The prose life of Alexander

doute he schulde dye,* and if thay tourned hym the bakke wit owttein dowte he sulde dye.

FRa ¹theine thay remowed and come to the grete Citee of Babiloyne and wanne it oo werre and slew the kynge thare-offe 4 & the Captayne also. And thare he duelled un-till his lyffes end, and that was Bot vij seuen Monetbes. In that mene tyme Alexander sent a lettre till Olympias his Moder and till his Mayster Arestotle, latand tham witte of the Batells and the dyssese 8 that thay suffred bathe wynters and Somers in Inde and other cuntreey, and also of the Batetts that thay had hadd wit dyuerse Monstres. And than Arestotle wrate another lettre till Alexander agayne the wbilke was of this tenour : 12

²' Un-till Alexandere the grete kynge of kyngegh Arestotle sendegh ioy and seruyce. When I hade redde your wyrchipfull lettres I was gretly astonayd. For whilke cause I desyre with all myn hert for to fynde lonynge that I myghte yelde un-to the. 16 I take witnesse at oure goddegh that for the passande hardenesse of thi hert & the grete auentours that thou hase put the in, thou erte wele worthy for to be loued & praysede. For thou hase sene & assayed thyngegh that neuer man or this durste assaye. Whare-for 20 thankynge & lonynge I yhelde to the makere of all this wyde werlde that swylke victoryes hase grantede un-to the. For thou hase ouercommen all & nane hase ouercomen the. Full blyssede are all thy pryncey that hase bene obeyande unto the, and helped the 24 in all thi disessegh.'

³Afftir this Alexander gart make in Babyloyne a wonder curious trone ⁴ of golde, thare was noghte swilke another in the werlde. For the grekeȝ broghte so mekill golde oute of perse & 28 oute of Inde, that it ware wonder for to telle. This ilke toure was twlue cubytegh hye and by twelue grecegh⁵ men ascended thare-too, and thase greegh ware all of golde. This trone was wonderfully wroghte and sett apon twelue ymagegh of golde, the wbilke trone the forsaid ymagegh helde up wit thaire hende. And on thase twelue ymagegh ware wretyn the names of the twelue pryncegh of Macedoyne. The seet of the trone was of a Smaragde,

¹ Three lines with big capital F followed by small capital.

² Four lines with red capital U and small u in the margin.

³ Four lines with red capital A and small a in the margin beside.

⁴ toure scratched out and trone written in.

⁵ The first part of this word reads gr + blot + ceȝ.

& the sydes pare off ware of Topaghes & in ilkan of the grees ware sett dyuerse maneres of precyouse stanes. In the summyt of this trone thare was sett a ruby that schane on the nyghte as it hade 4 bene the Mone. In this trone also was thare sett on ilke a syde dyuerse ymages; on the whilke ware wretyn bathe in latyne & in grew* verses that contened all the nammes of the rewmes & cuntrees that Alexandere had conquered and ware sugetes un-till hym. 8 ¹ After this ⁴ Alexander gert make a coron of golde sett full of all maner of precyouse stanes, and gert wryte apon it a tytle in grew & in latyn : ' Ortus & occasus, Aquilo michi seruit & Auster.' That es at saye : ' Est & weste, Northe & southe dose 12 seruyce un-to me.' In the mene tyme whils Alexander was in babyloyne, a woman was delyuer of a knaue childe the whilke fra the heuede to the nauyll hadd schappe of man, & was borne dedd. And fra the nauyll downwardes it had lyknesse of dyuerse 16 bestes and was qwykke. This Monstre was taken & broghte till Alexander; and als son als he saw it he meruaylled gretly thare-off, and gart come bi-fore hym a philosopher that couthe of wiche-crafte, & aschede hym what it sygnyfyed. And when the 20 philosopher saw it, he syghede, & saye wepand sayde un-to hym : ' Sothely wirchipfull emperour,' quoth he, ' the tyme commes nere that thou sall passe oute of this werlde.' ' Telle me,' quoth Alexander, ' whareby thou knawes that.' And the philosophre 24 ansuerde & sayde : ' My lorde,' quoth he, ' the halfe of this Monstre that base the schappe of man & es dedd, betakens that thou sall passe out of this werlde in haste. And the tother party that hase the lyknes of dyuerse bestes & es on lyfe, betakynges the kynges 28 that sall come after the. Bot thare sall nane of tham be lyke un-to the, na mare than a beste es lyke un-till a man.' When Alexander herde this he was wonder heuy, and sare wepand he sayde on this wyse : ' OAllmyghty Iubiter,' quoth he, ' what 32 menes it that my dayes sall be so schortte ? Me thynke that it had bene semely that I had leffed langere for till haf endid thynges that are in my thoghte. Bot for als mekill als it es noghte plesande un-to the, I beseke the that thou resayffe me when 36 I sall passe hethen als thyn awen seruante.'

² In this mene tyme pare was in Macedoyne a lorde that highte

¹ Three lines with red capital A and small a in the margin beside.

² Four lines with red capital I and small i in margin beside.

Autipater, the whilke of langetyme be-fore hadd casten for the dedde of Alexander ; And wit many other that he hadd confedred un-till hym he conspyred for to brynge it tyll ende, bot he myghte neuer come aboute ther-with. For Olympias, Alexander 4 moder, wrate un-till hym ofte-sythes and warned hym that he scholde be warre wit Anipater & his childre, and herefore was Antypater wonder sary. So apon a tyme he [vmby-thoghte?] hym that he myghte neuer come aboute wit his purpose 8 for to slaa Alexander, bot if it ware thurgh enpuysonynge. *And so apon a daye he went till a Sotell leche, arid boghte of hym a maner of drynke made of puyson that was so felle & so ranke that thare myghte no vesselle halde it Bot a vessell made of Iren ; and thare-in he putt it. And than he gaffe it his son Cassandre, and bad hym bere it till his brother Iobas and byd hym, quoth he, gyffe it to kyng Alexander in his drynke, when he seegh his tyme. This ilk Iobas was a faire yong man & was duellyng with 16 Alexander, and gretly by-luffede & cheriste of hym. Bot so it be-felie apon) a tyme fat Alexander smate lobas on f e heued wit a warderere for na trespasse. Whare-fore Iobas was gretly angred and greued at Alexander and consented till his dede, and 20 tuke the puyson of his brother that was ordeyned for Alexander dede that luffed hym so mekill.

¹ And apon a daye Alexander gart ordeyne a grete reuelle in Babyloyne and called thare too all his pryncegh on ilke a syde. 24 And as he satt at the mete Imange his pryncegh he was wonder mery & gladde & iocund, and reheted his lordegh & prayed tham that thay schulde be mery. Than Iobas that serued the kyng of his coupe tuke of the puyson a porcyon, and putt it under the nayle 28 of his thowme, and broghte the coppe to the kynge full of wyne. And as he gaffe it to the kynge, he lete the puyson falle in the wyne priualy. And als sone als the kyng hadd dronken the puyson, Sudaynly he gaffe a grete scryke, and lened hym down 32 towarde the righte syde. For hym thoghte reghte als a man hadd smyten hym in-to the lyuere wit a suerde. Neuer-the-lesse he feyned & forbare a while & suffred a grete penance, and when he my3te na langere habyde, he rase vp fra f e burde and 36 saide till his lordegh & his knyghtes : ' Lordyngis,' quoth he,

¹ Three lines with red capital A and small a in the margin beside.

' I pray yow sitt ye still & etegh & drynkes & bees mery.' Bot thay ware gretly troubbled and rase up fra the burdes and stode witowtten for to see the ende. And Alexander went in-till 4 his chambir gretly tourmentid, and soghte a fethir for to putt in his throtte for to garre hym hafe a vomet of the puyson that he hadd resayffed. And Iobas, that was cheffe of all this hye tresoon, gatt a fethir & enoynt it wit the same puyson 8 & broghte it till Alexander ; and he tuk it & putt it in his throtte, and belyfe * the puyson vexed hym ay mare & mare. And than Alexander bade ane gange & open the palace gates that ware on Eufrates banke. And alle that nyghte he woke 12 in grete payne & tourment. And aboute mydnyghthte he rase oute of the bedde that he lay in and putt oute the lyghte that brynt by-fore hym, and for he myghte noghte ga uprighte, he creped one hende & one fete doune to-warde Eufrate for till hafe 16 drownned hym selfe, that the strenth of the water myghth hafe borne hym away whare neuer man solde hafe fun hym.

And Rosan his wyfe folowed as faste as scho myghte. And when scho come to hym scho felle upon hym & enbraced hym 20 in hir armes & said un-till hym : ' Allas, my lorde Alexander,' quoth scho, ' will thou now leue me & gaa slaa thi-selfe.' And scho wepe that it was dole to see ; and Alexander ansuerde & sayde : ' I beseke the Rosan,' quoth he, ' that ert so dere to me 24 & so swete, late nane wit of myn Endynge, if all it be that we may na langare hafe ioy togedir.' And than Kosan ledd Alexander agayne to his bedd, and layde her armes aboute his nekke and kyssede hym many a tyme, and sare wepand said 28 un-till hym): 'A, A, my swete lorde,' quoth scho, ' if thine ende be nowe commen, ordayne firste for us or ye passe hethine.' And onane he callede un-till hym lobas & bade hym feche un-till hym Semyon his notary. And when he was comen he garte 32 bere hym down in-to the haulle, and he garte come by-fore hym all his prynces & bade his notary wryte his testament bi-fore tham all on ths wyse.

¹ ' ARestotle oure dere Maister, we comande the & prayse the. 36 that of oure awen tresour thou sende to the preste of Egipt that ministres in the temple, whare-in oure body sall be beryed tog^veto

^ Three lines with red capital A , and small a in the margin beside, small capital R following.

112

The will of Alexander. The earthquake.

the Egyptian priest of his mausoleum. Ptolemy is the governor. If Roxana bear a man child he , shall be Emperor ; * Leaf 48. if a girl they shall choose their own. He apportions his domains.

The earthquake.

The Macedonians come armed and demand to see their Emperor.

He prays his knights bear him before them.

He praises them. They speak with him and pray

& entered', j~ besandes of golde. Also I will that Tholomeus that es kepare of oure body be your Gouernour, And forgetis noghte my laste will, Bot lates my testament be alway bi-fore your eghne so that it be fulfilled & noghte forgetyn. My will es 4 also that if Rosan my wyfe be delyuer of a knafe childe that he be your Emperour and gyffes hym what name so yow liste, and if scho be delyuer of a mayden childe, than es it my will that the Macedoynes chese tham a kynge, and that my wyfe be lady of * all 8 my mobles. Also I will that Tholomeus be kyng of Egipt, and that he tak till his wyfe Cleopatra, that my Fader wedded sumtyme here bi-fore, and that he be lorde & prynce ouer all the lordes of the Este euen un-to Bactrian. Also I will that my 12 brother Arrideus be kynge of the Pelopones, also that Cleopater be kyng of Perse, Mellagere kyng of Ethopy, And Anthiochus be kyng un-to the landes of Gog & magoge, Arestes kynge of Inde, Lissymacus lorde of Seleuce, Lythamon kyng of hungary, Caulus 16 kyng of Ermony, Illicus kyng of Dalmace. Symeon my Notary, will I, be Kyng of Capadoce & Pamphily, Cassander & Iobas be lordes un-to the Ryuer that es called Soll, Antipater thaire Fader be kyng of Cicile.' When this testament was in wrytynge 20 bi-fore Alexander Sodeynly thare come a thonnere & a leuennynge & ane erthedoun righte a hedcus, so that all babyloyne qwoke thare-wit. And than thorowte all Babyloyne the noyse rase that Alexander was dede. And than all the Macedoynes rasse hallely 24 and come armed to the Palace, and cryed on the prynces & said un-to tham : ' Sothely,' quoth thay, ' but if ye onane schewe us oure Emperour we sall slaa yow ilk ane.' And when kyng Alexander herde swilke noyse he askede whate it ment, and the prynces 28 ansuerde & sayde : ' The Macedoynes,' quoth thay, 'are comen armede hedir before the gates, & says sekerly bot if thay see gow thay sall slaa us alle are thay passe hethine.' And when Alexander herde this, he badd his knyghtis that thay scholde take hym up, and bere 32 hym in-to the consistorye. And thay did soo. And than he garte open the Palace gates that the Macedoynes myghte come by-fore hym. And than kyng Alexander be-gan to comend tham of thaire strenth & thaire grete doghtynes, and charged tham that 36 thay scholde be in pesse & reste ilkane wit other. Than the Macedoynes, sare wepande, sayde un-till Alexander : ' A, A, wirchipfull,' quoth thay, ' ordayne & telle us are ye passe