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 quartus passus Alexandri.

Now strekis he furth with his stour · & steris with his tentis, Line 5075 He leuys all þe march-gats · I neuend ȝow before, And nymmes a-nothire on þe north · þe next to his kith, Þat to þe marche of Messedone · was him mast qweme. Sone was he lent in a lande · a large & a noble, Preciosa, þe precious · þe prose þus it callis; And clene all þat contre · quen þai his come wist, Line 5081 With sike as provid in þa partis · presentis him faire, Sum fellis of fischis · ferly to tell, Was like as of lepards · & lions skynnes; Sum with lions on lyue · & lamprays sloȝis, Line 5085 Þat sex cubettis clere · was of clene lenghe. þar was a cite in [MS. þ in; with þ struck out.] þat side · asisid all with gemmes, With-outen lyme or laire · a lady it kepid, Line 5088 A worthi wedow & a wlonk · with thre wale childire, [folio 88a] Þat qwene Candace þe clere · was callid in þa bonds. Now sall I sothely of hire sons · say ȝow þe names; Þe first wos Candoyle callid · a kniȝt althire-fairest; Þe medilmast of þe men · was Marcipy hatten; Line 5093 Þe thrid Caraptus is cald · þat kepid all hire landis.

Sone as þe kyng of hire knew · a clause he hire writis, An Image all of athill gold · of Amon hire sendis; To mete him in þe montayns · þat mild he [MS. ho; in the margin.] be-sechis, Þat þai miȝt sacrif[is]e samme þar · to his sere driȝtins. Sone as þis princes of pris · þis pistill had deuysid, Þan sendis scho to him sandis-men · with selid lettris, With tribute & trouage · & many tried giftis, Line 5101 And þire þe wordis of hire write · at on þese wyse spekis. ¶ "To þe kiddest kyng · of kyngs all othire, Line 5103 Sire Alexander þe athilest · of Amons strinds, I, Candace þe conquires · coround of Mede, To ȝour honoure with obeyaunce · me ane I comaunde. For it was purveid a-pert · of þe kyng of heuen, Pre-desteyned of his prouydence · & of his pure miȝt, Þat ȝe suld pas in-to Pers · & prese it with armes. Line 5109 Itale, Egipt, & ynde · & all þire Iles ouire, Ȝour wirschip & ȝour worthenes · [in] all þe werd sprong, Ȝour curtassy, ȝour kniȝthede · & all ȝoure clene thewis. And þat with men of þe mold · noȝt melid vs alane, Bot driȝtins & duesses · ȝour dedis declaris. Line 5114 Forþi like it to ȝour lordschip · & lathis noȝt my sawis. We at ere voide ay of vice · & vacant of syn, [folio 88b] Quat suld we moue in-to þe montts? · þat mysters bot litill, Line 5117 Outhire Appole to adoure · or any othire driȝtins. Bot sen it syttis noȝt to oure simpilnes · ȝour saȝe to with-stande, Ne noþir to mele ne to mote · ȝoure maieste a-gayn, Ȝit sall I send ȝow fra my soile · a sertan of giftis, Line 5121 For reuerence of ȝour rialte · & of ȝoure rosid werkis. I drysse ȝow here a diademe · ȝoure druits to were, Þe gaiest gift vndire god · of gold & of stanes, And to ȝow selfe of þe same · o serelepy hewis, Line 5125 A hundreth in a hale heere · hiȝtild with crestis,

And twa hundret & ten · be tale at þe leste, Of rekanthes of rede gold · railed of gemmes, With pellicans & pape-ioyes · polischt [MS. polischa, altered to polischt.] & grauen, Line 5129 With cambs & with coronacles · all of clene perle, Thretti goblettis of gold · þe grattest in þe worde, Fyue hundreth all of euyn elde · of Ethyops childire, Rynoseros, [MS. lynoseros.] a roghe best · with raggid tyndis. Line 5133 An aȝte to [MS. fra to; with fra struck out.] ȝour empire · I fra myn erd wayue, Berrers of ane Ebyn-tree · & brilles a thousand, Foure hundreth Olifants in fere · þis fardill to bere, And thretti hundreth of my thede · þat threuen ere & tame. Line 5137 I presand ȝow, of panters · full of proud mascles, Foure hundreth fellis ȝit to fee · þat fynely ere tewid." Of lepards & of lionesses · þis lady him sendis, A purtrayour in preuate · scho prays with þam to pas, And his personele proporcions · in perchemen hire bring. All was done as scho demed · & he [In the margin.] hire dere thankis, And graithis hire giftis agayn · þe gaiest vndire heuen. Þe payntour presentis his aport · & shoo was proud þen, For scho had depely many day · desyrid him to see. [folio 89a] Þen wendis furth hire dere son · a litill dais eftir, Line 5147 Þat was ser Candoile þe kene · þat was hire kidd aire, His wife & his women · & with his wale feres, Out of þe cite þai soȝt · to solace þar hertis; Þe kyng of Bebrike þe bald · him on þe bent metis, With a company clene · of kniȝtis enarmed, Maynes many of his men · & him his make refis, Line 5153 For he þat lady had loued · many lange wintire. He gers a berne on a blonke · hire bremely to cast Before a bald bachelere [MS. bachele, altered to bachelere.] · on a bigg stede; Scho gaffe skirmand skrikis · at all þe skowis range, It miȝt a persid any hert · to here how scho wepid.

Þan was ser Candoile in þat cas · kenely distourbid, [MS. distrouubid.] Aires on as bely[ue] · to Alexander tentis, Line 5160 Thoȝt he wald sewe to þat sire · & seke him of grace, If he wald helpe with his heere · þat hend to reschowe. Be he þe pauylion a-prochid · it past with-in euen, And sone þe wacche-men with-out · quen þai him þare sawe, Line 5164 Þai tuke him, & to Telomew · titte þai him ledd, Þe mast praysed of þe pers · bot þe prince selfe. "Quat dons man ert þou?" quod þe duke · "& quat dos þou here, Line 5167 Quat is þe cause of þi come? · do kith vs þi name." "Sirs, Candaces son þe conquires · & Candoile I hiȝt;" And clene tald him [of his [MS. tald him him care.] ] care · þe cause all-to-gedire. Þan trines on ser Telomew · & fra his tent wyndis, Comands ser Candoile to kepe · in a kniȝtis warde, Cairys in-to a cabayne · quare þe kyng liggis, Line 5173 Fand him slowmand on slepe · & sleely him rayses, [folio 89b] And tellis him of þat tithandis · þe tale how itt standis, How þar was comyn slike a kniȝt · to craue him of help, Þe son of Candace þe quene · þe kepare of Mede; Line 5177 And how þe Bebrik kyng · had him his wyfe refid. "Ȝa, aire a-gayn," quod Alexander · "in-to þine awen tent; Do on þi hede a dyademe · þe derrest at I haue, A croun all of clene gold · & a kyngis mantill, Line 5181 A-seȝee þe doun in my sege · as þou my-selfe ware; Lat com a-boute þe my kniȝtis · & call ye my name, with [MS. w, followed by a blot and with; probably with with.] liȝt lions latis · as a lord suld; Say þi-selfe is my-selfe · & þan my-selfe call, Line 5185 As I ware Antioc þat athill · non aghe of me þou stand, And I sall hiȝe to þi hest · as [I] þi hathill ware. Quen I com to þi call · & knele þe before, Þou sall declare me þe cas · of Candals auntir, Line 5189

Line 5189 Befor his person apert · ilk poynt as he touchid. Be noȝt a-baist quen I bow · ne bede me [ne bede me in the margin.] noȝt to ryse, Bot lat þi semblance be sadd · quen þou þi saȝe ȝildis; And sai þan, 'Antioc, myn athill' · quen þou has all tald, 'Latt se þi witt in þis werke' · & wysely me rede." Þan [MS. La þan; corrected.] trines furth ser Telomew · & tyris him belyue; In emperouris aparell · his [MS. his his; corrected.] person he clethis. Line 5196 And Alexander as belyue · in antioks name, Quen he was [MS. had was; corrected.] callid, with a kniȝt · he coms in a stounde. Þan tellis to him ser Telomew · þe tale all-to-gedire, Be-fore ser Candale þe kene · his consaile him askis. "Ware [MS. With; altered to Ware.] it ȝour will," quod þe wee · "wale emperoure, Þan wald I fare with þis freke · his fere to reskowe, And bid þe Bebrike · on bathe twa his eȝen, [folio 90a] Withouten bade to þis briȝt · his brid to restore; Line 5204 And say þat sire, on þi [In the margin.] be-half · bot he hire sone ȝeld, We sall his cite & him-selfe · synge in-to poudire!" With þat inclynes þe kniȝt · & kyndly him loues, Said, "antiok, of all men · ay be þou Ioyed; Line 5208 It semes þe, for þi sapience · to sit in a trone, And to be cled as a kyng · with croune & with septir!" Þan aires him furth ser Alexander · as Antiok it ware, Cairis on with candoile · & caȝt him his leue, [MS. wyfe, altered to leue.] Line 5212 Soȝt furth þe same niȝt · & to þe cite wan, Quare þe Bebrik kyng · with þe bird lengis. Sone þe wacchis on þe wallis · þam wiȝtly ascryes, Qua þai ware, & of quethen · & quat was þar errande. "It is ser Candoile," quod þe kyng · "is comyn for his spouse; Line 5217 And I am messangere made · þat mild to delyuire. Þe maistir out of Messedone · ȝow maynly enjoynes, If ȝe ȝoure cite will saue · to sese him his brid." Line 5220 Þan was þe burgaige a-baiste · & brest vp þe ȝatis,

Of þe palais of þe proud kyng · his paramour him tuke. Sire Candoile to oure conquirour · carpis þire wordis, And adoures him for his athill dede · & Antiok him calls. "I pray þe, prince, with me pas · to my praysid modire, Þat þou may merote haue & [Above the line.] menske · & mede for þi werkis." Line 5226 Þan was oure kyng of þat carpe · kyndly reioyed, For him had list on hire to loke · many lang wintir. He said, "aire we to Alexander · & askis him his leue, And I sall fayn with þe found · & felsyn þi will." [folio 90b] Þan trines he to ser Telomew · at in [In the margin.] his trone sittis, Laȝt his leue at þe lede · as he his lorde ware. Line 5232 Þis kid he for a coyntise · & kest slike a wile, Lest he ware knawyn for þe kyng · þe kniȝt for to blinde. Þan caires he furthe with Candoile · vp at a cliffe wyndis, A hidous hill & a hiȝe · þat to þe heuen semed, Was loken all in lange lindis · like to þe cedres, Line 5237 Growand full of gernetts · & gracious frutes. Þare fand þai bery-buskis · & braunches with grapis, Þat vnnethes bere miȝt a berin · a bole on his schuldire. With hesils hild of hodere · cloud lang þa appills, And all þe woddis full of wolfes · & of wild apis. Line 5242 Þai bow vp to a [In the margin.] banke · & þe burgh neȝes; And Candace þe conquires · quen scho þe cas heris, How bathe hire barne & his brid · was broȝt hame sond, Þan was scho glad in hire gast · & gretly reioysed. In-to a chambre [The h is above the line.] scho chese · & changid hire wedis; A Robe all of rede gold · & þan a riche mantill, Line 5248 A croune & a corecheffe · clustert with gemmes, And [cam] doun of hire closere · with kniȝtis him to mete. A grete gate be degrece · agayn þaim scho foundis; "Kys me, ser Candoile" · & clappis him in armes,

Said, "welcum be þou, wale son · & þou, my wale doȝtir! And I am glad of ȝoure gest · as gode geffe me ioye." Sire Alexander hire a-vises · & all his hert liȝtis, Line 5255 Him þoȝt hire like at a loke · his lady his modire. Scho was so faire & so fresche · as faucon hire semed, An elfe out of an-othire erde · or ellis an Aungell. Hire palais was full precious · þof it parades ware, Plied ouir with pure gold · all þe plate-rofes, Line 5260 And þat was ioyned full of gemes · & of ioly stanes, [folio 91a] With breme blasenand bemes · briȝt as þe son. Þe kyng with dame Candace · þe castell he entres, Silis in with þat semely · in-to a somere-hall, Line 5264 A strenthe, was stiȝtild all of stagis · þe stithest of þe werd, Was nane so comly a close · vndire þe can[o]pe of heuen, Þe bild was all of brent gold · þe beddis of þe same, Piȝt full of pentests · & oþire proude stanes, Line 5268 Of Onycles & orfrays · & orient perles, And with þire precious piers · of paradise stremes, Bathe þe benkis & þe bordis · bett of þe noble, Smeten full of smaragdins · & oþir small gemmes, Line 5272 Of Acats & of Amatistis · & adamants fyne, Calcidoynes & crisopaces · & oþir clere bees. Þe pilars ware of purfire · polischt & hewen, With gomes grouelings of gold · graythid for þe nanes, Fondand on all foure · on fote & on handis, Line 5277 Buskid vndire þe baisens · to bere vp þe postis. Þare ran a reuire, as I rede · vndire þat riche hame, Was neuir na cristall so clere · as was þa clere strandis. Þe kyng & Candace þe quene · & Candeile hire aire, Þe same day in þe sale · was serued to-gedire. Line 5282 Scho sesis him on þe secunde day · [& sone] with him laches, Raȝt him by þe riȝt hand · & raikis to a chambre, Was parraillid all of plate-gold · pariet & oþire, With stoute starand stanes · þat stremed as þe son. Line 5286

Line 5286 Was þar na leuyand lede · ne lyfe bot þam ane. And þan scho laches him be-lyfe · & ledis him forthire, In-to a clochere with a kay · þe clennest of þe werde, Was sammed all of sipris · & seder-tables. Line 5290