The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English worksGower, John
History
The complete works of John Gower, volume 3 : $b The English works
Gower, John
Poetry
Pentapolim venientes mortem Regis Antiochi Appolino
nunciarunt.]
Now have I told of the spousailes.[1564]
Bot forto speke of the mervailes
Whiche afterward to hem befelle,
It is a wonder forto telle.
It fell adai thei riden oute,[1565]
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 schip 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[1566]
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;[1567] 1000
His doghter hath the same chaunce,
So be thei bothe in o balance.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 309=]
‘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[1568]
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.
[Sidenote: Qualiter Appolino cum vxore sua impregnata a
Pentapoli versus Tyrum nauigantibus, contigit vxorem,
mortis articulo angustiatam, in naui filiam, que postea
Thaisis vocabatur, parere.]
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.[1569]
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.
[Sidenote: =P. iii. 310=]
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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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