； the nyhtes chaunce
Hath derked al the bryhte Sonne；
This lord； which hath his love wonne；
Is go to bedde with his wif；
Wher as thei ladde a lusti lif； 970
And that was after somdel sene；
For as thei pleiden hem betwene；
Thei gete a child betwen hem tuo；
To whom fell after mochel wo。
Now have I told of the spousailes。
Bot forto speke of the mervailes
Whiche afterward to hem befelle；
It is a wonder forto telle。
It fell adai thei riden oute；
The king and queene and al the route； 980
To pleien hem upon the stronde；
Wher as thei sen toward the londe
A Schip sailende of gret array。
To knowe what it mene may；
Til it be come thei abide；
Than sen thei stonde on every side；
Endlong the schipes bord to schewe；
Of Penonceals a riche rewe。
Thei axen when the ship is come：
Fro Tyr； anon ansuerde some； 990
And over this thei seiden more
The cause why thei comen fore
Was forto seche and forto finde
Appolinus； which was of kinde
Her liege lord： and he appiereth；
And of the tale which he hiereth
He was riht glad； for thei him tolde；
That for vengance； as god it wolde；
Antiochus； as men mai wite；
With thondre and lyhthnynge is forsmite； 1000
His doghter hath the same chaunce；
So be thei bothe in o balance。
〃Forthi； oure liege lord； we seie
In name of al the lond； and preie；
That left al other thing to done；
It like you to come sone
And se youre oghne liege men
With othre that ben of youre ken；
That live in longinge and desir
Til ye be come ayein to Tyr。〃 1010
This tale after the king it hadde
Pentapolim al overspradde；
Ther was no joie forto seche；
For every man it hadde in speche
And seiden alle of on acord；
〃A worthi king schal ben oure lord：
That thoghte ous ferst an hevinesse
Is schape ous now to gret gladnesse。〃
Thus goth the tidinge overal。
Bot nede he mot； that nede schal： 1020
Appolinus his leve tok；
To god and al the lond betok
With al the poeple long and brod；
That he no lenger there abod。
The king and queene sorwe made；
Bot yit somdiel thei weren glade
Of such thing as thei herden tho：
And thus betwen the wel and wo
To schip he goth； his wif with childe；
The which was evere meke and mylde 1030
And wolde noght departe him fro；
Such love was betwen hem tuo。
Lichorida for hire office
Was take； which was a Norrice；
To wende with this yonge wif；
To whom was schape a woful lif。
Withinne a time； as it betidde；
Whan thei were in the See amidde；
Out of the North they sihe a cloude；
The storm aros； the wyndes loude 1040
Thei blewen many a dredful blast；
The welkne was al overcast；
The derke nyht the Sonne hath under；
Ther was a gret tempeste of thunder：
The Mone and ek the Sterres bothe
In blake cloudes thei hem clothe；
Wherof here brihte lok thei hyde。
This yonge ladi wepte and cride；
To whom no confort myhte availe；
Of childe sche began travaile； 1050
Wher sche lay in a Caban clos：
Hire woful lord fro hire aros；
And that was longe er eny morwe；
So that in anguisse and in sorwe
Sche was delivered al be nyhte
And ded in every mannes syhte；
Bot natheles for al this wo
A maide child was bore tho。
Appolinus whan he this knew；
For sorwe a swoune he overthrew； 1060
That noman wiste in him no lif。
And whanne he wok； he seide； 〃Ha； wif；
Mi lust； mi joie； my desir；
Mi welthe and my recoverir；
Why schal I live； and thou schalt dye？
Ha； thou fortune； I thee deffie；
Nou hast thou do to me thi werste。
Ha； herte； why ne wolt thou berste；
That forth with hire I myhte passe？
Mi peines weren wel the lasse。〃 1070
In such wepinge and in such cry
His dede wif； which lay him by；
A thousend sithes he hire kiste；
Was nevere man that sih ne wiste
A sorwe unto his sorwe lich；
For evere among upon the lich
He fell swounende； as he that soghte
His oghne deth； which he besoghte
Unto the goddes alle above
With many a pitous word of love； 1080
Bot suche wordes as tho were
Yit herde nevere mannes Ere；
Bot only thilke whiche he seide。
The Maister Schipman cam and preide
With othre suche as be therinne；
And sein that he mai nothing winne
Ayein the deth； bot thei him rede；
He be wel war and tak hiede；
The See be weie of his nature
Receive mai no creature 1090
Withinne himself as forto holde；
The which is ded： forthi thei wolde；
As thei conseilen al aboute；
The dede body casten oute。
For betre it is； thei seiden alle；
That it of hire so befalle；
Than if thei scholden alle spille。
The king； which understod here wille
And knew here conseil that was trewe；
Began ayein his sorwe newe 1100
With pitous herte； and thus to seie：
〃It is al reson that ye preie。
I am；〃 quod he； 〃bot on al one；
So wolde I noght for mi persone
Ther felle such adv