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.

                                
                                  Sa clere a witt & sa clene · my creatoure I lofe,
                                
                                  Þat all þe notis at I neuyn · nobly I can,
                                  Line 260 
                                
                                  As any prophet a-perte · to proue ȝow þe sothe."
                                
                                  Quen he þire sawis had sayd · he in his sege lened,
                                
                                  In stody still as a stane · & starid in hire face,
                                
                                  Beheld haterly þat hend · þat had his hert percid,
                                  Line 264 
                                
                                  With depe desire of delite · ay on þat dere waytis.
                                
                                  Sone as hire selfe it sawe · at he hire sa behaldis,
                                
                                  Þen scho talkis him to · & titely him fraynes:
                                
                                  "Quare-on muse ȝe sa mekill, maister?" scho sayd;
                                  Line 268 
                                
                                  "Ȝe behald me sa hogely · quare-on is ȝour mynd?"
                                
                                  "My frely fode," quod þe freke · "noȝt bot þe werdes
                                
                                  Of my gracious goddis · þe grettest on erde.
                                  Line 271 
                                
                                  Þai haue tald me be-for þis tyme · þat now I trew fynd,
                                
                                  How I suld [MS. I suld I suld; the two latter words underlined.]  lenge in a land · & loke on a qwene."
                                
                                  Þan out of his bosom he brayd · a blesand table [folio 5b] 
                                
                                  Of Euour & of othire þingis · odly fourmed,
                                
                                  Of bras & of brynt gold · & o[f] briȝt siluer,
                                  Line 276 
                                
                                  Þat thre serclis sere · in it selfe had.
                                
                                  In þe first compas I ken · as me þe claus tellis,
                                
                                  Stude þe xij vndirstandings · stoutly engrauen.
                                
                                  In þis oþir draȝt ware deuysid · a dusan of bestis,
                                  Line 280 
                                
                                  And semely sett was in þe thrid · þe son & þe mone.
                                
                                  Sethen he clekis out of a cas · vij clere sternes
                                
                                  To tell him takens of þe tymes · & talis of our werdis;
                                
                                  And vij stele-grauyn stanys · & stoute oþire tway,
                                  Line 284 
                                
                                  Þat wald for hurte or for harme · any hathill kepe.
                                
                                  Þus as he tuke furth his toylis · & his trammys [MS. tranmys.]  schewis,
                                
                                  "If I sall lefe on þi lare" · quod þe leue qwene,
                                
                                  "Say me þe day & þe same ȝere · & þe selfe tyme
                                  Line 288 
                                
                                  Of þe birth of þe bald kyng · þat I best lufe."
                                
                                  Þan answars Anec onane · sayd, "is þar oȝt ellis
                                
                                  At ȝe wald, hend, of me here · or at ȝoure hert willis?
                                
                                  For any cas þat is to com [MS. con.]  · to knaw if þe likis,

                                  Line 292

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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 9
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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