Howe Neptanabus kinge of Egipte was by xerses constreyned to fle his kingdome
AFter the fall of Marchus Maulius
Bochas anone gan his stile dresse
Breuely to tell of Neptanabus
Kinge of Egipte and of his greate richesse
Seynge afore in all his noblesse
By vncouth craft howe he ne might chese
That in all hast his crowne he shulde lese
For he was cūnynge in especial
And right expert as made is mencion
In al the sciencis called liberal
And knewe afore by calculacion
Howe god wolde make a transmigracion
Of his kingdome and pleynly to reporte
The londe of {per}ce to grekys full transporte
For by kynge zerses oute of his cuntre
Maugre his tresoure his cūnynge and his might
This Neptanabus constreyned was to fle
Durstnat abide to haue of him a sight
And into Grece he drough him anone right
Nat like akinge but after olde writinges
Lyke a magicien he wrought wonder thinges
Vpon fortune ferther to procede
By his cūnynge he greatly forthered was
And by his sleighty werkinge eke in dede
He was acqueyntyd with quene Olimpias
And so secre pleynly this the caas
That vpon hir men seyde by demynge
Gate ailisaundre the greate mighty kinge
But howe he fled oute of his region
Of his ymagys nor his illusions
Bochas maketh no maner mencion
Nor howe he wrought by incantocions
Nor of his subtyll operacions
Nor howe that he lyke a man by night
Whilom apperyd in the quenys syght
Saue of his deth bochas writeth rightnought
Remembringe no tyme nor the date
Howe he and alisaundre to gedre haue sought
The cours of sterrys towarde eue late
And howe his sonne lyke as was his fate
Doun from a bridge by full mortall wrake
Cast him bakwarde and so his necke brake