OF PAINEFULL ADUENTURES, 311
Apollonius answered : Maiden, this that you meane, were a meet place for men that line in delight and pleasure. And the time hath been, when I haue also delighted in the bath and hoat-house, where the heate entreth through the creuises of the boordes and chinkes of the stones, and where by reason of sweating, it behooueth a man to be naked. When he had done speaking, Tharsia wondering at his wisedome, and the rather lamenting his discomfortablenesse, threw her selfe vppon him, and with clasped armes embraced him, saying, O good gentleman, hearken vnto the voice of her that beseecheth thee, and haue respect to the suite of a virgin, that thinking it a far vnworthy thing that so wise a man should languish in griefe, and die with sorrow. But if God of his goodness would restore vnto thee thy wife safe, whom thou so much lamentest: Or if thou shouldst find thy daughter in good case, whom thou supposest to be dead, then wouldest thou desire to Hue for ioy. Then Apollonius fell in a rage, and forgetting all courtesie, his unbridled affection stirring him thereunto, rose vp sodainly, and stroke the maiden on the face with his foote, so that shee fell to the ground, and the bloucl gushed plentifully out of her cheekes. And like it is that shee was in a swoone, for so soone as shee came to her selfe, shee beganne to weepe, saying, O im-mortall God, which madest heauen and earth, looke vppon my afflictions, and take compassion vppon mee. I was borne among the waues and troublesome tempests of the sea. My mother died in pangues and paines of childbed, and buriall was denied her vpon the earth, whom my father adorned with iewels, and laid twentie sestei;cies of gold at her head, and as much in siluer at her feete, and inclosed her in a chest, and committed her to the Sea, As for mee vnfortunate wretch, I was at Tharsus committed to Stranguilio and wicked Dionisiades his wife, whom