88 Alexander to the Brahmins. The pillars he raises.

[NOTE: I was doing translation and transcription on the same page; I'm coming back to this]

[In margin]
The more
one has the
more one
desires.
The Greeks
worship
wicked
men, being
themselves
wicked,
offering up
beasts to
their idols.
Thus do
they, who
shall die,
honour
themselves.

* Leaf 37.
Alexander
to Dindi-
mus.
The Brah-
mins live
as they do
because
they do not
mingle
with other
men, but
are shut
off from
them.
They suffer
even as
those who
lie in
prison.
He holds
them as
wretched
fools, and
could he
but do it
would
march to-
wards them
with an
army to
make them
leave their
miserable
life and
become
warriors.

For ay þe mare þat a man hase þare-offe, þe mare he couetes.
Wikkede men are wyrchippede amangeȝ ȝow. For comonly a
man luffes hym þat es luke till hym selfen. Ȝe say þat godd
takes nane hede till dedly thynges. And neuer-þe-lesse ȝe bygge 4
temples, and makes autres in þam, and settis vp mawmettes
abownn þam, and grete delyte hase when bestes ere offerde, &
in þam, and at ȝour name es noysede, þis was done to þi
fader, to thyn Eldfader, & till all thi progenytours. And þe 8
same also es highte on-to þe. Wit swilke wirchipes þay ere
rewarded, þat knawes noȝte þam selfe dedly.' When Alexander
hadd redd þis lettre onane he sente anoþer agayne and that was
of this tenour þe whilk þat folowes.1 12
2 * ' Alexander, þe son of godd Amon & þe quene Olympias
kybng of kyngȝ & lorde of lordeȝ, vn-to Dyndymus kynge of þe
Bagmayns we sende. For als mekill als ȝour duellynge es in
þat partye of þe werlde fra þe begyngynge, whare na strangers 16
may com to ȝow, bot if it be riȝte fewe, ne ȝe may noȝte passe
forte of ȝour cuntree, but als swa say ȝe, are parred in, and na
ferrer may passe; þarefore ȝe magnyfye ȝour manere of lyffynge
and supposeȝ þat ȝe are blyssed be-cause þat ȝe er so sered in 20
þat if ȝe walde neuer so gladly passe furthe for to lere þe
customes þat oþer men vseȝ,

--- ȝe may noȝte; and nyll-ȝe will-ȝe,
ȝow by-houeȝ nedis suffere þat caytefftee þat ȝe lyffe in. Whare-
fore it semeȝ bi ȝour techynge, that þay þat liggeȝ in presonn

For the more that a man thereof has, the greater he feels greed.
Wicked men are worshipped among you, for commonly a
man loves he that reminds him of himself. You say that god
takes no heed towards deadly things. And nevertheless, you build
temples and make alters in them, and set up monuments
above them, and feel great delight when beasts are offered in them,
and as your name is [said?], this was done to the
father, your grandfather, and all the children. And the
same also is [true of you?]. With such worships they are
rewarded, that does not know themselves deadly. When Alexander
had read this letter, he at once sent another again and that was
of this tenor the following.
Alexander, the son of god Amon and the queen Olympias,
king of kings and lord of lords, we send to Dindymus, king of the
Brahmins. For as great as it is, your dwelling has been in
a part of the world from the beginning where no strangers
may come to you, but if there are right few, neither of you may leave the
fort of your country, but also you say, [you are] shut in [possible MS], and you cannot
go far; therefore you magnify your manner of living
and assume that you are blessed because you are so seperated [from society] in
that you'd gladly never go far, for you may not learn the
customs that other men use;

1 The second vowel of folowes is often
written so small as to render it uncertain
whether it is an o or e.

2 Four lines with red capital A.

3 fou written in MS. before fule and
scratched out. This word fon or fou was
complete and not a half-written word, as
the MS. shows.

88

Alexander to the Brahmins. The pillars he raises.

The more
one has the
more one
desires.
The Greeks
worship
wicked
men, being
themselves
wicked,
offering up
beasts to
their idols.
Thus do
they, who
shall die,
honour
themselves.

* Leaf 37.
Alexander
to Dindi-
mus.

The Brah-
mins live
as they do
because
they do not
mingle
with other
men, but
are shut
off from
them.
They suffer
even as
those who
lie in
prison.
He holds
them as
wretched
fools, and
could he
but do it
would
march to-
wards them
with an
army to
make them
leave their
miserable
life and
become
warriors.

12

For ay Ipe mare ]>at a man) base Jjare-offe, ]?e mare he couetes.
Wikkede men) are wyrchippede amange^ 50W. For comonly a
man) luffes hym ])at es lyke tilt hym selfen). 3® say Ipat godcT
takes nane hede titt dedly thynges. And neu6r-f)e-lesse ^e bygge 4
temples, and makes aiitres in J?am), and settis vp mawmettes
abownfD J^am), and grete delyte base when) bestes ere offerde, &
in J)am, and at ^our name es noysede, ))is was done to )?i
fader, to tbyn) Eldfader, & tilt alt tbi progenytoiirs. And pe 8
same also es bighte on-to pe. AVit swilke wircbipes f»ay ere
rewarded", pat knawes no^te ]?am) selfe dedly.' Wben Alexander
badd" redd" f> is le^^re onane be sente anoj^er agayne and tbat was
of tbis tenour pe wbilk f)at folowes.^

^ * ' Alexander, pe son) of godd" AmofD & of pe quene Olympias,
kyng of kynge^ & lorde of lorde^, vn-to Dyndymi^s kynge of J^e
Bragmayns we sende. For als mekilt als '^our duellynge es in
]:»at partye of pe werlde fra pe begynynge, wbare na strangers 16
may com) to 50W, bot if it be ri^te fewe, ne 56 may nojte passe
forthe of ^our cuntree, but als swa say je, are parred?in, and na
ferrere may passe ; parefore 56 magnyfye ^owr manere of lyffynge
and suppose^ J>at ^e are blyssed? be-cause J)at 50 er so spered'in, 20
f)at if 56 walde iieuer so gladly passe furtbe for to lere pe
customes f>at oper men) vse5, 50 may no^te ; and nytt-5e wilt-^e,
30W by-boue5 nedis suffere psit caytefftee f)at 50 lyffe in. Wbare-
fore it seme5 bi '^our tecbynge, tbat J^ay f^at liggej in presonn), 24
are als mekilt at comend' als 5e, pe wbilke vn-to Jjaire lyues ende
suffres sorowe and nede. And as me tbynke, J^e gudnesse ]5at 5e ruse
50W offe, may wele be lykkened" to pe paynes of p8iim pat ere in
pr^sonn). And so fat tbat oure lawe demes to be done t[i]ll wikked? 28
men), ^e suffere kyndely. And J^ar^-fore hym pat we halde wyse,
56 balde an Ebbere fule ^. Sotbely me tbynk '^our lyffynge es
no5te blyssed" bot wrecbid? and as it ware a cbastying to jowe.
I swere 50W by oure godde^ of mygbte, j^at, & I mygbte come 32
to 50VV witb an oste, I sulde gare 50W leue "^our wrecbid? lyfe,
and by-come men) of armes, als many of 30W als ware able.'
AVhen Alexander had" sent tbis lettre tilt Dyndim^ts he gart

1 The second vowel of folowes is often
written so small as to render it uncertain
whether it is an o or e.

^ Four lines with red capital A.

' fou written in MS. before fule and
scratched out. This word fon or fou was
complete and not a half-written word, as
the MS. shows.