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.

                                
                                  With þe selcouutest soume · þat semblyd was euer,
                                  Line 1244 
                                
                                  With a mynd to me · wer mervell to rekyn, [folio 10b] 
                                
                                  A threti thouusand in thede · of thro men of armes,
                                
                                  Suche as wer on blonnkes · in brenys & platez,
                                
                                  And other folowand on fote · fele owt of nowmbre.
                                  Line 1248 
                                
                                  The multitude was so much · as menys vs þe writtez,
                                
                                  Of wyes & of wild horse · & of wapenned bernes,
                                
                                  So styf a steuen in þe stoure · of stedes & enmys,
                                
                                  As it was semand [to siȝt] · as þe son tremblyd.
                                  Line 1252 
                                
                                  Þen wer þe masydons ameved · when þai so mony seen;
                                
                                  Sir meliager was in grete mynd · a man owt to send
                                
                                  To alexander als belyue · þaire aller maister,
                                  Line 1255 
                                
                                  To Come to help with hys heir · or þai to hand rydyn.
                                
                                  Bot þar was nane þat was made · þe message to fannge,
                                
                                  Bot ilke lede elike loth · to leven þair frendes,
                                
                                  And festned þair forwardez in-fere · þe few þat þar wer,
                                
                                  To do as drighten wald deme · & dye all to-geder;
                                  Line 1260 
                                
                                  To tell þair torfer in tere · it wald tary me to lang.
                                
                                  Bot so þe mody meliager · & hys men foghten,
                                
                                  Þat Sir bertinus þe bald · þai brityned to dede,
                                
                                  And sampson was of hys syde · slayn þar-agayns.
                                  Line 1264 
                                
                                  Þen murned all þe masydons · & meynyd hym swyth,
                                
                                  Made grett mone for þis man · & mony oþer noble,
                                
                                  For maisters & ministers · meyner & gretter,
                                  Line 1267 
                                
                                  Þat wer in morsellys made · & martyred by hundrethis.
                                
                                  And þat left wer on-lyue · bot a lytell meynhe,
                                
                                  Wer also maistrett & masyd · & mated of þair strennthes,
                                
                                  So wake & so wyndles · & wery for-fouughten,
                                
                                  Þat þai wer wille in þe werld · qwat þai worth suld.
                                  Line 1272 
                                
                                  Sir meliager & oþer mo · mayned wer sare,
                                
                                  All to-bled & to-brysed · þat nere þair breth fayled,
                                
                                  Thai wer so feble and so faynte · and full of þaim-seluen,
                                
                                  Þat all in fere & in forme · þe feld for to ȝeld.
                                  Line 1276 
                                
                                  Than ayres hym forth aristes · was augerdly woundett,
                                
                                  To alexander anone · þees aunters hym telles,

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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 67
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 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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