Bot whan it mai no betre be, Doth thanne thus upon my word,[1579] Let make a cofre strong of bord, That it be ferm with led and pich.’ Anon was mad a cofre sich,[1580] 1110 Al redy broght unto his hond; And whanne he sih and redy fond This cofre mad and wel enclowed, The dede bodi was besowed In cloth of gold and leid therinne. And for he wolde unto hire winne Upon som cooste a Sepulture, Under hire heved in aventure Of gold he leide Sommes grete And of jeueals a strong beyete[1581] 1120 Forth with a lettre, and seide thus: [Sidenote: Copia littere Appolini capiti vxoris sue supposite.] ‘I, king of Tyr Appollinus, [Sidenote: =P. iii. 313=] Do alle maner men to wite, That hiere and se this lettre write, That helpeles withoute red Hier lith a kinges doghter ded: And who that happeth hir to finde, For charite tak in his mynde,[1582] And do so that sche be begrave With this tresor, which he schal have.’ 1130 Thus whan the lettre was full spoke,[1583] Thei haue anon the cofre stoke, And bounden it with yren faste, That it may with the wawes laste, And stoppen it be such a weie, That it schal be withinne dreie, So that no water myhte it grieve. And thus in hope and good believe Of that the corps schal wel aryve, Thei caste it over bord als blyve. 1140 [Sidenote: Qualiter Appolinus, vxoris sue corpore in mare proiecto, Tyrum relinquens cursum suum versus Tharsim nauigio dolens arripuit.] The Schip forth on the wawes wente; The prince hath changed his entente,[1584] And seith he wol noght come at Tyr As thanne, bot al his desir Is ferst to seilen unto Tharse. The wyndy Storm began to skarse, The Sonne arist, the weder cliereth, The Schipman which behinde stiereth, Whan that he sih the wyndes saghte, Towardes Tharse his cours he straghte. 1150 [Sidenote: Qualiter corpus predicte defuncte super litus apud Ephesim quidam medicus nomine Cerymon cum aliquibus suis discipulis inuenit; quod in hospicium suum[1585] portans et extra cistam ponens, spiraculo vite in ea adhuc inuento, ipsam plene sanitati restituit.] Bot now to mi matiere ayein, To telle as olde bokes sein, [Sidenote: =P. iii. 314=] This dede corps of which ye knowe With wynd and water was forthrowe Now hier, now ther, til ate laste At Ephesim the See upcaste The cofre and al that was therinne. Of gret merveile now beginne Mai hiere who that sitteth stille; That god wol save mai noght spille. 1160 Riht as the corps was throwe alonde, Ther cam walkende upon the stronde A worthi clerc, a Surgien, And ek a gret Phisicien, Of al that lond the wisest on,