University of Virginia Library

Than Alexander fra thyne enterit in Ynde,
Quhilk land is hete, and of a frely kynde,
Off woid, of watter, of craggis, of wildernes,
Off montanis, of wallis, of hillis, and holdirnes;
And mony in þai landis in cavis duellis—
Thare micht na man into þat land liff ellis.
And as þai past nereby ane hie rochoun,
Thay saw grete myne of gold, was fallin doun;
Thai lukit vp, and saw þir emottis scrape,
The quhilk emottis war grete as ony ape,
In sic a noumber and sic ane quantetie
Into þat crage þat mervell was to se.
Till hors and men þi did sa grete grevance
That few men micht thame kepe fra þat myschan[c]e,
Nor nane durst cum to bere þat gold away;
Sa grete a multitude of beistis war þai,
Sa perrelus of cluke, vennum, and tuthe,
That thare was nane þai hitt, to say the soith,
Bot ay the cankir followit efterwart,
And gart þame tyne þe member in þat part.
The gold betuix the hillis lyis in myne—
Thai ette the hill, and scrapes þe gold out syne,
Thay weyn that na man cummys þare for þe gold,
Bot for þe hill, quhilk on na price þai wold.

The watter was sa brynd þare with the hette,
With sonnys beme all day on it to bete,
That it sa bitter was, sa strange and salt,
Quhill of freche wattir þai had sic ane falt
That wa was þame þe tyme þat þai war borne,
For sic ane falt þai had neuer beforne;
That all þe oist purposit to turne agane,
Off Grece and Macedone þe men of mane,
And als of Egip, Peirs, and Hermenye,
And all þe new conquest men halely,
Sayand, “Oure emprioure, for his vane gloir,
Is like him-selff, his land, and ws forlore—
We haue landis and guidis ynewch for ws,
Þocht we pas nocht to tyne oure-selfin thus.”
Bot Alexander, quhilk wise and wourthy was,
Said, “Fare lordis, ȝe knaw all-hale þe cas—
I tak sic liffe as ȝe, but defference,
And quhan it cummys to mak ony deffence,
I sall nocht spare to put me with þe first,
Quhill hors and man and spere and scheild may last;
And quhan the gude sall cum in deperting,
Ȝe sall haue all, and I sall desire na thing
Bot to fulfill þe charge þat I haue
Off God, þe quhilk I mon pleis oure þe laif.
Suppois ȝe want now sum thing þat ȝow nedis,
Within schorte tyme ȝe sall haue þat ȝow spedis.”
Thus comforte he his wourthy chevelrye,
And gart thame grant to bide with him halely.

That nycht he rede with his menȝe,
And on þe morne he come in a gude cuntre,
And till ane citie callit was by name
In Ynde the grete citie of Festyname;
Thare Alexander refreschit his cumpaney
And restit him, and made him richt mirry.
And as þai was restand in þis maner,
Sa come fra Porrus ane messingere,
To wesie Alexander and his menȝe,
And for to spy quhat nowmber of men was he;
For Porrus was hie sett in his entent,
For ȝitt was nevir king in Orient
That had sa mervelus ane multitude
Off wourthy weriouris and of fechtaris gude:
Suppois þe fortoun was to Alexander
Off all þe warld, of him it was na wounder.

Than had Porrus semblit his armey reddie,
Quhan he send Alexander for till espye,
And all his battallis put in ordinance,
And till his princis gaif þare governance;
And in his vantgard ane kynde of pepill was
Quhilk þai callit in þat land Garrymantas.
And Alexander maid small suldioure to se
The state of his battale and menȝe,
And gart espy all as he lay in oist,
For euer on spyis he made mekill coist:
Thai tald him how the oliphantis were
Sic multitude, and into quhat maner.

Sa come þare lettiris sone of diffyance—
The trumpettis blew, þai went till ordinance,
And evere battale had his chiftane sett;
The batalis movit furth but ony lett.
The king send lordis for [to] cheis þe feild—
All drew to armes þat micht wappinnis weild;
The king ordanit his armyt men of brass
Set in vantgard, as it ordanit was.
On everie side þare was sic men of pride,
Fra þai saw wther, na langer micht þai bide,
Bot strak togidder with sic ane sound and rerde,
And faucht lang tyme or ony bakward sterde.
With that the oliphantis come stedfastlie,
The quhilkis with men war garnist michtely;
The wantgard ȝitt sterit nocht, bot stude ay still:
Thocht worthy men brak speris at þare will,
The batall stude, and kepit ordinance—
Worth is na were withoutin gouernance.
Als Porrus helde on bridill with his batale,
For in the oliphantis his traist was hale,
That thai sould mak þe first discomfitoure,
And of þare batal mak ane disfigure,
And syne he [tocht] apoun þare bak to cum,
And tak and sla þe laif, baith hale and sum.
The oliphantis gapit richt gredely,
And with thare tuskis to riffe þame suddantlie
Thay schupe, bot quhan þai fand þam birnand hate,
Thay rampit, rumyst, and tuke ane wther gait,
And threw about apoun þare awne batale,
And all þare awne wantgarde oure-tirvit hale,
And ran as woid, quhill all the castellis quuke,
And all the knichtis out of þe castellis schuke.

Bot Alexander for þis amovit him nocht,
For it was God þat all þis for him wrocht,
Bot sobirly come on, and kepid f[e]ild,
In gude array, ilkane with spere and scheild,
For ȝitt was all King Porrus batal hailleȝ,
And litill brokin bot throw his awne castelleȝ.
Than Porrus, quhilk þis saw, in his hart was wa
That his wantgard was quyte ourethrawin sua,
And ewin þe way till Alexander he tuke,
And tocht to strek apoun him at a nuke.
Bot þare was sett þe folk of Pers and Tyre,
Quhilk hade Porrus before at feid and ire,
For he thame had reprevit of King Dare,
The quhilk þai left quhen he had maist myster;
And thare war slane þe pepill Garymantre,
In quhome Porrus he fyance maist had he;
Prince Olipherne was slane, and Schir Bauduwyne,
And mony prince of wthir cuntreis syne,
And Moa[b], King of Freiȝ, was chasit away;
And wourthely did Porrus king þat day.
Thare was slane als þe Prince Amenydab,
The quhilk was cosing germane to King Moab;
Thare deit a prince of Alexanderis menȝe,
Bot ane, was callit Prince Sodak of Calde,
Bot or he deit, he slew ma na fivetene—
He was ane wourth man, withoutin wene.

Sa come Petroneus, Prince of Babilone,
And Alexander spurrit Bussifall him on,
And strake him bakwart to þe erde all doun,
And of his sa[dill] straike, with him þe arsoun;
And throw the body quytly he him bare,
And hurt him sua þat he micht liff no mare—
Ioy was to se the riche availȝement,
Sett oure with pretius stonis of Orient.
Thare was þe Prince of Sadoch, callit Ioab,
Quhilk broder was till Prince Amenedab:
He said to Porrus, “Schir, quhat will ȝe do?
Ȝoure men ar slane and chasit—se ȝe, lo!”
Than was at the flicht ane cumpaney
War chasit with þame of Pers and of Caldye;
The men of Macedone in þe grete batall was
With þame of Grece, and helde the batall place;
In the thrid batall was a fare menȝe
Off folk of Egip and of Ermene.
Than bad the king men suld kepe arrey:
“With Godis grace þe feild is oure to-day!”
For oliphantis and all war turnit abake,
And Porrus reddy was þe flicht to tak,
For in his oliphantis was his fynance,
The quhilk war turnit till ane grete myschance.

The king saw þame begyn to tak þe flicht,
And bad avant his baner with all micht,
And strak on Porrus' batall with blyithnes,
For his wantgard was followand on þe chais.
Than Porrus saw þare was na vther remede
Bot owtherane fecht, or fle, or tane, or dede,
Ralyid his men all to his grete batall,
Baith wyngis and reregard, with þe standand stale,
And tocht þe Gregioiȝ all for to ouresett;
Bot oft in schapin purpos cummyis lett,
For Alexander sa ferme was in all his dede
That of þare purpois litill micht þai spede,
For quhare þai mette, it was na barnis play—
The wichtest partie bare the price away.
For þare was mony ane sadill temytt sone,
And mony ane proude man vnder, þat was abone.
With speris of price þe scheildis schulderand brest—
Quha strak doun quham, þa[r] was na man þat wist,
For [quhen] men cummys in-to sa grete melle,
Thare may na tent till vther takin be,
Bot everie man to haue watt on his spere,
And schaip to schaft him þat him schapis to dere,
And of his bridill rengȝe tak gude hald,
Giff ony be þe rengȝe reft him wald;
Ane wther poynt he suld kepe wele alsua,
That he strek nocht his frend, and leif his fa,
And everie man tak gude tent to his seingȝe,
That he stray nocht, ne gang will fra his menȝe;
And on his maister als he suld haue mynd,
Him to supplie in nede, and he be kynde;
And als tak tent gif ony brekis array,
At his powar mend it, gif he may—
And socht to say, King Alexander had made
His chiftanis all, þat all þir wertewis had,
For men þat ar abassit in batall place,
For to do wele þat day sall haue na grace.

Than Porrus' men richt mekill abaissit war—
Thay saw þare menȝe fled, and all was bare.
Than Porrus saw na vther distanȝe
Bot saue him-selff, gif ony bute micht be,
Thinkand for to recover efterwart—
Skant micht he fle, he was sa wa in hart,
Bot nocht for-þai, his fortoun was forelore.
He past his way his men war fled before—
Levand the plane, he tuke him to deserte;
He was woundit, oure king was hale and quart.
Throw the desertis of Ynde he tuke the way,
Quhare neuer man vngydit follow him may;
Throw thai desertis he past [fiftene] dayis,
With grete distres of mete, þe story sayis,
For thai had left behynt all þare baggage,
Thare gardiviance, chareotis, and carrege,
In quhilkis sic riches was of gold and gere
That thare was nane þat mellit him with þe were
Bot thai had gold at will and wantounass—
Sic novmer of gold was nevir sene in a plais
As into Porrus' pallais þare was foundin,
Quhat wrocht in werk, or brynt, cunȝete, or grundin,
With pretius stanis, þat is tere to tell.
To Porrus' harte þare come nevir sic ane knel
Quhen he herd say þat his pallais was tane—
In all þat cuntre sic wþer was þare nane;
It passit Daris pallas mekill thing
In pretiousnes, in riches, and bigging.

With Porrus fled Askarus de Nubie,
With mony proude man in his cumpaney,
Bot or he fled, he brak his spere with mycht,
And throw the scheild he persit a nobill knicht
Off Grece, and baklynnys to the erde him bare;
And Askarus alsa was woundit sare,
And syne he fled, bot nocht throw þat cuntre
Quhare Porrus fled, bot he past to Nube;
And all þe laif þat fled, till him ralyit,
And to Nube, his awne cuntre, him hyit.
Ane syne throw Ynde he tuke ane wþer way,
Quhill he come to the place quhare Porrus lay;
And thare þai tuk new counsale and avise,
Agane to giff batall, on þare best wise.
And sone þai semblit all þai est regiouns
In plane batall, and stent þare palȝowns,
And made agane mare michtie ordanyng
Na of before, to Alexander the king.

Thus makand his devise we latt him be,
And pas to Alexander and his menȝe,
Quhilk gadderand was þe spule and spreith,
That nane was sic fra thyne to Naȝareth—
And all þat gold he delt to his menȝe.
And syne to Segar citie past[si]t he,
And laid the sege to þat citie strang—
Thay sett nocht þame to hald agane him lang,
Bot on þe morne the citie till him ȝ[ei]ldis;
Bot nevirþeles he logit him on þe feildis
Quhill he send and discouerit all þe land,
Till se gif ony till him wald be rebelland.
Bot thare was nane, for all bowit and obeyit—
All halely þe cuntre till him sweyit;
His grete renoun, his larges and fredome,
Gart halely the cuntre till him cum,
For sen Porrus was fled with all his meane,
Thay traistit neuer þat he suld cum agane.

Than schupe he him to entir in þat citie;
The ordinance þai made was ioye to se,
For commounis ioyis ay of lordschip newe,
For commounis ar sone turnit and vntrew:
Thai coverit all the stretes with clathis of price,
And all the calsay coverit with tapyse,
With countenance, and playis on skaffaldis,
With interlutis, quhilk pepill oft behaldis,
With iusting in þe rew, and tur[n]a[m]entis,
To mak the lordis blayth in þare ententis,
With burdis sett, and publict mangeryis,
Conditis rynnand commoun, þat all men seis,
With mylk, with vle, with wynnys rynnand rede;
Baith knichtis and ladyis, dansis for to lede,
With playing on þe rapis, and ionglouryis,
Singing, and karollis, and madynnys iolyis,
Singing of foulis be enchantment,
And all thing þat was in thare entent,
With men of music and menstralis mony ane;
And with ioy to the palais is he gane.

The citie was of marbil wallit clene,
Chakkart with quhite, blak, rede, and grene,
All propirly kirnallit with machcolis,
With stanis of fens liand aboue þare holis.
Thre hundreth touris about þe toun war settis:
Off yvore was þe closoure of þe ȝettis;
Thare kirnalling was all of alabastre,
And of yvore baith portis and fenistre.
Ilk innes with ane castell richtlie wrocht,
Bot michtie lordis þare duell þai sufferit nocht,
With men to thare service ganand was—
Thay tholit na pure men inter into þat place;
And als þare is few pure men into þat land—
All welth and riches þare is haboundant.
The pallais stude apoun ane ryver side,
Quhilk throw þe toun ran, in three branches wide,
With condittis cumand furth of far cuntreis,
In spoutis of lede, to serue gif mister beis,
Throw draggoun hedis in fontanis falland,
In diuers placis out-throw all þe land.

The entrie of þe palis sa was wrocht
That in þis erde I traist þat day was nocht
Sa riche a place, and plesand vnto luke;
Quha micht be lorde of it, in pece to bruke,
Him nede na ferrare ask, in na degre,
It was sa fare and plesand vnto se.
The entrie was of [twenty] faldum brede,
That fourty men mycht ilkane vther lede,
And syne ascendit it fifty degreis
Off alabast, withoutin stane or treis;
On everie side þe greis þare was a toure,
Quhilk mervellis was, and of grete stature,
And syne aboue þat greis stude vther tua;
Ane vther grete syne vpwart past fra þa,
With vthir fifty stage of cristiall,
Quhilk made the nowmer of ane hunder hale.
Thare was the porte þat enterit in þe place,
The quhilk alhale of i[as]pe and evore was,
And all þe greis ourevoltit war and sylit,
That throw na filth of weddir micht be fillit.

And quhan the palace þai war enterit in,
Thare was into þe entrie sic ane gyn,
Quhilk gif a man þat þarein nocht knawin wer
Stampit þareon, it suld a turnel stere,
Quhilk sould him cast ane hundreth faldum depe,
Bot gif he him þe warlyer couth kepe.
The pallace was of fifty touris round,
Sett all about with wallis hale and sound;
Of iasp þe wall, and coverit with metall,
With ȝettis and durris, and wondois of cristall.
About þe pallace past a gallare,
Fast to the wallis, quhilk was of stane melle,
Off quhite marbill, of iasp, and calsdone,
With money torris of siluer, gold-begone;
And in þat gallare folk micht repare
In wete and dry, in wedder clene and fare,
And hald talkin, and play at sindrie plais,
Mare na in ony part of þe palais.
In everie toure þare was a knicht wonnand
Quhan þat King Porrus had it in his hand,
The quhilk was knichtis of his garde and cors,
That everie nicht rede ermit on þare hors
About þe palais in þat gallary,
Ilk nycht ane thousand in þare cumpaney,
Or chardday, as to þame micht effere;
And all ansuerd till his grete chawmmrere,
The quhilk was King of Sadoch and Nuby,
Or wther prince that him tocht maist wourthy.
The pillaris of þat gallery was all
Off iaspe, of beriall, and of cristall.

Into that palais, for his residence,
He had ordanit ane pallais of defence,
Quhilk had ane drawin brig or men com in,
Richt suttely was risand with a gyn
Betuix tua touris, quhilk michtie was, and stark,
Wrocht craftely, and of a curious werk.
That inner pallais fyftene touris had,
Quhilk all of iaspe and cassidone was made,
The durris and wyndois of beriall and cristall;
The touris with siluer ouregilt war thekit all—
In that mansioun was na stane bot of price,
Na wall, nor pillare, nor ȝitt grete nor vyce,
Nor tymmer was thare name bot of cypres—
Thare was na man micht noumber þe riches.
Threttie pillaris war into þat hall,
The quhilk of beffyt gold war forgit all;
The ruffe with plete of gold was all ouresild,
With saphir cristallyne þe hall was tylde;
Betuix þe pillaris, treilȝeis of gold war þare,
With leiff and bereis, richt as þai growand wer,
Anamald in þe propir kynd and hew,
Richt as þai war in gadering quhare þai grew;
Apoun þe branchis satt the birdis small,
The wourthiest in þe woddis men couth wale,
All of fyne gold, anamyllit in þe kynd,
With maik and fechterane in þe propir kynd;
Thare ene war all of pretious perrery.
Bot all þe birdis was holl, and nocht massy;
The branchis also quhareon þe birdis satt
Was hole within—cum throw þame a gate,
And to þat gate a condit come behind;
Syne war thare bellyis seruand þame of wynd,
Quhilkis quhan þai blew, þe foulis swetlie sang,
Quhill sic ane melody was þame amange,
Quhill all þe hale was in a rerde of n[o]i[s],
That in þis erde nedit nane vther ioy[is];
That quhan the king wald mak feist ryally,
Thay foulis sang with sic ane melody
That it wald seme to everie creature
That ilkane sang þe sang of þare nature.
Syne was the trumpett left for menstrasye,
Quhare þare was mony thingis of musardye,
Quhylum ladyis and knichtis karoling,
Quhilom enarmit knichtis apoun hors iusting,
Quhill hawkis taking foulis of river,
Quhil[l] trumpettis with þare trumpis of gold so clere.
Syne satt þare on ane pillare hir allane
Ane mekill foull, was callit ane pelligane—
Off gold scho was all, be my iugment,
And schuke hir fetherame all be inchantment,
And quhilom sang, with opin voce and clere,
Richt plesandlie, þat all the hall micht here.

On everie pillare was ane grete ymage
Off empriouris, þe gretest of porage,
Off massy gold hewin richt craftely,
Ane crowne vpone þare hede quhilk was worthy;
On everie croun ane pretious charbonkill was,
Quhilkis on þe nycht illumnyt all þe place.
The burdis war of saphir cristallyne,
The treistis and benkis al of gold sa fyne.
The lakkest stane was saphir cristallyne—
All kynde of stanis of vertew þat micht be,
The maist pretious, and maist of dignetie,
Was in þat chalmer, in bed, or burd, or sete,
Or veschell for to serve þame at the mete;
Thare veschell was maist of stanis serpentyne,
Off cressolit, onix, and smaragdyne:
Sum is for poysoun, sum tholis na seiknes,
Sum helis all woundis, sum flewaris all þe place,
Sum tholis na tressoun done quhare-evir þai be,
Sum savis fra perissing in land and se.

The flewar of balmis and aromatike,
It semyt maist to be ane thing hevinlike;
The riches and the tressouris þat was þare,
For to rehers, it passis my powar:
The burdis all with claithis of gold war spred,
Sa was þe bankis and the lakest bed;
And the chalmer of þe quenis and þe empris
Was sett of gold, ilkane of þare devise,
Into thare state ryall, with crownis all,
With charbunkill, as þe kingis ar in þe hall.
Syne till ane secrete chalmer passit þai,
Quhare in þe nycht the princis slepit ay—
In that retrete, traist wele all thing was
That in þis erde micht mannis persoun pleis,
With all thingis þat belangit medecine,
Baith spice, vnȝementis, and balmys fyne.
Syne enterit þai in-till ane tressoure[re],
Was fifty stagis dounwart crovyn nere,
Quhare-throw þai passit till ane goldin myne,
Quhilk growand was intil his awne gardyne—
Quhat maistry is þame to haue gold plente,
And pretious stanis, the richest þat may be,
Quhan baith þe gold and pretious stanis dere
Ar growand in þat cuntre far and nere?
Syne passit þai furth intill ane gardyne fare,
That plesand was, and eik of nobill are,
Quhare all the kyndis of frotis of Paradise
Was plantit þare, and growand at devise,
Quhilk, baith in somer and in winter ay,
The frute flurist and ripit everie day.

In myddis þe palice was ane grete fontane,
And tharein ran þare condittis mony ane,
Off wattir and of wyne, baith rede and quhite,
To tak quha wauld—to na man wald þai nyte;
Off vly als and mylk the condeittis ran,
The quhilk war opin and commoun till all man.
To tell quhat stuff, quhat insicht and grathing
Was in þat place, þat ganit for ane king,
It war richt tere to tell be mannis witt,
To haue in mynd, na for to put in wrette,
Off riche veschell and of thressoury,
With pretious stanis of Orient and perry:
All his veschell, of chalmer, hall, and kichyn,
War all of pretious stanis and gold fyne.

The citie was wele fundit at devise
Apoun ane flude þat come fra Paradise;
Betuix ane garding and ane tresouryȝ
Was ane veirgeir, was ordanit for ladyȝ—
It was fourtie cubeitis lang and brade,
And all for dansing and for revell made;
The maik of it King Dare had conterfete,
In warld sould na man sic ane wthir gett.
It held the fessoun [and] mak [of ane] herbere:
The wallis craven war of c[ri]stell clere,
Ourevoltit all with beriall clere and fyne,
The wyndois all with saphire cristallyne;
Siddilling þe wallis war goldin pillaris sett,
And ay betene with goldin trailȝeis sett,
With frute and fulȝe in þe kendely hew,
Richt in þe kynde as þai in garding grew,
And birdis on þe bewis, mony a skore,
Richt as we tald ȝow of þe hall before;
And all þe wyne berryis war pretius stanis,
And all the benkis war of serpent banis,
Quhilk sufferit na poysoun na maladye
In for to entir na porte of þe body.

Thare was na pillare in þat place, I wist,
Bot ruby, emerald, and amatist.
The day it was sa clere, withoutin dout,
Thare wist na man quhidder he war in or out—
The ruffe and wallis inwart war ourestent
With pretius stanis and perlis of Orient.
The wergier was baith lang and spacius—
The treilȝe rais abone, as dois ane volt—
Off lenth als gudlie as men mycht schute ane bolt,
That mycht dance at large, revell, and sing,
Wele fifty cuppill of ladyis in a ring.
The crag it stude on was of marbill fyne,
Syne pathit oure with saphire cristallyne;
The cornis of þe rasing all halelie was
Off rubyis, emeraldis, and of topas;
The birdis ene ilkane ane margarete,
That sum birdis þat singand was sa swete,
Throw subtell[e], as we haue said before—
It was yneuch to se, of wardlis glore.
On everie pillare ane charbunkill schynand bricht,
Quhilk, quhan þe day was failȝeit, gaif þe licht:
Thus baith the nycht and day it was ay clere,
It was ane hevin to be in þat vergier.

Ane tabill was of recreatioun,
Quhan ladyis list to hald collatioun,
Off gold, with pretius stanis all ouresett;
Bot for to [se] þat quhan þai past to mete—
It was a lusty sicht for to behold
Off pretius stanis þe veschell, and of gold,
Off quhilk suld I say all the preciosite
Off it, percase sum men vauld say I le;
Off þat I ceis, for men may vnderstand
It was conformand to the remanand.
Thus, quhan ladyis wald lordis feist at richt,
Thare wauld be semblit mony lusty knicht,
And revell þare all nycht quhill on þe morrow,
And at parting fynd God of Lufe to borrow.

Quhan thai had vesyit þe palleis and þe toun,
Syne vesyit þai the tempill of Mahovin,
Off quhilk King Alexander had na plesance,
For in Mahovin he had nocht his creance;
Bot in the mekill God þat governis all
His trest was first, and syne in goddis small,
Subordinate quhilk vnder God gouernis,
Quhilkis rewillis all the planetis and þe sternis;
Na he luffit neuer the folk of Barbary,
Quhilk of all natiouns maist was vnworthy,
For þai ar ay creuel folk and but ressoun,
And werst to reule of any natioun:
Thay war presumpteous and rude and vnhonest,
And als vntrew, that na man micht þame traist,
For thai ar beistlie folkis, withoutin ressoun,
Creuell, cuvatus, and full of tressoun—
To sla thare beistis to mak sacrefice,
And offer syne þe blude, was þare devise,
Bot Alexander to godis immortale
Made sacrefice, and traistis in þame hale.
Bot in that tempill þare was mare riches
Na ten kingis ransoun mycht be, be geis.