93

Then Alexander meets the warden of the holy trees. 93

a temple ałł of golde & of precious stanes, And bi-fore ρe dores ρare-offe ρare was a vyne of golde, berande grapes of
charbuncles, of Rubyes, Dyamandeȝ, and many oρer maneres of [right margin: metal and stones]

4 ρrecyous stanes. Pan kyng Alexander & his prince^ went in-to He goes

Jje palace ; and fande J^are a man) liggand" in a bedd' of golde, and p^i^ce.^

couerd'wit a riche clathe of golde. And he was riste a mekitt He finds an

aged man
man) and a faire, And his berde & his lieueo' ware als whitt there of

8 als any woHe ; and hywi semed? lyke a Bischoppe. Als son) als ^ppear^ ^ ^

Alexander & his pryncej saw J>is aide man) )3ay knelid' dounwe ance.

on Jjaire kneesse and saluste hym). And he ansuerd" & saide : and salutes

' Welcom) Alexander/ qwof) he, ' I tette the ]?ou salt see, f>at neuer T^'a^ed

1 2 flescly man) bi-fore this tyme sawe ; And bou salt here bat neuer i^an speaks

ertnly maiD herde are. And Alexander ansuertf & sayd?: ' Maste him he

blyssed? aide man),' quoth he, ' how base f>ou knawyng of me ? ' and he?r

' For so the,' ({uoth he, * bi-fore Noy flode couerde alt fe erthe, what never

1 6 knewe I bathe the, & thi dedis. I wate wele J^ou desyres for man did

to See fe haly tree^ of \>q SofD And \>e ^lone J?e whilke tellej g^all lia ^^

thynge^ J?«t ere to come.' ' 3^^ ^or sottie,' <\ud^ Alexander, his desire

' J?er es na-thynge J>at I desyre mare, ]?an) for to see f am).' the future.

2o And he was rijt gladd; pan) saide ]?e aide man) tilt hyw : ^ethehol"^

' And 50 be clene of flescly dede wit women), J?an) es it leefutt trees of the

to 50W to see ]:ain) and to entir in-to Jjat haly place })at es moon if

a sette of godd". And if 5e be no5te clene, it es no^te leefull ^^®^ ^^

24 to 30W.' ' yis, sir, sothely,' (\uo\> Alexander, ' we ere clene.' deeds.

pan) raise f)e aide man) vp of J>e bedd" J»at he lay in, and put off

said? vn-to }?am) : ' Putte3 offe ^owr rynge^,' qwoj? he, ' and 5oure ?7®^"^"

clathes, & '^our schone, and folowes me.' And J)ay dyd?* so. them.

28 And ban) AlQ^ander tuk w^t hym tholomews and Antiochits, Alexander,
^ "^ Ptolemy,

& folowed' fe aide mafD, and went thurgh J?e wodd? f»at and Anti-

was aboun) on) ]?e Mountayne closed" with man7^es hande^. j^^^the^ '

pe * treesse of \>at wodd? ware an hundreth .c. fote lange & * Lg^f 39

32 bye, and J>ay ware lyke lorers or Olyue treesse ; And out ^^•

of ]?ani) J»are ran) rykyles & fynne bawme. And as J^ay went through the

thurgh bat wodd" bay saw a tree wondere bye, in be whilke wood on the

i./Ti V, 1,-h 1,. mountain,

J^are satt a mekitt fewle. pat tree hadd" no])er )?are-on) lefes ne through

a5 fruyte. pe fewle J^at satt J?ard-ofD hadd" on) his hedd a creste ^eesthat

lyk till a pacokke, & his beeke also crested". Abowte his nekke, shed in-

he hadd* fethirs lyke golde. pe hynder of hym was lyk pwrpure ; balm.

^ The scribe first wrote cU and then changed the e into a y, making it into dyd.