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Than Alexander bad þe prince þare abide,
For nane bot he sould to the palas ride,
And oure the river he past but raddoure,
Apoun þe glas, in habite but armoure,
Be þat it was nere evin, and fast he rade,
And at þe kingis pallas ȝett he baid;
And all men þat him saw him did honoure,
For he was lyik ane hevinly diui[n]oure,
As men war woinit to se thare god Marcus,
In syndone habit quhite busckit þus.
Sa come the king, quhilk at his men had bene,
And semblit þame, and all his moustoure sene,
To se quhat nowmer of men he micht be;
And also fast as Alexander he se,
He salust him, and him anornit law,
And wend it war god Marcus þat he saw,
And sperit at him quhat kynd of men he was,
That in sic wise come sa laytit to his place.

And he ansured sweitlie, in gud maner,
Sayand, “Fra Alexander I come ane messingere,
Send to King Dare, and, gif that þow be he,
In this maner to say he chargit me:
That þow suld nocht as cowart mak delay,
Bot of battalle þow wald him sett a day,
Or ellis obey to him and to his wand,
And hald of him þi lordschip in þi land.”
Dare him beheld, and wounderit of his weid,
And of his hardie spreit, and his manheid,
And said to him, “Peraventure þow be
King Alexander þat þus spekis to me,
For messingeris dar nocht here comonly
In my presence speik half sa michtely.”
Than Alexander said, “Soith it is
I am him-selff, or þan sum frynd of his.”

Than spak King Dare, “Certis, quhat-euer þow be,
As now þow sall haue richt gud chere of me,
For ay thai maister makis richt gud chere,
Quhay-euer þai cum, till all my messingeris.”
With þat the king enterit with him he bed,
And be þe richt hand in þe palais led,
And furth-with to the hall withoutin mare.
Mait was reddy, the lordis bade him þare,
[Giue h]ondis and to suppare þai went;
And burdis all with claithis of gold wer stent,
With that þe pillaris of þe siluore and yewall
With platis of fyne gold war ourecouerit all;
The burdis and trestis war of yvoure syne,
Bordourit with gold and precius stanis fyne.
At the hie burd King Alexander satt,
With wther princis of maist grete estate—
Be his clething and maneris semyt he,
And in all his feris, a man of state to be.
Of þare metis it nedis nocht to here—
Men may wele witt na deynteis war þaim dere;
And all that seruit in þat hall of weschall
Was of fyne gold, bot ony wther mettell,
And all the officeris that seruit þarein
War cled in claithis of gold or siluer fyne,
And all þe weschell was of gold massy,
Ouresett with stanis of pretius perry.
Than Alexander was seruit in cowpis round,
Off quhilkis ilkane was wourth [ten thousand] pund,
And alsa fast as he had temyt his coppis,
The cowpis of gold intill his bosum stopis;
The officeris his maneris þai beheld,
And to the king alhale þe maner teld,
The quhilk bald þame to speik þareof na thing:
“Percais it be þe custume of his king,”
This ansure maid King Dare richt courteously,
And ay beheld his maneris sobirlie.
The king persauit and saw that þai thocht ferly,
And till ane prince he said quhilk sett him by,
“Men ferlyis þat I tak þir coupis here,
And turs þame bot leif of officeris;
I traistit þat ȝoure cvistume war as ouris,
For Alexander ane prince of sic honoure is
Tha[t] quhan he sendis þe wyne in cowpis þus,
Thay drink the wyne, the coupis with þame þai turs,
For quhat he gevis fra him, cummynis nevir agane.”
Quhareof the lordis war sa wounder fane,
Sayand þe custume was lordlike and gude:
“Thare suld no king be gredy to the gude—
God gif þat war þe custume of our lordis,
In this maner as ȝe tell ws recordis.”
And alsa fast as he the worde had said,
Apoun the burd the coupis agane he led;
Than all the hall of þat reioseit war—
On Alexander þai study and þai star.
With þat ane prince had bene in Massedone
To ask tribute, fast studeiit him apoun,
And till his fallowis rownit privelie,
Sayand, “Ȝone man is richt lyik certanely
Till Alexander, war nocht ȝone strang wede.”
With that the laif drew nere and tuk gude hede,
And he saw that, and dowtit him sum thing
That thai sould mak sum lanage to the king,
And fra the burde he lap deliuerlie,
And to the dur in all haist couth him hy,
And furth he glad, and mekill ferlyit þai,
And ilkane sperit quhare will he pas away.
The nycht was mirk, he micht nocht se the gate—
Thai sperit at him quhare he wauld pas sa late,
And all the portaris cryit apoun him fast.
As he come furth sa fast, he mete cumand
Ane man of fute, a gleid of fyre in hand
Richt bricht birnand, and on the hede him smatte;
Thare he fell doun, he past furth his gate;
With him þe fyre-brand in his hand he bare,
And on his coursoure lap withoutin mare.
Quhen he was went, ilkane sperit quhare he was:
Thai sperit about, and socht oure all the place—
He tuke þe way to Tygir the ryvere,
With that the palais all was made on stere—
Syne at the portis the dede men fand þai slane;
Than was the king efferid, and no thing fane,
For be the tayknnys þat he hard þame tell,
He wist wele it was Alexander him-sel.
On hors and fute þai followit eftir fast,
Quhill in ane forrest come þai at the last.
The nycht was mirk, the wod was thik of breris,
Thare mycht na fallow hald him with his feris—
Thay willit and þai wist nocht quhare þai ȝede;
Sum raif his fas, sum strikkin fra his stede,
Sum tumblit doun in bankis and in brais,
And sum on cragis hors and man baith slayis,
Sum was drownit in pottis and in myris.
Bot Alexander wele gydit with þe fyre is,
Quhill he come to the river for to pas,
Oure quhilk he passit, frosin as it was.
The prince drew nere, and saw cumand ane low,
And nere þe land was begynnand to thow,
And he persauit it was his maister dere,
And lichtit doun, him mett at the river.
With þat the schill of yse birst all in schonder—
The king flaw oure, the cou[r]sour broschit vnder.
The prince þe king in till his armys clekis,
Vnder þe yse þe cou[r]soure doun he fletis.
The prince said, “Schir, in gud tyme ordand ȝe
Ane hors of wantage with ȝow led to be”.
He tauld his fortoun and his aventoure,
And thankit God þat he was sauf and sure.
Be he come to the oist it was nere day,
And all the yse was thowand quyte away,
For all that freissis on the wynter nychtis
Meltis with the day, with hete of son and mychteis.

Quha was mare dolorous na Dare the king,
Quhilk on þe morne, als fast as day couth spring,
Into the tempill he past to mak prayer,
And ansure of his goddis for to here.
Sa was þare ane ymage of grete stature,
Off massy gold made efter the figure
Off him quhilk was ane wourth emprioure,
Was callit in his tyme King Exerses,
And in þare tempill prophecy þare was
That he and his suld leif in pece and rest
Quhill þat ymage suld fall and all to-brest.
And as Dare satt in till his vrisoun,
The ymage brek, and fell in picis doun,
That on his breist on grouf he flatlingis fell,
For till his hart come never sa sare ane knel,
Sayand, “I se wele now I am bot loist—
Allace that euer I assemblit men in ost,
For to be tynt throw my fortoun of me!
Bot now for schame suppois I witt to de,
I man tak the anture into battalle place.”
With þat wele oft he sighit and said allace,
That he war dede and of þis warld away—
Quhile he satt doun, quhile tumlit, quhile he lay,
Askand his god quhy fell his fortoun sua,
Bot þare was nane þat ansure wauld him ma.
“Now se I wele,” þan said he, “I may trest
Oure estir goddis ar past all in þe west.”
Than vp he rais, and semb[l]it his menȝe,
To se quho money fechtaris he micht be—
He was sex or sevin hundreth thousand,
Quhat of his and quhat of Porrus land;
He past furth and the feild tuke in hy,
And for the battale ordand halely.
Bot Alexander had nocht þe thrid of þai:
Off fut-men [thretty] thousand, with few ma,
And of hors-men he was [thretty] thousand,
Withoutin his flote of schippis þat was cumand,
Quhare all his tressoure and artilȝery
Was kepit and tursit fer mare vncummerandly,
For tuenty schippis will turs mare gere in flottis
Na wil be land tua thousand chareotis;
He hade five thousand schippis and wele mare,
Quhilk mete at his tristis ay before,
Nocht all togidder, bot into fere cuntreis,
As he conquest be realmes and cieteis.

Than Alexander, quhan he was cumand hame,
Wan sic ane los, ane wourschip, and a name
Of all his lordis, his barrouns, and menȝhe—
Mare hardy sprete was neuer in varldit na he.
Than semblit he his men, and tuke þe feild—
Thare mycht men se full money sembly scheild;
The trumpis and taburnis blew anone,
And all the douȝeperis to the feild is gone,
The oist arayeit, þe battale sone war sett,
And passege oure þe Tigre sone þai gett,
And to King Dare þai pas to vesie him,
The nerrest way towart Perssypolim;
Off quhilk King Dare was warnit of before,
And disparit þat his wourschip was bot lore,
And fane vald haue accordance and trety
To leif in pace, bot þat micht neuer be.
And, to mak schorte, the battall come sa nere,
With sic a noyis, a sound, and sic a bere,
In sic array, devise, and ordinance,
That richt ioy was to se þare governance:
The armit knichtis, with tymyllaris and trapouris,
On armit hors, with goldin covertouris,
With pynnons, pynsalis, banerais þat scherely schane,
Helmis, hactounis, and scheildis gold begane.
And nocht forþi þat Dare discomfort was,
Mare hardy knicht faucht neuer in battall place;
Bot he was full of pride and grete pompoure,
And sett him ay to sembill gret tressoure,
And lichtlyit men, and held þame ay at vnder;
Quharefore, suppois þai left him, was na wounder,
For gud men ay wauld swetlie tretit be,
And ill men punyst for þare iniquitie;
And namlie gud men into tyme of were
Suld haue the spreith, þe riches, and þe gere—
The landis and the lordschippis to the king,
To gif to wourthy men at his lyking;
Till him the manrent, service, and honoure,
Quhilk may suffice to ony conquerioure.
Quha covatis all to hald, all men forga—
The prince, of polecy, will þat it be sua.
Quha trowis nocht þis, latt þame behald þe quhele,
And of the fikkill Fortoun tak a feill,
And to the changeing of genologys,
As clerly may be sene in all storeis;
Thai sould nocht sett þame for wrangous conquest—
The saull is tynt, the lordschip has no lest.
Be Alexander I say, and vther ma,
Þocht he þis warld be fortoun conquest sua,
His airis þareof had bot litill part,
And full schort was his iosing eftirwart.

Quhat will ȝe mare? Þir battallis strak togidder.
The fortoun of the were is wounder slidder—
Suppois Dare had ma men, dowbill and tribill,
The name of Alexander was sa terribill,
Sa money landis had conquest, and battalȝeis,
Sa money stouris, and sa money hardy assailȝeis,
And money of King Daris men had him left—
Alexander with lordschippis had þame feft;
And þai þat ware into his cumpaney,
Full fane þame wald to Alexander allay,
War nocht for schame to tak ane cowart part,
As may appire be þare dede efterwart.
Than Alexander had ordand [twelf] battalȝeis,
Ilkane to furthir wther gif ocht þame falȝeis;
Emenedus the vangart leid he bed,
And everie douzepere ay ane battalle led.
Thus, in [ten] battallis þai war legiounis ten,
In everie battall ane legioun of gude men;
And in þe battall quhare him-selff suld be,
Off wourthy men he ordand legiouns thre:
Sevin thousand seven hundreth sevinty and sevin
The nowmer is of ane legioun evin,
To sett it to the maist degrie of all
Off angelis, ȝitt wther wayis say we sall.
And as the battallis was cumand in array,
Sa come ane spy fast ridand in þe way;
Till Alexander into þis wise he sais,
Sayand, “Lord, ill kepe takkis ȝow to þi fais
Fore-seyne,” and tald þame all be count:
“Oliphantis wele sex skore in ane front,
With somer castell full of Syreanis,
Quhilkis on þi vantgard settis al at anis,
And to leid þame, ane battale of Turky,
Ane hundreth thousand in þare cumpaney,
Than Alexander said, “Þis is lait warnying—
With helpe of God we sall se for þat thing.”
King Alexander a thousand chariottis,
Quhilk was wele armit, ordand for sic notis,
With gvnnys chargit, crapaldis, and culuerynis,
Rabaudkynnys, with money vther engynes,
Gart call before þe vantgard, fast togidder
Cupplit with chenȝis, þat þai mycht nocht schidder,
And gart þe weyngis þat þai sould draw þame by
On ather side, and latt the chariotis ly
Into þe way before the oliphantis,
That quhan the somer castellis to thame plantis,
Thay may neuer turin, bot hald the hie gait furth—
Thai ar sa stiff, and beris sa gret ane birth;
And on the hors þai sawe occupeid,
To werry þame, þat þare þi sall abide,
For oure the armit cartis þai micht nocht pas
Quhill wyngis and vantgard agane assemblit was,
Behynt the oliphantis quhilk mocht nocht turne
Quhill of the formest feyest þai gart spurne.

The battallis come in with sic ordinance:
Quhan Dare þat saw, quhilk had all his fyance
In oliphantis, Turkis, and Syreanis,
And in þe hynder battall was Indanis,
He was sa affryit he wald haue bene away,
For sic ane murthir on his men maid þai
That hepis lay of dede men in þe feild,
With money blude hawbrek, helme, and scheild,
And money grisly grane and wofull wound,
Thay war sa sett þare fais to confund,
And money stob and stok was in þat stound,
And mony sturdie steid slane in þat ground,
And money ane helme and hawbrek and hawbirgioun,
And mony ane hardy knicht was hewyn doun.
Than Alexander wald fane at Dare had bene,
And for þare was sa mony of þame betwne
Off fechtand men, that he micht nocht atteyne.
With that King Dare began to draw the reynȝhe,
And wald haue bene away with all his mayn,
Bot multitude of men held him agane,
The quhilk within schort tyme begouth to fle.
With þat King Dare, quhan he that sicht couth se,
He was sa wa, wele [ne] he wexit wod;
And þai of Grece þare seingȝhe cryit loude—
With that King Dare began him till vmbdraw.

Than Alexander, þat þus þame fleand saw,
Apoun the somer castallis send agane,
And all þat ware into þai castellis slane,
And all the oliphantis þare stekit þi,
For þai micht nowthir fle abak na gang away;
And quhan the oliphantis begouth to sweye,
To qualis and huddownys like war on the sey.
Than Dare þat saw, sichtand said “allace”,
For in þai beistis all his fyance was;
Bot Alexander in þame wald haue na rest,
Sayand þat battall of gude men was all þare best,
Sayand, “Quhat wourschip war, or quhat honoure,
To king or prince or wther conquerioure,
To say þat he oure-cummyn [h]as his fais,
Quhen wylde beistis all the discomfit mais?”

Thus to þe ciete fast fled is King Dare—
The feild with Alexander is levit þare,
With all the spreith, the gude, and the riches,
The quhilk was mare nor ony man can ges;
And foure-and-fourty thousand þare was slane
Of Daris men, left liand in þe plane,
With all the castellis and the oliphantis,
And Alexander bot of his menȝe wantis
Wele sex skore of futmen, and few ma,
And of hors-men þare deit fourty and tua.
Than Alexander gaif to his futmen gold,
To berry all þai slane men in þat mold,
The quhilk efferis wele to ane prince to do
Quhan God the victory has send him to.
T[h]a[n] eftir Emenedus with þe vangard,
Come Tholome and Clessoun efterwart,
Quhilkis with þare battallis faucht sa hardaly;
Syne followit on the chase sa mychtely
That fra þe feild ly endlang to the toun
Ten thousand slane men lay stragillit vp and doun.
Syne Dawclyne stark apoun the banner man,
And straik him doun, and Daris banner wan;
Syne Lyconor, Philote, and Arestes,
Quhilk with þare battall foucht lang into preis,
In battall syne Caulon and Predicas,
Quhilk on ane wther battall fechtand was,
Than to the king þai semblit halely,
And followit on the flicht richt sturdely.
The king strak doun ane prince cald Philodos,
And sone efter ane Turk he laid in glois;
And money wourthy fortoun to him fell,
Quhilk in my power is nocht all to tell,
Quhat of douȝeperis and money wourthy knichtis,
For quhan ane multitude in battale fechtis,
Suppois ane thousand heroldis war by ordinantis,
Thai sould nocht tell þe teynd of þe waliantis
Quhilkis þare is done [by] diuers knychtis kene,
Quhare-euer ane mortall battall done has bene.

Quhairfor haue me excusit, I require,
Suppois I tell nocht all the dedis here,
Quhilk wther buikis in þare ditis recordis,
At þare plesance, or appetite of lordis,
Becaus þat amange men it has oft tymes bene sene,
And oft oure-red has sum padgentis bene,
In buikis of þe auld translatioun,
Quhilk hes bene in þis cuntrie sa comoun;
Suppois I wrett nocht all thing þat I se
In thing that was translatit forrow me,
It rekkis nocht, for men that knawis it wele,
And has it hard, and has of it ane feil,
Thay will oure-pas more lichtlie þat part,
And here the thingis that cummys eftirwart,
And of materis that strange ar and vnkynd,
Leif no-thing, bot write fro end to end.
And schortlie for to tell of the douȝeperis,
And wther kingis, dukis, and princis peris,
Thay did þare dede sa douchtely þat day
That, and I sould rehers all þat I hard say,
For to recorde þe flearis and the slane,
It war bot langage spendit into vane,
For men may traist þai had neuer conquest þus
Had nocht þare dedis bene mare mervellus.
King Alexander in myddis of þe feild
Ane gia[n]t callit King Philodos he keild,
Quhilk of the lyniage was of God Magoȝ—
Ane fute large betuix the ene he was,
He was sa mekill, mycht gane him na armyng—
Off þe gret ile of gyantis he was king.
Emenedus alsa his bruther sleuch,
Callit Pemagos, and reft fra him a beuch,
Quhilk was ane grym and ane ful laithly fyre—
Sum said his wapin was ane akin spyre.
Syne Tholome come with his batall nere,
Quhare the Tartarianis in þare battall were,
With thame of Ethiope and Caldee,
Quhare ma þan [thretty] kingis in þat semble
War tane and slane, with mony wther sowdanis,
With money of princis, of dukis, and of grangtanis,
The Canis of Turky and of Tartary,
Off Ethiop, Cathay, and of Caldye,
Quhilk of þe King of Yndis bidding war,
Cummying to the were in helpin of King Dare.
To tell quhat kingis, dukis, princis, and sowdanis,
Quhat tane, quhat slane, quhat fled away attanis,
Quhilk cummyng was to Dare in his furthering,
Sum men wald say it war bot a lesing,
For als trew as I wrett with þis pen,
The story sayis þai war of Daris men
Wele sex hundreth thousand men or ma
That vincust war, and chasit to and fra,
With auchty thousand—or the story leis—
That semblit war of mony far cuntreis.

Thus in þe ciete fled was þe emprioure Dare,
And all his menȝe chasit here and þare,
Sum slane, sum tane, sum woundit in þe feild is,
Sum fled away, sum dede vnder þare scheildis.
Furthwith he wratte to Porrus, King of Inde,
As he that was his cosing and his frynd,
And tald all his mysfortoun and aventure,
And prayit him of his helpe and his succoure,
Requirand him to send him helpe in haist,
For in his helpe was halely his traist;
And he richt gude ansure send him has,
That gif na war þat he was in seiknes,
He sould in propir persoun cum him till
With all his powar, with ane gudly will,
Bot sen na he mycht in persoun properly,
He suld him send his powar halely,
Th[r]e hundre thousand wourthy men and wicht,
Quhilk custumyt war in battall and in ficht,
And bad him be of gude confort and blayith,
For his recomfort suld cum till him swyith.
And quhan King Dare had hard of his tithing,
He was sa blaith, and tuke sic conforting,
That all his men he prively ral[i]d;
And of King Alexander was wele espid,
Quhare he was in his blyithnes and his play,
And traistit all his men was skalit away,
And that þai sould nocht sembill he traistit wele,
Bot of þare sembill he sould haue sum feil;
And had his spyis about him in þe land,
To latt him witt quhan þai sould be gaderand.

Than thocht King Dare to mak a iuperdie
Apoun ane hill was callit Mons Taury,
The quhilk was fifty stagis to the hicht,
And nere þareby ane ciete of gret mycht,
Quhilk Tars was callit, quhilk large was and wide,
And Mont Liban was on the tothir syde.
Than tocht King Dare to cum ane wther way
On Alexander, quhilk in the tentis lay,
And on the montane, ane way þat nane wald traist,
Of armit men he semblit ane oist in haist—
Ane hundreth thousand gart sembill suddantly
Betuix the Mont Liban and the Mont Taury,
And tocht to tak thame into disaray;
And syne tua hundreth thousand couth he lay
Betuix the ciete and the palliouns,
To stryk on þame betuix þame and the towuns
Off Syr and Tigre, and of Persipolym;
And syne ane hill þat nane agane mycht clym
Was evin abuffin quhare Alexander was,
In pavillioun liand in ane opin plais,
Quhare þai with stanis and gynis in þat plane
Micht skaill his oist, and tak na skaith agane;
And syne he in enbusch ordand to be
Tua hundreth thousand men, or thre,
To cum on þame into þare disaray,
Into þat place quhen disarmit war þai.

Bot Alexander, þat was baith war and wise,
Had euer his spyis and scoutis at devise,
And quhat King Dare ordand be his counsale,
Within schorte tyme he wist þare purpois hale,
For in his hall and his chalmer daylay
He had his spyis, of his awne cumpaney.
Than Alexander, þat wist of þare emprise,
Gart [fiftene] thousand in þe dawing rise,
And on the hill he led thame secretly,
Wnder ane crag, quhare na man mycht þame spy,
All apoun fute into hie montangȝeis,
With spere and dart, gvn, culverryn, and gangȝeis,
And cast of stane, þat, quhan þai tuke þe hill,
It was sa strait þai had þame at þare will,
And dang þame doun, and brak all þare array—
The king him-selff gaif þame the first assay.
And quhan þai saw thai war dissauit þus,
The grete battall, quhare was Emenedus,
Bidand þare the [time] of þare buschment,
Quhare King Dare had his battall stent,
He herd the scry apoun the hill abone [OMITTED]
And of the douzeperis, part was with the king,
And part was þare bidand þare furth-cuming.
King Tholome ane wther battall had
Gif myster wer, and in þe feild he bade;
Emenedus in þe feild King Dare abidis,
And Tholome apoun the tother syd is.
Thai strak togidder with sa gret a fors
That sic ane rerde was, baith of men and hors,
That like was hevin and [erd] suld ga togidder.
The king þat herd, and he in haist come thidder,
And he strak in apoun ane wther part.
Thare men mycht se fall money ane proude standart—
The stoure was strang, with mekill feris fechting;
The fecht begouth tymely in the mornyng,
And all the day enduring quhill the nycht,
Quhare [Dare] his men saw failȝe in þe fecht,
And on all sidis bakwartis was borne doun.
Than he began to draw him to the toun—
King Dare had briggis in þe tounys of þe best,
To pas the wattir of Tygre quhan him lest.
Beȝound the wattir of Tygre þe melle was,
On Mont Trairy, quhare was ane wourthy place,
Quhilk Tars is callit, ane nobill grete cietie,
And nere beside þat place was þe melle;
And quhan Dare fled, he wald haue bene thareat,
And was sa sarit þat he na lasere gat,
Bot endland doun þe ryver side he keist—
Quha mycht be formest in the fecht þai preist;
The day was gane, and cummyn was þe nycht—
Thare mycht nane knaw ane wthir in þe flicht.
King Daris men the cuntray better knew,
And all the nycht endland þe rivere drew
Quhill it was in the dawing of þe day;
Than till ane toun was callit Siȝ come þai,
Bot quhan þai saw the river frosyn was,
For haist þai the yse tuke, and left þe place—
The brig was stark yneuch þame for to bere,
Bot lang to pas was perrell for bak here,
For thame behuiffit to be ane day or tua
To pas ten thousand men, or litill ma,
And þai war ma na tua hunder thousand,
That with King Dare was fast away fleand.
The ysse was thik ane elin wele, and mare,
That first the king, syne all the oist, it bare,
Quhill in the mornying, at the son rysing,
Nere by the land þe iss lousit sum thing;
And als the maner of the Tygre is,
The nycht it freisis, and in the day lousis.
And quhan þai war most theik on it passand,
Ane myln on bred, chokfull fra land to land,
The yse begouth to be creves, and to breist—
Thai tumblit doun ilkane on vther fast,
Sa suddantlie þat in ane litill stound
Thay war all sokin to the welis ground:
The men baid vnder, sum flittit of the hors,
Bot syne the ryver, þat ran with sic ane fors,
Bare hors and men vnder þe yse away,
That na[ne] chapit þat in the ryver lay.
Syne all the leif straiglaris þat fleand was
Past to the brig, and enterit in the plais.
And quhan þir thingis tald war to King Dare,
To here his m[ay]n it was ane grete hart-sare;
Intill his palis of Persipolyn,
Quhan in his oratry he was enterit in,
All him allane, and on-closit the dure,
And on his keneis on grouf fell in the flure.
He tumlit and he welterit as ane wiffe,
Sayand, allace! gif he had loist his lyffe,
And all his men had sauflie cummyn away,
And fra that tyme in care-bede seik he lay.

Than Alexander till ane tempill is gane,
Quhan þai had at þare liking tane and slane,
And till his goddis makis his sacrefice.
The tempill was ordand all att devise,
Quhare money kingis lay in sepulture,
With grete ymagis, and eftir þare stature,
Off messy gold, with mychty perry,
Quhilk Exerses, the empriour wourthy,
Had foundit in his honoure of Martus,
And maid his lare þare wounder glorious,
That in ane quhite sapher he lay,
That all his body clerly, [n]icht and day,
All men mycht se þat in þat tempill ware—
On athir sydis the saphere was sa clere—
And quho in ane plate of gold he woundyn was,
With balmes and spicis that sic ane nature has
That neuer mare the fleche sall rote na sovir,
Bot euermair as the balm ryall to flewir;
And nixt besyde him, in ane amatist,
His lady Philomene lay in ane keist,
In the samyin wise, bot all þe stane was grene—
Baith nycht and day hir body micht be sene;
And þame abone was maid ane sepulture—
Mare crafty was nevir carvin in portrature,
All of fyne gold, with pretius perrery,
That in þis erd mycht nane be mare mychty:
The pillaris all war pretius stanis dere,
The patiement was all of cristy clere,
The torris was owthir of ruby or diament,
About þe sepulture þat war standand;
On everie tor ane cherbunkell sett þai,
Quhilk gaif ane lycht at mydnycht as on day,
And all about the tempill on þe wallis,
Off gold ane stature of þare god all is,
And sidlingis all the wall to the durris
Of croving kingis and þare sepulturis,
That þare was nane þat worthy king had bene
Bot he was carvin in gold sa clene;
And at the pillaris lay the empriouris,
Maid stately fer in to þare sepulturis.
The wallis and the pillaris halely
War coverit all with plate of gold semely;
The paithment of the tempill, and the flure,
Off iaspe and evore chakkard to the dure;
And all the tempill thekit was all-hale
With sclates of cristall and of beriall.

Than Alexander, quhan he þat sicht couth se,
Intill his hart he had richt grete daynte,
And nochtwithstanding þat he counsalit was
To tak alhale of gold and that riches
That on the kingis sepulture lay,
Bot fra þe goddis tak na thing away,
Bot he wald nocht, for honoure of princehed,
To dishonour þai princis þat war dede,
Bot tak the place in his protectioun,
And put to kepe men of religioun,
And rentit þame with landis mychtelie,
For thare honoure þat had bene sa wourthy.

Than to the palleis passis he in hye,
Quhare þare was leyand money a gay lady,
And to the ladyis send reconforting;
Bot quh[en] þai wist how fled was Dare the king,
And all his menȝie chaissit away and slane,
And money ane drownit, þai war in mekill pane,
And to þare secrete chalmeris gais in haist.
Thare Daris wiffe, quhilk had of dollour maist,
Scho fell in sownying, sa did his moder dere,
His sisteris tua, and als his dochteris clere—
Sum was ourecumyin, and liffis in mekill pane,
Bot Daris wiffe rais neuer vp agane,
Bot furth-with in þat place hir hart couth b[ri]st—
Hir date was done, scho mycht no langer leist.
And Alexander gart erde hir with honoure—
Amange the kingis gart mak hir sepulture—
And confort all þe laif in gud maner,
And prayit þame þat þai wald mak gud chere,
Sayand within ane schort tyme þat þai sould se
That he and Dare sould weill accordit be.
Quhan Dare þis herd, his hart was nevir sa sare:
Furthwith he rent his rob and raif his hare,
And with his neiffis apoun his breist he dang,
Sayand, allace! quhy leiffit he sa lang;
And syne vnto the tempill passis he,
In that entent for dule þare for to de.
He was sare woundit, and wald of no leiching,
And tocht that he sould de but persaving.
Sa come ane man that of þe chalmer was
Off his moder, and furthwith come fra þe place,
And baid him leiff and of gud conforte be,
For Alexander had tald to his priwe
That he wald haue Roxen, his dochter fare,
And hir to spous, quhilk was hir faderis aire,
And pace to mak and gude freyndschip for ay;
And alsa fast as Dare þis hard him say,
Quhare he lay on his breist in-til ane sowch,
He gliffynnit vp, with that ane litill he leuch,
Sayand, “Wist I that I micht trow þai tale,
Of all my dolour I wauld sone be hale.”
And him said that certane it was trew:
With þat his corage sum thing till him drew;
Bot it was nocht bot throw his moderis wayis
Fenȝete to confort him of his maleis.
And þan he tald him þe wourschip and honoure
That to thame he had done throw his valoure,
Off quhilk King Dare sum thing reconfort was,
That his diseis him grevit fer the les.

Than was thare cummyin out of the west cuntrie
Till Alexander, baith be land and se,
New lordis, with freche men and wele arrayit,
And all renewit with thingis þat are was affrayit,
And all armyngis brocht him of þe best,
For in-till were na thing may all-wayis lest.
Than ordand he ane brig oure þat river
Of Tygre, quhilk was rynnand by him nere,
And tuke out of Mont Liban þe treis
Quhilk in the wattir neuer rotis na deis,
War fifty cubeteis lang of massy trie,
That nane farare into the warld mycht be.
Thus throw the brig he bandonyit all þe land,
And all his men was cumand and ganand;
And to the ladyeis wourthy chere he maid,
As wele efferis the honoure of knichthede.

Than, fra King Dare hard that Alexander was
Sa sett in loufe, his dolloure was þe les,
And till him wraitt ane epistill pieteously,
Richt fauorabill, and sum part thankfullie,
And send it to him with ane messingere,
In termes wrettin as ȝe sall efter heir:
“Dare, King of Pers at godis will to endure,
Till Alexander, and now his subiectoure,
Salus I send, with meiknes of victor;
Sen God hes send sic wourschip, los, and glore
To the, ane mortale man, as wtheris is ma,
I the require, sen it is hapnit sa
That the hes obtenit dominatioun
Off mony realmes, lordschip, and regioun,
The quhilkis sum tyme was myne, and held of me,
And now oure goddis, the quhilk ar turnit to the,
Has grantit to the þe floure of victorie,
And als my men turnis to the halely,
That þow wald grant me for þai gret gentrice,
As þow beris now of curtesy the price,
To send my moder and my dochter fre
And my sisteris all frelie hame to me;
For wemen aw nocht to be presonaris,
Bot in sic wayis as to þare state efferis
Thay sould be haldin at honoure and fredome,
With all wourschip, sen we of wemen come.”
With that he sichit sare, and said, “Allace!”,
With tigland teris trottand doun his face,
“And for my wiffe, þat dede hes tholit for me,
Here I forhecht neuer maryit for to be,
Nor neuer woman for to couth my licame,
Nor for to kis, quhill I be laid in lame;
And here I hecht, King Alexander, to the,
The halff of Peirs of me, and Nube,
And all the tressoure that my fader wan
In the land of Ceirs and Median,
To tak my dochtir, and mak fryndschip for ay:
Than sall ȝow be myne are eftir my day;
And þis mekill of gentrice I the pray,
And liff in pace, and mak fryndschip for ay.”

Quhan Alexander the epistill had oursene,
He had it to the ladyis and the quene,
And gart mak thame richt gud and wourthy chere,
With grete wourschip, as to thame sould effere;
And quhan the tennoure to thame weill was kend,
Till Dare the ansure of his epistill he send,
As followis efter, in þis forme þat here is,
And gaif grete giftis till his messingeris:
“Alexander, King Philippis son þat was,
And son also to Quene Olimphias,
Till Dare the king, and emprioure of Pers
(It nedis nocht all titull to rehers):
It settis nocht to ane wourthy conquerioure
That settis his hart for wourschip and honoure,
To by honoure for gold na for riches,
For in sa fer his wourschip wourthis les;
And als, gif we sould part the land as peris,
Than sould we be in fallowschip, as feris,
And I haue hard in wise bokis recorde
That sindrie kingis in ane realme may nocht corde;
Bot and he will him ȝeild all hale to me,
And at my governance all hale for to be,
And hald of me as of his souerane king,
Off all his skaithis and his dampnageing
I sall restore, and mak him lord and syre
Off all the landis that he held in empire;
His moder, his douchter, and his sisteris fre
Without dishonoure delyuerit sall þai be;
And gif him list in batall bettir till assay,
To preif with force to bere þe price away,
And he me wyn, he salbe lord of me,
And I and all myne subiectis till him be,
And gif I wyn the force of victorie,
I salbe lord oure him all halely,
And all to hald in my subiectioun
His landis hale, in castell, toure, and toun,
For certanlie my purpois is allway
Oure all be lord, or tyne all on ane day.”

And in the mentyme, quhil this thing was wrocht,
King Dare ane man of his awne houshald socht
Quhilk wald consent ane tressoun for to do
For wardlis gude King Alexander to.
This man sould be richt wele avisit forthay
To traist in þare new counsalit inemye,
For men that flittis lichtly fra lord to lord,
It war nocht lik þai sould with wther accorde—
Sic men ar eith to trete to mak tressoun.
Thus wise men, that hes knawlege of ressoun,
Suld kepe fra þare recounsellit inemye,
To traist in þame þare persoun specialie.