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.

                                
                                  Þire baratours bawers · ere bremly reioyed
                                  Line 3960 
                                
                                  Of þe conquest of þire cocatrices · & of þa kene bestis;
                                
                                  And now he caire[s] fra þat kithe · & comes in a stounde
                                
                                  Quare Porrus with his powere · on a playn lengis.
                                
                                  Sire Alexander & his ost · caires [MS. a cayres.]  þaim a-gayne [MS. a gyn gayne; corrected.] 
                                  Line 3964 
                                
                                  With brade [MS. brade brade; corrected.]  baners & briȝt · & bragging of troumpis.
                                
                                  Apon þe bald bocifalon · before his men all
                                
                                  He flingis out a forelange · his feris to assaile.
                                
                                  Þe Persens putt þaim in pres · & þe proude grekis;
                                  Line 3968 
                                
                                  Þe Medis & þe Messedons · maynely þai feȝt,
                                
                                  Þai swey doun as swiftly · þa swart men of ynde,
                                
                                  As euire did corne in a croft · be-fore a kene sithe.
                                
                                  Quen sir Porrus saȝe his princes · in þe prese faile,
                                  Line 3972 
                                
                                  Þan aires he out be-for his ost · on Alexander callis:
                                
                                  "It comes," he said, "to na kyng · ne kidd emperoure
                                
                                  To latt his pepill þus pas · & perisch in ydill;
                                
                                  It fallis mare faire him þe fiȝt · to fynesch him-selfe.
                                
                                  Forþi lat stedill all oure stoure · & stedd þam esoundire,
                                
                                  Þi semble o þe taa syde · & myne on þe tothire;
                                  Line 3978 
                                
                                  Lat vs twa termyn þe taite · be-twene vs alane. [folio 68b] 
                                
                                  If I be vencust in þe vaile · & voidid of my lyfe,
                                
                                  Lat all my seggis & soile · be to þi-selfe ȝolden;
                                
                                  And if þou failis in þe fild · & I þe floure wynn,
                                  Line 3982 
                                
                                  Latt þan þine erlis & þine erd · myne empire obeyi."
                                
                                  Thus porrus in his hiȝe pride · to oure kyng spekis,
                                
                                  For he was litill & laghe · him laythly dispices.
                                
                                  For quen he wan to wax · þe writt me recordis,
                                  Line 3986 
                                
                                  Thre cubettis fra þe croune doun · his cors had a lenghte.
                                
                                  Þe person of ser Porrus · past him þat hiȝt twyse,
                                
                                  He feetis him forth in his force · & in his faire hiȝte.
                                
                                  Bot þe prowis & þe prouidens · & of þe pure thewis
                                
                                  Þat lurkis with-in þis lede · full litill he kennes.
                                  Line 3991 
                                
                                  Now is þe partise in pes · & þai þe place dele;
                                
                                  Aithire kyng with his cause · encontres on othire.

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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 222
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 June 24, 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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