The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly from the Historia Alexandri Magni de preliis. Re-edited from ms. Ashmole 44, in the Bodleian library, Oxford, and ms. D.4.12, in the library of Trinity college, Dublin: by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat.

                                
                                  And þai within on þe wall · wightly withstondyn,
                                
                                  Derfley defenden of · & fellez of hys bernes,
                                
                                  Thraste ouer thikefald · mony thrifen knyghtez,
                                
                                  And doun bakeward þai bare · into þe brade water.
                                  Line 1408 
                                
                                  With þat oure wyes withowte · wrathen þaim vnfaire,
                                
                                  Went ne wode owt of þar witte · & wrekes þaim swyth;
                                
                                  For no wa ne no wound · waned þai no langer,
                                
                                  Bot all wirkyd þaim wa · & wrake at þai couth.
                                  Line 1412 
                                
                                  Som braden to þair bowes · & bremely shotyn,
                                
                                  Whirres owt quarels · whikly betwene;
                                
                                  Strike vp of þe stoure · stanes & [& written above the line; read of.]  engynes,
                                
                                  Þat þe britage abofe · brast all in sonder,
                                  Line 1416 
                                
                                  Girdes ouer garrates · with gomes [MS. cunes; wrongly.]  to þe erth,
                                
                                  Typed torrettes doune · towres on hepes,
                                
                                  Spedely with springaltez · spilten þair bernes,
                                
                                  Many mightyfull man · merred on þe walles.
                                  Line 1420 
                                
                                  And be þe kernels wer kest · & cut [MS. owt.]  doun before,
                                
                                  Be þat þe bastell & þe burgh · was bath elike hye,
                                
                                  And all owre þe werke withowt · witterly semyd,
                                
                                  The sydes of þe cite · to se to on fernesse,
                                  Line 1424 
                                
                                  Than alexander als belyue · on þaim all entres,
                                
                                  Brushes in with a brannde · on bernes an hundreth,
                                
                                  Thrang þorow a thousand · þar as þai thikest wer,
                                
                                  Wynnes wightly ouer þe wall · within to þe cite.
                                  Line 1428 
                                
                                  The frist moderson þat he mett · or other man other, [folio 13a] 
                                
                                  Was balaan þe bald berne · as þe buke tellez,
                                
                                  And hym he settes on a sawte · & slogh hym belyfe,
                                
                                  And wappyd [Read warpyd.]  hym ouer þe walles · in-to þe wild stremes.
                                
                                  When þair hatels byhynde · saw þar heued entre,
                                  Line 1433 
                                
                                  Hys men & all þe masydons · manly ascenden,
                                
                                  And þai of grece gredely · girdes vp after,
                                
                                  Thronge vp on a thraw · thousandez mony.
                                  Line 1436 
                                
                                  Some spettyn [Read steppyn.]  vp on styes · to þe stane walles,
                                
                                  On ilke staffe on a stare · steke wald a clostre;

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Title: The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly from the Historia Alexandri Magni de preliis. Re-edited from ms. Ashmole 44, in the Bodleian library, Oxford, and ms. D.4.12, in the library of Trinity college, Dublin: by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat.
Canvas: Page 77
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by N. Trübner & co.,; 1886.
Subject terms: Alexander, -- the Great, -- 356-323 B.C. -- Romances.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
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Full citation: "The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly from the Historia Alexandri Magni de preliis. Re-edited from ms. Ashmole 44, in the Bodleian library, Oxford, and ms. D.4.12, in the library of Trinity college, Dublin: by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/apa1967.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 9, 2025.

The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly from the Historia Alexandri Magni de preliis. Re-edited from ms. Ashmole 44, in the Bodleian library, Oxford, and ms. D.4.12, in the library of Trinity college, Dublin: by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat.

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