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.

                                
                                  And all þat lent wer on-lofte · lost haue þe swete. [folio 36b] 
                                  Line 3068 
                                
                                  Þus mony deyd þis day · as demys me writtes,
                                
                                  Off polles oute of persye · withoute þe prouude grekys,
                                
                                  Thre C Mille [I. e. Three hundred thousand.]  of throo · þat tharnyd þair lyfez,
                                
                                  With þe folez & þe folke · þat þe flude drynched.
                                  Line 3072 
                                
                                  Þis seneour vnto susys · hys awne cyte wendes,
                                
                                  Fallys downe on hys face · flatt in þe sale,
                                
                                  "Wo is me!" quod þe wreche · "wo is me vnhappyn!"
                                
                                  Sighez selkouthly sore · & sadly he wepys,
                                  Line 3076 
                                
                                  "I þat was straught to þe sternes · am strykyn nowe to ground,
                                
                                  Nowe a crathan & a knaffe · nowe am I kest vnder,
                                
                                  Þat had of the Orient all ouer · homage vmwhile.
                                
                                  Wist ony wee qwat hym suld worth · þis werld wald he lefe,
                                  Line 3080 
                                
                                  Full symple in a sete-while · sekyn to þe clodes,
                                
                                  And þai þat most er of myght · meltyn all to powder."
                                
                                  With þat he rewfully rose · & renkes oute he sendes,
                                
                                  To A[lexander] als bylyfe · & all suche a Pistyll.
                                  Line 3084 
                                
                                  "I, drery Kyng on my dese · Darius of Perys, [Epistola.] 
                                
                                  To A[lexander] þe heyr · þat all hase to weld,
                                
                                  Þe leyge lord of my lyfe · to lese or to safe,
                                
                                  Þus send I to my soueren · salutes of Ioy.
                                  Line 3088 
                                
                                  So wyde is þe wisdome · þat wonnys in your saule,
                                
                                  Þat wele ȝe wate of all þat was · & worth here byfore,
                                
                                  Off all þe notes þat er nowe · & what on next sewys.
                                
                                  For-þi ȝe wirke euer by witte · ye werke vnreprefytt.
                                  Line 3092 
                                
                                  Sir, I knalegh me a creatur · & Comyn of A woman,
                                
                                  Hefys nott your hert to hye · bott hedes to your ende;
                                
                                  It lympys nott allway þe last · be lykkynd to þe first,
                                
                                  Quatt suld a knyght more Couett · þen conquer hys foes?
                                
                                  Was not Seryxes hym-self · þe soueranest on ground,
                                  Line 3097 
                                
                                  And chefyd hym nott of cheualry · chekez oute of nombre?
                                
                                  Ȝitt for hys will oute of warde · was wonne into pride,

Pages

Index

About this Item

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 183
Publication: London,: Pub. for the Early English text society, by N. Trübner & co.,; 1886.
Subject terms: Alexander, -- the Great, -- 356-323 B.C. -- Romances.

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/apa1967.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/apa1967.0001.001/221:14

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:apa1967.0001.001

Cite this Item

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 June 23, 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.

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item