Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden maonachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century.

Capitulum septimum.

CIRUS, whanne he hadde i-wonne [wonnen, β.] Asia, he caste [castide, β.] hym to werre [he entended to warre, Cx.] aȝenst þe Schites: [Sythes, Cx., et infra.] [þere Tamirus [Thanurus, Cx.; Thamirus, γ.] þe queene of Schytes,] [From α.] and Messegetes, [Messagetes, Cx.] þat beeþ al naciouns, [be alle one nacyon, Cx. and β.] come aȝenst hym, þey [þey] þat, MS.] sche [he, α.; þeyȝ heo, γ.] myȝte lette hym and alle her enemyes, and

holde hem of at [Though she myght haue with|stande his entre into hyr londe, and all hyr enemyes, and haue holden hem of atte, Cx.] a passage of þe ryuer Araxis, noþeles sche [α., γ.] lete hym passe wilfulliche [wylfolych, γ.] for to haue [wylfully suffred them entre to haue, Cx.] þe esier [eysier, γ.] fitȝinge wiþ ynne þe londe þat sche [heo, γ.] knewe, also for þe ryuer byhinde hir enemyes schulde lette hem in her fliȝt. [not lete them escape by flyght, Cx.] Cirus sette his pauilouns [pauylon, Cx.] wiþ ynne þe [her, Cx.] lond wiþ grete plente of mete and [of] [of] om. Cx.] drynk, [dryngke, γ.] and feyned hym to flee and wiþdrowȝ hym, as it were for drede. Þe quene hadde i-sent hire ȝong sone wiþ þe þridde deel [thryddele, Cx.; thriddel, β.] of heere oost aȝenst Cirus; and whan he come to þe deynteuous [deynteous, Cx.; dentuos, γ.] mete and drynke, [dryngke, γ.] he was unkonnynge of chi|ualrie, and [he and] [Cx.] his men were raþer ouercome wiþ dronk|nesse [drongnes, γ.] þan wiþ dedes of armes. Þanne Cirus fil [came, Cx.; ful apon, γ.] uppon hym, and slowȝ hym. Whanne þe queene herde þerof sche wepte [a weep, γ.] nouȝt þerfore; but for solas and conforte sche [heo, γ.] desired forto take wreche, and bygiled Cirus wiþ suche a manere gile. Sche [heo, γ.] as it were fleynge for hir sone þat was newe wounded, [woundide, β.] drouȝ [drow, Cx.] Cirus into a narow [narouȝ, γ.] valey bytwene hiȝe hilles, and slow Cirus and two hondred þowsand of his men of Pers, so þat

nouȝt oon scaped [escaped, Cx.; ascapede, γ.] to bere hoom tyþinges [tydynges, Cx.] how hem spedde. [how hem spedde] om. Cx.] Þe queene hiȝte [bade, Cx.; het, γ.] smyte of Cirus heed, and þrowe it in a flakett [flakette, Cx.; flaket, γ.] ful [fol, γ.] of manis blood, and despised hym in þis manere: "Nowe fille þy self wiþ þe blood þat þou desiredst alwey." [that hast euer desyred, Cx.] And so Cirus deyde, [was dede, Cx.] after þat he hadde i-reigned nobliche and realliche [ryally, Cx.; rialyche, β.; nobe lych and realych, γ.] þritty ȝere, and alwey i-doo grete dedes. Petrus, 178.