The prose life of Alexander

The unwholesome river.

So it fell that a knight of Macedonia that [hyzte zephilus] found water standing in a hollow stone, that was gathered thereof the dew of the heaven, the which this forsaid knight pt in his basinette, & brought it to Alexander for to drink. And Alexander said unto him, 'I suppose,' quothe he, 'that I drink this water, shall the Madeconians & the persians be anything refreshed thereby, or I shall have all the refreshing by myself.' And he answered, & said, 'Thou all one lord,' quoth he, 'shall be comforted thereby.' Quoth Alexander then, 'And if thee shall all perish [trowes] though that it should be likened to me, for to leave in sorrow & disease saying the dead of the Macedonians & the persiand?' And . . .

The silent castle.

And as they went along this shore, about the eighth hour of the day

of ]>e day, fiay come titt a castett J>at stode in a littitt He in J^is ways his

forsaid' ryuere ; And this castett was made of f»e forsaid' redej. to^q^J^nch"^

4 pe brede of tliis ryuer was foure furlange lentlfi. And in J^at *heir

castett J^ay sawe a few raefD. And j^afi) AAenander bad his men) Going

spirre ]?aifD j^at ware in \>e castett in f»e langage of Inde whare ^l^nlfs tlT

J^ay myghte fynde any swete watir able for to drynke. And come to a

8 also son) als J^ay spake to ]^am) f'ay with-drewe ]:)am) & hiddl with a

And AXe-Kander gerte schotte arowes in-to \>e castett and J)an) c^s*l®»

J^ay hidd" ]?am) wele J>e mare. And when AlexancZer saw *that * Leaf 28.

)?ay walde one na wyse speke w^t hym, he liadd' a certane of his wherein are

1 2 knyghtes nakne )?am & swyme ouer J)e wat(?r to ]:e castett. And ^f^ '^J^'^

J?an) xxxvii balde l^nyghtis & hardy of Macedoyne nakned' l^am), them no

and tuke ilkan) of J>ani) a swerde in his hande & went in-to ]:>e Alexander

wat^r & swame it to f>ay were passede J)e ferthe parte J'ar^-offe. ^^^^ .

C6PX 3(111 01

16 And sodeynly thare rase oute of J^e water a grete multitude his knights

of beste5, Ipat ere called? ypotaynes, grettere of body than) ari) gt^eTm. ^

olyphant, and deuored" thir knyghtis eu6r-ilkan92e. And J?an) They swim

was Alexander ri^te sare greuede, and be-lyfe garte take ]:'e but are d'e-

20 forsaid' guyde3 cl & caste fam) in-to J»e water. And onane ^ippopo-*^

Ipe ypotaynes deuoredT J?am. *^"^i-

And Alexander thoghte it was nojte spedfutt langare to stryffe throws the

wit thase monstres, and garte tromppe vp and remowed"" his f^^ river ^

24 Oste fra beine, and went so att hat day wondere wery for thriste. and they

And also )?ay hadd" grete disese & nuye of wilde ^ Beste J>at come voured

apon) ]?am), ]:)at es to say, of lyones, beres, vnycornes, tygres, ^^^' ^^^^ j

and parde^, wit Ipe whilke ]:»ay faughte & grete t?'auett hade. onwards

28 ^And as J^ay went on) ]:»is wyse wit grete angere & disese worried by

aboute ])e elleued? houre psij saw a littitt bate in Ipe riuere made ^f th ^^^^^

of rede and men) rowande pare-in. And Alexa?ic?er gert spirre eleventh

J^ain) in J^e langage of Inde, whare ]:>ay my3te fynde any fresche meet a

32 water. And bay talde whare & schewed" bain) a place a littitt ^^^^^ ^^at ' "^ r r whose crew

J?eine whare-in J?ay saide f>ay scholde fynde a grete staunke of directthem swete water and gude. And ]?afD Alexanc^er & hys Oste went pond of att aboute )?at ryuere, & come titt f)is forsaid" stanke and luged' j^^shwater. 36 J?am) aboute it. And Alexa^icZer comandedT Ipat J^ay sulde fette round the

' Four lines with miniature A and small ' Four lines with red capital A and

a written in MS. margin beside. small a in the MS. margin beside.

' of deleted by the scribe before Beste.

^0 The adventures with wondrous beasts.

pond. Alex- a wodd bat growed faste bare-by three myle on lenthe, & atts ander bids ^

that they mektt on brede. Pat wodde was at of be rede Bat 1 spak of fell a great^

wood of bi-fore, and be stanke was a myle on lenth. Pan Alexandder

huge reeds comanded bat bay sulde make many fires in be Oste, and gerte 4 that grow^

around it. trompe to be mete. And alson be mone be-gan to schyme

When the )pare come a grete multitude of scorpyons to-warde ]>q stanke

a great ^^r to take f)am) a drynke. And )?an) J?are come o\>er manere

crowd of Qf nedders, and dragones wonder grete of dyuerse colo?/rs. 8 scorpions ' ° ^ •' ^ ,

come down And att j^at cuntree resounded? of ]?e noyse & j^e hiss3inge5

And there V^^ t'^J ^i^de. pir dragon^s come dounwe fra )?e bye moun-

^°^if taynes for to drynke of )?e stanke, and f)ay hadd" crestis one

and many- J?aire hedde^ & Ji^aire breste^ ware brygbte lyk golde, & ]?aire 1 2

dragons. mowthes opefD. paire aande slewe any qwikk thynge \>2X it

These have gmate apon), and oute of f>aire eghne )?are come flammes of fyre.

heads with And wben) A\ey.ander Sc his Oste saw J>am) ]?ay ware ri^t

♦Leaf 28 *fered' for ]^am). For f)ay wende J)ay schulde hafe weried" J^am) 16

' ilkafD. And ban) Alexander comforthed" bain) and saide vn-to golden / ^

breasts and ]:am) : 'Mi wirchipfutt knyghtes/ quo]) he, 'bees no^te agaste of

mouths. f>am), bot does ilkane as ^e see me do.' And ]?an) he tuk a nett

!J^®\^, , & sett it bi-twixe bym & bam) and tuke his schelde & his spere ao breath slew . .

any quick & faughte Wit f)am) manfully. And when) his knyghtes saw ]:>at

sm^oteupon P^J ware gretly comforthed' & be-lyfe tuke J)aire wapynne^ &

and out of didd" als ]?ay sawe Alexander doo, and slewe of )5am) a grete

came fiery multitude, wbatt thurgH dyu<?rse wapynne^, what in fjaire fyres. 34

Alexander ^^^ ^^ Alexa?2c?er knyghtes "pe dragones slewe xxti & xxxti

comforts fotemefD. After ]:>am), Ipare come owte of pe forsaide wodde of

ened rede^, Crabbes of a wonderful! greteness ; and J)aire bakkes ware

Alexander harder f)an) cocadrille^. And when) pe knyghtis smate )?am) one 28

+^fi^r,?°^ J^e bakkes wit j^aire speres, f)ay my^te no^te p^rche ]?ain), ne na

thiem with harme do J^am). Neu^r-J^e-lesse psty slewe many of J)am) in slays many P^^^^ Fires and J^e remenant of J)am) gatt in-to ]?e staunke. And of them. aboute pe sexte houre of pe nyghte pare come apon) ]?am) whytt 33

m

How many

men of lyones grettere ]?an) Bulles, and ))ay schoke J^aire heuede^ at

felUliere- 1^^^ ^ grete manace made in J?aire manere. pafD pe knyghtes

^y- keped? J^arn) in )?aire nettis and slew )?am. Aft^r this Jjare com)

drous crabs apon) ))am) ])an) a grete multitude of swynwe pat ware all of a 36

ntfflpk ^^ wonderful! mekilness, wit tuskes of a cubett lenthe. And wit

attack

them.

Then c.^...^^ , 111 • •

white Liona sex hende. Bot Alexander & his knyghtes keped J?am) m )?aire

them. bam) bare come wilde men) & women) of be whilke ilkan) hadd?

Then come ^ ^ ^

I

nettis & slewe many of tham. And on this wyse Alexander & his Oste was gretly disesed. Than comanded Alexander that thay schuld make many fyres wit-owtten the Oste aboute the stanke.

4 After this thare come apon tham a wondere grete beste, grettere & strangere than an Olyphaunt, and he hadde in his frunte three lange hornes. And he was schapen lyke a horse & he was all blakke. And this beste was called in the langage of Inde

8 "Anddontrucion'. And or he went to the water at drynke, he assailled the Oste. Bot Alexander went here & thare amange the oste & comforthed tham. This ilke beste slewe of his knyghtes 12 xxviij and bare donne lij and at the laste it felle in the nettis and was slayne. After this thare come oute of the rede a grete multitude of mys als grete als foxes, and ete up the dede bodys. Thare was na qwike thynge, that they bate that ne also son it dyed. Bot harme did they nane *to the oste. Than come thare flyande 16 amange tham bakkes, grettere tham wilde dowfes, and thaire tethe ware lyke men-thethe. And thay bate offe the nese; of sum the eres. In the mornenynge arely thare come many fewlis als 20 grete as wlturs, reed of colour, and thaire fete and thaire bekes all blakke. Bot thay didd na disese to the oste, bot went to the stanke-syde & drewe fisches & ele oute of the water, & ete tham.

24 Than lefte Alexander thir perilous place, and com wit his Oste, in-to the cuntree of Bactricen, the whilke was full of gole & other reches. Ad the men of the cuntree resayfed him benyngly & wirchipfully and gaffe hym and his Oste grete giftes.

28 And thare he habade XXti dayes. In that cuntree thay sawe trees that, in-stedde of leues, bare wotte; thay whilke folke of the cuntree gadeed & made clathe thare-offe. The knyghtes of Alexander wex wonder balde & strange of hert becasue of 32 the victoryes thay hadd wonnen of the wilde beste before neuenned.

Fra ththyn, Alexander remowed his Oste and come to the place whare Porus lay wit the folke that he hadd assembled.

36 And one the morne bathe Alexander and Porus tuke thaire grounde & arayed thaire betells for to feghte. And than

[begin right margin] greater than bulls. Then follow huge swine with great tusks. And with them sixhanded men and women. They make great fires around the pon. Then comes a horselike beast greater than an elephant. Alexander again * Leaf 29. rallies his men. It slays many, but is at last slain. Mice as big as foxes eat up the dead bodies. Whatsoever they bit at once dies. Then come bats greater than wild doves. They march into Bactia where they are well received. The woolbearing trees. The knights take courage because of the strange beasts they [end right margin]

[begin bottom of page] 1 Four lines with red ornante capital P but small t scribbled in the margin beside. 2 Four lines space with red capital S and small s written in the margin beside. [end bottom of the page]

72 The combat of Porus and Alexander.

have conquered. The armies of Porus and Alexander are arrayed against each other. The Indians fall heavily. Porus challenges Alexander to single combat. The kingship of the nations to abide by the outcome. For Porus being a great man scorned Alexander.

* Leaf 29 bk.

Porus hits Alexander on the head.

Alexander slays Porus by a trick. The Indians fight on for their dead king. Alexander chides them for fighting when their leader is dead.

Alexander bespeaks them peace and surety.

They are right glad and wor-

Alexander lepped apon) his horse Buktiphalas and went bifore his Oste & than they trumpede up & the batells joyned samen), & faghte to-gedir rizte sare. Bot the Indienes fell thikfalde in the batell as corne does in the felde be-fore the sythe. And when Porus say that, he went and stode bi-fore all his men, and cryed un-till Alexander, & saide on this wyse : ' It sitted nogte till an emperour,' (quoth he), ' to lose his men) thus in vayne. Bot it sittez till hym for to determyne his cause with his awenn handes. And tharefore late thi folke stand still on the ta syde, & myn on the tother & late the & me feghte to gedir hand for hand. And if it happen that thou ouer-come me, my folke & I sall be subjected un-to the. And if I ouer come the, than thou & thi folkes be subjected un-to me.' Thir wordes said Porus dispysand Alexander, bi-cause that he was a man of littill stature. For he was bot three cubites hye, & Porus was fyfe cubetes hye & mare. And tharefore he traysted hym all in strenghe of his body, nogte knawande te vrtu & the hardnes that was hidd in Alexander. *And than bathe the ostes stode still ant lete the twa kynges feghte samen, Porus gaffe Alexander a grete str[a]ke on the hede, & was in poynte to hafe felled hym. And then Porus knyghtes sett up a grete Schowte. And Porus tourned hym to tham-warde for to reproue tham for thaire schowttyng. And Alexander went till hym manfully & tuke his swerd in bathe his handes & lete flye at hym & hitt hym fullbott one the heued & slew hym. And when the Indienes saw that thay bi-gan scharply for to fighte wit Alexander & his oste. Vnto whayme Alexander spake & sayde : 'Wrechis,' quoth he, 'wharto feghte ze sen zour kynge es dede. Wate ze nogte wele that thare na gouernour es the folke are sparpled be-lyfe als schepe that ere wit-owtten ane hirde.' The Indienes ansuerd & saide : ' Vs es leuer,' quoth thay, 'fighte manfully, and dye in the felde, than for to see the dissolacion of oure folke, and oure lande be distroyed & wasted.' Leues your feghtynge,' quoth Alexander, ' & wendey hame to yowr howsey pesaybly & seurely. For I swere yow bi oure goddes, if yee will do so, ye sall hafe no harme, ne your lande sall nogte be distroyed ne spoyled, bicause that ye hafe foghten so manfully for your kynge.' And when the Indienes

1Robert Louson is scribbled here in the right-hand margin.