Of that sche myhte noght be wreke, For schame couthe unethes speke; And natheles mercy sche preide With wepende yhe and thus sche seide: ‘Helas, mi Soster, waileway, That evere I sih this ilke day! Thing which mi bodi ferst begat Into this world, onliche that 330 Mi worldes worschipe hath bereft.’ With that sche swouneth now and eft, And evere wissheth after deth, So that welnyh hire lacketh breth. That other, which hire wordes herde, In confortinge of hire ansuerde, To lette hire fadres fol desir[1486] Sche wiste no recoverir: Whan thing is do, ther is no bote, So suffren thei that suffre mote; 340 Ther was non other which it wiste. Thus hath this king al that him liste [Sidenote: =P. iii. 287=] Of his likinge and his plesance, And laste in such continuance, And such delit he tok therinne, Him thoghte that it was no Sinne; And sche dorste him nothing withseie. Bot fame, which goth every weie, To sondry regnes al aboute The grete beaute telleth oute 350 Of such a maide of hih parage: So that for love of mariage The worthi Princes come and sende, As thei the whiche al honour wende,[1487] And knewe nothing hou it stod.[1488] The fader, whanne he understod, That thei his dowhter thus besoghte, With al his wit he caste and thoghte[1489] Hou that he myhte finde a lette; And such a Statut thanne he sette, 360 And in this wise his lawe he taxeth, That what man that his doghter axeth,[1490] Bot if he couthe his question Assoile upon suggestion Of certein thinges that befelle, The whiche he wolde unto him telle, He scholde in certein lese his hed. And thus ther weren manye ded, Here hevedes stondende on the gate, Till ate laste longe and late, 370 For lacke of ansuere in the wise,[1491] The remenant that weren wise [Sidenote: =P. iii. 288=] Eschuieden to make assay. [Sidenote: De aduentu Appolini in Antiochiam, vbi ipse filiam Regis Antiochi in vxorem postulauit.] Til it befell upon a day Appolinus the Prince of Tyr, Which hath to love a gret desir, As he which in his hihe mod Was likende of his hote blod, A yong, a freissh, a lusti knyht, As he lai musende on a nyht 380 Of the tidinges whiche he herde, He thoghte assaie hou that it ferde. He was with worthi compainie Arraied, and with good navie To schipe he goth, the wynd him dryveth, And seileth, til that he arryveth: Sauf in the port of Antioche He londeth, and goth to aproche The kinges Court and his presence. Of every naturel science, 390 Which eny clerk him couthe teche, He couthe ynowh, and in his speche