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Alexander comforts his knights. His letter to Porus.

was not of power to withstand the virtue of men of India. And therefore, or any shame or mischief com to the; we counsel thee & commands thee, that in all the hast that thou may, thou turn home again to thine own land. For well thou knows, that, before Xerxes was king of Persia, the macedonians gave tribute to India. But, because that their land is barren & unprofitable, & nothings [per-in] pleasant to a king: the men of India set not thereby. For each a man, desires more a large land & a [plenteuous]: then a straight land & a [barayne]. And therefore, this the third turn, I commande thee that thou turn home to thine own land. And never, in thy life, covet to have Lordship that thou may not get.'

When this letter was come to Alexander, he [gerte] read it before all men. And when his knights had heard the tenor of this letter, they were troubled. And Alexander said unto them: 'My worshpful knights,' quoth he, 'let not your hearts be troubled nor afraid' for Porus letter. Have thee not in mind, with how great pride Darius wrote unto us diverse times. I say thou [sothely] that all the folk of these East parties has there hearts & their wits like unto the beasts that they duel withal, that is to say, Tigris, Pardes, & other wilde beasts, which full [selden] are slain of men, and therefore they trust all in their strength.' And when Alexander had said these words, he [garte] write a letter unto porus king of India whereof this was the tenor.

'King of kings and lord of lords, Alexander the son of god Amon & the queen Olympias, unto Porus we send. Thou has sharped our wits, & given us hardiness for to fight against thee, where thou says that macedonia is but a little land & barren of all things that guide us.

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