26

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26

Darius writes again to Alexander.

Darius is praised and commended. Our gods also has it written in their books. How then darest thou be so bold, for to pass so many waters, and see Mountains and crags, for to [werraye] against our royal majesty. A great worship methink it were to thee, if thou might [mawgre] ours, have in possession the kingdom of Macedonia all only, without more. Therefore [the es better amend Ipe of thy mysededis], than we take such wreke upon thee, that other men take [bisne] thereby, since all the earth without our lordship, may be called [wedowe]. Torn again therefore, we counsel thee, into thine own country, or our wrath and our [wreke] fall upon thee. Nevertheless, that our worship & our great noblaye be somewhat known to thee, we send thee a mouthful of [chesebotte] seeds, in taking thereof. Look if thou may number & [tette] all their [chessebotte] seeds, & if thou may not do that then may the folk of our oste be numbered. And if thou may not do that our folk may not be numbered. Therefore turn him again into thy country and leave thy folly that thou has begun, and take no more upon thee such a presumption, for I tell thee we have men of arms without number.

When the Messengers of Darius come to Alexander, they took him the letter and the mouthful of [chessebotte] seeds. Alexander then [gerte] read the letter. And [sythen] he put his hand" in pe male, and took of the [chessebotte] seeds & put
in his mouth, & chewed it, & said, 'I see well', quoth he, 'that he has many men, but they are right soft as these seeds are.' In the meantime there come a Messenger to Alexander from Macedonia: and told him that his Mother Olympias was grief-sick. And [when] Alexander heard this, he was wonder [heuy]. Nevertheless, he wrote unto Darius a letter, that spoke on these ways.

Alexander the son of Philippe & of queen Olympias unto Darius king of Persia, we send. We do thee well to [wiete] that we have heard certain things, which [gers] us against our will: do that we now shall say. But trow thou not that we for fear or doubt of thy pride and thy vain glory turned him again now to our own country, But all only for to visit

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