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.

¶ Vicesimus passus Alexandri.

Anothire mirthe is in May · þat vs maste ioyes, Þe faire floryscht filds · of floures & of herbys, Quare-of þe breth as of bawme · blawis in oure noose, Þat ilk sensitife saule · mast souorly delyte, Line 4381 As in þe woddis for to walke · vndire wale schawis, Quen all is lokin ouire with leuys · as it ware littill heuen. [folio 76a] Þan haue we liking to lithe · þe late of þe foules, Þe swoȝing of þe swift wynde · & of þe swete wellis. Þe kind of þire customs · we kepe euire-mare, [AlexDind page 20] Line 4386 Þe quilk, I hope, ser, þe to hald · vnhalesom it ware. If þou will chalang þaim be chaunce · chese if þe likis, For here is written all þi will · & we na writh serue. As þe tenour of ȝour titill is · oure techis haue we schawid, Line 4390 Oure dedis & of oure disciplyne · a dele of þaim aythir; And of þi lare a litill-quat · likis me to write, [MS. lere write; with lere struck out.] For þe sothe of oure solitude · will serue þe stille aftir. Sire, ȝe haue laȝt now on late · within a lite ȝeres Line 4394 All Europ & Asie · & Auffrik þe mare; Þat seising burde sufficiant · þofe soȝt ȝe na ferre. Bot ay mekill wald haue mare · as many man spellis; Þe son, for sake of ȝour syn · sesys his liȝt, Line 4398 Be-cause of ȝoure couatise · to clym to his bounds.

And ȝe with wodnes of weris · all þe werde fretis, And ȝit for-feȝtils ȝoure face · all fasting it semes. Line 4401 A-nothire laȝe is in ȝoure lande · at oure lord hatis, [AlexDind page 21] As, slaa ȝoure sonnes in sacrifice · & othire synnys many, To sawe emang þir simpill men · sedis of debate, Line 4404 And make a terant of a tulke · þat neuire tene thoȝt. Þe soile ne þe foure sees · suffice ȝowe nouthire, Bot if ȝe miȝt ken þe costis · of þe clere heuen. Line 4407 Ȝoure giltis growis of ȝour gods · or god geue þam sorowe, For many modirson þai marre · miȝt ellis haue bene safe. A-vise ȝow now be Venus · quat vertous him foloȝes, Þe Iusule of Iupitir · & of his Iapis als, Line 4411 Dame Proserpyne, a prophetese · of ȝoure praysid laȝes; [folio 76b] Latis þis be witnes of [In the margin.] my wordis · & waitis now þar tetchis. Venus was a-vowtrere · & many vice hauntid, And Iupitir a Iettoure · þat Iapid many ladis [MS. dadis ladis; with dadis struck out.] ; Line 4415 Dame proserpine in preue place · playd as hire likid. Loo, sary sottis, slike a sowme · of synnars ȝe lufe! [AlexDind page 22] Ȝe lett men of þar libertes · at þam oure lord grauntid, Thryngis þam in-to thraldom · & of thaire þede spoiles. Vn-iust is ȝour Iugementis · so is ȝoure Iugis all; Line 4420 Þe dedis of ȝour domesmen · ȝe for dere halde. Is þare na renke in ȝoure rewme · þat othire rewill kepis, Bot "þus me þinke" & "so me þinke" · & threpis it is lawe! Þus fra þe rote of riȝtwisnes · rauyst ere ȝe clene, Line 4424 And to þe way of wickidnes · be warlaȝes gidid. Ȝe hald na wee of þe werd · of witt worthe a myte, Bot he can practise & paynt · & polisch his wordis. For all ȝoure wisdom, I-wis · is [In the margin.] wroken to ȝour tongis, And all þe sauour of ȝoure sauls · is sattild in ȝour mouthis. Line 4429 Ȝoure grete garisons of gold · vngastly ȝe spende

In bigging of burgis · & bilding of toures; And quen ȝe sitt in ȝoure sale · with syris & dukis, Þan haue ȝee seggis ȝow to serue · sowmes enogh. Þan as a Mare at a moghe · ȝoure mawis ȝe fill, Line 4434 With bakin mete & with briddis · bolnes ȝoure paunches, Stuffis so ȝour stomake · with stullis & of wynes, Þat vnethis haldis, be ȝe hoo · þe hide of ȝow hale! Quat dewis ȝow þan þire diatis · & all þis dere fode, Ȝoure sowping in vnseson · ȝoure surfete of drinkis, Bot settis ȝow in-to sekenes · of sere-lepy kyndis, [folio 77a] Line 4440 And gers ȝow die or ȝoure day · many dreȝe wyntir? Þan ȝe couett & craue · castels & rewmes, And thristis eftir all thingis · at in ȝoure thoȝt rynnes, Iaspre, Iuwels, & gemmes · & Iettand perle: Line 4444 And all sall leue ȝow at þe laste · & in-to laire worth! And maydese ȝit, for all your molle · þat modire ws [Read ȝow.] cried, Þat fourmed þe flode & þe flynt · & þe faire lyndis. And, as I brefe it in þis bull · þe bragmeyns takens Surmontis all ȝour sapientis · & oure assemy thewis. [MS. twethewis, alt. to thewis.] And oþir werkis of wast · is wroȝt in ȝoure landis, [AlexDind page 23] Line 4450 As, graffis garnyscht of gold · & gilten tombis, Thurghis to thrawyn in · quen ȝe þraa worthe, Sum of siluir, sum of sipirs · sum of sere gemmes. Þus make ȝe vessels in vayne · to ȝoure foule corses, To crom in ȝoure cariouns · þat kind ȝow defendis, Þat ilk slymand slugh · quen ȝe ere slide hyne, Line 4456 And will noȝt suffire þe erth · to haue at him fallis. For iolite of Iupitir · ȝe ioyen vp templis, With Imagis of ȝoure ydolatry · all within payntid; Symolacris vp sett · of Seropis & othir, Line 4460 And slees in-to þe sacrifis · many sere bestis. Quen ȝe haue tildid vp-on [top] · ȝour trouthles gods, Sum of gold, sum of glas · sum of gray marbill, Sum of latoun & of lede · & sum of liȝt siluir, Line 4464 And sum ere tiffid all of tree · & sum of tyn pured,

Þan fall ȝe flatt on þe fold · with fees þaim adoures, Bath Amon & Appolyne · & asskis at þam welthys; Of any gud at ȝe geet · a gift ye þam offirre, Line 4468 A quantite of all-quat · of quike & of ellis; [folio 77b] Ȝe latt as þai miȝt all leth · at ony lede wald, And þai may send ȝow bot vnsele · & noȝt oþir godis. Þus ȝe comende þaim on knees · as cocards suld, Line 4472 Þat nouthire siȝt has ne saule · bot of segge werke; Ȝe haue na sauour, I suppose · how þat þe kyng of heuen He has na hert vs to here · ne no hathill ellis Line 4475 For calues ne for kidis blode · ne for na crispe wethris, Bot an[1]y for oure orisons · & for na noþire giftis. [AlexDind page 24] God seȝis oure saȝes for his son · at in him-selfe duellis; For sekire god is þe son · þat all oure sede loues. Line 4479 And sothly, by þe same son · we ere him all like, And all he sustayned of þat son · þat any saule wildis. Forþi vnhappy we ȝow hald · þat in ȝoure hertis leues Ȝoure kind with slike a conquirour · to comen or to euen. And othire harlotry ȝe [MS. inserts to hald, struck through.] hant · þat heris þe goste, Line 4484 Of fornicacion & filth · & many foule synnes, Maumentry, & manslatir · mosardry & pride, Þat dose ȝow dompe to þe devill · quen he [Read ȝe.] ere dede hethen. And we [MS. ȝe, but underlined, and corrected to we in the margin.] þe contrari clene · kepis all oure lyue, Line 4488 Þat we may bowe to þat blis · þat neuir sall haue ende. Ȝe gronde ȝow noȝt [MS. repeats noȝt; but the second noȝt is underlined.] on [MS. ai (?)] a god · þat all of glett fourmed, [AlexDind page 25] Þat note newid all of noȝt · þat neuire sall haue ende, Bot oþire many do ȝe menske · ere him na [MS. no, alt. to na.] mare sibbe Þan was þe flesch of þe fysch [MS. fesch, alt. to fysch.] · to þe faire me[m]bree. Ilk lede þat liȝt is of ȝour lede · ȝe call þe litill werde, And gesse wele as many gods · as growis in him membris; Ilk a parcele of his person a-proprid · is a-pert driȝtin, And euire-ilk lym, it awne lust eftir · as him list craues!

For marcure was manslaȝt · a mammlere of wordis, Ȝe graith him to be gouenoure · & god of þe tonge. And Arcules has aythire arme · in his awen warde, [folio 78a] For þe xij wondirfull werkis · he wroȝt with his handis. Mars for his maisterris · & for his many weris, Line 4502 Him brefe ȝe for his [MS. ȝour his; with ȝour marked for erasure.] baratris · þe breste to defend. Dame Iuno was a iettir · & ioyned full of iree, For-þi scho hedis to þe hert · & has it to ȝeme. [AlexDind page 26] Bary [Read Bacy, i. e. Bacchus; see l. 4525.] he was brayne-wode · for bebbing of wynes, Line 4506 Forþi [þe] swire & þe swalow · þat swiere he kepis. Cupido has þe custodi · & cure of þe mawe, For he [In the margin.] was couatus & cursid · vnclene of him-selfe. Serenon is sustenour · & sire of þe wambe, Line 4510 For hem was quartirs of qwete · vmqwile out of nombre. Dame venus þe a-v[er]ous [MS. a vious.] · for vices opon niȝtis, Is possessour & principale · of all þe preue menbris. Þus ilk cantell of ȝoure cors · ȝe call þam driȝtins, [AlexDind page 27] Line 4514 Deu[i]dis it in-to duesses · & oþire deuels many. Of ilk gobet of þat glett · ȝe a god make, And leues noȝt as mekill as a lym · ȝour liches on to stand. Ȝe haue na hoping in þat hathill · at on hiȝe sittis, Line 4518 How he ȝoure nase & ȝoure nebb · & all of noȝt cried, Bot þinkis on þir othir thefis · & þam as thrall seruys, And sacrifice to ilk a segge · a sere-lepy gifte. To Mars in his mynstir · at maynteines þe weris, Line 4522 Ȝe bringe him a wild bare · for his wale dedis. Þe carcas of a fatt kid · þat carayne is worthe, Þat bring ȝe to ser bacus · to bere vp his drinke. And Iupitir þat Ioglour · sum Iape bos haue [MS. hs haue, with hs struck out.] ; Line 4526 A bullok or a fell bule · is broȝt to his temple. And Iuno þe Ientill · for ioy of his pride, Ȝe presand hire a pakoke · with pennes of an Aungell.

Minerua [MS. Minuera.] was a maistres · of many kingis werkis, Line 4530 A ratland niȝt ravyn · is him to rent ȝolden. To Venus þe vowtriere · may noȝt ells a-vaile, [folio 78b] Bot ilk moneth to mede · & [Read a.] mi[l]ke-quite doufe. Appollo with a quite swan · is paid him to tende; Line 4534 A manere of [In the margin.] corne to mercure · þat we þi muld call. And Serenon is sone serued þat sees to þe paunche; Haue he a boll full of bran · bedis he na mare. And Ercules as emperoure · emyddis all he [MS. y he; with y struck out.] standis [MS. stondis, alt. to standis.] ; [AlexDind page 28] And for he preuyd ay þe prise · in prowis of armes, He has a hatt on his hede · hiȝtild o floures, Line 4540 Of palme & of peruyk · & othire proud blossoms. Þe kirke of cupido · is clenly a-rayed, Þe stallis & in all stedis · strowid with Rose. Line 4543 Lo, to so many mayned gods · ȝour menbris ȝe dele, And will noȝt knaw ȝour creatour · at ȝow of clay fourmed. Þire deme ȝe for ȝour driȝtins · þat drepis þe saule; For þai may sende ȝow na sele · bot sla ȝow within. As many of þat feleschip · as ȝe trow & adoures, Line 4548 As many turmentis & tene · ȝow tidis in hell. A-vise ȝow now quat velany · & vices þai ȝow teche: Ane leris ȝow to be licherus · & leris ȝow to syn; Ane, to be grindand gluttis · & glorand dronkin; Line 4552 And ane, to bragg & to bost · & bate with þe pepill. If ȝe be herd of ȝour happ [happ marked for erasure.] · vn-happe þai ȝow ken; Forþi bot harlotry or harme · is at ȝe here craue; And if ȝe hede to ȝour hestis · ȝour hert is a-meued, [AlexDind page 29] So queþir þai here or els-quat · it hurtis ay þe saule. Ȝour doctours ere ȝoure duesses · þaire ditis alegis, How þat þai hampire in ȝour here · with many hard payn. Line 4559 Þai cause all vnkindnes · & corperall lustis,

As surquitry & sacrilag · & othire sere tecches; Constrene ȝow in-to cauatise · to clame all þe werd, To rayme & to robry · to rayme men þaire godis, Line 4563 Wailaway to wriches · & wa is ȝow in erthe; [folio 79a] Herefore ȝe hinge mon in hell · quen ȝe ere hethen passed!" Þan was þe kyng of his carpe · crabbid vnfaire, [AlexDind page 30] For he was spetous of speche · & spised his driȝtins; Quen he had lokid on þe lyne · he lappid it to-gedire, [MS. to godire.] [AlexDind page 31] And notid to him a-nothire new · þat now next fologhes.