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.

                                
                                  Þe morth of all þe Messedone[s] · & of þe many grekis,
                                
                                  Rekens him þar resons · þat reuthe was to here.
                                  Line 1280 
                                
                                  With þat þe semely kyng · chacches his bernes,
                                
                                  Semblis him a huge soume · & fra þe sege wendis,
                                
                                  Þe toure of Tire & þe toune · titly he leues,
                                
                                  And Ioynes him to Iosaphat · full ioyles he rydes.
                                  Line 1284 
                                
                                  Ay he gretis as he gase · for grefe of his knyȝtis,
                                
                                  Ay he pleynys as he passes · þe pite of his erlis,
                                
                                  Ay he wepis as he wendis · for his wale princes,
                                
                                  And soueraynly for Sampson · he sorowis ay elike.
                                  Line 1288 
                                
                                  When he was tane fraward [MS. toward altered to fraward.]  Tyre · toward þe vaile,
                                
                                  Þe werke at he wroȝt had · þat water whyt-in, [folio 22b] 
                                
                                  Þat he had sett in þe see · þe cite with-out,
                                
                                  þar-in he lefte had a lede · þe loge for to kepe.
                                  Line 1292 
                                
                                  Bot þan ser Balaan, a berne · at in þe burȝe lengis,
                                
                                  Ane of þe terands of Tyre · atyres him [MS. here inserts h, but it is struck out.]  belyue,
                                
                                  Buskes him in breneis · with big men of armes,
                                  Line 1295 
                                
                                  With traumes & with tribochetis · þe tild to asaile.
                                
                                  He bekirs out at þe bild · within þe burȝe-wallis,
                                
                                  And þai without in þe werke · wiȝtly defendis,
                                
                                  Schot scharply betwene · schomes [Read schoures.]  of dartis;
                                
                                  Weris wondirly wele [Added in the margin.]  · werpis out stanes.
                                  Line 1300 
                                
                                  Bot Balaa[n] in þe barmeken · sa bitterly fiȝtis,
                                
                                  All to-combirs þam clene · with cast of engynes.
                                
                                  Sone þe top of þe toure · he tiltis in-to þe watir,
                                
                                  And all þe tulkis in þe tild · he termens o lyue;
                                  Line 1304 
                                
                                  And þan in batis & in bargis · he bownes him swyth,
                                
                                  To þe bothum of þe baistell · he buskis him with-out,
                                
                                  Bretens doun all þe bild · & þe bernys quellis,
                                  Line 1307 
                                
                                  Drenches hire in þe hiȝe see · & drawis hire on hepis.
                                
                                  Quen it was smeten in small · with þe smert waȝes,
                                
                                  Ilka gobet his gate · glidis fra othire.
                                
                                  Þus [MS. þus was.]  þe strenth ilk stike [MS. stilk stike; but stilk is struck out.]  · was in a stounde wasted,

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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 68
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
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/apa1967.0001.001
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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 8, 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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