The prose life of Alexander

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Alexanders letter to all countries.

to the earth he shall again. When Alexander was set upon this throne, crowned with his diadem, & the Macedonians & the persons standing about him: before them all he [gert] write a letter to all countries, that was of this tenor.

'Alexander the son of god Amon & queen Olympias king of kings & lord of lords, to all Dukes, Princes, Earls, Barons, masters, & to all the folks of Persia: joy & grace. Since it is pleasing to god, that I sit on the throne of Darius, & be lord of the persians, great cause I have for to be rejoist greatly thereof, [ne] were it for the great multitude of folk that are slain. But since it so is that god has ordained me to your lorde, and your governor, therefore we command thou that in each city, throughout the lordship of Persia, thee ordain princes and governors as there was in Darius' time, to the which we command thou that thee be [obedient?] as the before-times have been, and that they do right to each man at their power. Also it is our will and our commandment, that each a man (welde) & [reioyce paysabily] his lands and his possessions. We command also, that from this land of persia unto Ellada, & from here to Macedonia, be [redy way] & open so that each a man that will may pass both in and out, with merchandise or any other errands that they have to do, and Joy & peace be unto thou.'

Then [gert] Alexander all men be still, and said on this ways: "Which of thou so slew mine enemy Darius; come forth before me, and I shall give thou worthy [mede], & [conable] worship due them, I swear by our gods, that our Almighty, & by my ost beloved mother Olympias, that I shall give them worthy [mede].' When Alexander had sad these words the persians wept wonderly sore. And then the two man-murderers Bisso and Aryobarthantes come before Alexander, and said unto him: 'Worshipful emperor,' quoth they, 'we are those that slew Darius thine enemy with our own hand.' And when Alexander saw them, he bade his knights [belyfe] go & take them, & bind them, & lead them to Darius' grave, & there smite off their heads. And then they answered, & said unto Alexander: 'A, A, worshipful emperor,' quoth they,

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He punishes the murderers of Darius.

'swore thou not to us, by our gods that our Almighty, & by the health of thy mother Olympias, that thou should [gerre] do us no harm, but that thou sould give us a worthy reward.' And Alexander said again unto them: 'So [aught] me well for to swear, for to get to know of the slayers of Darius. For I should never have gotten knowing thereof had I not sworn so. And this I shall save mine [athe] well enough. For it was always mine intent, that if I might [wete] what they were, they should have such a reward. For they that slays their own lord it is a taken that they will have no conscience to slay another man.' And when the persians heard this they began to praise Alexander & to commend him and bless him as he had been a god. Then king Alexander [gert hede] the two homicides. And all the [rewme] he set in governance of certain lords. Amongst others there was an old lord was uncle to Darius, the which [highte] Climitus, that was greatly loved by the persians; And Alexander at the request of all the persians ordained him for to be chief governor under him of all persia. And on the morn Alexander set him in his throne, with his crown on his head, and after the bidding of Darius he command to bring before him Roxana, Darius' daughter, with a crown on her head, set full of precious stones. And there, as the manner was of the persians, he took her to his wife, and made her to sit with him in his throne & command all men to worship her as queen. And then the persians were very glad, & anon they brought their gods before Alexander, and began to worship him, & love him right as he had been a god, and said unto him, [hallely] with a voice, 'thou thyself is a god, For that that is pleasing to our gods always thou does.' And when Alexander saw this, he was greatly troubled & right feared & said unto them: 'Worshipful sirs,' quoth he, 'I pray thou that thee worship me not as a god, for truly I am as thee are, a corruptible & a mortal man, and in me there is no parcel of the godhead. And therefore, I beseech thou, ceases of this worship that thee do me.'

Then [gert] Alexander write a letter to Olympias his mother & to Aristotle his master, making mention of all the battles & the diseases that he had suffered in Persia, and of the great riches

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The march against Porus.

that he found there, of the which he & all his men were made rich. And also wrote unto them, that they should make great solemnity lasting eight days because of the wedding of Alexander & Roxana Darius' daughter. And so did Alexander, in Persia, with the macedonians & the persians, many a day.

After this king Alexander assembled a great Army, both of macedonians & of persians, and went toward India for to war upon Porus, king of India, the which ordained him for to come & help king Darius. And, when Alexander was entered unto India, he went through wilderness & waste country, wherein were great rivers and many great caves & caverns. And then Alexander & his men waxed weary, & [irked] right sore. And the princes of macedonia & of greece murmured amongst them greatly, & said each to to the other: 'It might have sufficed to us, that we have overset king Darius, & conquerred the kingdom of Persia. Where beseech we farther into India, the which is full of wild beasts, and leaves our own lands. And this Alexander none other things desires, but for to wend about and through war to bring all the world under his subjection. For war & debate [unreschez] his body so far forth that, and he rested a long time without war, right as it were for [defaute of mete] he should fail & die. Leave we him therefore, and turn we against unto our own country, and let him wend forth with the persians, if he will.' When Alexander heard this, he [garte] all the Army abide, and he went and stood in a high place amongst them, and say on this ways: 'Depart thou in two, so that the persians be by themselves and the Macedonians and the greeks by themselves.' And when they had so done, Alexander said to the Macedonians and the greeks: 'A A, mine own dear knights, quoth he, 'well thee know that these persians, unto this day, has been contrary & rebellious unto thou & to me, and thee will now leave me here with them, and turn again to your own country. Well thee [wate], that when your hearts were troubled, & feared, for the words that were contained in Darius' letters, I through my speech & my counsel comforted your hearts. And afterward, when we come into the field against our enemies, I went before thou all.

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Alexander exhorts his mutinous army.

And I by mine own was the first man that entered the battle. And that moreover, as they well [wate], I took upon me for to be your [allere] messenger unto king Darius. And there, for thou, I put myself in many great perils. And therefore, [wittez wele] for certain, that, right as hither toward, we have overcome our enemies and had the better of them, right so [fro hapein-forwardez], through the help of our gods we shall over come our enemies, & have the victory of them. And therefore I say thou forsooth, that all if thee will turn again to greece & madeconia, I shall not turn again on no ways, that thee may know that, without governance of a king, no Army may win [na] worship. 'When Alexander had said this, all the princes of Macedonia and of the greeks shamed greatly, and asked mercy & forgiveness, said on this ways: 'Most worshipful emperor, our life lies wholely in your hand. Whether so ever thee will go we will gladly follow your high majestee; [pofe] we should all die for thou on a day, we shall follow thou & never leave thou.' And then they removed from [peinne] and come into a country of India that es called Phisiaecen, in the last end of July. And there met him. The ambassadors of Porus king of India, and brought him letters from Porus, that said on this ways.

'Porus king of India: unto the thief Alexander, that through theft & robbery many cities wins, bidding we send. Since thou are mortal: whereto [whence?] thou that thou art of power to withstand god that is immortal. A great folly, me think, thou art that has [eghne], and cannot see. [Trowes] thou we be [lyke] unto the persians that thou has made subjectz unto thee. Thou has fought hither-toward with soft men & cowards, & for thou has overcome them, thou [wenez], that thy littleness shall bring our high majestee under thy subjection; the which is impossible for to be, but if gods submit them unto men, and the earth be even like to the heaven. I [late the wiete], that I may not be overcome for not only men but also gods does service to my name. [Wate] thou not well, that a Dionysius, the father of Bachus, come into India, with a great Army for to fight, but anon he turned the back & fled, for he

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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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