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 knelis doun oure conquirour · & callis on his driȝtins,
                                
                                  Giffe þam siluir & so · &  [Above the line.] sens at þaim castis.
                                  Line 4184 
                                
                                  Vnneth his [MS. Vnneth is his; with is underlined, and his above the line.]  prayer was past · quen purid all þe cloudis,
                                
                                  And stint was all þe stikill stormes · in a stand-quile.
                                
                                  Þen rade he in aray · remowis his ostis,
                                
                                  To þe grete flode of Gangem · & graythid þar his tents. [AlexDind page 6] 
                                
                                  His bernes blischis ouir þe bourne · & on þe banke saȝe
                                
                                  Quare thre wees in a wraa · welk þaim allane. [AlexDind page 7] 
                                  Line 4190 
                                
                                  Sire Alexander bad an athil · aske þem of ynde,
                                
                                  Quase þai ware, quethin þai were · & of quat kind.
                                
                                  And þai him swiftly swarid · with a swete steuyn,
                                
                                  "We ere bald Bragmenys · þat neuir bale thoȝt."
                                
                                  Þan list þe lord on his lyfe · haue with þat ledis spoken,
                                
                                  Miȝt he haue won ouir þe watir · for wounding of bestis,
                                
                                  As see-bule & serpentis · & soukand locerhes, [folio 72b] 
                                  Line 4197 
                                
                                  Bathe eddirs & ascres · & atterand wormes.
                                
                                  Þire Cocatricesse in creuessis · þar kindiles þai brede,
                                
                                  Scorpions many [In the margin.]  score · scautand neddirs;
                                  Line 4200 
                                
                                  And all-way bot in angwisch [Read august.]  · as þe buk sais,
                                
                                  And saue þe Iolite of Iuly · þai Iowke in þa strandis. [July and August.] 
                                
                                  Quen he [In the margin.]  persayued be na poynt · at he pas miȝt,
                                
                                  Þan was he sary in þat sithe · & sadly he pleyned,
                                
                                  Callid to his carpentars · & of his kid wriȝtis,
                                  Line 4205 
                                
                                  Bad make him boun at a braide · a barge all of redis.
                                
                                  Quen it was done at his diuyse · & draȝen ouer with hidis,
                                
                                  Pared & parreld at his pay · pickid & taloghid, [AlexDind page 8] 
                                  Line 4208 
                                
                                  Þan bowes þarin a bachelere · to bragmeyn he wendis,
                                
                                  To þe souereayn sire of þe soile · & sesid him þis pistill.
                                
                                  ¶ "I, þat kyng am of kyngis · & crouned of lordis,
                                
                                  Alexander þe aire · of Amone oure driȝtin,
                                  Line 4212 
                                
                                  And of þe quene Olimpades · þat I am of sprongen,
                                
                                  To þe, ser Dindyn, on þi dese · dities of Ioye.
                                
                                  Sen we chapid out of childhede · & cheued to eldire,

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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 229
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 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.

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