The Buik of King Alexander the Conqueror

Thus Porrus at þe king his leiff has tane,
And all his men agane in Ynde ar gane,
And sett a parliament in his awne cuntre,
And semblit all his lordis and his menȝe,
With all that armes or wappin in hand mycht bere—
S[uld] na man be assenȝete fra þe were;
And, for þai wist þai sould fecht cors for cors,
Thare come sa mony, baith on fute and hors,
He rasit neuer sic ane oist in þat cuntre,
Becaus þai wist þare sould nane fecht bot he.

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For Alexander sa redoutit was,
Becaus þat he faucht neuer in batall place
That euer he was discomfeist or ouresett,
Thay war fer laither with him till haue mett;
And quhan þai saw þai faucht bot him allane,
Money a man come þat ellis had biddin at hame.

Thus semblit þai in feild on ather hand—
Porrus was ma na five hundreth thousand,
And tocht, mycht he King Alexander haue slane,
Thare sould neuer man of his pas hame agane;
Bot Alexander was luffit for his larges
With Porrus men fer bettir na he was,
For quhan thai past with Alexander in werefere,
He gaif thame all þe gude þat he wan thare,
And held him bot þe honoure and þe glore;
Bot Porrus did nocht sua with thame before—
He was baith covatus, gredy, and fast-haldand,
And gaif na thing bot that he was awand.
The ordinance was maid on ather side,
The batallis [stude] arreyit brade and wide,
Porrus in his arrey was proudly picht,
And semyt wele to be a wourthy knycht:
He was ane square man, and mekill of mak—
In his fessoun na man mycht fynd ane lak—
And mycht Alexander vnder his oxtare bere,
And neuerþeles haue runnyin with ane spere;
To here the pretious trappouris of his hors,
With pretious stanis þat was apoun his cors,
Quhilkis as þai held suld nane discomfeist be
That thame suld bere, in plane or prevate.
And Alexander bot on his awne maner
On Bussiffall, quhilk was him leif and dere,
Ennarmed was, as he was woinit to ride,
And tuke nocht gretelie kepe to Porrus pride.

Thay straik togidder stoutlie in þat stound,
Quhill brokin speris vp-with couth redound,
And as þai brak, þe speris renewit was;
Thare was nane thare bot he astoneist was
To se the straikis þat þai togidder straik—
Into thai tymes þai saw neuer man þe maik,

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For helme and haubrekis, actoun, spere, and scheild
Wer hewin in pices liand in þe feild.
The king of Bussiffall was strikin doun,
And brokit was baith patrall and arsoun,
And Porrus bay stede vnder him was slane;
And Alexander recoverit first agane,
And gat his swerd, was liand in þe feild,
And saw Porrus had nowther helme na scheild,
Bot all war clovin in pices hingand by,
And als his helme in sum party,
And said till him, “Porrus, þow lichtleit me,
And has mysknawne þe gude I did to þe—
Thow watt thow has bene oft in my danger,
And euer I made þe gude and wourthy chere,
And ay the langer tocht þe better to do:
Had þow nocht made þis forfatoure me to,
I swere þe here, by þe croun of Macedone,
I tocht, and euer I mycht haue conquest Babillone,
For till haue made þe prince and governoure,
And till encres þi wourschip and honoure,
And till haue made þe lord of Ynd Maior and Myn,
And tocht þat neuer man suld oure luffis twyn;
For þow dispisit me for thai mekill cors,
Wenand that thow sould conquest me on force—
Thare sould na man dispise ane litill thing,
For fortoun standis maist in gude governyning.
Thow seis now þat þow art at my will,
And quhat me likis, I may do the till—
Thow art woundit and þow art bledand sare,
Thow has na wappynnis, þow may fecht na mare;
Bot and I mycht sikerlie traist in þe,
For all þe gold of Ynde þow sould nocht de—
Sen I may nocht traist þe, war þow my broder,
I sall the mak exempill till all vther.”

Porrus was woundit, skant mycht he speik a worde,
And to the king he bad his brokin suorde,
Him for to ȝeld, and put him in his grace;
Bot he that sare anoyit and grevit was—
And Porrus oft had made him forfatoure,

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And mycht na way traist in him his honoure,
For quha-sa brekis lawtve tweis or thryis
Suld neuer be traistit efter in ony wise—
And with the swerd a rout he till him raucht,
With all his mane and power and his maucht,
And hitt him on þe hiest of þe croun,
That nowther his helme, his habreik, nor actoun
Gane-stand him nocht quhill he come to þe papp;
Syne turnit about, and on his hors he lap,
On quhilk the lordis had gart a sadill sett,
And all thing þat to bete was, þai had bett.

Than all the lordis of Iynd for þare honoure
Schupe þame to fecht in batall, for raddoure
Thay had of Alexander and his menȝe;
And quhan þe king saw þame in þis degre
Schape to fecht, he said but mare abaid,
“Lordingis, think on þe hechtis þat ȝe haue made,
For vnlawte makis mekill sturt and strive,
And gart ȝoure lord þat here is tyne his liffe;
Bot and ȝow likis traist þat I ȝow say,
I sall ȝow do mare proffeitt in a day
Na euer [ȝ]e had of Porrus in fyftene,
For I will nocht bot lawte to ȝow mene.
Ȝe se wele how the thing is cummyn and gane—
Now may nocht mend na murnying na na mayn,
Bot we gude frendis, and ilkane helpe wther;
And I sall lufe ilkane of ȝow as my broder,
And all þis gold, þis lordschip, and þir landis
I sall departe and leif amange ȝoure handis.”
And sic langage þe king can to thame gif,
Thay hecht him luffe and lawte quhill þai leiff,
And þare become his men with hale homage,
To hald of him þare landis and þare heretage;
And he amange þame partit all þe gude,
And delt þe landis in þat place quhare he stude,
And made Arestes prince of þat cuntre,
Gart all þe laif obeysand till him be.

And to þe cite of Bautre past thai syne,
And feistit ryall þare, and drank þe wyne.

Thus Alexander of Inde has made conquest,

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And all þe landis fra est land to þe west.
Than gart he berry Porrus richt honerablie,
And till ane tempill þat was nere-hand by,
And till him made a wourthy sepulture,
And till him did all wourschip and honoure;
And furthwith þare a cite foundit fyne,
Quhil[k] intill Inde was neuer mare mychtie syne,
In-to the selff stede quhare all the batall was,
A nobill, wichty, and ane wourthy place,
Quhilk be his awne name he callit Alexandry,
Off all þat land maist wourthy and maist mychtie.

Than Alexander had [tane] in purposing
To se of Inde al-hale þe mervelling,
And for to se þe bonys of Hercules,
Quhare grete pillaris of metall fundin was,
At þe est end of Inde into the sey,
Quhilkis neuer man vesyit bot he was fey—
For mony it previt had of before,
Quhilk for that caus þare lyvis had all lorne,
For in þare passege or þai come to that se,
Thay mon pas throw þe Perrellus Vale;
And als he tocht to see the thre fontanis,
Quhare mony a man to gett þare heill þare gane is—
Thay stand into the wayis of Parradise,
Quhare growis all þe balmes and þe spice:
The first well helis of all meledyis
The quhilk in mony mannis persoun beis;
The well nixt þat renewis man of eild,
And makis thame of þe ȝoutheid of a cheild;
The thrid well has sic vertew, quha cummys þare,
He deis nevir, bot sall leif euermare.
The Well of Hele out of þe balmis flowis,
For all þe feildis full of balme treis growis;
The Well of ȝoutheid kepit is with a gyn,
That thare may nane but grete wyn cum tharein;
The Wele of Lestand Liffe fra Paradise
Is ay flowand, and kepit with a vice,
That thare is nane þat cummys, of na degrie,
That cummys thairin, bot gif þai synles be.
And syne þe way agane he tocht to ta,

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To mekill Babillone his gate to ma,
For þat was all þat wantit of his conquest
Off all þis erde, fra þe est sey to þe west.

Than schupe he him to devide his menȝe,
And tuke of þame þat best knew þe cuntre,
And tuke ane ost of Porrus men of Inde,
For þai couth best þe ferly thinkis fynd;
Off wodwiȝ als ane certane of þame he had,
Richt nobill gidis, and mekill seruice made;
And tuke with thame cameleis and dromoderis,
And oliphantis quhilk sommer-castellis beris,
And tursit gunnys, victuall, and garnesoun,
And all thingis that thame nedis of provisioun,
Quhilk dayis fourtie of iourney sould thame lest,
And furth thai past in-till a grete forrest.

The king had ordanit tentis and pallȝouns
Off skynnis of cocadrill and of dragouns,
And vther beistis þat slane war of before,
The quhilkis of thousandis war wourth money a skore,
For sic vertew was in thame, wele he wist,
Sulde nowther greve thame hete, cauld, wappin, na thrist,
Na na malady suld do his cors dere,
Na schote of gyn na straik of sworde or spere,
Na na poysoun mycht be tholit þarein,
Na na tressoun contravit vnder þat skyn.
Thay trumpit vp and passit on þare way,
And vnto þe Pillaris of Hercules þe way—
And all þis wayis drawis to Paradise,
Quhare maist of gold, stanis and riches lyis;
Bot thare cuntre is sa mervellus,
To mannis hele all-out contrarious,
Thare wantis baith of wattir and are
Gude temperance, and—þat is wele mare—
The erde, quhilk is oure principale element,
Is with þe son sa ourehalit and brent
Thare is na corne na gers þare may grow,
Na beist na man þat in þat land may dow,
Bot wylde beistis, dragouns, and oliphantis,

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With tigres, liouns, and beistis þat na man dantis.

The pillers standis fer out in þe flude—
On ilk pillare ane goldin image stude,
An[e] of þare goddis, ane vther of Hercules,
Ane wther of his fallow Livis was.
Than said ane auld knicht of Porrus menȝe,
Said, “Lord, ȝone pillaris standis fer in þe sey,
And in passage, or men to þame cum,
Thare is ane gret gulfreȝ, þat men behuiffis to swome,
For nowther hors na veschell þare may pas,
To twisch nere þai pillaris of bras,
For þare is gatis maid on sett purpois,
Quhilk round about þe pillaris gais all clois,
In mony cirkillis, as Madin Castell is made,
And craggis betwene, quhilk is baith lang and braid:
Thus all about it is quhill ebe, quhill depe—
Thare is na man þat with it may him kepe,
And mony a man hes bene tynt in þat glak,
Quhilk wist nocht of þe fessoun na þe lak.
Bot Hercules gart well þe sey first out,
And syne maid all þai gulfreiȝ it about;
Quhan he had þe pillaris at his liking,
He waytit of þe sey þe hiest spring,
For than þe wattir ebis lawest doun,
And than he kest þe wall þat he made doun,
And efter þat þe sey fulfillit was,
It fillit all þe gulfreiȝ of þat place.
And oft men seis þe ground wall þat he made—
At a ground eb it garris þame prive to wade,
And wennys þat þe ground is all elike,
And þus þai fall and drovnis þame in þat syke.”

Thane Alexander him tankit mony syse
That he tald him þe perrell in þis wise;
And ȝitt he said, “Wele mare behuiffis ȝow do,
Giff it befall the pillaris ȝe cum to—
To that malment ȝe mon sacrifice,
Or trest wele ellis þat ȝe will all perise,
For crab he him at ȝow, ȝe ar bot dede,
And all þat [with] ȝow cummys in þat stede.”
Than said the king, “Schir, creance I defye—

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The barbarynis trowis all in malmentry,
Bot we trow nane bot goddis immortale,
Nocht made with mannys handis of metall;
And ȝe of Inde and all þe est cuntre
Anornys ydolis ay and malmentry,
And slais ȝour barnis and offeris vp þare blude,
And sum of bulis efter, as þai think gude;
Bot Arestotill my maister teicheit me
To nocht trow in na goddis þat I se,
Nowther son na mone, nor ȝitt planete na sternis,
Bot in God invisabill þat in all thing governis—
Bot He forbiddis oft to mak sacrefice,
Bot neuer trow thing þat made is be artifece;
And treste me wele, and I þat ymage se,
I sall him tak and bring away with me,
And baith his feris, Livis and Hercules,
And leif þe pillaris standand quhare þai was.”

Thus in þe forrest as þai passand war,
Thai mett thre wodwiȝ, all rouch growin of hare,
Quhilkis throw þe forest gydit him þe way,
Quhare money ane felloun dragoun recounterit þai,
And mony wilde beist, as þai passit thus,
Sum venesoun and sum was venemous,
With mony a mount and mony craggis grete,
With mekill hunger, thrist, and hidduous hete;
And quhan þe beistis hard þe trumpettis blast,
Thai bad na langer, bot fled away full fast.

Than as þai past attoure þir hillis hie,
Sa war [þai] warr of ane grete valee,
Quhilk quhile was licht, quhile cludis oure it past;
To inter þare þai war richt sare agast,
Bot thame behuffit—þai had nane vþer way,
Giff þai wald pas quhare vndertane had þai.
The way was strate, þe oist was grevit sare,
Mony f[o]rtocht þat þai war cumyin þare,
The folk was all in poynt of perising—
The woidwiȝ had gevin oure all þe gyding.
Than tuke þe king in purposis for to ga,
Bot him allane, his goddis for to pra,
And lap on Bussifall and past his way,

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And bad the ost suld nocht stere thyne away
Quhil[l] he was cummyn agane with sum tything,
Quhilkis to þe lordis mycht mak [sum] conforting.
Quh[an] he was out of sicht, ane quhile he bad,
All to þe goddis fast his prayer made,
To kepe his honoure and saif his cumpaney,
And syne he spurrit his hors deliuerly,
All him allane, quhilk saw neuer thing he dred,
Na was ourethrawin, na for na perrell fled.

Sa at the last he saw ane grete ymage
Off rede metall, sett on a marbill stage—
It semyt of a kemp, it was sa grete;
And sone efter, he saw ane mekill ȝett,
And by the ȝett þare past ane wþer way,
Sidlingis ane hill, and endlang ane valay:
In everie hand of þe ymage wrettin were
Letteris of gold, quhilkis carvyn was full clere—
The [tane] said, “Quhay here gais, he sall haue payne,
Na neuer mare with ioy sall turne agane;”
The tother said, “Þis is þe better gate,
Sa on na wise þai pas out-throw þe ȝate.”
Than Alexander said, “Sertis, þan sall I ride
Out-throw the ȝate, betide quhat-euer betide”,
And throw the ȝate he passit purpositly—
The ȝate closit agane richt suddantly.

Quhen he was in, he passit ferthirm[a]re,
Bot sic ane tempest fell apoun him þare,
Off wynd and rane and wedderis þat ware fell,
Haill, sleit, and snaw, richt scherpe schouris and snell,
That of his witt nere-hand þe king wald wede,
Baith for him-selff and Bussifall his stede.
Than Alexander discendit suddantlie,
And in ane cave vnder ane roche dry
He him re[tir]id to byde his aventure;
For his menȝe his hart was in dolloure:
He said, “Allace, the tyme that I was borne,
Giff all ȝone wourthy men suld be forlorne
For my fooly and my mysfortounyng.”

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With teris wete his handis couth he wring;
With that he lichtnit vp a litill tyme,
And he lap on, and past ane litill thyne.

Sa saw he a roche crag him by,
In letteris of gold crovyn richt craftely,
“This place is callit þe Wale Perrelus,
Quhare men may fynd grete anteris mervellus,
And mony ferly thingis he sall se,
And saiflie for to pas with his menȝe,
Suppois he war a mylȝoun man or ma;
Bot he man wilfully tyne ane of þa—
Giff þare be ane þat for þa[re] luffe will dee,
Throw a man þe ost sall savit be,
And syne cum in a land of grete riches,
Quhare thai sall fynd of all thing larges.”

Than Alexander past to þe ost agane:
The porte opynnyt, and he was wounder fane,
And till his lordis coimptit all þe case,
Quhat in þe goldin leteris wrettin was,
And how his ost mycht savit be for ane,
That wilfully to dede for þame wald gane.
Thay made þis knawne to þe cumpaney,
Bot þai couth nevir fynd ane man for-þai,
Bot him had lever with all his fallowis dee
Na him allane to dede for-iugeit be—
For naturall it is to mannis kynd
Ay to him-selff for to be nerrest frynd,
And levare had to thole de all þe folk
Na lay his hede with gude will on þe stok.

Than Alexander saw þare was na vþer remede
Bot ane to de or all þe leif be dede:
“Sen þat I am þe caus of ȝoure cumyng,
I am bot ane man, suppois I be ane king;
It sell neuer be rehersit efter me
That for a man sa mony pepill de,
Tharefore I cheis me here to tak the pane,
To de for ȝow, and neuer pas hame agane.”
Than said the lordis, “We will [nocht] it be sua—
We had als leif þat we to dede suld ga,
For be ȝe tynt, I coimpt ws wer na dede,

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For but ȝoure helpe [we] can sett na remede;
Quhan we ȝow want, we haue na governying—
Thus ar we all in poynt of perissing.”
The king said, “All þus I will it be—
Sa mony gude men beis nocht tynt for me.”
Than gart he all his ost pas saifly þus
Quhill þai war passit þe passege perrelus,
And throw the first porte þat he enterit in,
Syne throw the tother, þat closit with a gyn,
And he bad last of all his cumpaney,
Quhill all þe ost was passit halely,
Than closit the passege with a porte-culis,
That nane agane couth opin þat devis—
Sa him behuffit remane into þat place,
And tak him to þe antere of Goddis grace.

Than war þe lordis affrayit and in grete care
Quhan þat thai saw the king remanit þare,
And all the ost in sic doloure and pane,
Thay trastit [him] neuer for to se agane.
Quhan thai war passit but perrell mare and les,
Than come þai in ane land of grete riches,
Quhare thai mycht find all thing þat men mycht pleis,
[Bot] for the king þai war at grete maleis,
And all prayit to God for his valoure
To kepe þare king fra dede and dishonoure.

The king was in þe Wall Perrelus,
Quhare on him sett a tempest mervellus
Off wynd and rane, of hale and sleit and snaw,
That na man mycht nowther hillis nor hevinnis knaw,
And efter þat grete thounder and fyre-flaucht,
And feyndis in þe cloudis fleand faucht;
The erde trymblit, þe craggis brint in fire,
Quhilk to behald it was a grete martyre,
That Alexander mycht nocht the hevin behald,
Na sitt on hors, na on his fete him hald,
Bot lichtit and lay doun on þe ground,
For till his hart come nevir sic ane stound.
Als Bussiffall was sett in sic affray
That flachtlingis on his wame þare doun he lay—
He laid his mussale on his forther fete;

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It is the kynd of gentill hors to grete
Quhan that he seis his maister in doloure,
And als him-selff had neuer sic radoure,
Bot till his maister of grete tent he takis,
And on him rubbis his musall and him smakis.
The tempest was grevous and horrabill,
And als þe felloun feyndis sa terrabill—
With that the king vnto his pryaris gais,
And till þe god Amon his prayaris mais,
To ceis the tempest and to grant him grace
Him to delyuer of þat ferly place.

With that began þe craggis for to cleif,
The sone word rede, þ[at] tynt all gude beleif,
For all blakynnit, baith elementis and are,
Als of þe cloudis sic ane stynt come þare
That reddy was baith hors and man to brist;
And als for hete him happinnit sic ane thrist,
For all the hillis brynt as in a lowe,
Quhilk all his body as ane glede gart glowe,
For throw the are war like dragouns birnand,
And sum as feyndis in þe are fleand;
And vther quhile it raynit tadis and paddokis,
Quhilum as bakkis and quhile like attircopis,
Quhile feyndis clekand with þare ewill clukis,
And watand vther with þare widder huikis.
Thus quhan he saw the tempest pas mesure,
With feyndis fleand of sic portrature,
He tuke sic ho[rr]oure and detestatioun,
And to þe hevin made ay deuotioun—
Quhilum on kneis and quhillum gruflingis he lay,
Prayand to God to ceis þat felloun fray.

Sone eftir þis þe tempest was appesit,
And all þis hidduous flaggis of thounder mesit:
The son brak vp and clarefyit þe are,
The wedder wrocht baith soft, clere, and fare.
The king þan lap on hors to tak disporte,
For he had neuer mare myster of counforte,
And in þe wale vp and doun he past
Quhill he come till a postrum at þe last,
Quhare Hercules and Livis at þare requeist

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Had gart the goddis inclois ane hidduous gast,
Ane wikked sprete, was closit in a serpent,
And in ane roche syne be inchantiment
He was inclosit with ane subtell gyn,
That nane mycht lous bot þai þat put him in;
And richt as Alexander come ridand by,
That sprete into þe cave begouth to cry,
Said, “Welcum be ȝow, Alexander þe King,
I thank þe goddis all of þi cummying—
Thow art the man suld oppin my presoun,
And me delyuer out of þis depe dungeoun;
And doand þat, I sall the schaw þe way
Quhare þow sall wele and saifly pas þai way,
And but herme cum to þi cumpaney.”

Than Alexander þe entre couth espye,
And all þe wayis quho he was enterit in,
And how that all was closit with a pyn,
Quhilk was in mony crukis, like a wise.
Than Alexander, quhilk was baith war and wise,
Said to þe sprete, “Quho may I sikker be
That all [be] soith þat þow hes said to me?”
The sprete ansurid, said, “Ȝow may wele traist
That faith and oblessing makis all thing fast—
Quhat-euer I hecht to the, I mon fulfill,
Thus hes þe goddis ordanid and is þare will
This wale is callit þe Wall Perrellus,
Off quhilkis þe entres ar straitlie kepit þus
Throw þe goddis, at Hercules behest,
Quhilk sett the brasyn pillaris in þe est,
That neuer man sall pas bot onlie thow,
With thai menȝe, þe quhilk ar passit now;
Bot or þow cum þare, grete ferlyis sall þow se,
And in grete dangeris þow and þi menȝe.”

Than gart þe king þe sprete mak oblissing
For to fulfill his bidding in all thing,
And þat be all þe goddis gart him swere,
And als þe passage first he sould him lare.
Than Alexander turnit þe pyn about:
With that ane serpend come þare thrawand out,
Richt wounderfull, and of a ferlie mak;

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Quhan he was furth, he walterit on his bak,
And oft-tymes walterit oure and changit hew,
And in a litill stound sa grete he grew
That he was like ane wollpak quhare he lay.
Than said the king, “To teiche me þe way,
And hald thai hecht þat þow hes to me made.”
The serpend welterit on but mare abaid,
And till ane postrum in ane roch him led,
Quhilk all with yvyne levis was oure-cled,
And vnder that þare was a porte of brass,
And throw the cragg ane passage liand was;
Abone that porte þare was a porte-culis,
Quhilk as before was opinnand with ane wise.

Quhan þe king persauit had þe gyn,
And traistit it, and tirlit abone þe pyn,
Agane he passis to [þe] samyne place,
The caif quhare that þe serpend closit was,
And chargit him vnder his oblessing
That in þe samyne fassoun he suld cling,
And in his festryn he suld enter agane,
As of þe goddis he wald vmbechew þe pane;
With that he rustit with ane felloun bere,
And grisly granit, with ane sary chere—
He changit fassoun, and wroth baith blak and bla,
Like to ane hidduous feynd with hornis tua,
And sone he was als small sa of before,
And crepis vp and threw in at þe bore.
Than Alexander turnit about þe pyn,
And as he fand, he festynnyit all þe gyn,
Sayand, “I hard þir wise men teichand euer,
Quha feyndis ane ewill sprete bundin, lous him neuer.”

Than to þe postrum passis he in hy,
And on his stede he steppit sturdely,
And furth he gais—ane fare passage he fand—
And syne he enterit in a mychtie land;
And as he past apoun ane montane he,
Sa saw he lyand [in] ane fare cuntre
Ane mychtie ost, with mony pavilliouns,
With banerris, standartis, pynsallis and gunfiouns—

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The sonn reskewit fra þir banerris bricht,
Quhilk to behald it was a lusty sicht;
Behynd him syne he hard ane hidduous cry,
And with that saw of dragouns sa mony,
Fleand into þe Wall Perrellus.
Than louit he God þat he was chapit þus,
And suddantly come till his awne osting,
The quhilk God watt was blyith of his cumying.
Bot sone eftir apoun þe osting Þare fell
A cruell tempest, like as it come fra Hell,
Siclike as in þe Walle Perrellus he saw;
And eftir that þare fell on sic ane snaw,
And quhillum rane, quhile thounder and fyre-flaucht,
That þare was nane quhilk helpe ane wther maucht.
Than said þe guydis þat thai had beleuit
That Hercules and Lives baith war grevit,
And þat þare goddis gart this tempest rise
For Alexander, quhilk was chapit in þis wise.

Than Alexander hecht and avowit has
That he suld ly bot a nycht in a place
Quhil [he] þi goldin ydollis brak in soundir,
And nocht leiff bot the brassin pillaris vnder.
Than fell the tempest wele mare na of before:
The snaw began þe catall for to smore—
It grew sa thik, men wood into þe cors.
Than Alexander gart all men lepe on hors,
And gart þame ride about in a cumpas
Als brade as all the batell lugit was,
And all the cartis and beistis of [ca]riage,
With forayid catell all the heretage,
Gart fute-men cache about contenually
Quhill all the snaw was meltit halely
Within þe space þat he þe loge had tane,
Syne plantit all the pavilliouns doun ilkane.
The snaw sa thik fallin was about þe place
That like þe wall of ane citie it was;
And evermare till his goddis prayit he
To saife the honoure of him and his menȝe.
With that the snaw begouth to melt agane,
With sic ane hete that þare was doubill pane,

130

For euer as the snaw meltit, doun it ran,
And with it bare doun money a beist and man;
The wallis all of water grew sa grete,
Thare mycht na man stand on his fete for hete
Quhill þat was gane—syne past thai furth a pais
Towart the cuntre quhare þe pillaris was,
Throw grete desertis and throw wildernes,
Quhare behappynnyt mony ferly cais.

Sa fand thai a maner of ferly men
Betuix tua mountanis duelland in a glen—
Thai war fare creaturis, of grete stature,
Havand gude witt and knawlege of nature;
In clathis þai ware bot skynnys, for þe hete,
The quhilkis þai tuke fra beistis þat þai ete;
Thai war all ȝoung, and like all of ane age,
Semying of threttie ȝere be þare parage.
Fare wemen had thai in like fassoun,
And, as of gudis, þai liffit all in commoun;
Thay ete bot fische and flesche and frute of treis,
Quhill eild þame bare away þar na man deis.

The king callit þame and sperit of þare liffing,
And of þare gouernance and commonying.
Thare grew þe manna, þat angell fude is callit,
Quhilk garris þe pepill liff quhill þai be ald,
And in [þat] cuntre is the Well of Helle,
Quhilk of all maladyis þe folk will hele—
That wele standis in ane land al at devise,
Quhare all the balmes and frotis of Paradise
Growis in a bank abone a litill tyne;
And all the spyce and the nobill wyne
Redoundis and flowis in þat freche fontane,
Off quhilk the vertew sall neuer be gane.
Ane vther wale þare is in þat cuntre,
That quhatkin eild þat euer a man of be,
It sall him sett in age of [threttie] ȝere,
Quhan he is baithit in it at his laysere.
Wenus and Iubiter, þai goddis tua,
Ordanid þat fontane euermare to do sua,
And be þat caus, þe men of þat cuntre
Levis euer-mare ȝoung, in ioy and iolite;

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Bot þare may na man enter into þat place
Bot he be first into þi goddis grace,
Na ȝitt na man cum with him bot him-sell,
Be thame sa straitlie kepit is þe wele.
The thrid well is maist at Paradise,
Quhare na man cummys quhill first of syn he rise,
And quha-sa-evir be weschin in þat well,
He sall haue lestand liffe perpetuall—
Thare is ane goddis kepand euer þat stede,
For quha cumyns þare tholis neuer efter dede.

Sa tuke þe king men with him of [þat] land,
Quhilkis war ane thousand ȝere of eild merchand,
Quhilkis gidit him quhare that the well sould be,
And tald him of it all þe propertie,
And how throw it þai renewit ay þare age.
Than said the king, “Quhat may that proffite me?
For I am nocht cumyn to [threttie] ȝere,
Quharefore ȝoure well may do me na myster;
And als full few that cummys to it thrivis,
For mony men for it hes lost þare livis—
The cuntre is sa strate and mervellus,
With mony beistis and dragouns venemus,
That, suppois that ane gettis his will,
Ane hundreth vther deis or þai cum þaretill.”
Than to þe first well had thai him in hye,
Quhilk helit all man of þare maledye,
That thare was nane, quhat seiknes evir had þai
Off all the ost, bot thai ȝeid hale away.
Syne to þe Vell of Ȝeuthede þai [him] led,
Bot, for he fand a man into þat stede,
Was callit Enoch, quhilk on his forbidding
Had put him in þe well for to worth ȝing,
The king gart tak him furth in his furoure,
And gart incluse him in a stalwart toure—
Becaus his bidding ganestanding had he,
He sall neuer cum of presoun quhill he de.

Syne in a cuntre efter come he than,
Quhare he fand mony kynd of sindrie men:
Sum had the h[e]dis till a hound maist like
And all the bodie dounwart was manlike;

132

Syne fand he folk þat bodyis hade wele fare,
Bot nowtheran hede nor hals was on þame þare,
With tua grete ene in everie schulder neist,
And had thare mouth in myddis of þare breist;
And vtheris was þare quhilkis war richt manly made,
Quhilkis in myddis of his forehede bot ane e had—
Thay war richt mekill blak and sturdie men,
And propirly men callis þame Syclopen;
Sum had a fute sa brade, and als sa large,
That fra the hete of sommer vald þame targe.
Syne come thai to þe land of Pigmeanis,
The quhilkis had euer were agane þe crannys,
The quhilkis war schorte, and of bot litill strenth—
Thay war bot [twa-and-threttie] inche of lenth,
Bot of craftis þai war subtell and sle,
And be þame-selff thai held ane hale cuntre;
The Emprioure of Ynde þame held in hand,
For grete riches quhilk thare was haboundand.

Syne come he to þe cuntre of Rimorte,
Ane wourthy land, quhare he gat grete conforte:
Thay had a prophecy into that land,
A king suld cum quhilk sulde be all-weil[d]and,
And all this erde suld anys haue vnder fute,
And syne of Paradise suld haue tribute,
And alsua fast as Alexander thai saw,
Thai said, “This is þe man suld do þe law.”
Thare was ane cove þare, closand with a gyn,
That neuer man chapit þat come þarein;
Than Alexander gart proif with ane or tua,
Bot thare come nevir agane ane of þai.
The entre was of tempill Hercules,
Quhare-in he with his goddis closit was,
Quhan that he past the pillaris for to sett,
And nevir come men sen-syne within þe ȝett.
Syne fand he men [and] wemen baith schynnand,
And quhillum nakit in þe feild rynnand,
Quhilk ete bot fische and fleche, and drank þe blude,
And maist thare duelling was into þat flude;
Quhare thai gatt men, þai to þare cavis þame tursit,

133

And oft-tyme naturalie with þame conversitt—
Thay war sa plesand and sa wounder fare,
Thay gart men do oft-tymes attoure power;
Quhan þai men gatt, þai war sa wounder fane,
Thay tursit thame with þame, and come neuer agane.

Syne passit thai oure hillis and mony planȝe,
Quhill thai come till ane wounder hie montane,
Quhile þai mycht se þe sey all opinly,
And all the bordouris of it halely,
The quhilk ar callit þe bonis of Hercules,
Quhare that the brayssin pillaris standand was.
Quhen he that saw, than was his hart richt blyth,
And gart his pavilliouns doun be stentit swyith,
And on his kneis deuotelie can he fall,
And made his prayaris till his goddis all,
That thai grant him power and walloure
To be anys of þai pillaris conqueroure,
And all þe ydolis of þe barbarianis,
To put þame doun and stroy þame all at anys.
With þat þe sey ebbit sa far away
That all þe craggis about þame lay;
Than made thai flottis, and past oure but bade
Attoure thai gattis þat Hercules had made,
And brocht of gold þe thre malmentis away,
And left þe pillaris as before stude thai.
Syne brak the goldin ydolis all in sounder—
Off ilkane made ma pices na a hunder;
And delt thame syne till þame that him best tocht,
And of thare ydolis he rekkit nocht.

And as he come vnto þe ost agane,
He fand his men war sett in mekill pane,
For sic a rowmer of oliphantis and beistis
Ws nevir hard before þis tyme in geistis,
With birnand dragouns, fyre-flaucht and tempest,
That mervell war þat ony man mycht lest [OMITTED]
And all ille beistis þat war into þat wod;
Bot Alexander with sound of trumpett þame sched,
Thare bad neuer ane, bot all to feild war fled,

134

And all the tempest ceissit throw his prayer,
Sa was his persoun [till] þe goddis dere.

Than wrocht the tyme richt soft, þe day wox fare,
And ceissit was all stroblance in the are,
And all the beistis fled to the wildernes.
Than rade the king about to se þe place;
And as he passit with few in cumpaney,
Baith men of Inde and vtheris þe maist wourthy,
Thay persauit of ane capitole,
Within a cragg, was crovyn as ane hole;
Off blak merbill þare was of grete stature
Ane grete ymage made to þe portratoure
Of ane gyant, enarmit all at poynt,
As he suld ga to batale at sic poynt,
And crovyn his wapynnis like as þai fra him fall,
Ilkane efter vther, as þai war brokin all
Fechtand in feild, as wourthy men and wicht.
His portratoure was maist like to ane knicht,
And in his armes a lioun portraid was;
The knicht and lioun baith war made of brass,
And in his hand he hed þe liounis hevit,
Like as the chaftis fra the chope had revit.
Syne was þare wrettin in þe marbill stane
In leid of Grew, grete lettiris, gold begane:
“Here was the batall donn be Hercules,
The quhilk sall neuer be, na neuer was,
The make of him in strenth of wictory,
As for a mannis persoun alanerlie,
Quhilk sett þe pillaris and þe goldin ymage,
And wallit þe sey quhill he had sett his stage,
He and Livis, his fallow and his fere,
With helpe of goddis to quham þai made prayer,
And als a batall faucht into þis place
With all þe wild beistis of þe wildernes—
He slew ane lioun mare na ony hors,
And fra þe chovpe þe chaftis rife on force,
And with his neif þe harin-pane in he dewit,
And but wappin þe liffe fra him he revit;
For all his wappnis brokin war fechtand,
And neuer ane wappin levit in-till his hand,

135

With oliphantis, cocadrill and dragouns,
Beris, vnicornis, wolfis, tigris and liouns.”
For traistis wele, þe beistis in þat cuntre
Ar mare na in þis land of quantetie,
And mare creuell of curage and of cors,
Like as ane fole in regarde of ane hors,
As be þe bewgil, oxin men may se,
And camelis, quhan þai cum of þat cuntre,—
As we may trow be takinnis mervellus
Quhilkis of þat cuntre cumand ar till ws,
As of thir olephantis and vnicornes—
Quhat wounder is to se sic teith and hornys
As cummys in galais and in merchandice,
Quhilkis in þir cuntreis takis a mekill price.

The mutonys als, as suth is verrealy,
Ar alsa mekill as here ar commoun kye,
Bot na woll beris þai, bot taty lokerand hare;
Thare tail tralis efter þame ane eln or mare,
And, for to turn hir tale quhare-euer scho gais,
Ane chareot of foure quhelis men hir mais,
The quhilk is lang, and beris the tale on loft,
For it is havy, flesche, fatt and soft,
And may nocht traill, for it wald were away
And birst of blude out within half ane day;
Thare flesche is rude as beif is here with ws,
The taill of þame is ay maist letturus,
For that ete [thai] with ryss, as we ws here
With peis and bonis, or on sic maner,
With the bynnoke of ane dere of grass,
Quhilk in þe tyme of belling takin was.
Thare hennys grete as geis [ar] here,
And al foulis alsua we may compare,
As be ane ostrech men may wele persaue
How it excedis in gretnes oure þe laif.
Thare wyld cattis are grete as wolffis ar,
With ougly ene, and tuskis fer scherpare;
Ane howlate thare is mekill as ony guse
That euer men saw growand at hame with ws—
Gude ressoun is thai be of mare stature,
For euermare eftir the starkare is nature,

136

The erde mare fatt and of grete fertillite,
And alkyn best of fer mare quantetie.

Thus Alexander has past Inde Maior,
In grete [v]exaccioun, travell and laboure,
Vnto the north sey, als fer as Hercules,
And quhan he in þe sey þare wedand was,
He kest his swerd als fer as he mycht kest,
Quhilk was neuer man þat euer sa far past,
Na neuer sall do vnto the warldis end,
As be oure buikis in cornykill we are kend.
Syne schupe he to cum hame ane vther way
Throw Myddil Inde, eftir as hi[s] purposis lay,
And throw ane land is callit Terre Mervellus,
In sum party, the story tellis ws þus,
Nereby the landis agane the pigmeanis;
And thare he vesyit the Macrobeanis,
Ane pepill ferlifull, of quent fessoun,
Liffand in cavis, withoutin hous or toun.

Syne passit he throw þe land callit Terre de Dee,
Quhare na vennoun may grow na liffand [be],
Quhare all gude frotis and spicis ar growand,
And pretius stanis of vertew in þat land,
All we[l]th, riches, and na pouerte,
Na na beggaris na thevis þare wilbe;
The corne is growand þare tweis in þe ȝere,
Thare is ay sommer, and wedder fare and clere;
All kynd of frute is rypand euerie day,
Ay flurissand and widderand away.
All þe foure fludis that cummys fra Paradise
Throw the thre landis of the thre Indis passand is—
In thai reveris pretius stanis growand is,
The quhilkis ar fundin efter quhan the fludis flowis.
Into that cuntre standis þe fare palaȝ
Quhare the goldin chenȝe hingand was,
Bot it was fra thyne þat passit he had
In-to Grete Inde, quhare he the cite maid.

Quhen Alexander had fundin his ciete,
And Porrus slane and conquest his menȝe,
And he had wonnying þe Pillaris of Hercules,
And at the Wellis of Hele and Ȝeuthede wan,

137

And past he had the W[a]le Perrelus,
With mony anterus fortoun and mervellus,
Than inwarte to þe landis of Babillone,
As we haue said, his wayis hes he tane.
The tythingis passit throw-out all Orient
Off his fortoun, his werde, his accident.

All thus passand, he schupe him to the place
Quhare wonnand was þe worthy Quene Candas,
The quhilk was blayth of his gane-cummyne—
Scho luffit him best of ony erdlie thing—
The quhilk send him a new ambassadry,
With presentis and with giftis richt mychtely,
With iowellis and with drowryis mony ane;
And oft-tymes in hir closett made hir mane
Quhan scho the figure of his fassoun saw,
Quhilk scho had gart hir payntoure forow draw.
Scho was wedo, and princes of þe land—
The king was dede, hir lorde and first husband;
Thre sonnys scho had borne till him before,
Candeolus, Marcenus and Caractoure,
Quhilkis with hir war, and at hir ordinance,
For scho wald neuer giff oure þe governance—
The lordschip of hir-selff promovit hale,
Quharefore scho wauld nocht leif þe gouernale.
The custume was þi tymes in that cuntre
That princes maryit wyiffis tua or thre,
Eftir as thame tocht spedefull or proffitable,
Quharefore scho tocht, sen scho was woman habil,
And of ȝouthede, and princes of þe land,
That semyt wele he suld be hir husband.
Than Alexander had sene be ane visioun,
Be the reuelatioun of þe god Aymon,
That in that land he sulde mak sacrefice,
And for that offerand ordant grete police:
The grete ymage war crovyn of gold fyne,
Off Iubiter, off Mars and Appollyne,
With ane grete stature of þe god Amon;
And to the quene ane pistill þarevpone
He ordanid for to send with reuerance,
Requerand hir, for hir grete excellance,

138

To pas with him þe sacrefice to ma,
For be [þe] goddis it was ordanid sua;
And send hir þe ymage of god Aymon,
His fader, quhilk his traist was maist apoun,
And bad hir mete him at ane certane day—
The ost fra thyne tua litill iornayis lay.

The ladie was content of þis tything—
Blayther in his harte was nevir erdlie thing.
Than send scho furth to ordand for þe place,
Into the mont quhare that the tempill was,
To stent and graith the pallais at devise,
And als the tempill, for to mak sacrefice;
And send that ymage of þe god Aymon
With hie estate and grete prouisioun,
Gart sett it in the tempell honerablie;
And with that send ane amabassat wourthy,
Hir eldest sone, þe Prince Candeolus,
With offerandis and with giftis pretious,
Ane hundereth knichtis and ladyis richt stately,
To convoye him and bare him cumpaney.
Than had Candeolus in mariage tane
Ane of þe farest creaturis of blude and bane,
Ane princes dochter of þe south cuntre,
In land mycht nane farrer of figure be,
The quhilk the quene had ordanid for to pas,
As princes nixt hir of ladyis that þare was.

Thus furth thai past in-till ane May mornying,
Off that ymage to mak the presenting.
Sua duelt þareby a prince of mekill mycht—
The Duke of Balantyne to name he hicht—
The quhilk the quene of lang tyme luffit haid,
Bot scho richt litill comforte till him made;
Bot scho had sett hir hart into sa hie a place,
Thare mycht nane vther stand intill hir grace,
Off quhilk the duke had tane sa grete dispite,
He studyit dalie quho he mycht hir quyte;
And als hir sonnys he had at richt grete fede,
Traistand it was þare counsale and thare rede.
He was ane mychtie lord of hie parrage,
And quhen he hard tell of the pilgrymage,

139

And that sa few in cumpaney war thai,
He sett f[o]r to mete þame on þe way,
In-to þare cumyne hamewart to Candas,
And furthwith send and spyit all the plais;
And quhan he wist þai war sa few menȝe,
Nocht in armes, as men of were suld be,
Bot in thare row[b]is ryall of array—
For as of were, na man mystraistit thay—
Five hundreth armet knichtis with him he tais,
And thame to mete vnto þe tempill gais;
And sone he metis thame in his way cuming,
Bot thai of him disparit war na thing
Quhill thai in handis all war tane and sesit,
Off quhilk Candeolus no thing was applesit.

Than sais the duke, “Candeolus, perde,
Thai wiffe man pas to Balantyne with me;
As now nane vther stroublance sall þow haue—
Pas hame thai way, and tak with þe the laif.”
With that Candeolus drew furth his brand,
And spurrit his stede, and till him come drivand,
And with the poynt he hit him in þe breist;
Bot he ane actoun had his bodie nixt,
The quhilk was made of plewan and assyse,
Off Sarray silk plett full of vlypyis,
And all suppois he strake with all his mane,
The swerd did nocht, bot reboundit agane;
Bot þat ȝitt than it stonyst him richt sare,
And baklingis on his hors leyndis him bare.

With that thare was ane hundreth swerdis out,
And wiround all Candelous about,
That, had nocht bene his hors mare of mycht,
He had bene losit, had he bene neuer sa wicht.
He spurrid his hors and pas out of þe preis,
Bot all his men in handis takin was,
Sum strikin doun, sum beft, sum woundit sare,
And all the ladyis tane in handis þare—
Thay held the princes and with hi[r] vther tua
Off hir chalmer, and all the laif lete ga,
And gart convoye þe laif ane litill space,
Had hame with him the princes till his place.

140

Quha was mare wa na [Candas þe quene,
Quhilk grevit mare na] ony hart may wene?
Bot neuer-the-les scho made mare conforting
To gett sum helpe of Alexander þe king;
And nocht for-thy ane epistill scho him send,
Bot na thing of hi[r] maleis scho pretende,
Bot tald him in quhat maner and quhat wise
Scho send to make þe goddis sacrefice,
And how ane ryall croun scho haid him sent,
Was nane mare pretius in þe Orient,
To sett apoun þe hede of god Aymon
Into that tempill of grete deuotioun;
And þus ane pistill sone to him scho sendis,
And all hir landis and men till hi[m] commendis:

“Till Alexander, þe king of kingis with croun,
The sonn of Quene Olympias and god Aymoun,
The Quene of Litill Inde, Cleophiolas,
The Quene of Mont de Dieu and Candas,
Honoure, loving, with hartlie reuerence;
We haue sene ane pistill cum fra ȝoure excellence,
Requerand ws to pas with ȝow but mare
Into þe mont quhare þat þe goddis ware,
To mak sacrefice and deuotioun,
And to vesy ȝoure fader, þe god Aymon.
Witt ȝe þat I haue send þe fare ymage
Vnto the tempill, and sett it on a stage,
Apoun his hede ane croun of freche devise,
Is nane mare pretius fra thyne to Paradise;
And sone efter we hed ane visioun,
Be revelatioun of þe god Aymon,
That all the goddis of the Orient
Ar all accordit and of ane assent
That ȝe salbe lord anys of all þe erde,
Quhilk hale be ȝow sall gouernit be and strede:
Baith Mekill Ayse, with Ewrope and Afferik
Ȝe sall conquest and mak all ane kinrik,
And Egipt out of thirldome ȝe sall bring,
As quylum spayit Nectanabus the king,
And all the landis vnto þe Occiane Sey
Fra Paradise, to ȝoure croun sall obey.

141

Thus is na nede þat I suld with ȝow pas,
For all thir thingis to me revellit was;
And here of pretius veschell I ȝow send,
Is na fynare vnto the warldis end,
Off serpent stane, with gold borderit about,
That all the poysoun of þis warld, but dout,
Sall neuer him dere na man of þat it drinkis;
And gif a man ane vther poisin thinkis,
That coup sall hald [na] licoure in his hand,
For euer his hand salbe trymland,
And euer throw the metall it sall lete,
And all the claythis about it sall wete;
Als thre flaukouns I send ȝow of þe best,
That [n]euer poisoun may mak into thame rest,
Foure platis als to sette ȝoure mete apoun,
The quhilkis all foure ar made of serpent bone,
That in ȝoure power sall nocht be to ete
Out of þai platis poysoun na raw mete;
Thre ringis als I send, with pretius stanis—
The tane conservis men fra brist of banys,
The tother þat na blude sall drawin be
Off a persoun the day that he it se;
The thrid, gif it be borne in ony man,
Sall haue na les honoure na he has þan,
Na sall neuer cum mysfortoun to his cors,
Na sall nocht tak na velany on hors.
I send ȝow foulis in cageis wele singand,
Barnys dansand and madynis karoland,
With oliphantis, camellis and dromoderis,
Wele garnist for to helpe ȝow in ȝoure weris;
And with this hartfully we ȝow require
[Ȝ]e wauld ws certefie of ȝoure gude chere.”

Thus furthwith passit the message to þe king,
And of þis pistill made him presenting;
Bot he wauld nocht him-selff appere in place,
Bot gart thame throw Emenedus king was,
Quhilk was ane fare lord and a seneȝourabill,
And in his feris lordlike and honerable.
The king was ay, fra he come in þat land,
About þe ost inarmyt ay ridand,

142

Seand his wachis and sendand scoutis and spyis—
Grete witt of weris in wardis and waching lyis.
Sa tuke Candelous in purposing
To seik rescourus at Alexander the king,
For he hed hard sic wourschip of him recorde
In all this warld was nane mare worthy lord,
And als he wist how that his moder was
Sa mekill in his favoure and his grace;
And als for dispite of þe said favoure
The duke was sett to do thame dishonoure—
He micht nocht rest, his hart was wounder wa,
Becaus his wiffe sa lang was haldin him fra;
And to the king he past but mare abaid,
For to require him, of his gudlyhede,
Off his supplie, in ressoun and in richt,
The quhilk is dett baith to the king and knicht,
Wrangit and revist ladyis to supple—
This is a poynt of nobill dignete.

And as he past into the cumpaney,
Sa mete he with the king alanerlie,
About his ost ridand in all his gere,
Inarmyt wele, and in his hand ane spere,
For he wauld euer in owting lepe on hors,
And on þe day to sleep, and nycht to waak—
Than vtheris micht exempill of him tak.
Candeolus made him small reuerance—
He had na knawlege of his excellance—
Bot fallowlike made him ane small dewgard,
And he agane made him a swete reward.
Candeolus excedit nocht tuenty;
The king was him allane alanerlie.
Candeolus sais, “Fare schir, I ȝow require
That to the kingis speche ȝow wauld me nere,
For alsa mekill, and euer ȝe haue ado,
For ony seruice we may mak ȝow to.”

Than sais the king, “Swete schir, wauld ȝe me tell
Ȝoure name and of ȝoure cuntre quhare ȝe duell,
And quhat the caus is of ȝoure cumyne here,
I suld do gud will ȝoure erand for to nere.”
Than sais the knicht, “Fare schir, me think that ȝe

143

Ar like a man of honoure for to be,
Quharefore me likis wele schaw ȝow my entent,
And ask ȝoure counsale or I forther wentt:
I am sone to Quene Cleophiola,
Quene of Candas and vther landis ma,
And, for scho has a favoure to ȝoure king,
And luffis him best of ony erdly thing,
Thare is a lorde, callit Duke of Ballantyne,
Tuke fede to hir and luffit hir neuer sensyne;
This hynder day we past in pillgrymage
Till tempill Iubiter, with ane ymage
The quhilk ȝoure king send of þe god Aymon,
In gude entent and grete deuotioun,
And as we come hamewart þe tempill fra,
Ane hunder in cumpaney, withoutin ony ma,
Quhat men, quhat wemen, and nocht in fere of were—
We had na dred till haue myster of gere—
Sa come the duke enarmit purpostly,
Five hundreth armit in his cumpaney,
And tuke my wiffe on force and led me fra,
The quhilk has made my hart full wounder wa;
And mony of my men has tane and slane,
And haldis hir ȝitt, and will nocht giff agane:
Quharefore, sen ȝoure king has sa hie renoun,
As maist worthy þat in this erde beris croun,
I wauld beseik him, of his gudlie grace,
Till helpe to lay ane sege to þe place,
To gett my wiffe, quhilk is baith gud and fare—
Scho is ane kingis dochter and his are.”
With that the t[e]re brist out of þe childis e.

The king behelde, and had richt grete petie,
And said, “Swete schir, be blith of conforte now—
I sall pas to þe king, and speik for ȝow,
For it efferis nocht a kingis excellence
That ony strangere cum till his presence
Quhill first he witt þe caus of his cummying,
Quha is his lorde or quhare is his duelling.”
With that the king past to the palȝeoun,
And furthwith gart Emenedus sit doun,

144

In habit ryall, with croun apoun his hede,
And bad men obey him in his stede
Quhill he agane come to the cumpaney,
For he wauld pas ane herand haistely;
And bad all men call him Antegonus,
And all the ost he warnit to do thus,
Syne past agane and fechit the gentil knycht,
Quhilk was into grete dolloure day and nycht,
For his lady the duke had fra him revit,
And for hir lufe in langoure had him levit.
And till him come quhare he was lichtit doun,
And syne him lede into his palȝeoun;
Quhen he come in, he knelit on his kne—
Sa did Candeolus, þat all mycht se—
And to þe king furthwith made his request;
And he richt gudlie grantit his behest,
And to the douȝeperis said in þis maner,
“Giff thare be ony of my chiftanis here
That will this knichtis erand tak on hand,
I sall him gif grete lordschip and grete land.”

Than sais the king (quhilk callit is Antegone),
“Schir king, I tak þe viage me apoun,
Sa that ȝe grant me men till ga with me,
And, gif me mysteris, send me mare supple,
And I sall send the cite for to ta,
And all that euer was at that dede to sla;
Bot gif þai send me furth þat lady fre,
I sall strike doun þe wallis of þat citie,
And birin and sla all that I find tharein,
And haue the duke at my will or I blyn.”

The king said, “Antegone, blissit mott thow be—
Thow art ane chiftane richt wele ordand for me.”
Than sais the king, quhare he sett in his [trone],
“I am content—my will is it be done;
Go cheis the of þe best and wourthiest—
I sall the supple quhill þat my liffe may lest.”
Than sais the king, “Fare Schir Candeolus,
Pas hame, sen we haue to purpois thus,
And make ȝow reddy to-morne in þe mornying,

145

With all powar, als fast as day can spring,
And mete at þe toun of Ballantyne;
And gif ȝe haue owther gvn or ȝit engyne,
Bring þame with ȝow, and se ȝe kepe ȝoure day,
And traistis wele I sal cum as I may.”

All þus Candeolus is pas[sit] hame,
And tauld this purposis till his lady dame,
The quhilk was blith, and ordand mychtely
Foure or five thousand men þat was worthy,
With schote of gvn, engyne, and all vther thing
That ordand war for ony tovne wynnying.
The king had wele the cast into his thocht,
And als Candeolus forȝett it nocht,
For all the nycht na slepe com in his e,
Bot as a woid man for his wiffe berit he.
The king chesit out ten thousand, or he stent,
Off men maist subtell, by his iugment,
To conquest townys or ȝitt citeis
Be ledder or myne or vther subteleteis,
And of gvnnis tua or thre or maist traist,
Quhilk throw a ten-fute wall of stane wald kast;
And trumpit vp and past furth in þe morrow—
Bot ȝitt Candeolus was þare him forrow.

The king was gentill, and na were wald ostend
Quhill first ane pistill of diffiance was send,
Till ask ressoun and mendiment of þe skaith,
And gif he wald consent to do thame baith,
As for that poynt men suld him mak na were,
Na till his place na landis do na dere,
For gentrice wald, quhare men ar ressonable,
That all men to thame war mare favorable.
Than send the king ane pistill in þis wise,
Into this buik as efter wrettin lyis:

“King Alexander, the king of kingis with croun,
The sone of Quene Olymphias and god Aymon,
Till Elchias, the Duke of Balantyne:
We haue hard how ȝe, nocht lang gane syne,
Haue trublit oure seruandis vnder fere of were,
In passing fra the tempill of Iubiter,
Quhilkis bare oure offerand to that haly place,

146

Quhilkis, as we think, richt wikkitlie done was;
And als ȝe haue distrublit grevously
Ane wourthy princes and his cumpaney,
And revist hir, and slane of hir menȝe,
And haldis hir ȝitt of force in ȝoure ciete;
Scho is maryit, and has hir awne husband—
Ȝe brek mariage, þe quhilk is Goddis band;
Suppois ȝe be ane maister oure þe laif,
God made ȝow nocht maistry oure Him till haue.

“Thus haue ȝe faltit to ȝoure goddis twise,
And mannis law als ȝe haue brokin thryis,
In revissing, and spilling of mannis blude,
Thare presonying and haldin of þare gude,
Quharefore I wald this thing amendit wer,
Baith to the goddis and to þe lady fare,
And to þe worthy prince Candeolus,
Quhilk in oure seruice is defoulit thus;
And in this mater ȝe wauld gif credence,
A[s] langand mendiment of þe said offence,
Till Antegone, oure knicht of parliament,
With all the hale ansure of ȝoure entent;
Giff ȝe do nocht, we ws to ȝow acquytt—
We sall sa sure revenge þat dispite
That it exempill till all vtheris be,
Or we pas furthwart out of þis cuntre.”

Quha was mare crabbit þan na was þe duke,
Als fast as on þis pistill he couth luke;
He raif it syne, and in þe fyre he castis,
And in his breth of boist he blew gret blastis—
His toun was stark, of na man had [he] dout,
For it was doubill-wallit all about—
And to [þe] message said, for pure dispite,
Bad him go thens, him deingȝ[e]it nocht to wrett,
And bad Antegonus go to do his best,
And owther mak pace or were, quhidder him lest,
And euerie man was reddie in his gere.
With that the king gart blaw ane blast of were:
Thay stellit gunnys, and mynouris past to myne,
And ledderis sett to the wallis syne,
Syne ordand schote to kepe þe assaleȝouris,

147

And settis the gunnys ay to þe gretest touris.
The duke hard this, and sare he was addre[d],
And all þe toun till armes ryis he bad—
Bot thai wald nocht rise with him for his micht,
For thai knew wele the querrell was vnricht.

Than saw the duke þat he dissauit was,
And tuke þe power of his awne paillace,
The quhilkis he had foure thousand men or five,
And armit went to þe wallis belive;
Bot or thai come, the gun[ny]s had dungin doun
Thre of þe gretest touris of all þe toun—
The wallis als war mynit throuch and throuch.
Thare men micht se quha best in armys doicht—
The ledderaris had the brokin touris tane;
In at the myne a rout of men is gane,
Quhen thai best wend þe toun suld kepit be.
The duke begouth to ta þe bak and fle,
And to þe pallais drew him hastalie—
With that the ȝettis þe burgouss brak in hy,
And lete [in] Antegone with all his rout,
And all the toun him welcumynis with a schout;
Inarmit all into þe paillais past,
And sone the wallis doun of it can cast,
And spuleȝete it, and brynt it all to nocht,
And till Antegonus þe duke þai brocht.
And syne thai gart bring furth þe ladie clere,
Till quham Antegonus made him worthy chere,
Syne till hir lorde gart hir deliuerit be—
Sa blayth thai war, it was gret ioy to se;
With ladyis scho was kepit [sa] clenely,
Scho wauld neuer grant ane nycht with him to ly.
The duke wald becum man to Antegoun,
Bot that was neuer þe counsale of þe toun—
He was neuer luffit with his menȝe,
For his iniureis and grete inequite.

The king was purposit to strek doun þe toun,
Bot he wald nocht, becaus of þe commoun,
Quhilk favorit him into his conquesting;
And furthwith made Candeolus þare king,
And fast as to the pallioun þai war cummyn,

148

He was crovnit, and for þare king was nummyn.
The duke was hingit on þe wallis he,
Abone the maister porte of þe ciete,
For strublance of þe tempill in ane way,
And takin of þe princis wiffe away,
And als for spilling of saikles mannis blude,
And personying, and takin of þare gude.

Emenedus in kingis stede was sett,
And Antegone with gudly wordis grett,
Sayand, “Fare schir, þow did þi dett treulie—
Thow sall haue thai rewarde als als hartfulie.”
Than sais Candeolus till Antegone,
“Fare schir, I ȝow require with me to gone
To my moder, to thank ȝow and reward—
I sall agane convoye ȝow hidderward.”
“Ȝ[e] mon ask leif,” he sais, “at the king,
And but his leif I dar nocht do sic thing;
Bot neuertheles full fane wald I be thare
To se þe quene” (he saw hir neuer ayr).
Than sais the king, “I grant leif, perde,
Sa that ȝe bring him saif agane to me.”
With that thai past, and semblit thare menȝe,
Bot [four-and-twentie] knichtis, na may wald he.
Than Candeolus send to his moder dere,
And prayit hir þat scho wald mak gude chere
Till Alexander, and till his cumpaney,
The quhilk had helpit him so mychtely,
And tauld hir how all thingis cummyne was,
And how the king had gevin all þe place.
Quha was blayther na was þe nobill quene,
Quhilk in deseis before lang tyme had bene,
Baith for distroublance of Candeolus,
And als the king was past of þre cuntre þus;
And ordanit for to mak gude chere him till,
And him to welcum with ane ioyus will.

Thus interit in þe pallais Candeolus,
And efter him interit Antegonus;
The quene thame welcumynit wounder michtely,
And ordanit for to feist þame ryally,
And after dyner fell into ta[u]lking,

149

Baith of thare dedis and Alexander the king.
The quene tuke Antegone into secre,
And tald him sum thing of hir private,
And of þe luff scho had to Alexander,
And how of him scho had richt mekill wounder,
That he into the cuntre come sa nee,
And wald nocht cum hir anys for to se.
And he ansurid agane full soberlie,
Sayand, “Ȝe waitt, princis þat ar mychtie
May nocht sa suddantly cum to langage
As vther folk, that ar of law parrage.”
Scho sais, “Þat is wele soith, bot nocht for-thay,
I and myne at his will ar halely,
And efter was with me sen kend he was,
Baith land and lordschip, citie, toun and place.”
The king hir thankis for his maister sakis.

With that mare redly tent scho to him takis,
And euer þe mare scho lukit, þe mare he was
Ay bettir favorit, and mare in-till hir grace;
And at the last scho tocht in hir curage,
“Ȝone is the portratoure of þe visage,
The werry fessoun of þe phisomye
Quhilk in my closit kepit land haue I.”
And bad him bide a litill tyme quhill sche
Had bene at hir closit a litill we;
And to þe figure scho behelde a quhile,
And be hir-selff a litill couth smylle,
Sayand, “Now am I sikker þis is he—
Now se I wele this is for lufe of me.”
And vp scho plyit þe figure subtelly,
And put it in hir bosum secritlie,
And till him come agane in gudlie haist—
Scho was sa blayth scho tynt hir mynd almaist—
And till him said, “Schir, will ȝe pas benwart;
I haue grett favoure to ȝow with my hart—
Giff ȝe will rest and slepe a litill tyme,
And I sall hald ȝow into talkin syne.”
“Me likis wele,” þe king sais, “quhat ȝe will—
My governance here I committe ȝow till,
To ȝow and to ȝoure sone Candeolus,

150

Sen I haue put me in ȝour danger þus.”

Than benewart past þai to mare secrete place;
The quenis hart euer in ane radoure was,
And fane wald scho discover, and scho mocht,
Bot baith for lufe, and als scho durst do nocht,
Scho trymblit fast, and oft scho changit hew.
The mare scho him beheld, þe mare scho knew,
Quhill at the last scho birst out of grete,
And he, quhilk euer was to women swete,
Reconforde hir, and sperit þe caus and quhy;
Bot he, quhilk knew of lufe the maledy,
Had sum persaving of hir lufe before,
And lauchit in his armys tua þarefore,
And kist hir oft-syis and hartfully—
And quhat þi did, na thing þareof watt I,
For þare was nane in chalmer bot þai twa—
Quha suld discover, [bot] gif þai war ane of þa?
I wate no more bot lang þai restit þare,
And quhan þai come furth, gude frendis þai war.

Bot in the mentyme fell ane ieoperdy
Betuix þame tua, quhilk efterwart hard I;
Scho kest in-till [hir] hart and arguud þus:
“He wenys I traist he is Antegonus,
To quhome gif I grant my lufe to giff,
Than will the king neuer lufe me quhill I liffe,
And gif I tell þat I him graithlie knaw,
It will him crab—þis dar I nocht for aw;
Thus lufe me strenȝeis, bot cowartdise na dar.
Bot cowart hart had neuer fare luffare—
Thus sall I tell, quhat-euer me betide,
And till his grace I syne sall me abid.”
With that, with quakand hart scho till him said,
“Fare lorde, and ȝe wald nocht be ill appaid,
I wauld discourer to ȝow ane litill thing,
Quhilk wald me mak rycht grete recomforting,
Sa that it wauld to ȝow na thing displeis,
Quhilk haldis all my mynd in grete maleis.”
“Sa furth,” said he, “ȝe ar assoverit now—
Quhat-euer ȝe say sall me nocht greif at ȝow.”

Scho said, “Fare schir, for þi lufe and thai saik,

151

Ane figure of þai semblance I gart mak
For mekill luferent þat I had to þe;
I haue it here, behald and ȝow may se:
Here is the portratoure of þi vissage,
Off all thai memberis hale and þi corsage.
I ken and knawis þat Alexander art thow—
Be þi stature I ken the cleirlie now;
Thare is no creature it wate bot I,
Na nane sall witt, treulie, I the affye.”

With that the king still in a study stude:
His harte grew, and mengit all his blude,
And in him-selff he threw in-till his breist,
And oft his face diuers cullouris oure-kest,
And threw þe face, and wrang his handis fast,
And of a speche he brak furth at þe last,
Sayand, “Allace, my swerde quhen I þe left—
It war worthy þe liffe war fra me reft;
Had I it here, but drede I sould sla the,
And syne with it my-selff I suld gar de.”
With that the quene brist out with sob and grete,
And flatlingis fell doun grufelingis at his fete,
Sayand, “Fare lorde, haue mercy on me now;
Sen first assurance askit I at ȝow,
Ȝe suld into ȝoure hart þe caus pays,
And nocht sa rigurously me till abais—
I did for gude all thing that I haue done,
And ȝe wald haue ȝoure-selff and me vndone,
Sen nane has witt of ȝow bot I and ȝe.
Ȝe haue na caus sa crabbit for to be—
It salbe kepit counsell and secrete;
I haue the keyis of a postrum ȝett—
Quhen-euer ȝow list, ȝe sall haue fre passage;
Haue ȝe na dred þat nane ask ȝow trewage.
Giff ȝe will haue men to convoye ȝow of þe toun,
I sall send with ȝow to ȝoure palȝoun
Off worthy men als mony as ȝow list,
In quhome ȝe may als wele as in ȝoure men trist;
And gif likis ȝow bettir þus to do,
Gar send efter ȝoure men to cum ȝow to,
And in this pallais I sall þame ressaue,

152

Als mony as it likis ȝow till haue.”
With that the king of hir was sa content
That he forgaif hir all his matelent.

As thai war of þis wise allane talkand,
Sa come thare folk fast to þe dur rappand,
Sayand Carractor and his wife was cummyn,
And grete discorde into þe pallais beg[unnyn].
Caractor was hi[r] son of ȝounger age,
And had King Porrus sister in marriage,
And quhen scho herd þat Antegone was þare,
Sa mekill ado scho made hi[r] husband thare,
Sayand scho sould neuer langer be his wiffe
And he lete Antegone chape with his liffe;
And he, quhilk with his wiffe ab[a]ndonnyt was,
Semblit all the power he mycht be in the place
Agane his broder, Prince Candeolus,
Ilkane aganis wther strivand thus.
Than said the quene, “Allace that I was borne,
Sa worthy men for me suld here be lorne!
Sa me now, Alexander, þi counsale—
How sall I saif my sonnys fra tynsale?
The tane wald sla, the tothir fane wald saif—
Thus, tyne I ane, I may tyne all þe laif.
Quharefore, suete schir, þi counsale gif þow me
How best my sonnys baith may savit be,
And als to saif thy-selff and thyne honoure,
For thi wourschip, þi witt, and thai valoure.”

The king ansurede, sais, “Ladie, for þi saik,
Betuix ȝour sonnys a trety sall I mak,
Sa that thai will, with thare ba[t]h [e]ris consent,
Submitt þe caus vnto my iugment,
And I sall bynd my persoun till hostage,
In falt of wtheris borrowis or trewage,
Till enter here agane be certane day,
Sa that I may now frelie pas away;
Or ellis I sall gar enter in þis place
King Alexander, to quhan sic feid he has,
Into this hall, withoutin mare cumpaney,
Bringand with him na ma na with me now haue I.”
Than callit the king þe brother now him before,

153

And tauld thame quhy þe caus and quharefore
It was nocht spedefull for þame sic debate,
“For it is wist, and all men will it wate,
That I am bot a man as wther ma,
And in ȝoure persoun suppois ȝe me sla,
It wilbe reput to ȝow welany;
And namly sen at bidding here come I,
For quhan a prince biddis a man cum him till,
Þocht he haue him at grete feid and ill will,
He has his surance in his hand all þan,
Suppois he war outlaw or banist man;
And namly quhan a man cummys in palais,
In castell, toun, or ony wallit place,
At bidding of þe lord or the lady,
He is assoverit of þe law forthy;
And as ȝe wate, ȝe wyn nocht bot feid,
And litill proffeitt may ȝow mak my dede,
And Alexander, and he be left on liffe,
Sall in ȝoure place revenge my dede belive.

“Bot will ȝe trowe my counsale and my rede,
Sen at Alexander ȝe haue sic fede,
Sa that I fynd ȝoure favoure and ȝoure grace,
I sall his persoun entir within þis place,
Disseverit quitlie fra his cumpaney,
Na ma persounys with him na now haue I.”
Caractor sais, “God gif I micht the traist,
And all thi wordis trew war and stedefast,
Thow sould be feistit here with sang and play
Quhill that thow lest, and syne ga fre away.”
Antigonus to thame his faith has plicht
To enter thare agane sevin nycht,
Or ellis into the mentyme he suld bring
Into thare presens Alexander the king,
“And with na ma men in his cumpaney
Bot [four-and-twentie] men, as now haue I.”

On þis cunand þi tuke his evedent,
And gart him swere þe gret aith or he stent,
That he suld treulie kepe that he had sade,
And tharevpone baith faith and treuth he lade;
And efter that þai stentit hallis in hye,

154

And Antegone thai festit ryallie.
The quene him lade and schew him hir tressoure;
Caractor purvayit Alexander for,
Sa did his wiffe, þe sister of King Porrus,
And grete giftis and iowellis gaif him till,
And syne convoyit till his cumpaney.
And send agane ane messinger in hye,
And said that he was fred of his promeis,
For Alexander in thare presence was,
And ete and drank into thare cumpaney
Foure dayis or five, and festit rayally,
And nane with him bot [four-and twentie] men,
And in the pallais waverand but and ben,
Sayand nane aw to blame him of his hicht,
For he had kepit all that he had hecht.

Bot quhan Caractor and his wiffe þat wist,
That thai had writtin þa[me-se]ll of þe [k]est,
In þare mynd grete murnying þare þai made.
Bot Alexander furthwith but mare abaid
Come to þe ciete, and tuke it in his handis,
And tuke obeysance hale of all þe landis,
And put Caractor and his wiffe away,
And hald thame in a stark dungeoun for ay;
And made Candeolus lorde of þat cuntre,
And restit him lang tyme in that ciete.
Bot for to tell of þat pallais þe price
And the richess, it passis my devise:
Hir chalmer ran on [four-and-twentie] quhelis,
Drawin quhare scho lest with oliphantis and camellis.
Syne tuke the king to purpois and av[i]se
To pas to the tempill to mak sacrefice,
And thare the quene and eik Candeolus,
Passand with the king to mak thare offerand thus.

Thare spak he with his fader, god Aymon,
Quhilk tald him all that he had doutit apoun;
Him tocht he saw him standand bodely,
Within ane clude, in habit rayally,
And conforte him, and bad him haue na dred—
Off all his conquest richt wele suld he spede,
Bot at the last, as all men, he most dee:

155

Thare is na man may chape that destany,
And bettir is to de in oure best plite
Na for to liff quhen honoure tint is quyte,
For quhen is hiest þe quhele, it mon turin,
And quhen þe man is richest, he will spurn—
Thare saw neuer man quhare God al withgan[g] send,
That euer the quhele stude evin sevene ȝere till end.
“Thow sall haue sevene ȝere to mak þi conquest,
And vther [seven] to veseit and to rest;
I spak with the in Libby on ane day—
God Seraphus spak with þe by þe way;
Thow sperit at me þe day of þi ending,
And quhay suld caus be of þi poysonying:
It is nocht Goddis will þat þow it witt—
Than wald thow sett the to putt lett in it;
And als, wist thow þe houre of þi ending,
Thow suld neuer haue ioy all þi living.
In Egipt thow hes foundit a fare stede—
Thare thow salbe erdit quhen thow art dede;
And of þi moder þat þow spred at me,
Trest wele a schamfull dede behuffis hir de,
And efter that scho be dede, dispulȝeit all,
And syne castin attoure the castell wall,
And this salbe for fede that men the aw;
Syne eftir, hundis sall hir banis gnaw.”
This ansuering made þe king on stere,
That to Candeolus he made no chere,
Bot drerely his leif has fra him tane;
Syne trumpit vp and to þe feild is gane.

Syne efterwart þai come in a cuntre
Was strate of craggis, þat ferly was to se;
It was sa hait nane mycht endure þe hete,
Quhare thare was distres baith of drink and mete,
Quhare thare was edderis of sic quantetie,
Thare bodyis mare na hors þatt we here se—
Sum flaw with wyngis and sum in craggis bred,
Quhilk day and nicht þe ost richt sare þame dred;
Thay slew mony, and mony of þame was slane,
And quhare thai fell, þe stynk did thame sic pane
That mony men þare dede ill tuke forthy,

156

For poysoun of þai dragouns quhare thai lay,
And in schorte tyme þare flesche was brynt away,
That men fand nocht bot banyis quhare þai lay.

The sonnys hete þare was sa vehement
Tha[t] had nocht cavis bene, thai had bene schent.
The king gart luke quhare that the banys levit,
And in the harne-pane of þe dragouns hewit
Off cocadrillis þai fand þe pretius stanis;
And als þe vertew of þi dragouns banys
Is mervelus, and of ane grete valoure
For the behuffe of mannis creature,
And als þe stanis þat callit ar smaragdinis,
Quhilk oure þe laif maist verteous and fyne is—
Thare thai stanis ar haldin of fer mare price
Na ony that growis in fludis of Paradise.
Thay dragouns þare sa felloun ar and fer,
And als thai fecht togidder euer-ilk ȝere,
Quhill sic ane multitude levis in þe feild,
Like woundit hors in batall that war keild,
And efter syne men gadderis vp þe banys
That thare is, and all the pretious stanis,
The quhilk is ane of þe gretest richess
That euer in that cuntre growand was.

Syne fand thai hartis, with tyndis all as steill,
Scharpe as a spere-hede that war grundin wele,
The quhilk was mekill of stature and of cors,
Fer mare na all þe bodyis of thare hors.
Syne fand thai foulis fleand in that cuntre,
Thare bodyis mekill as oxin þat we here se;
Thay had baith wyngis and fete, with leggis lang,
With talloun clukis, as blawing hornys strang—
Ane armit man þai wald bere to þare nest,
In everie cluke a mouttoun quhen þame lest.
The king tretit þe gydis þat with him was
That thai suld pas þe nycht and spy þe place
Quhare that thai biggit and thare nestis made,
And for to se gif that þi birdis hade,
And hecht thame riches, baith of gold and f[e]e,
For to bring him ane pare, or tua or thre:
The quhilk was done into þe said maner.

157

The king gart nuris thame and hald thame dere,
Gart turs thame into chareotis with him hame,
And feid thame curiously, and made þame tame;
And gart men vse þame anys everie day,
To mount vp in þe are and tak a pray,
Coupplit togidder with cordis be þe fete,
Ay foure and foure, ane space fra vþer mete,
Berand ane cage of tre, mad with a gyn
That ony man mycht sikkir sitt þarein,
And to be borne with thame into þe are
In ony land quhare that him lest repare;
And syne into the mydwart of þe gyn
Thare was ane spare sett vp þai foure betuene,
And on þat spare ane quarter of ane marte,—
At his lyking, quhile vp, quhile dounwart
He mycht it draw, to gif thame appetite,
Quhill of þe flewr þai had sic delite,
And ay wenand to gett it in þare mouth,
Thay flaw evin vp for it wa[s] ay be outh;
And quhen he was past vp at his liking,
He gart the flesche vnder þe cage hing,
That quhen thai saw þe flesche was drawand doun,
Syne dounwart efter it þai made þame boun—
And thus thai custmyit þame into thare ȝouthage.
Syne gart devise till him a subtell cage,
In maner eftir as we said before;
Syne ordanit all his purveance þarefore,
And till his counsale said, “It plesis me
Off all this warld þe cirkill for to se,
And all the quantetie of lenth and brede,”
Off quhilk þai war richt wa, and had grete dred
To pas with sic wyld foulis in þe are,
And syne to fall in land he wist nocht quhare,
Percais in handis of his innemeis—
Quha counsolit him þareto, þi war nocht wise.

Than ansurid he, and said, “My leigis dere,
Beis nocht dredand, bot blyith, and mak gud chere—
I am sa sikker of þir goddis all,
That gouernis me þat I sall neuer fall

158

Na be ourecmynyn with myne innemyis,
Na ȝitt ourethrawin in na kynd of wise,
Bot best and man boith sall me loif and lout,
And foule and fische sall me baith serue and dout.”
With that he gart mak chenȝeis stark and sle,
With quhilkis þe foure griffouns suld chenȝeit be,
And als þe cage quhilk turnit with a gyn;
And syne him-selff he put þe cage within,
And sett þe spete with flesche apoun þe end.
Quhen thai it saw, sone eftir þai ascend,
And montit vp wele hie into þe are.
The wedder was richt hate and wounder fare—
Quhen he come in þe hicht, he had grete thrist,
And als for hete almaist his ene outbrist;
He had ane spounge with vyne egre in his hand,
And ay apoun his visage was strekand.
Abone his hede þe scalis of cocadrill,
Quhilk brak the hete þat it come nocht him till,
In sic a wise þat it mycht nocht him greve;
And als he was intill ane gude beleve
That quhen he wald, he couth him sone discend,
For he the maneris of þe griffouns kend.

Quhen hie yneuch, as he tocht, he him feld,
He lukit vp and all the warld beheld,
And als þe sey and citeis vp and doun,
Baith hillis and wallis, castellis, toure and toun:
Him tocht the sey inviround all þe erde,
The quhilk of all þis warld is nocht þe ferd,
Bot as a mote was sett into þe sey,
And litill yneuch till a king till obey—
It semyt thareof litill quantetie,
With mony riveris rynnand in þe sey.
And syne he lukit doun to Macedone,
And syne to Grece, and syne to Babillone;
And syne he lukit est to Parradise,
Quhare woddis war and craggis richt hiddous.

To Paradise south by as he beheld,
Into the sey he saw ane hill of gold—
Off massy gold it semyt to be clene,
Agane the son as semely it couth schene;

159

The quhilk is callit Mons Auri varamant,
And thare salbe hyne to the Iugement,
For na man thareof may the bettir be—
Fra Paradise it standis out in þe sey,
Quhilk neuer mortell man mycht cum þareto,
Na neuer did, na neuer eft sall do.

Than he beheld the way quho he mycht pas
To Paradise, to se þat haly place,
For be goddis he had sum knawlege
That he sould be þare anys and tak trewage.
Quhen he had all our-sene and wesyit wele,
Baith se and land and cuntreis everie dele,
Him tocht Paradise was like to be
A mekill hill, a montane in þe se—
In the est end of all þis erde it standis,
And ferrer est beȝound is þare na landis;
Thare is na hill sa hie in all this erde—
The hiest hill hes nocht of hecht the ferd.

Syne he beheld þe grete desertis of Ynde,
Quhare he before wele pynist was and pynde;
Syne to the grete desertis of Arabye,
Quhilk strekis to þe hills of He[r]mony.
And in the myddis of all this erde þare was
Ane hiddouus forrest and a wildernes,
Ane vther betuix Grece and Tartary,
Apoun the north side, endlang be þe sey,
And ane betuix Egipt and Bibilon,
Endlang þe flude quhilk Egipt standis on,
Sa that him semyt þat half þe cuntre was
Bot craggis and hillis, woddis and wildernes,
Consedering þat fra Ynde to Paradise
Be the maist parte inhabitabill all is;
And everie land a sindry kynd of men,
Quhilkis be thare fassouns eith ar for to ken,
And by thare liffe, þare langage and thare law,
Quhilk till wtheris, as every man may knaw,
Off mervellus mak of corssage and vissage,
And fer mare mervellus of þare curage;
And almaist all standis be diuersite,
Off mak, of maner, of law and propirtie,

160

And mare like bestis war in thare liffing
For-be the Grekis war, in mekill thing.

Quhen he had sene at layser and avisit,
And his passage to Paradise devisit,
Than lete he doun þe flesche vnder þe gyn
That the foure griffounis cuplit war within;
Quhen thai that saw, þai discendit richt sone,
And euer he satt hingand in his trone,
In-till ane chire, quhilk quhare-sum-[euer] þai wend,
The hie was vp, and doun þe nether end.
Syne at the last, for gredenes of mete,
Apoun the hiest hill þat thai couth gett
Thay lichtit doun in-till a fer cuntre,
Quha[re] he was neuer, na nane of his menȝe,
And quhare he had na knawlege of na men,
Ten iornais fra þe place þat thai began.
And quhen the chenȝeis he decouplit had,
Intill his chire sittand still he bade
Quhill that the griffouns past war þare way;
And sone thai flaw about to seik thare prey—
Thay war sa famyst hoverand in þe are,
Thare was na fleschly thing þat þai wald spare,
Nother best nor man, noutheran on hope na hill,
Quhill thai of flesche anys had gottin þare fill.

The king was sa disgisit in his array,
He left the chire and past on his way,
That na man mycht him knaw quhat þat he was—
With swete for hete brukit was all his face.
His men gart follow þe griffounys on þe way,
And wend the king had bene vndone for ay;
Bot he that gouernit him full vertuously
Gat worthy gydis in þe land him by,
And gart thame throw he was of þat cuntre,
Sa wele þe langage of þe land had he.
Sone efter þat, apoun the auchtene day,
The duchsperis for the king had sic a fray
Thay send spiall oure all, baith fer and nere,
Bot na ken tythingis of him couth thai here.

The king had mekill [wit], and subtelus,
And euer quhare he come to ony place,

161

He gart men trow þat he was a merchand,
Quhilk tocht to pas into ane strang land;
And efter he sperit efter merchandise
Quhilk tuke in wþer landis gretest price,
For gold he hed apoun him for þe nanys:
Grete guidis he bocht, and payit þame all attanis,
And chargit camellis, mulis and dromoderis,
And for na gold to by gude ware he sparis,
And heryit men and factouris it to lede;
And throw the cuntre passit he gud spede,
For in thai landis merchandis hes gud chere—
Quhen thai pay wele, þai hald þame lyfe and dere.

Thus come he throw þe cuntre with blythnes
Quhill he come quhare his awne menȝe lugit was.
The lordis him knew within a litill stound,
And thankit God þat he was hale and sound;
And he thame comptit of his merchandise
That he had brocht, byith silk, wyne and spice,
With serpent banys and balmes of þe best,
And pretius stanis als of þe worthiast;
And tauld thame all the maner and þe wise
How he had sene the erde to Paradise,
And all þe regiouns and the wildernis,
The realmis, regiouns, and the gretest place,
And how this erde is bot ane litill thing,
And that it was bot liffing for a king.
And in his hart he copyit þe figure,
And syne gart draw it into portratoure,
And how the erde is of a figure round—
And thus was first payntit þe mappamond.

And syne he tald the lordis his devise,
How he purposit to pas to Parradise,
Till ask tribute or for till haue entre,
For sic knawlege be god Aymon had he;
Bot first he tocht the cuntre till ourepas,
Giff ony land war that rebelland was,
For all the gretest princes of þe land
War all conquest and bowand till his hand,
Bot onlie of þe landis of Babillon—
To quhome he send his messingeris anon,

162

To the Soudane, quhilk tocht him-self na page,
And als to the Ammerall of Cartage,
And chargand thame to mak him obedience,
Or schape thame for thare land to mak defence;
The quhilk the message fremmytlie tuk on hand,
Wenand thare wall suld be to thame werrand.
At quhilk ansure richt crabbit was the king,
To wesy thame syne tuke his purposing.

With that his batallis wele refreschit war—
Thay maid thame boun and trumpit vp but mare;
The ost was stuffit sa of gold and gere
That skantlie micht þare hors þe riches bere,
For mony ane for mycht and grete richess
Had left the ost and past hamewart was—
Fra he had hard þe ansure of þe tre,
Ane hundreth thousand had passit in þare cuntre,
And baid nane with him bot the gudelyeist,
Off tryit men in quhilkis he traistit maist,
Quhilkis war ynew to fulfill his devise,
For ȝitt he had ane hunder thousand twyis.

Thus passit thai furth into thare best maner,
Quhill at þe last thai fand a grete ryvere,
Baith fare and fresche, þat gudlie was to se,
Quhilk was a myle of brede, or twa, or thre,
And gudly folk alsua and vertewabill.
In warld was neuer fische mare delictable.
The women war richt fresche and passand fare,
And plesance tuke men of thare repare,
That or the king partit out of that stede,
Ane thousand men throw thare delite war dede.
Thare was na brig to pas oure þat revere,
And fra thame fled away was þe navire;
The king studyit how he mycht gett passage—
Sa he aspyit growand in þe rivage
Off redis holl ane huge quantetie,
Quhilkis as the maist of ship war grete and hie,
Quhilkis he gart hew and mak thame to þe flottis;
And als made of þame pranys, schippis and botis,
To pas his ost withoutin ony sturt,
And all thare folk withouttin harme or hurt

163

That flude past westwart to þe Sey Oxiane:
And on it stude þare citeis mony ane,
Quhilkis quhen thai harde þat Alexander was þare,
Thay bowit all till his bidding, les and mare.

Sa come þai in a land of þat cuntre
Quhare women was of sic a quantetie,
Thay war of ten or t[w]alf fute, be þe leist;
Thay war wele made and fare at all behest,
Thay war baith fare, rede and quhite, of fare attyre,
Tha[re] hare ȝellow, lokkerand as goldin wyre.
And in ane vther ille was nere thareby,
The pigmeneanis, quhilkis had thre fute skantly;
Bot thai war wounder subtell of ingyne—
Thay wrocht the claithis of gold and silk maist fyne.
The king send for þe sortis baith to se;
The tane beside þe tother stand gart he—
Thay war baith wounder wele made and at devise,
And in thare law and liffing baith richt wise.
The king wald thole na man do þame grevance,
Bot gaif thame giftis and did thame grete plesance.

Syne come he in ane land of grete riches,
Quhare mony mychtie pepill wonnand was;
Thay had a king was callit Calamyne,
Martyneanis was þe pepill callit syne—
Thay had a citie of riches mervellus,
With mony pepill cruell and perrellus.
The king send messingeris to thame sone,
Bad thame obey as all the laif hes done,
And send him of thare wise men foure or five—
He suld baith saif thare landis and thare liffe;
And wald thai nocht, þare citie he wald ta,
Thare gudis als, and eik thame-seilvin sla.
That wald thai nocht, bot send ane diffiance,
Sayand thai kepit nocht for his arrogance,
And bad him cum gif he it spedfull tocht—
Thay suld him mete als fast as euer he mocht,
In cumpaney of tua hundreth thousand,
For to defend thare lordschip and thare land.

Than Alexander efter that na sudiour[n]e made,
Bot to þe feild he past but mare abade;

164

He was ay blyth quhan to þe batall past he,
For he wist wele he suld neuer vincust be.
Thay strak togidder, þe stoure was stout and strang,
The batale faucht richt stoutly and richt lang,
Bot at the last þe king was þe victure,
And of thare folkis he slew doun all þe floure,
And tuke thare king and sesit him presonere,
With mony ane haltane knicht and bachiller.
It was part of þe boundis of Babillon,
Quhilk made þame proude, þare traist was þare-apoun;
Grete multitude thare was baith tane and slane
And chaist away, þat few past hame agane.

With that the king in haist past to þe toun,
And for to se þe cite made him boun;
And fand the portis standand wide in twyn,
And wend that thare had bene na man left þarein,
And, for his hors was maist spedy and traist,
Into þe toun he made entre formaist,
And with him enterit but a few menȝe.
Quhen thai war in, þi cryit, “Wele gaing ȝe!”
With that the porte-culis thai lete doun fall,
And mony worthy man ȝede to þe wall;
Syne come apoun him sic a multitude,
Quhilk slew his men about him quhare he stude,
That of ane hunder þi left nane bot five,
That he was neuer sa stede in all his live.
He lichtit doun and tuke him to his fute,
And prayit his goddis þat þi wauld be his bute;
Thay drew about him as scheip dois in a fald,
Bot [he] that was baith wicht, hardy and bald,
Defendand him sett his bak to ane wall,
And felloun straikis lete amange þame fall.
Thare was na armying mycht his strakis stynt.—
Sa lichtlie laid he on þame dynt for dynt
That oft-tymes tua with a strake of his hand
He f[el]d, that nane agane his strake mycht stand:
Sa tyk the dede men lay into þat place
That na man mycht cum nere him quhare he was.

Quhen that thai saw þare folk sa freschely falȝede,

165

Than tuke thai schote and newlingis him assalȝeid.
Than was the douȝesperis all without þe toun,
And for to gif þe assalt þai made þame boun,
Sum with ledder, sum schotte, and sum with myne,
Sum cast of stane, sum gvn, and sum engyne;
With that about him come thare mony ane,
That wele ane thousand faucht with him allane,
Off quhilk he wan þe floure of victory,
And chaist thame all, and slew of thame mony.
With that þe mynouris persit had the wall,
And brak the portis and lete þe ost in all.
Tha[n] sade all men þat þis mycht neuer be
Bott God had bene in his helpe and supplie.
Syne was þe citie tane richt suddantly,
And castyn doun and distroȝeit vterlie,
And als þe king led presonere away,
And syne þe guidis amange thame partit thay.

Sone eftir that, þai trumpit vp to ga
Vnto a citie quhilk callit was Ambina,
Quhare þai purvayit þare for þare estate.
Thay schote at thame þe springaldis birnand hate—
Off all thare schote þai poisound ay þe hede,
Quhare-euer þai hitt þare was na dome bot dede,
Quhill of his men sa mony thai had slane,
Quhill thay retrayed þame [fra] þe feild agane.
The king was wa, he wist nocht quhat to do,
And sacrefice he made his goddis to,
And of his fortoun counsale at þame sperde:
And in þe nycht a man till him apperde,
And bad him be of gude conforte and chere,
He sould that ciete wyn withoutin were;
And gaif him syne ane herbe in-till his hand,
Bad him gar men it seik quhare þai it fand,
And ony man that hurt war with poisoun,
But drede, that herbe suld be þare warisoun.

This was the god Aymon, his fader dere,
Quhilk conforte him, and gart him mak gud chere,
Quhilk bodely spak with him into þe nycht,
Sayand he suld be with him in þe ficht.
And on the morne þe citie to þai past,

166

And gaif it assalt, and tuke it at þe last,
Na neuer man he tynt of his menȝe,
And of that citie mony ane gart dee;
And furthwith quhan a man was strikin doun,
That herbe þame helit sone of þat poisoun,
And mony quhilkis war woundit of before,
Thare hele agane þat herbe gart thame restore.

Than all the land obeyit þame halely
Vnto his wand and till his seingȝory.
Thus all the regioun dounwart conquest he
Fra that river to Sadoch in þe se:
The land of Sadoch is ane grete regioun,
All sett about with mony worthy toun,
And thare reparis þe floure of merchandise,
Quhilk cummys fra Ynde and doun fra Paradise;
It standis in þe south sey southwart,
And Litill Ynde declynis to that parte;
It is sa strang it wald to nane obey,
For it is all about invirounid with the sey—
The Greik Sey inclosit all the tua parte,
The Rede Sey metis it in ane vþer arte;
And thus it is all closit with sey about,
That of nane inemyis þai had na dout.
Bot [Alexander] tocht wele it to wyn,
Na wauld neuer ceis quhill he war anys þarein,
And to þe Rede Sey passit he in hye,
Quhare that the barnis of Israll passit dry,
Out-throw desertis, craggis and woddis wylde,
Quhen Herode out of Egipt þame exild,
Quhare thai resauit him with grete estate—
Thame tocht it was na bute to mak debate.

He feistit thare with mekill ryaltie,
And ay betwene disporte him on þe se;
Sa he beheld the fische that was hiddous,
Off quhalis and hiddounys mare na ony hous,
And how thai made ilkane to vther were,
And of þe land thare mycht na man thame dere;
And tocht in-till his hart how mycht he be
Lord of the warld bot he war of þe sey,
And tocht how he micht to þe fische mak were

167

In-to the sey, and na fische him to dere;
And send for men of craft þe worthiest
Off all that land, and eik the subtillest,
And thare devisit to mak ane tvn of glas,
Off tewich metall þat on-brekabill was,
Quhilk be arte of magice fundin had
Wourthy Platoun, quhilk gart it first be made,
And sic ane tempir gaif thai till it thare,
It was vnbrekabill, as vther metall war.
And syne ordand ane chalmer for to ma
Off that metall, bundin with chenȝeis twa,
And armit all about with speris of steill,
Off thre fadome, and grundin scharp and wele,
Richt as ane hurchoun fensit all about,
That of na fische in warld he hed na dout.
It was baith stark and sture and made for lest,
That for na waw na wedder it wald brest;
It was sa clere it had yneuch of sicht
Wnder the wattir, baith be day and nicht.
Ane opyn went abone it couplit had,
Quhilk was of ledder like ane chenȝie made,
And borne with bollis fletand on þe flude—
How-euer the wynd was, ay it wpwart stude.
And put in it victall for dayis thre,
And couplit it to schippis in þe sey,
And syne gart synk it [fer] fra ony land,
Quhare maist of hiddouus fische war reparand;
And tuke with him in fallowis tua or thre,
For to persaue the secretis of þe sey,
For he wist wele þare suld na dede him dere,
Nowther into tyme of pece na into were,
Nowther be antir na be inemye,
Quhill of þis erde he had þe hale maistrye.

And quhen he doun vnder þe wattir was,
Foure schip rade on ankir on þe place,
Quhilk ilkane had ane capill him to wey,
To draw him the thrid day of þe sey.
Bot thare the mervellis þat he said he saw,
Thare is na man bot he wald stand grete aw
For to here tell the huge quantetie

168

Off fische that ar wadand vnder the sey,
For as beistis here waveris in þe are,
Sa in þe sey the fische makis thare repare,
And on þe ground thai gang fechtand togidder,
And ilkane chaissand vther hiddir and tidder—
And euer elike þe mare etis þe les,
And euer sall do, and euer before tyme was.
Sic fische he saw þat it was tere to tell,
Quhilk, had nocht bene þat he it saw him-selff,
He micht neuer throw þat euer God of Nature
He made in erde sa huge a creature,
For thai war mare like to be hillis he,
Of grete montanis, or craggis in þe sey,
Na for to be ane thing þat beris live;
Had he nocht sene ilkane with wther strive—
And evere kynd will to thare nature draw,
And of ane nature standis ane vther aw,
And quhilk of þame that may the maistry haue,
He and his fallowis etis vp all the lave—
And fra the maist vnto the lest degre,
Sic is the law and custumye of þe sey.
Als in þe are þe foulis dois richt sua—
Quhen þai want fude, ilkane will vther sla,
And euer the mare has maistry of þe les.
Als in þis erde sa is it of riches:
Quhat ferly is than þat riche man wald be
Maister of þe laif þat ar in law degre,
Sen God and Nature ordand has it sua.
Him tocht that men þarte suld to thame ta,
Giff that thai mycht be maisteris oure þe laid—
Thay ar worth lordschip þat lordschip sa can haue.

And had nocht bene his grundin pykis of steill,
He traisti[t] it had nocht standin with him wele,
For he saw thame þare suelly in þat place
Fer greter morcellis na his chawmer was.
The glas quhaireof was made his habitakil
Was far clerere na glas of a spectakill,
That his sicht in þe sey was alsa clene
As thare richt nocht before his sicht had bene;
Men sall nocht knaw þe glass into thai landis,

169

In thare werk, quhill thai fele it with thare handis—
That metall sa clere is and sa fare,
It lattis na mare þe sicht than dois þe are.

Thus Alexander, quhan he had all assayit,
And of his viage held him wele appayit,
He turnit vp agane in the mane-land,
To se gif ony ma was rebelland;
And ay on Babillone his mynd he had,
And hidder tocht he to draw but mare abade.
Bot sindrie anteris happinyit him by the way,
Quhilkis in this buke all coimpt we na may,
Bot of þe gretest and the maist mervellus
Quhilkis him befell, and the maist perrellus.

His messingeris was cummyne fra Cartage
Fra the Ammerall, quhilk grantit him trewage,
Sayand quhen-euer he come into that land
He suld cum sone and make him leig and band.
The grete Sowdane also of Babillone
Saw that thare was na land bot his allone
Bot thai had made him all obedience,
Or thai had hecht to cum to his presence,
Bot gyffin it war wylde folk in wildernes,
Quhilkis nowtherane witt na governance has;
And traistit thare was nane þat wald rebell
Till his persoun, sic fortoun to him fell,
That with his goddis tuke he his avise
That he wald pas and vesie Parradise,
For sen it was in erde and on dry land,
Bot gif it war till his crovn obeysand
He micht nocht call him maister of all þis erde,
Quhilk war a want of filling of his werde.

And chesit vp ane certane of cumpaney,
Ten thousand tryit men or nere thareby:
Throw Mekill Ynde to pas he purposit thus,
Throw a cuntre was callit Terre Mervellus,
The quhilk cuntre is nerrest Paradise,
Quhare mekill gold and riches growand is;
Bot mony kynd of strange folk he fand,
And mony realmes, or he come to that land.

Thare is [m]a kingis in Ynde, as I persu[m]e,

170

Na thare is now in-till all Cristindome:
Off Cristin kingis in Grece þare is bot sevin,
In Italy and Spenȝe bot elevin;
[Threttene] thare suld be into Germanie,
For euery duchare þare a king suld be;
In France and in þe illis of þe west
Thare suld be sevin, be þame þat wate it best:
Thare is now foure in France vnder a crovne,
Quhilkis in auld tymes was in divisioun;
In Scotland, Ingland and till Irelandis,
Thre kingis war, as men vnderstandis—
Thus in all Cristin land þare is nocht bot fourty,
And till Ynde thre skore and ma thareby,
Quhilkis haldis now at Prester Johnnys fay,
And Cristin folk be ressoun call we may.
Sen thai trow in Johnn and ar baptist,
Thay suld be ressoun bere þe name of Criste—
Crist sayis, “Quha baptist is, and trowis in me,
Withouttin ony dout þa[i] savit be.”
Bot thai and Grece has mekill defference
Fra oure haly Pape and his obedience,
For thai ar of ane bustuous kynd of men,
That litill can, and covatis nocht to ken;
For pride and riches quhilkis growis in þare regiouns,
Thay dedenȝe nocht to kepe oure oppiniouns,
Bot we dred sare þat dampnit all thai be,
Saifand the will of Goddis private;
Bot sen thai trow in God and oure Lady,
Ȝitt mone we favoure þame mare hartfully,
For we traist all, and in oure faith we hald,
To be bot ane schepehird and ane fald,
Quhare Cristis folk sall all assemblit be,
And all this differance bring in vnite,
And hald all a faith to þe Day of Dome,
And all be savit throw faith and Cristindome,
Suppois þis twich nocht to the principall
Off my purposis, it may do na tynsale,
Bot as to diuers kynde of bustuous men,
Quhilkis na gude can, na nane wald lere na ken.

171

To Paradise the thre Yndis ar nerrest,
Bot mekill of þame is wildernes and waist,
Baith craggis and woddis, as we said oft before,
Quhare is nowther cattell, corne, na store;
Weil fourty iournayis is of wildernes,
Quhare neuer man gat harbrie in na place
Bot gif thai war of sa hie gouernance
That thai brocht with thame all thare purveance.
Tha[n] Alexander throw-out of þe cuntre past,
Quhill he come to the waist land at the last,
And throw-out by the landis of Terre de Dee,
Quhare with the treis before spokin had he,
The quhilk is in the mydwart of Ynde land,
Mare drawand to þe soith na the north hand,
Quhare maist plentie of oliphantis growis,
And gold and pretius stanis maist conflowis.
Nere-by thare was þe land of pigmeanis,
Quhilkis, as we said, makis were aganis þe cranis;
In that cuntre ar hillis mervellus:
In-till ane regioun quhilk is callit Cassus
Thare is ane hill quhilk Mont Austra is callit,
That to the hicht skant may a man behald.
Ane vther regioun past he throw alsua,
The quhilk to name is callit Segorida;
Ane vther realme is callit Pocalyn,
Quhilk wele and graciously resauit him—
And all thir realmes þat we speik of þus
Ar all in Ynde and in Terre Mervellus.

Ane vther cuntre was callit Assurie,
Quhilk strekis vnto þe [ille] of Femynee;
Ane vther cuntre, callit Icircola,
Strekis southwart towart Babilone alsua;
Ane vther cuntre was callit Albodyne,
Syne efter Sirosis and Sandanyn—
Betuix the fludis that cummys fra Paradise
The devisioun of þir thre Yndis is,
And all thir regiouns þat þe buke of spekis
In thai cuntreis betuix þe fludis strekis.
Syne past he throw a land callit Rybotee,
Quhilk merchit sidlingis with Terre de Dee,

172

Quhare tempill Diane and the palace ryall was—
The reuuere callit the Son thare passand was.
Ane regioun thare quhilk callit is Crassinkynis,
The hede of Ynde, and to the south inclynis,
And strekis to the grete ile of Sadoch,
Quhare kepit was fra Pharon Goddis flok;
Syne efterwart is ane yle is callit Agor,
Syne Terra Perdica is thare before,
Ane yle lyis eistwart on-to Paradise,
In the Greik Sey a space fra Sadoch lyis.

Quhen he was in þi landis cummuyne sua,
He studeit him quhat gait that he wauld ga
To Paradise, be wattir or be land,
For fra thyne furth þare was na folk duelland,
And na thing bot wylde beistis þare was,
With craggis and clewis, woddis and wildernes;
With [that] the erde was vp agane sa stay,
And nowther was þare passage, rod, na way,
Bot he montaingȝeis, craggis and forrest,
With liouns, dragouns, griffouns and wylde beist,
And all the way na freche watter þat gud is,
Bot it that come doun rynnand in þe fludis,
The quhilk, becaus þai ran sa fast on hede,
The wattir was all strublit thik and rede;
And als þe hete sa grete was, but mesure,
It sla wald ony [erdly] creature;
And all the folk said him of þat cuntre
That bettir was to pas vp be þe se,
And doun agane to Sadoch for to ga,
Or till Agor or Terra Perdica,
And schip in thare and be þe sey to pas,
Les perrellus and les doutable was.

Than tocht he till him-self a litill, and smylde:
“Gif I suld leif for drede of beistis wylde,
For hete, for hunger, or for craggis hie,
For radoure leif þe land and tak the sey,
Than war I nocht of all erde conquestoure,
Na wourthy to be callit ane emprioure,
And namly in the last of my conquest—
To wyn honoure þan suld I governe best.”

173

That nycht he woik in-til his palȝioun,
And made his prayaris to ȝe god Aymon,
And to þe god of Egipt, Seraphus,
To Iubbiter, Appollo and Marthus,
And askit þame counsale and conforting,
How he suld bring to purposis all this thing.
That nycht the god Aymon till him apperd,
And in his hand betaucht till him a swerde,
And all þe way he could till him devise,
The quhilk that Adame come fra Paradise;
And bad him tak þat swerd intill his hand,
And sidlingis by the ryver hald the land,
And tak with him wrichtis that subtell ware,
With all thare wirkin limmys, les and mare,
To mak ane schip quhen he come to a glen,
Off quhilk the takinnys he teichit him to ken:
Quhen he come thare, ane schip gar mak bad he,
In quhilk thare sould na kynde of irne be;
And t[a]ke with him ane hundreth oliphantis,
The best betaucht quhilkis men to batall dantis,
And gar þame draw þat schipe endlang þe flude;
And gif the gate for treis agane þame stude,
With tymmer-men gar hew þe wod away;
And said thare suld na wylde beist to thame dere,
Nor suld haue nede of wapin, scheild, na spare,
Bot tak with him ane sorte of worth knichtis,
And hald thame ay in prayer, day and nychtis,
And leif his menȝe doun in þe meane-land;
And bad for nane þat he suld be dredand,
Ger oliphantis bere victuale at fusoun,
For he suld se na thing bot venysoun,
Bot foule fleand and fische in þe ryvere,
And rynnand wattir, strublit and nocht clere;
And him gar turs baith tvnnys and vther veschell,
To hald the wattir in quhill that it war stale,
And latt it stand ane nycht to stale vnsterde,
Syne bettir wattir was nane into þis erde.

All þis was done as he him counsalit hade,
And made his ordinance but mare abade;
Thare with þe ost he levit Ptholome,

174

And Duke Emenedoun with him tuke he,
Dauclyn, Arrestes, Cauloun and Perdicas—
The laiff to kepe þe ost doun levit was.
With him ane hunder knychtis gud and sure—
The warst was worth to be ane empreoure—
With thare seruandis to governe þare victale,
And alkyn officeris of governale
Quhilkis nedfull war and spedefull for to haue,
And with the cumpaney left all þe laif.
And on þe morne tymely þai made þame boun,
And passit furth with grete devotioun
The way that Adame come fra Paradise,
Richt as þe god Aymon had made devise.

Bot for to say the mervellus þat he saw,
How [g]ryffis and dragouns in þe forrest flaw,
Ilkane at vther schuttand flauchtis of fyre,
Quhilkis to behald it was a grete mater—
Thare saw he dragouns werand hornes lang,
The quhilkis war mekill as oxin, grete and lang,
And sum with fire and venoun slaw þe dere
To thare awne mete, and made thareof gud chere;
Syne saw he dragouns fleand ane grete menȝe,
With foure wyngis and hedis tua or thre—
Thare bodeis war of fivetene fute and mare,
Quhilkis glitterand oure of diuers cullouris war;
Thare craggis war lang tua ellyn gude, and mare,
Thare hornes war like to ram hornis þat þai bare,
The quhilkis war fechtand with the vnicornis,
Quhilkis stikit mony serpentis with þare hornes
Wnder þe wame—þe bak þai micht nocht dere:
Thare baikis war armit with skalis for þe were;
And of þai dragouns quha þame mycht haue had,
Off g[ol]d a kingis ransoun micht haue made,
For all hir banis and hir skalap-schellis,
Hir teicht, hir toung, hir clukis and hir fellis,
Thay ar sa pretius into merchandise
Thare is na man can sett þame to richt price;
The ene in-till hir hede war pretius stanis,
And sindrie vertewis had baith skyn and banis;
Hir ene lemyt as lantern in þe nicht,

175

That quhare scho passit, þai made hir-selff a licht.

Thay saw beistis quhilk aucht fute on þame had,
Wer mekill and grete, and wounder ferly made,
And alsua mony ene had in þare hede,
Off sindry hewis, blak, grene and rede,
And harnys likest till ane ram had thai;
Thay ran sa fast, na beist ouretak thame ma.
Syne in ane ile þai saw beȝound þe flude
Ane herde of hidduous beistis quhare thai stude:
Thay war of [thretty] fute of lenth, and mare,
And lang, lokerand and hingand was thare hare,
And maist till hors þai war like of þare mak,
Richt as a hors sa bowand was þare bak.
All kynd of beist þat men vauld here devyne,
Baith apis and beris and wolfis and wylde swyne,
Thay war sa grete, and of sic quantetie,
Mare na ar here, þat mervell war to se:
The wylde cattis þai ar mare na wolffis here,
And thare wolfis gretare na ony dere,
And richt sa all kyn foulis of all fassoun
Ar mare na ouris, without comparisoun.
Thare war beistis quhilkis leggis had richt lang
And wounder grete, and brawnys had richt strang,
And all thare body schorte was of þe schene,
Like till ane troll þat of a lynke had bene,
Ane litill hede, vnder þe hals a lap,
And mekill fete like till ane hors of schap.
Thus fourty dayis he was in travelling,
And be the way saw mony frelie thing,
And ay him tocht he passit vp agane,
That beist and man was irkit of þare pane;
Quhill at the last he come nere-hand þe place
To mak the schip quhare þat he ordand was,
And gart the wrichtis hew tymmer, and devise
To mak thare schip to pas to Paradise;
The graith all reddy brocht with him had he—
Thare suld na nale be in it bot of tre.

The schip was made, and all thingis wele avisit
Richt as þe god Aymon had devisit;
The oliphantis war couplit to þe draucht,

176

And everie man his saule to God betaucht.
He tuke nane with him bot Dauclyne and Tholome,
And victuale for day[i]s twa or thre;
And all the laif he left into that place,
Bot thame to red þe way that ordand was;
With thame als þe oliphantis draif,
And on þe land he gart leif all þe laif.
Quhen thai come nere þat thai þe place mycht se,
It was sa huge, mervellus and hie,
And eik it was sa plesand and sa fare,
Sa temperit and sa sobir was þe are,
And quhare before was woddis and wildernes,
Na thing bot frute and flouris and spicis was;
The craggis all endland þe ryver sydis,
The treis of balme þe gletand gold oure-hydis,
The flouris ferly fare war on þe fold,
The craggis mellit war off messy gold;
Thare was na cloude na strublance in þe are,
Bot soft and swete þe wedder was, and fare—
That place to se þai tuke sa grete delite
That fra þare-selff þai war sa revist quyte
That of nane erdly thing þai tuke na kepe,
Bot all his seruandis soundly fell on slepe.

The way was wyde, þe wallis war richt hie,
That skantlie to the crope mycht na man se;
The passage throw þe quhilk þe flude come doun
Was like a postrum of a wallit toun,
Bot it was mekill, and of grete quantetie,
And quhare it fell, it was like to þe se.
The revere, that was brade and depe and clere,
Was neuer mare fare in well na in ryvere;
It stude ay depe as loch, and ran nocht fast,
Richt fra þe place þat in þe schip he past.
Thay saw nowther porte na postrum na entre,
Bot kirnellis on þe wall þat was sa hie—
Than was he mare abaissit na before,
For tocht he had of ledderis twentie skore,
And cupplit all togidder in a lyng,
Thay suld nocht reik vp to the kirnelling.
Thare culd nocht knaw þat thare was ony nycht,

177

For euer as day þe son was fare and bricht.
The king was nocht in habit ryall thare,
Bot as a send of Alexander he ware;
In-till his schip thre dayis þare he lay,
And euer in prayaris, bayth be nycht and day,
For he wist wele in his power na was
To gett nane ansure of þat haly place,
Na fynd the way to past vp to that hicht,
Bot gif it war throw grace of God almycht.

Than slepit he, [as] all man-kynd man do,
And in his slepe god Aymon come him to,
And bad him draw his schip to wallis nere,
And [hald] him in deuotioun and prayer,
And ask that thai wald tribute till him bring
Off Paradise, for Alexander the king,
And teicheit him in quhat kynd of langage
That he suld ask þame tribute and trewage,
And bad him say his maistere was nocht here,
Bot Tholome, quhilk was his messingere.
The king walkinyit, and did as he him bad,
And sone the schip was to þe wallis laid.
The king satt on his kneis in praying—
The wattir grew vp to þe kirnelling,
And bare the schip vp to þe wallis hie.
(He had put furth Dauclyne and Tholome,
And in þe schip na[ne] left bot him alane,
And thus-gate to the wallis is he gane.)
And quhen he was vpliftit in þe are,
Than he beheld the regioun þat was fare,
And all the cuntre bakwart to the west;
And in þe sey on side his sicht he kest,
And saw the goldin crage þat stude it by,
Off massy gold schinand sa gloriusly;
He saw the cirkill of Paradise about,
Quhilk closit is all with þe sey, withoutin dout,
All but ane threid þat ansueris to þe land
Quhare that the fludis foure ar out flowand.
The wallis war rouch and all ourecled with grene,
Off spice and balmes and gold schynand betwne;
He saw the foure fludis quhilkis flowand war

178

Out of þat stede, and sall do euermare—
Ilkane semyt fra vther legis ten,
Quhilk fra the mont ilkane past in a glen;
Betuix the fludis, froyit and flouris fare,
Bot erdle men þare mycht nane thare repare,
The landis sa strate war risand vp sa hie,
And of vnbeistis sa huge ane quantetie,
Na na repare na way to cum na ga,
Bot he quhilk throw þe will of God come sua.

The place within is mekill and spacius,
And all þe land about sa gracious,
Sa plesand and delectabill for to se,
Suppois a man þare tuentie ȝere suld be,
He vauld nocht think it tuentie dayis lang,
For sic a melody of birdis sang,
With all plesance þat mannis witt mycht think,
That thame lest nocht of vther mete and drink,
That quhen that thai thre dayis thare had bene,
Thai tocht thai had bot cummyn ȝist[re]ne.
Than Alexander in sprete sa revist was,
He vauld richt fane haue bene within þe place,
Bot that wald neuer be, of na kyn wise;
Sen at the last he callit in twise or thryis,
And askit tribute to þe emprioure
Quhilk of þis erde all-hale is conquerioure.
With that ane angell to the wall couth cum,
Said, “Alexander, here art þow richt welcum—
For thai tribute ane apill here I the gif;
And think that þow has schorte tyme for to liff,
And kepe it wele, quhan þow cummys hame, it wey—
It sall turne hewe quhat tyme þat þow be fey.
Thow sall nowther cum into þis place, na luke;
Fare wele,” he said—with that his leif he tuke.

The wattir wanyt, þe schip devalit doun;
He walkinyt vp his men, and made þame boun.
Thay passit doun withoutin mare abade
Vnto the place quhare that the schip was made.
Thai left the schip and tuke þame to þe land—
Than thre moneth thai had bene passand—

179

And syne to þe meane-land þai come agane,
Off quhilkis þe lordis war richt wounder fane,
Sayand, “Velcum, oure lorde and oure governoure—
Now may we say þow art hale emprioure
Off all þis erde, sen we haue suth knawlege
That Paradise hes ȝeldit þe trewage.”

Thay trumpit vp with ioy, and furth þai ga,
And tocht that þai wald se of mervellus ma,
And pas to Babilone ane wther way,
And vesyit landis quhilk ȝitt nocht sene haue þai.
Quhen thai come fra þe Pillar of Hercules,
Thai fand of folk þat wounder ferly was:
Sum hedles, and thare mouth in þare breist,
Sum bot ane e in myddis of þe forehede neist,
Sum hade the hedis like doggis and sum like swyne,
And beistis als quhilk fete had aucht or nyne,
And in thare hede had alsa mony ene—
Bot in that cuntre before he had neuer bene.
Than throw thai landis þare he passit hale,
And saw sic men and mony grete mervell—
Thai war gyandis, of [sixtene] fute of lenth,
And sturdy men and sture, and of grete strenth,
And be the caus thai war of gyant kynde,
Thai slew all doun that thai mycht of thame find.
Than said the king, “Þis is mervell to me,
That sic ane pepill in þis gude land suld be,
For gude men suld be ay quhare the gude land is,
And for to big and laboure with þare handis,
And ill pepill suld be in ill cuntre,
In craggis, covis, and illis in þe se;
Me think the landis ill departit was—
Maist wikkit pepill maist welth of riches hes.
And I may leiff, it sall nocht be þus lang—
I sall mak ȝitt ane viage þame amange
And I mycht anys be lorde of Babilone,
That to conclude, and tak my latest croun;
Syne sall I vesy all þe hale cuntre,
Fra Paradise vnto þe Occiane Se,
And all to put in graith and gouernale,
Ger polecy and law be kepit hale.

180

“Off all this erde þare suld be bot a king,
That all mycht ansure to a gouernyng,
For sindry kingis sindry wittis hes,
And sindrie wittis grete devisioun mais,
And ilkane wald be oure ane vthir lorde,
And thus may landis neuer lang tyme accorde;
And þus for covatus of king to king,
The commoun proffitt is put in perissing—
Bot war thare a king þat war kyndly wise,
He mycht þis warld all gouerne be iustice.”

And as thai cumand throw þe cuntre was,
Out-throw ane cuntre callit was Lages,
The pepill come before him halely,
And welcumnyt him and bare him cumpaney.
Syne in ane land quhilk Tertes callit is
Ane foule to him was present, as I wis,
Quhilk as ane hauk was borne on mannis hand;
And sic ane wertew was hir followand
That quhen scho saw ane seik man þat wald de,
Scho turnit hir hede and wald neuer on him se,
And suld he liff and haue na dout of dede,
With blayth chere scho wald turin about hir hede.
Syne come [thai] to þe landis of Albany,
Ane regioun quhilk of men war richt mychty,
Quhilk vther tymes made him obedience,
Quhilkis him resauit with grete excellance.
Syne in a realme was callit Saladyne,
A mychtie cuntre þat was Baktrum cald,
Was nere Sadoch, quhilk I before of tald;
Syne fundit thare a citie wounder strang,
And made gude chere, and restit him wele lang.

Thare by he fand ane place of Exerceis,
Quhilk in his tyme ane emprioure worthy was;
Into that place ane lordis son fand he,
Quhais fader was a prince of grete degre,
The quhilk the croun renuncit and forsuke,
And till ane liffe contempla[t]i[f] him tuke;
And all þe statis þat he mycht of here
Removit him nocht, na gart him change his chere,
Bot late and are into the tempill stude,

181

And warly tuke him bot his lyvis fude.
And quhen the king come þare, he send him for,
And sperit at him þe caus quhy and quharefore
He wald nocht tak his croun na gouernale—
It war his will þat he war lorde alhale,
And nocht to do to him bot feuta,
And kepe his dewiteis and lawte.
He ansured sayand he had begun ane thing
Quhilk, mycht he bring it till ane gude ending,
He suld the croun tak at his ordinance,
And reule syne be him al his gouernance.
Than sperit he quhat kin a thing it was:
Tha[n] said he, “Thare was erdit in this place
All my foirbearis and my fader dere,
And all thare banis I watt ar liand here;
And I haue sett my besines to ken
To knaw thare banis by banis of sempill men,
And thareon haue I studyit mony a day;
And be þe caus þat knaw thame I na may,
I can nocht witt quhat proffittis me gentreis,
Sen all man-kynd to God is of a price;
And sen I watt sa schorte quhile I mon bide,
I watt nocht efter quhat sall me betide,
Na quhare to gang, na in quhat cuntre,
And for my dede man sare accusit be.
Than sall I tak þe leist charge þat I may—
The les I tak, þe les I bare away.”
The king saw that he was inclynit sua,
Made his brother king, and lete him ga.

[S]yne come [thai] in a land of Terre de Dee,
Quhare housis war all of [a] quantetie,
And all in like grete maisteris in þe toun,
And livit be all thing in ane liffe commoun.
Than Alexander disgisit him to se
How iustice in þat land mycht kepit be,
And in thare pretore passit on a day,
Quhare-in thare commoun iustice kepit þai.
Sa was thare ane quhilk movit a questioun
Aganes ane vther burges of þe toun,
Sayand that he had bocht fra him a land

182

Quhare vnder erde ane hurde of gold he fand,
Quhilk was nocht his, na of it wald he nocht,
For anerly the ground fra him he bocht.
This tother part ansurid on þis wise:
“I sald the ground with all riches as it lyis—
Quhat ressoun is that I suld tak agane
That I haue sald, and all my payment tane?”

The tother said Na, for his intentioun
Suld be accept, efter the law commoun,
“For my ententioun was nocht for to by
The hurde þareof—till it na richt haue I.”
The tother said, “That rynis nocht to me,
For I sald nocht bot þat was myne to the,
And gif ocht was þare[i]n hid prively,
It mycht neuer be myne conquest richtwisly.”
The tother said, “I mycht wele fall, percase,
That ȝoure forebearis hyderis of it was;
Thus, sen it is movit of ȝoure parrage,
Me think it suld be ȝouris of heretage.”
The tother said, “That is ane douttous thing,
For gold will lest richt lan[g] in-till hurding—
Percase that gold was hide and hurdit þare
Before or my forebearis lordis war:
Than suld I be full sare pynnyst þarefore,
To spend the guidis þat vtheris travelit for.”

The tother said, “Quhat will ȝe than done be?
Lo here þe gold, it sall nocht gane with me,
I haue yneuch of charge on my conscience—
I me discharge here in ȝoure awne presence.”
The tother sais, “Sen that ȝe will do sa,
With [ȝ]oure consent I rede we bartharis twa,
That we þe gold gif all oure balȝee till.”
The tother grantit þareto with gude will.
The balȝe ansured, sayand, “That I forfend,
That I ane vtheris mannis wyn suld spend,
For gif þe gold nocht anys of ȝouris be,
How may ȝe gif it richteouslie to me?
Þocht I be iuge, I haue ane saull to kepe,
And als my conscience chargit war mare depe,
That of þe lawis knawis the ordinance,

183

Na vther folk þat ar of ignorance—
Bot call the burges and the commintie,
And latt thame with þare witt sitt doun and se
Quhat best war in þis mater to be done.”

The parteis baith with that consentit sone.
The commonis and þe counsale þare assayit,
Herand how that þe parteis had avayit,
And ordand with ane grete provisioun
To gar cry in the marcatt of þe toun
And in þe tempill, apoun solempnit day,
Giff ony vald clame richt to that mony,
Quhill certane tyme of law war cummyne and gane;
And syne that samyne mony sould be tane,
And to barnis quhilk cummyne betuix thame twa,
Ane douchter and ane son, withoutin ma,
It suld be gevin, in name of mariage,
Al[s] fast as euer þai barnis come till age.
And thus the parteis baith war wele content,
And God and man plesit of þe iugment.

Than Alexander thareof sa plesit was
That euer sen-syne he honorit ay that place,
Sayand, “God gif sic iustice kepit war
Oure all þis warld, lestand for euer mare,
And I war dede and do[l]vin into my graif,
And neuer in erde mare ioy na honoure haue.”
With that the teris tigglit oure his e,
Sayand, “Allace, sen law may kepit be;”
Sa grete desire to kepe iustice he had,
And mekill of thame þat kepid law he made,
Sayand in erde men suld kepe wele iustice,
Sen law in Hell sa trewlie kepit is,
And nocht excedis in na kynd of degre—
Ilkane is punyst as he aw to be,
Sum hie, sum law, sum les of pane, sum mare,
For nocht elike ilkane is punyst thare.

University of Virginia Library

How Porrus tuke his leiff, and purvayit for the batall