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Wherof a tale in remembrance；
Which is a long process to hiere；
I thenke forto tellen hiere。 270
Of a Cronique in daies gon；
The which is cleped Pantheon；
In loves cause I rede thus；
Hou that the grete Antiochus；
Of whom that Antioche tok
His ferste name； as seith the bok；
Was coupled to a noble queene；
And hadde a dowhter hem betwene：
Bot such fortune cam to honde；
That deth； which no king mai withstonde； 280
Bot every lif it mote obeie；
This worthi queene tok aweie。
The king； which made mochel mone；
Tho stod； as who seith； al him one
Withoute wif； bot natheles
His doghter； which was piereles
Of beaute； duelte aboute him stille。
Bot whanne a man hath welthe at wille；
The fleissh is frele and falleth ofte；
And that this maide tendre and softe； 290
Which in hire fadres chambres duelte；
Withinne a time wiste and felte：
For likinge and concupiscence
Withoute insihte of conscience
The fader so with lustes blente；
That he caste al his hole entente
His oghne doghter forto spille。
This king hath leisir at his wille
With strengthe； and whanne he time sih；
This yonge maiden he forlih： 300
And sche was tendre and full of drede；
Sche couthe noght hir Maidenhede
Defende； and thus sche hath forlore
The flour which she hath longe bore。
It helpeth noght althogh sche wepe；
For thei that scholde hir bodi kepe
Of wommen were absent as thanne；
And thus this maiden goth to manne；
The wylde fader thus devoureth
His oghne fleissh； which non socoureth； 310
And that was cause of mochel care。
Bot after this unkinde fare
Out of the chambre goth the king；
And sche lay stille； and of this thing；
Withinne hirself such sorghe made；
Ther was no wiht that mihte hir glade；
For feere of thilke horrible vice。
With that cam inne the Norrice
Which fro childhode hire hadde kept；
And axeth if sche hadde slept； 320
And why hire chiere was unglad。
Bot sche； which hath ben overlad
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
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
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；
And knewe nothing hou it stod。
The fader； whanne he understod；
That thei his dowhter thus besoghte；
With al his wit he caste and thoghte
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；
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；
The remenant that weren wise
Eschuieden to make assay。
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
Of wordes he was eloquent；
And whanne he sih the king present；
He preith he moste his dowhter have。
The king ayein began to crave；
And tolde him the condicion；
Hou ferst unto his question
He mote ansuere and faile noght；
Or with his heved it schal be boght： 400
And he him axeth what it was。
The king declareth him the cas
With sturne lok and sturdi chiere；
To him and seide in this manere：
〃With felonie I am upbore；
I ete and have it noght forbore
Mi modres fleissh； whos housebonde
Mi fader forto seche I fonde；
Which is the Sone ek of my wif。
Hierof I am inquisitif； 410
And who that can mi tale save；
Al quyt he schal my doghter have；
Of his ansuere and if he faile；
He schal be ded withoute faile。
Forthi my Sone；〃 quod the king；
〃Be wel avised of this thing；
Which hath thi lif in jeupartie。〃
Appolinus for his partie；
Whan he this question hath herd；
Unto the king he hath ansuerd 420
And hath rehersed on and on
The pointz； and seide therupon：
〃The question which thou hast spoke；
If thou wolt that it be unloke；
It toucheth al the privete
Betwen thin oghne child and thee；
And stant al hol upon you tuo。〃
The king was wonder sory tho；
And thoghte； if that he seide it oute；
Than were he schamed al aboute。 430
With slihe wordes and with felle
He seith； 〃Mi Sone； I schal thee telle；
Though that thou be of litel wit；
It is no gret merveile as yit；
Thin age mai it noght suffise：
Bot loke wel thou noght despise
Thin oghne lif； for of my grace
Of thretty daies fulle a space
I grante thee； to ben avised。〃
And thus with leve and time assised 440
This yonge Prince forth he wente；
And understod wel what it mente；
Withinne his herte as he was lered；
That forto maken him afered
The king his time hath so deslaied。
Wherof he dradde and was esmaied；
Of treson that he deie scholde；
For he the king his sothe tolde；
And sodeinly the nyhtes tyde；
That more wolde he noght abide； 450
Al prively his barge he hente
And hom ayein to Tyr he wente：
And in his oghne wit he seide
For drede； if he the king bewreide；
He knew so wel the kinges herte；
That deth ne scholde he noght asterte；
The king him wolde so poursuie。
Bot he； that wolde his deth eschuie；
And knew al this tofor the hond；
Forsake he thoghte his oghne lond； 460
That there wolde he noght abyde；
For wel he knew that on som syde
This tirant of his felonie
Be som manere of tricherie
To grieve his bodi wol noght leve。
Forthi withoute take leve；
Als priveliche as evere he myhte；
He goth him to the See be nyhte
In Schipes that be whete laden：
Here takel redy tho thei maden 470
And hale up Seil and forth thei fare。
Bot forto tellen of the care
That thei of Tyr begonne tho；
Whan that thei wiste he was ago；
It is a Pite forto hiere。
They losten lust； they losten chiere；
Thei toke upon hem such penaunce；
Ther was no song； ther was no daunce；
Bot every merthe and melodie
To hem was thanne a maladie； 480
For unlust of that aventure
Ther was noman which tok tonsure；
In doelful clothes thei hem clothe；
The bathes and the Stwes bothe
Thei schetten in be every weie；
There was no lif which leste pleie
Ne take of eny joie kepe；
Bot for here liege lord to wepe；
And every wyht seide as he couthe；
〃Helas； the lusti flour of youthe； 490
Our Prince； oure heved； our governour；
Thurgh whom we stoden in honour；
Withoute the comun assent
Thus sodeinliche is fro ous went！〃
Such was the clamour of hem alle。
Bot se we now what is befalle
Upon the ferste tale plein；
And torne we therto ayein。
Antiochus the grete Sire；
Which full of rancour and of ire 500
His herte berth； so as ye herde；
Of that this Prince of Tyr ansuerde；
He hadde a feloun bacheler；
Which was his prive consailer；
And Taliart be name he hihte：
The king a strong puison him dihte
Withinne a buiste and gold therto；
In alle haste and bad him go
Strawht unto Tyr； and for no cost
Ne spare h