9 The winning of Bucephalus, and the encounter with the king.

The winning of Bucephalus, and the encounter with the king. 9

hande bitwene the barres, And the horse * stretkede oute his nekke,
als ferre als he myghte, and likked Alexander hand; and he
knelid doun on his kneesse, and bi-helde Alexander in the vesage
langly. And Alexander vnderstood wele the will of the horse,
and opynd the barres, and went into the horse, and straked him
softly on the bakke wit his right hand; And belyfe the horse
was wonderly meke till Alexander; and righte as a honde will 8 couche when his maister biddes hym, so dide he till Alexander;
and Alexander looked beside him, & saw a saddle & a bridle
hung there; and he took & dyd them on him, & leapt on his
back; & rode further on him. And when the king Philippe saw him do so, he said unto him 'My son Alexander' quoth
he: 'All the answers of our gods are fulfilled in thee! For
when I am dead, thou must reign after me' And Alexander
answered & said 'I pray thee, Father,' quoth he, 'ordain me horse
& men, for I gaa seek dede3 or arms.' 'Foresooth,' quoth the
king with a glad cheer, 'Take the hundreth horse, and
xl thosandes pounds of gold; and take with the of the worthiest
knights that lange3 to me, and wendis furthe.' And he did so.

And he took with him also a philosopher that highte Eu-
festius, which he traced mekill in, And twelve children that
he chose to be his players, and went him furthe, and come
unto a country that is called Polipone. And when the
king of the land heard tell, that swilke men ware entred into
his rewme in swilke araye, he raised a great Oste, and come
against Alexander for to fight with him. And when he
come near him, he said unto him. ' Tell me ' quoth he
'what thou art?' And Alexander answered 'I am Alexander'
quoth he 'The son of Philippe, the king of Macedoyne.' ' And
what hopes thou that I be ? ' quoth the king to him. And
Alexander answered. ' Thou art king of Arridouns' quoth he. ' Nevertheless, if all I do the that worship that I call the
king, empride the nathynge thereof. For men see oftimes
men that are in heghe estate come to law degree, & men that
are in law degree, come to heghe estate.' ' Thou sayest right
well ' quoth the king. 'Take heed to thine own self! ' And
Alexander answered & said 'Go, heathen, away from me ' quoth he
' for thou can say naught to me, and I have naught to do with thee.
And then the king was worder wrath, And said to Alexander

hand between the bars, and the horse stretched out his neck
as far as he might, and licked Alexander's hand; and he
kneeled down on his knees, and beheld Alexander's face
4 And Alexander understood well the will of the horse,
and opened the bars, and went in to the horse, and stroked him
softly on the back with his right hand; and then the horse
grew wonderfully meek unto Alexander; and right as a hound will
8 lie down when his master bade him, so did he to Alexander;
and Alexander curled beside him, and saw a saddle and bridle
hand there; and he took and did them on hym and leapt on his
back and rode forth on him. And when the King Philip
12 saw him do so, he said unto him, "My son Alexander," quoth
he: "All the answers of our gods are fulfilled in you! For
when I am dead you may reign after me." And Alexander
answered and said, "I pray you, father," he said, "Order my horse
16 and men for I go seek death before armies." "For truth, said the
king with glad cheer, "Take a hundred horses, and
fourty thousand pounds of gold and take with you the worthiest
of knights that belong to me, and depart forth." And he did so.
20 And he took with him also a philosopher that high Eu-
festius, which he had much trust in, and twelve children that
he chose to be his players, and he went forth, and came
unto a country that is called Polpone. And when the
24 king of the land heard tell, that such men had entered into
his realm in such array, he raised a great host, and came
against Alexander to fight with him. And when he
come near him, he said to him. "Tell me," he said
28 "Who you are?" And Alexander answered "I am Alexander"
he said "The son of Philip, the king of Macedonia." "And
who hopeth thou that I was?" said the king to him. And
Alexander answered. "You are king of Arridouns" he said.
32 Never-the-less-, if I treat you as those that worship you, and call you
king, I undertake nothing thereof. For men sees often times
men that are in high estate come to low degree, and men that
are in low degree, come to high estate." "You say right
36 well" said the king. "Take hede to your own self!" And
Alexander answered and said "No, heathen, away from me" he said
"For if you can say nothing to me, and I have nothing to do with you."
And then the king was very wrathful, and said to Alexander

The winning of Bucephalus, and the encounter with the king. 9

hande bitwene the barres, And the horse * stretkede oute his nekke,
als ferre als he myghte, and likked Alexander hand; and he
knelid doun on his kneesse, and bi-helde Alexander in the vesage
langly. And Alexander vnderstood wele the will of the horse,
and opynd the barres, and went into the horse, and straked him
softly on the bakke wit his right hand; And belyfe the horse
was wonderly meke till Alexander; and righte as a honde will 8 couche when his maister biddes hym, so dide he till Alexander;
and Alexander looked beside him, & saw a saddle & a bridle
hung there; and he took & dyd them on him, & leapt on his
back; & rode further on him. And when the king Philippe saw him do so, he said unto him 'My son Alexander' quoth
he: 'All the answers of our gods are fulfilled in thee! For
when I am dead, thou must reign after me' And Alexander
answered & said 'I pray thee, Father,' quoth he, 'ordain me horse
& men, for I gaa seek dede3 or arms.' 'Foresooth,' quoth the
king with a glad cheer, 'Take the hundreth horse, and
xl thosandes pounds of gold; and take with the of the worthiest
knights that lange3 to me, and wendis furthe.' And he did so.

And he took with him also a philosopher that highte Eu-
festius, which he traced mekill in, And twelve children that
he chose to be his players, and went him furthe, and come
unto a country that is called Polipone. And when the
king of the land heard tell, that swilke men ware entred into
his rewme in swilke araye, he raised a great Oste, and come
against Alexander for to fight with him. And when he
come near him, he said unto him. ' Tell me ' quoth he
'what thou art?' And Alexander answered 'I am Alexander'
quoth he 'The son of Philippe, the king of Macedoyne.' ' And
what hopes thou that I be ? ' quoth the king to him. And
Alexander answered. ' Thou art king of Arridouns' quoth he. ' Nevertheless, if all I do the that worship that I call the
king, empride the nathynge thereof. For men see oftimes
men that are in heghe estate come to law degree, & men that
are in law degree, come to heghe estate.' ' Thou sayest right
well ' quoth the king. 'Take heed to thine own self! ' And
Alexander answered & said 'Go, heathen, away from me ' quoth he
' for thou can say naught to me, and I have naught to do with thee.
And then the king was worder wrath, And said to Alexander

hand between the bars, and the horse stretched out his neck
as far as he might, and licked Alexander's hand; and he
kneeled down on his knees, and beheld Alexander's face
4 And Alexander understood well the will of the horse,
and opened the bars, and went in to the horse, and stroked him
softly on the back with his right hand; and then the horse
grew wonderfully meek unto Alexander; and right as a hound will
8 lie down when his master bade him, so did he to Alexander;
and Alexander curled beside him, and saw a saddle and bridle
hand there; and he took and did them on hym and leapt on his
back and rode forth on him. And when the King Philip
12 saw him do so, he said unto him, "My son Alexander," quoth
he: "All the answers of our gods are fulfilled in you! For
when I am dead you may reign after me." And Alexander
answered and said, "I pray you, father," he said, "Order my horse
16 and men for I go seek death before armies." "For truth, said the
king with glad cheer, "Take a hundred horses, and
fourty thousand pounds of gold and take with you the worthiest
of knights that belong to me, and depart forth." And he did so.
20 And he took with him also a philosopher that high Eu-
festius, which he had much trust in, and twelve children that
he chose to be his players, and he went forth, and came
unto a country that is called Polpone. And when the
24 king of the land heard tell, that such men had entered into
his realm in such array, he raised a great host, and came
against Alexander to fight with him. And when he
come near him, he said to him. "Tell me," he said
28 "Who you are?" And Alexander answered "I am Alexander"
he said "The son of Philip, the king of Macedonia." "And
who hopeth thou that I was?" said the king to him. And
Alexander answered. "You are king of Arridouns" he said.
32 Never-the-less-, if I treat you as those that worship you, and call you
king, I undertake nothing thereof. For men sees often times
men that are in high estate come to low degree, and men that
are in low degree, come to high estate." "You say right
36 well" said the king. "Take hede to your own self!" And
Alexander answered and said "No, heathen, away from me" he said
"For if you can say nothing to me, and I have nothing to do with you."
And then the king was very wrathful, and said to Alexander