15

Tlte Vision of Serapis ; Anectanabuss image.

him. 'Alexander,' quoth he, 'may thou take this mountain on thy shoulder & bear it away?' Quoth Alexander, 'how might any man do that?' And Serapis answered & said, 'right as this mountain shall never without end be removed [hethen], so thy name & thy deeds shall be made mind of to the world's end. And then Alexander prayed him that he would prophecy him what kind [of] death he should die. Serapis answered and said, 'It is not speedful to a man to know his painful ending. For if he knew it, peradventrue, he should never have Joy in his heart. Nevertheless because thou has prayed me to tell thee, I shall say thee. After a drink thou shall take thy dead. For in thy youth, thou shall make thine ending. But spir me nother the time not the hour when it shall be, For I will in no ways tell it to thee. [For-whi] gods of the [este partiez] of the world shall tell thee all their words.' When Alexander wakened of his dream, he was right [heuy], and sent the most substance of his Oste to the City of Askalon and bade them abide him there, and himself & a certain of men with him abide & there he [garte] make a City & called it Alexander after his own name.

In the meantime the Egyptians heard of the coming of Alexander, & they went against him & submit them unto him & [resayffed] him worshipfully. And when Alexander come unto Egypt, he found an image of a king made of black stone curiously crowned, and he asked the Egyptians whose image it was, and they answered & said, "It is the image,' quoth they, 'of Anectanabus that was king of Egypt not long since gone, the wisest & the worthiest that ever was therein.' Forsooth quoth Alexander, 'Anectanabus was my Father.' And then he kneeled down with great reverence & kissed the image. From there he went with his Oste to Syria. But the Syrians withstood him and fought with him and slew many of his knights. Nevertheless Alexander had the victory. And then he went to Damascus, & ensieged it & won it, and from there he went to Sydon & won it. And then he went unto the City of Tyre and laid siege about it, and [in] this Siege he lay many a day. And there

The Vision of Serapis;

him. "Alexander," he said, "may you take this mountain on your
shoulder and bear it away." Alexander said, " How might any

Tlte Vision of Serapis ; Anectanabuss image.

hym. 'Alexander," quoth he, 'may thou. take this montayne on thy
schulder & bere it a-way!' Quo]) Alexander, ' how myghte any
maiD do f>at ? ' And Serapis ansuerd? & said", * righte as f)is

4 montayne satt neuer w^t-o\vten *end be remowed? hethen), so thi * Leaf4bk.
name & thi dedes schatt be made mynde of to the worldes end".'
And than) Alexander prayed hyw ]?at he walde prophycye hyw
what kyns dede he scholde die. Serapis ansuerd and said", ' It Serapis

8 es noglite spedfutt titt a man to knawe his paynefutt endynge. him his
For if he knewe it, perauentt*7'e, he scholde neuer hafe loye in J.^^^^^^.
his hert. Neuer ])e lesse bi-cause ])oa base prayede me to telle deeds, his
pe, I satt say the. After a drynke \>ovi schatt take thi dede. of some
12 For in thi 5outhe bou satt make thyn) endynge. Bot spirre me ^^^'^ss Se-

J I ./ .; o 1 rapis may

noper pe tyme ne ])q houre when) it schal be, For I will on iiot speak.
na wyse teHe it to the. For-whi godde^ of J^e este parties of pe
werlde salt tette the atte thi werde^.' "VVhefD Alexander Alexander
1 6 wakkened" of his dreme, he was reghte heuy, and sent pe maste saddened,
substance of his Oste to be Cite of Askalon) and bad bam) p.^ sends

' _ -• his mam

habide hym thare, and hym selfe & a certane of men^e w^t hym strength
habade & thare he garte make a Citee & called" it Alexander where he
20 after his awenn) name. ^^^ ^^ ,

lounded

^ In the mene tyme pe Egipcyens herd" of pe comynges of the city of
Alexander, & ]:»ay went agaynes hym & s?^bmytt f)am) vn-titt drfa.*^
hym & resayfPed? hym wirchipfully. And when) Alexander come The Egyp-

24 in-titt Egipte, he fand ane ymage of a kyng made of blake stane ^^^^s hear-
curiousely coruen), and he askede pe Egipciens whase ymage coming
it was, and ]^ay ansuerd" & said", ' It es j^e ymage,' quop J^ay, He sees the
* of Anectanabws that was kynge of Egipte noste lange sythen) "^^s® ^^

28 gane, J^e wyseste & pe worthiest pat euer was J?are-in).' For bus.

sothe quop^ Alexander, ' Anectanabws was my Fader.' And Heacknow-
J?a7i he knelid doun) with grete reuerence & kyssed" pe ymage. Anectana-
Fra thethyn) he went w^t his Oste to Surry. But pe bus as his

32 Surriens agayne-stude ^ hym and faghte wit hyin) and slewe

many of his knyghtes. Neuer J^e lesse Alexander had pe jj^ invades
victorye. And J^afD he went to Damaske, <fe Ensegged" it & Syria, takes
wanne it, and fra thethyn) he went to Sydon & wan it. Sidon, and

^6 And )?an) he went vnto pe Citee of Tyre and layde Ensegge thl^stege^of
abowte it, and [in] ]?is Ensegge he laye many a day. And thare Tyre.

^ Five half lines space for miniature I. ^ Scribe wrote agaynesande and altered

? quo]) A\Qxander in margin. it to agaynestnde.

The Vision of Serapis;

him. "Alexander," he said, "may you take this mountain on your
shoulder and bear it away." Alexander said, " How might any