The prose life of Alexander

The battle with Porus' army.

heathen man full of Pomp & pride and vain glory, & not as with a god. For all the world may not withstand the wrath of a god. Therefore, [sen the elementis of this aere,] that is to say [Thunners, leuenyngez] and water, may not bear the indignation of gods, how should then mortal men [mowe] withstand their wrathe? And therefore I let the [wele witte] that thy found proud speech troubles me not nor moves me never a [dele].

When Porus had this letter, he was wonder wrath & assembled a great Army of men, and a great multitude of Elephants with the which the men of India are wont for to fight, and went against Alexander. This Army of Porus was right great & strange, for their war there in xiiij, carts of war and viijc Elephants, and each Elephant had a [toure] of three upon his back, & in each a [toure] xxx men. There were also other fighting men on horse and on foot without number. And when the Macedonians and the persians saw the great multitude both of men & of Elephants, they were feared, & greatly [stonayde]. Nevertheless, both the parties ordained them to battle and arrayed their battles. Alexander on his side and Porus on his side. And Alexander leapt upon his horse Bucephalus & [prikkede] before all his men, and commanded, that the Macedonians & the persians should first begin to fight. And so they did; & himself with the greeks, and the macedonians stood on the other side, ready to succor them when [myster ware]. And for the Elephants also, Alexander [gert] make such an ordinance. He [gerst] make xxiiij images of brass, and [gert] fill them full of dry wood. And he [gerte] make also carts of iron, for to bear their images before the Elephants and when the Armies came near together he [gert] set fire in the wood that was in the images. And when the Elephants saw their images, they [wende] that they had been men and shot out their groins, as they were [wount] for to do for till have worried them. And also through the great heat, they were burned and then they [gaffe] back, & fled for dread to burn their groynes. And therefore the men that were [abown] in the [toures] might not win to for to fight. And when Porus saw that he was right

64

The palace of Porus.

sary. Then the Macedonians & the persians, with arrows and spears & other dyverse weapons of war, slew thickfold of the men of India. And thus they fought continually xxx[ti] days, & much people of both parties were dead. And at the last the Macedonians, & the persians, began fast for to fail. And when Alexander saw that, he was wonder wrathe, and entered into the battle, sitting on his Bucephalus, and fought manfully, & the greeks & the macedonians with him. And his horse also helped him greatly. And then [belyfe] the Indians began greatly for to fail. And when Porus saw that he turned the back & fled. And then the Indians that were left [alive?] fled also. And Alexander [luged] him there with his Army and made Sacrifice to his gods and commanded for to bury the dead bodies, both of Indians & of the persians & the Macedonians.

Soon after, upon a day, Alexander ensieged Porus' city & won it, and went into Porus Palace, wherein he found more riches than any man will [trowe]. For he found therein [xl] pillars of [Massive?] gold, each of a great thickness & a great length, with their [chapytralles]. And between the pillars of gold, were [hyngande venettez] of gold & silver, with leaves of gold. And the branches of this [venett] were some of crystal, some of Garnets, some of Emeralds, & some of Onyx, and they seemed as they had been very [vynes]. The walls also of the palace were covered all over with plates of gold, the which when the Macedonians cut in [soundre] & [brick?], they found that they were a great inch thick. And their walls were set full of diverse precious stones, that is to say, of [charebuncles, Emeralds, Garnets & Amethysts. And the gates of the Palace were of [Euour wonder whitt], & the bands of them, & the legs of Ebony. The chambers, also of his Palace, were all of Cypress, and the beds in them were set full of Garnets, Emeralds, & [charebuncles]. The hall, also of his Palace, was set full of images of gold, & betwixt them stood [perlatanes] of gold, in the branches of which there were many manners of fowls & each a fowl was colored, & painted after his kind asked, the beaks of them, & the claws were all of fine gold. And ay,

Alexander and the Queen of the Amazons.

when Porus [liste], their fools through craft of music would sing after their kind asked & was. He found also in that Palace vessels without number, some of gold, some of Crystal, Some of other manners of precious stones, some of Silver, and that all manner of vellel that men should be served off. But there wer but few of them of Silver.

From therein, Alexander removed his Army & come to the gates of Caspee, and there he [luged] him. It was a noble land & good. But there were therein many manners of [nedders] and of wild beasts. From therein Alexander sent a letter to Talifride, queen of Amazon, of this tenor.

King of kings, and lord of lords, Alexander, the son of god Amon, & the queen Olympias, unto Talifride the queen of Amazon, joy. The great Battles that we have had with king Darius, & how we have conquered all his [rewme], and his lordships, we [trowe] be not unknown unknown to thou. And also how he have fought with Porus the king of India & his chief city [wonnen]. And also with many other folks, & they were never of power to withstand us, the which we suppose be not unknown to thou. Wherefore we send thou word, & commands thou, that thee send us tribute, if thee will that we come not to thou to do thou disease.

And unto this letter Talifride made answer by letter on this ways.

'Talifride queen of Amazon with other great ladies of our [rewme], unto Alexander, king of Macedonia, joy. We have well heard tell of the high wit that is in thee, through which thou has in mind things that are past, and disposes things that are present, and knows things that are to come. Advise thee well therefore are thou come to us, what tribulations & disease may fall thee in thy coming. For there was never none this that worried against us that not he had shame thereof at the end. And therefore take heed to thy last end. For great shame it is to a wise man through indescretion to fall in mischief. But if it be [agreeable] to thee, to know our conversation, and our habitation, we declare it unto thee be our

The Amazons.

present letters, that our habitation is in an Isle, that is closed about with a great river that neither has beginning nor ending. But on a side we have a strait entry. And the number of women that duels therein is ccsiiii[?] that are not filled with men. For our husbands duels not amongst us nor no other man, But on the tother side of the river. And each a there we make a solemn feast in the worship of Jupiter xxx days And then we go to our husbands, and duels with them other xxx days & has our lust and our [disporte] together as kind asks. And if any of us concieve and bear a child if it be a male the mother keeps it seven year and then sends it to the father. And if she bear a maiden child the mother holds it with her & teaches it our manners. When we go to war against our enemies we are [come?] riding one horse well armed. And some of us has bows & arrows, and som spears, and other diverse weapons. And the remnant keeps our [Ile]. And when we come with the victory our husbands does us great worship. And therefore if thou come against us we let the [witt] that we will fight with thee at all our might. And if it happen that thou have the victory of us, worship shall it none be to thee because thou has discomfit[ted] women. And if we discomfit thee, it shall be an high worship to us, that we may discomfit so worshipful an emperor; and to thee it shall be a high reprove. Wherefore we signify unto thee by our letters that thou come not against us for [sekerly] there may great disease come thereof, that peraventure thou knows not now off at this time.'

When Alexander had read this letter, he began to laugh. And anon he [began to?] write another letter, and sent it to Talifride, whereof the tenor was this.

'Alexander king of kings and of lords, the son of god Amon & the queen Olympias, to Talifride queen of Amazon and the other ladies of the world, that is to say, Asia, Africa, & Europe we have conquered and made subjects unto us, & there was never none of them that might withstand our power. And if we now should not be of power, to fight with thou it were an high shame to us. Nevertheless for as much

Alexander marches against Porus through a desert.

as we love your conversation we counsel that thee come forth of your isle and your husbonds with thou, and appear in our presence. For we swear thou by god Amon our Father, & by all our gods that thee shall have no disease of us. [Bot gyffez] us somewhat in name of tribute and we shall find thou and your Amazons that come with thou horse [ynowe]. And when thou [listees] for to wende home again, thee shall have good leave.' And when the Amazons had read this letter, they went to counsel, and thought it was best for to ascent unto him. And then they sent him x steeds the best that might be found in any country, and x other horse the best that might be gotten, and a great sum of gold. And Talifride herself and other ladies with her went unto him, and accorded with him, and went home again, wonder glad and blithe.

In the meantime it was told Alexander, that Porus, the king of India, was in Bactricen, and assembled a great Army for to fight always with him. And when Alexander heard this, he removed his Army, and chased out [c.l. of duyercs] that knew the country, for to have the governance of his Army, and to lead them surely through that strange country. In the Month of August, when the sun is most hot, they began for to take their journey. And they went through a dry country, sandy, & without water. And [nedlyngez tham byhoued] went armed, there was so great plenty of [adders?], and cruel wildebeasts. For these foresaid guides were more favorable to Porus, than to Alexander & his Army, and therefore they lead them through such barren and perilous countries. And when Alexander saw it [schope] thus, and that his counsel before had said [the sothe], that is to say, both his own friends and men of Capian, that counselled him that he sould not [hye] him overfaste, nor [tryste] too much to strangers; then he commanded that all men should go armed; & so they did. And then all the Army shone right as it had been [sternes], for some of their armors were of gold, sum of silver, and some of precious stones. And when Alexander saw the array of his Army, and their banners before them Shined so fair, he was right glad. Nevertheless great disease he had, that neither he, nor his men, might find no water.