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.

[Romance of Alexander the Great.]
[MS. Ashmole 44; [folio 1a] ]

WHen folk ere festid & fed · fayn wald þai here Sum farand þing efter fode · to fayn þare her[t], Or þai ware fourmed on fold · or þaire fadirs oþer. Sum is leue to lythe · þe lesing of Sayntis, Line 4 Þat lete þer lifis be lorne · for oure lordis [MS. lord = lordis perhaps.] sake; And sum has langing of lufe · lays to herken, How ledis for þaire lemmans · has langor endured. Sum couettis & has comforth · to carpe & to lestyn Line 8 Of curtaissy of knyȝthode · of craftis of armys, Of kyngis at has conquirid · & ouer-comyn landis. Sum of wirschip I-wis · slike as þam wyse lattis, And sum of wanton werkis · þa þat ere wild-hedid; Line 12 Bot if þai wald on many wyse · a wondire ware it els; For as þaire wittis ere with-in · so þer will folowis. And I forwith ȝow all · ettillis to schewe Of ane Emperoure þe aȝefullest · þat euer armys hauntid, Þat was þe athill Alexsandire · as þe buke tellis, Line 17 Þat aȝte euyn as his awyn · all the werd ouire. For he recouerd quills he regnyd · þe regions all clene, And all rialme & þe riches · in-to þe rede est. Line 20 I sall rehers, & ȝe will, renkis · rekyn ȝour tongis, A remnant of his rialte · & rist quen vs likis.

¶ Oute in þe erth of Egipt · enhabet vmquile Þe wysest wees of the werd · as I in writt fynd. Line 24 For þai þe mesure & þe mett · of all þe mulde couthe, Þe sise of all þe grete see · & of þe grym wawys;

Of þe ordere of þat odde home · þat ouer þe aire hingis Knew þe kynd, & þe curses · of þe clere sternys, Line 28 Of Articus the aghill · tre [So in MS.; read athille · thre.] airis & oþire Of þe fold & of þe firmament · wele þe fete cuthe; And Antarticus also · þat all [MS. repeats all.] apon turnys, [folio 1b] Þe pasage of þe planettis · þe poyntis & þe sygnes. Line 32 Þai ware þe kiddest of þat craft · knawyn in þaire tyme, And þe sotellest vndere son · segis in þaire lyfe. Þus ware þai breued for þe best · as þe buke tellis; All þai lerid of þat [MS. 'þat o,' but o is expuncted.] lare · þat it lere wald. Line 36 As wide as þe werd was · went worde of þaire teching, Of sorsery & slike werkis · sleȝtis enogh. And þe kyng of þat contre · was a clerke noble, Þe athelest ane of þe werd · & Anec was hatten. Line 40 He was wyse enoȝe · wirdis to reken, When he þe heuyn beheld · of lede[s] opon lyfe; Þe iapis of all gemetri · gentilli he couth, And wele as Aristotill · þe artis all seuyn. Line 44 þer preued neuer nane his prik · for passing of witt, Plato nor Piktagaras · ne Prektane him seluen. Emang his duykis on a day · as he on dese syttis, Þan was him bodword vnblyth · broȝt to þe sale, Line 48 Þat Artaxenses was armed · with þe men of his rewme, Þe proude king of Persy · to pase him agayn. Þoȝe he þa sawis herd say · ȝit samyd he na princis, Ne ost ordand he nane · of na kyd knyȝtis, Line 52 Bot airis euen furth him ane · & entirs his chambre, To knaw by his clergi · þe come of his faa. He takis a Boll of bras · burneschid full clene, And full he fillis it of the flode · at fell fra þe heuen. On hiȝt in his a hand [MS. hand hand, the latter underlined.] · haldis a wand, Line 57 And kenely be coniurisons · callis to him spritis. In-to þis water as he waitis · was he ware sone

Of his enmys in þat Element · ane endles nombre; Line 60 He saȝe þam in þe hiȝe see · sailand to-gedire, [folio 2a] Was neuer sene slike a some · vnder þe son bemys. Carrygis comand he knew · keruand þe ithis, Dromonds dryfes ouer þe depe · with dukis & Erles, Line 64 Gales & grete schipis · full of grym wapens, And full of breneid bernes · bargis a hundreth, Of slik a naue is noy · to here or to tell. For all þe largenes of lenth · at he luke myȝt, Line 68 Slik was þe multitude of mast · so mekil & so thike, Þat all him þoȝt bot he treis · a hare wod it semyd. At þe enteris of Egipt · as Anec had beden, Ware peris of his prouynce · & princes of his cytes, Line 72 Was comandid of þaire kyng · to kepe þa landis, Þat nane aproche it to paire · of Persy ne othire. Þan was a wardan ware · oute in þe wale stremys Of all þe naue & þe note · I neuenyd be-fore; Line 76 Laȝt liȝtly his ledis · & leuys his warde, Comes to courte to þe kyng · & on kneys fallis, Anec bi his awyn name · he onane gretis, Sais, "ȝare þe now ȝapely · or ȝild vp þi rewme; Line 80 Artaxenses is at hand · & has ane ost reryd, And resyn vp with all his rewme · to ride vs agayn; For he him-self is on þe se · with siche a somme armed, Þat any hathill vnder heuen · ware hardy to rekyn. Line 84 For þer is comyn with him knyȝt[es] [MS. knyȝt.] · of landis dyuerse, Segis of many syde · oute of sere remys, Þe perseyns & a pupill · þat parthy [MS. panthy.] is callid, Men of Mesepotayme · & of Mede bathe, Line 88 Of Syre & of Sychim · a selle nounbre, Of Capidos & Caldec · kene men of armes, Fell feȝtand folke · þat Faire we call, [folio 2b] Þe Arrabiens & all þa · [of] þat origyne, Line 92 Bernys out of Batary · batails arayed, And oþire out of þe orient · many od hundrethe."

¶ Þen Anec onane riȝt · efter þire wordis, A lowde laȝter he loȝe · & to þe lede said, Line 96 "Haue þou na care," quod þe kyng · "bot kepe to þe marche, As I have demyd þe to do · & dred þou na ferryre; For soth it is vnsemely [MS. vmsemely.] · slike sawis of a prynce. I kan noȝt knaw at þou carpis · as a knyȝt suld, Line 100 Bot as a frek at ware ferid · & feynes riȝt nowe. Ert þou noȝt hurtles & hale? · lat noȝt þi hert faile. For vertu vailes noȝt all · if þou avaied worthe, Line 103 Emang þe multitude [MS. multitudo.] of men · quare mane ere togeder, Bot þer aboute as þai ere blend · with bignes of will. If þai be folke bot a fa · oft tydis þam þe better. Or elis wate þou noȝt wele · þe witles berne, How it is comonly carped · in contries a-boute, Line 108 Þat anelepy leon · þat ouer þe land rynnys, Will make to fange to þe fliȝt · & flay many hertis?" With þat þe segge [MS. 'gegge,' but the line is marked for correction.] all him selfe · silis to his chambre, And in þe brasen boll · full [of] blak watere Line 112 He shapis him of shire wax · litill schipis many, And ȝapely ȝarkid in his hand · a ȝerd of a palme. Þen con he chater & enchant · with all his chefe miȝtis, A-vysid him in þe vessell · & was avaied sone, Line 116 How þe powere out of Persy · pellid doune his knyȝtis, And how his land suld be lost · withouten lett mare. When he was ware of þis wathe · how it worthe suld, [folio 3a] Þan wendis he wiȝtly furth · & his wede changis, Line 120 Clede him all as a clerke · & his croune shauys, And with a bytand blade · he his bered voydis. Þen takis to him tresour · & trusses in baggis, As many Besandis on his bake · as he bere miȝt, Line 124 And oþire necessari notis · as nedis to his craftis, To sike salmary dangell · as him self vyses. He toke traimmes him with · to tute in þe sternes,

Astralabus [MS. Astralalus.] algate · as his arte wald, Line 128 Quadrentis [MS. In adrentes.] coruen all of quyte · siluyre full quaynte, Mustours & mekil quat · mare þen a littill. When he was graþed with his gere · a gladen he waytis, And passis furþe at a Posterne · preualy alane, Line 132 Furþe on his fete withouten fole · he passis his way, Vn-wetandly to any wee · þat wont in his wanes. Þus airis he out of Egipte · & his erde leuys, Fled for ferd of his fais · fere fra his kythis, Line 136 It was na bote him to bide · ne batill to ȝelde; For all his kyngdome he knew · suld be kast vnder. Fra þe partis of Persy · he past bot a littill, And euyn so þurȝe Ethyope · & þar him eft clethis, Line 140 All his liche in lyn claþe · for ledis suld trowe And all þe puple persayue · a prophete [MS. proplete.] he were. Þen metis he furthe to Messadon · full vn-mete gatis, And quen he come to þat kith · as þe chance tellis, Line 144 Oft with his instrumentis out · he openly deuynes, And noþer hild he it ne hid · bot here qua sa likid. Bot þan was methe [or meche.] for to mele · þurȝe men of his burȝ, Þat he by-hind him at hame · withoute hede leuyd. [folio 3b] Line 148 Slik care kindils in his curte · quen þai þer kyng myssid, Þat it ware tere any tonge · of þar tene to reken; Princes of his palas · preses in-to chambre, To laite þar lord at was lost · with latis vn-blythe; Line 152 Kairis in-to closettis · knyȝtis & Erlis, Sekand þar souerayn · with many salt terys; Barons & bachelers · balefully gretis, Swiers swemyle · swouned ladys, Line 156 And many was þe bald berne · at banned þar quile, Þat euer he dured þat day · vndede opon erthe. Bot quen þai wist he was went · & wald noȝt be foun, Couth þai na bote þam ebland · how best for to wirke, Bot silis to ser Sirraphis · at sittis in his trone, Line 161

Line 161 Þat was þar god alþire-graythist · on þe ground samen. Him þai supplyed & soȝt · & him ensence castis, Honourd him with offyrings · & elkend him fayre, Line 164 Þat he suld say þam þe sothe · & sorely þam teche Queder þaire kyng was becomen · at þar care kyndils. Þan sayd Syraphis him selfe · he sayd þam þir wordis: "Anec, ȝour athill kyng · is out of his awyn land, Line 168 For Artaxenses aȝe · is all him ane foundid, Þe proude kyng of Persee · þat passes vs a-gaynes. Full wele he wist, or he went · quat suld worþe efter, And all þe fourme of þe fare · þat fall ȝow be-houys. For all þe erth of Egipt · fra end vn-to othire Line 173 Bees conquirid & ouercomyn · clene alto-gedre. Þe puple out of Perse · is purvaid all samen; [folio 4a] Þe kyng is comand full kene · with his kene ostis, Line 176 Þat sall oure renkis all rayme · & oure rewme bathe, And we be all at þare will · þus is wirdis schapen. Sen it is sett to be soo · & slipe it ne may, Ne schewid to be na noþire schap · ne we to schount nouthire, Line 180 Bot gefe þaim vp þe girdill · vs gaynes noȝt ellis. Bot seses, seris, of ȝour syte · & soruȝes na mare; For certayn," quod Syraphis · "my-selfe I it knawe, Ȝour king sall in a noþire kithe · kast out his elde, Line 184 And come a-gayn eft ȝonge man · ȝit to his rewme. Þan sall þat victoure ȝow venge · on ȝour vile fais, And þe province of Persee · purely distruye, Line 187 And gett agayn his avyn gronde · at he forgais nowe, And ane of þe oddist Emperours · of þe werde worthe." ¶ When he þis talis had tald · þen tuke þai be-lyfe, And efter Anec on-ane · ane ymage gert make; Þe buke sais, of blake stane · all þe bode ouyre, Line 192 With corone & with conyschantis · as it a kynge were. Quen it was perfite & piȝt · a place þai it wayted, And stallid him in a stoute stede · & stiȝthed him faire. Lordis lift him on loft · & lawe to him bowid, Line 196

Line 196 In reuerence of þe riche kyng · at had þer rewme gydid. Quen he was semely vp set · with septour in hand, Þen ledis at ware lettird · on lawe at his feet [MS. fortes; cf. 'at his feete' in Alex. A. 570.] All þe sawis of þaire Syre · as Siraphis tald, Line 200 Þare gan þai graithly þam graue · in golden lettirs, All þe wordis at he þaim werpid · of þaire ware kynge. Þare þai wrate þam I-wis · as þe buke tellis, Supposand þaim in sum tyme · for sothe to be knawen, And men to make of þam mynd · euer-mare efter. Line 205 Be þat þaire enmes þar erde · was entird with-in, Þe powere oute of Persee · with many proude ostes; Bot of þar batails to brefe · it botis me na ferrire. Line 208 For all þai conquirid clene · þis cithe at þaire will, [folio 4b] And Anec [MS. Anes.] is all his ane · ferre of his awyn landis, With-in þe merris of Messedoyn · þar na man him knewe. Bot will ȝe herken hende · now sall ȝe here Line 212 How he kide him in þe courete · & quayntid him with ladis.