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.

                                
                                  For it was gayly begane · with golden webbis.
                                
                                  A blewe bleaut o-bofe · brad him al ouire,
                                  Line 4912 
                                
                                  Was browde all with brent gold · full of briȝt aungels.
                                
                                  Þe testre trased full of trones · with trimballand wingis;
                                
                                  Þe silloure full of Seraphens · & othire sere halows,
                                
                                  With curtyns all of clene silke · & coddis of þe same,
                                
                                  With cumly knottis & with koyntis · & knopis of perle.
                                
                                  It ware to tere me to tell · þe tirement to-gedire,
                                  Line 4918 
                                
                                  Or a nany [Sic in MS.]  clerke · þe cost to de-vise;
                                
                                  And he þat ristis in þat rowme · þe romance it tellis, [folio 85a] 
                                
                                  Was ane of þe borliest bernes · þat euire body hade,
                                
                                  With fell face as þe fire · & ferly faire schapen,
                                  Line 4922 
                                
                                  Balgh brade in þe brest · & on þe bely sklendire.
                                
                                  His cheuelere as chauele [Or chaaele; indistinct.]  · for changing of eld,
                                
                                  And as blaȝt was his berd · as any briȝt snaw. [Substituted for swaw.] 
                                  Line 4925 
                                
                                  Sone as oure prince with his peris · his person avyses,
                                
                                  He gesse him wele to be god · & of na gome kind.
                                
                                  He knelis doun with his kniȝtis · on þe cald erthe,
                                
                                  With haile him hailsis on heȝe · & oþir hend wordis.
                                
                                  Þe renke within þe redell · þan raxsils his armes,
                                  Line 4930 
                                
                                  Rymed him full renyschly · & rekind þir wordis:
                                
                                  "Haile, Alexander!" quod þis athill · "at [In the margin.]  all þe erth weldis,
                                
                                  Þou ert welcum, I-wis · & all þi wale princes.
                                
                                  Sire, þou sall see with þi siȝt · slike signes, or þou passe,
                                
                                  As neuire segge vndire son · saȝe bot þine ane.
                                  Line 4935 
                                
                                  And þou sall here apon happis · or þou hethen founde,
                                
                                  Þat neuire hathill vndire heuen · herd bot þi-selfe."
                                
                                  "A! A! happy haly here man" · quod þis hathill þan,
                                
                                  "How þat þou neuynes my name · & þou me neuire kend?"
                                  Line 4939 
                                
                                  "Ȝis, sothly, ser," saied þe segge · "þi-selfe & þi werkis,
                                
                                  Or any drope of þi delume · drechet had þe erd.
                                
                                  List þe noȝt loke on þe lindis · þat leuys euire mare,

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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 252
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 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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