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.

                                
                                  Þan þaim [MS. þaiem.]  of Persy to pay · or to plese authere.
                                  Line 1180 
                                
                                  Þan takis þe bischop þe breue · & buȝes to a chambre,
                                
                                  Resayued it with reuerence · & redis it [Inserted at the end of the line.]  ouire,
                                
                                  Gase him doun be degrece · a-gayne to þe sale,
                                
                                  Swiftly to þe swiars · & þam his sware ȝeldis:
                                  Line 1184 
                                
                                  "Sirs, airis a-gayn to Alexander · & all þus [MS. þus.]  him tellis,
                                
                                  Þat me was done many day · depely to swere,
                                
                                  Neuer Persy to paire · to pas with myne armes
                                
                                  In damaging of Darius · durand his lyfe."
                                  Line 1188 
                                
                                  Sone as þe wale kyng wist · he writhis him vnfaire,
                                
                                  "Now be þat god," quod þe gome · "þat gatt me on erthe,
                                
                                  I sall anes on þe iewis · enioyne or I die,
                                  Line 1191 
                                
                                  Sall ken þam quas comandment · to kepe at þam fall."
                                
                                  Ȝit for na torfar him tid · Tyre wald he noȝt leue,
                                
                                  Bot chese him out a chiftane · & charge[s] him belyue,
                                
                                  A mody man, ser Meliager · a maister of his [MS. hio.]  oste,
                                
                                  To fande him furth with a flote · of fyue hundreth kniȝtis;
                                  Line 1196 
                                
                                  A[nd] Ioynes him to Iosaphat · his iournay to [MS. to to; with former to struck out.]  take,
                                
                                  And all þe pastours & þe playnes · prestly to driue,
                                
                                  And bring in all þe bestaill · barayn & othire,
                                
                                  Þat he miȝt se on any syde · þe cite of Gadirs.
                                  Line 1200 
                                
                                  Þan mouys he on, ser Meliager · þis miȝtifull prince
                                
                                  With a soume of sekir men · & Sampson þam ledis, [folio 21a] 
                                
                                  A renke at in þa regions · had redyn oft sythis,
                                
                                  And knew þe costis & þe kitthis · clene all-to-gedire.
                                
                                  Þus ȝede þai furthe egirly · & entirs þe vaile,
                                  Line 1205 
                                
                                  And slike a prai þam apreued · as pyne were to reken,
                                
                                  Bryngis furthe, sayd þe boke · bestis out of nounbre, [MS. mounbre.] 
                                
                                  And trottes on toward Tyre · with taite at þaire hertis.
                                
                                  Bot or þai meten ware a myle · þe meris with-outen,

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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 62
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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