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Now airis he furthe with his ost to Egist he thinkes;
And clene all þe contre quen þai his come herd,
As he had bene a hiȝe gode þai ȝode him a-gayn̄,
Resaued him with reuerence & to þar rewme lede.
Þere entirs him þat Emperoure & in þat erd findis
Of Anec his awen sire ane ymage of sable,
A berne was of blake stane all þe body hewen̄
With conyschance of a kynge with coron̄ & septere.
Þan askis of þam̄ Alexander as he þar-on̄ lokis,
Quat maner of man̄ apon̄ mold it was made efter?
“Sire, Anectabus” quod all with a steuen̄,
“Þat all þe erth of Egipte enerid vmquile.”
With þat þe flammand flode fell in his eȝen̄,
“Þat Anec,” quod þis athil kyng “was myne awen̄ fadire.”
Þan̄ fallis he flat on̄ þe fold & þe fete kyssis;
On̄ þe stane quare it stode stilly he mournes.
Syne in-to Sirie with his seggis he soȝt at þe gaynest,
And þai as baratours bald him bigly with-standis,
Set on̄ him sadly & sloȝe of his kniȝtis;
Bot ȝet ȝarely are he ȝode þai ȝald him þe regne.
Þan drafe he sa to Damac with dukis & princes,
And sone he sesyd all þat syde & Sydoyne he takis,
And þen trussis him to Tyre & þare his tentis settis
Be-syde þe cite with a som̄e & in a sege lengys.
Þare he lies with his ledis lang or he foundes,
Before þe burȝe with his bernes & mekill bale suffirs.
Quat of ane, quat of oþire oft his oste pleynes,
For wele wist þai þam̄ nane to wyn̄ to þe cite,
It was sa stiffe & sa strang & stalworthly wallid,
And so hedously hiȝe it was a huge wondire,
Tildid full of turestis & toures of defence,
Batailid & bretagid a-boute as a castell.
Þe wawis of þe wild see apon̄ þe wallis betis,
Þe pure populande hurle passis it vmby,
It was enforced with sa fele fludis & othire,
It semed neuer sege vnder son̄ be saute it to wyn̄.
Þan etils him sir Alexander & belyue makis
Be-side þe cite in þe See to sett vp a loge,
A hiȝe tilde as a toure teldid on̄ schippis,
Þat miȝt na Naue for þat note neȝe to þe cite.
Quen he þis baistell had bild vp̄ to þe burȝe wallis,
And tiȝt him as tyme was þe toune to assaill,
Slik mischife in þe mene quile emang his men fallis,
For megire & for meteles ware mervaile to here.
Þar was Princes in poynt to perisch for euire,
Alle in doute to be dede dukis & erlis,
In fere to be famyschist many fers kniȝtis,
For þar is na wa in þe werd to þe wode hunger.
Þan pleynis him þe proud kyng þe pete of his men̄,
And sendis out his sandis-men̄ with selid lettirs,
To ierusalem to Iaudis at þe iewes teches,
Þat was þe bischop̄ in þat burȝe breuyd in þa dais;
Him moneste as a maister him mayn̄ly to send
Fresch folke for þe fiȝt & fode for his oste,
And all þe trouage þare to him tittly to wayne,
Þat he to Darius of dewe was dangird to paye.
And ȝit comand he þis clerke þe kyng in his writtes,
For any richas him redis rathere to thole
Þe mayntenance of þe Messedoyns & of þe meri Grekis,
Þan̄ þaim of Persy to pay or to plese authere.
Þan̄ takis þe bischop þe breue & buȝes to a chambre,
Resayued it with reuerence & redis it ouire,
Gase him doun be degrece a-gayne to þe sale,
Swiftly to þe swiars & þam̄ his sware ȝeldis:
“Sirs, airis a-gayn̄ to Alexander & all þus him tellis,
Þat me was done many day depely to swere,
Neuer Persy to paire to pas with myne armes
In damaging of Darius durand his lyfe.”
Sone as þe wale kyng wist he writhis him vnfaire,
“Now be þat god,” quod þe gome “þat gatt me on erthe,
I sall anes on þe iewis enioyne or I die,
Sall ken̄ þam̄ quas comandment to kepe at þam fall.”
Ȝit for na torfar him tid Tyre wald he noȝt leue,
Bot chese him out a chiftane & charge[s] him belyue,
A mody man, ser Meliager a maister of his oste,
To fande him furth with a flote of fyue hundreth kniȝtis;
A[nd] Ioynes him to Iosaphat his iournay to take,
And all þe pastours & þe playnes prestly to driue,
And bring in all þe bestaill barayn̄ & othire,
Þat he miȝt se on̄ any syde þe cite of Gadirs.
Þan̄ mouys he on, ser Meliager þis miȝtifull prince
With a soume of sekir men & Sampson þam̄ ledis,
A renke at in þa regions had redyn̄ oft sythis,
And knew þe costis & þe kitthis clene all-to-gedire.
Þus ȝede þai furthe egirly & entirs þe vaile,
And slike a prai þam̄ apreued as pyne were to reken̄,
Bryngis furthe, sayd þe boke bestis out of nounbre,
And trottes on̄ toward Tyre with taite at þaire hertis.
Bot or þai meten̄ ware a myle þe meris with-outen,
Þar metis þaim̄ with a mekill flote þe maister of þe playnes,
He þat was duke of þe droues & of þe derfe hillis,
Ane Theosellus, a tulke þat tened þam̄ vnfaire.
He girdis in with a ging armed in plates,
Alto-bruntes oure bernes & brathly woundid,
Fellis fele at a frusch fey to þe gronde,
And many renke at he roue rase neuer efter.
Þan was ser Meliager moued & mayn̄ly debatis,
Flingis out on̄ a fole with a fell spere,
Gers many grete syre grane & girdis þurȝe maillis,
And many bernes at a braide in his brath endis.
And Sampson on̄ anothire side setis out belyue,
Bruschis furth on̄ a blonk brymly he smytis,
Betis on̄ with a brande broken was his lance,
Hewis doun of þa hirdis hurtis þam̄ vn-faire.
Arystes, ane athill man ai elike fiȝtis,
Spirris out with a spere & spedis his miȝtis,
And noyed of þare note-men at þe nete kepid,
And many bald, or he blan̄ broȝt out o-lyue.
Caulus, anothire kniȝt on̄ a kene stede,
On̄ Theosellus in twa his tymbre he brekis;
And þan he dryfes to þe duke as demys þe textis,
And with a swyng of a swerd swappis of hes hede.
When he was drepid & dede at þe droues ȝemyd,
Þe prekars of þe pastors & of þe proude landis,
All þe folke of his affinite at fresch ware vn̄-wondid,
Þat outhire fote had or fole to þe fliȝt foundid.
Þus Meliager with his men̄ þe menske has a-chevyd,
For þe fairere of þar faes & þe fild wonn̄;
Raschis with rethere & rydis bot a quyle,
Þat ne neȝis þam̄ a-nothire note as new as þe first.
Þare was a maister of þe marches miȝtist of othire
Ane Beritinus, a berne as þe buke tellis,
Come girdand out of Gadirs out of þe grete cite,
With þe selcuthest soume þat semblid was euire.
Slik a mynd vn̄-to me ware meruaill to reken̄,
Thretti thousand in thede of thra men of armes,
Slike as was buskest on blonkes in brenys & platis,
And othire folawand on̄ fote fele with-outen nounbre.
Þe multitude was sa mekill as mynes vs þe writtis,
Of wees & of wild horsis & wapened prenys,
Sa stithe a steuyn in þe stoure of stedis & ellis,
As it was semand to siȝt as all þe soyle trymblid.
Þan ware þe Messedones amayd quen þa see sa many;
Sire Meliager [was] in gret mynd a man out to sende
To ser Alexander belyue þaire allire maister,
To come & help with his here or þai to hande ȝode.
Þare was nane þat was glad þat message to gange,
Bot ilka lathire & othire to leue þaire frynde,
Fest þar forward in-fere þat fewe at þai ware,
To do as driȝten wald deme & dyi all to-gedire;
To telle þaire torfere entyre it taryed me swythe.
Bot so þe mode Meliager & his men feȝtis,
Þat ser Beritinus þe bald þai bretned to dethe,
And Sampson̄ on̄ þis side was slay þar-agaynys.
Þen̄ mournes all þe Messedones & maynten̄ him ȝerne,
Makis þar mane for þat man & many othire noble,
For maistris & mynistris menere & grettir,
Þat was in morsels magged & martrid a hundreth.
And þat left ware on̄ lyfe bot a litill meȝne,
Ware als malstrid & mased & matid of þaire strenthes,
Sa waike & so wyndles & wery for-foȝten̄,
Þat þai were will in þis werd qwat þai worthe suld.
Sire Meliager & othire maa mayned were sare,
All be-bled & to-brissid þat neȝe þar breth failes,
Þai were sa feble & sa faynt & full of þaim-selfe,
Þat all in fere was in fourme þe fild for to ȝeld.
Þan̄ aires him forth Arestes was augrily wondid,
To Alexander onone þas auntirs him̄ tellis,
Þe morth of all þe Messedone[s] & of þe many grekis,
Rekens him þar resons þat reuthe was to here.
With þat þe semely kyng chacches his bernes,
Semblis him a huge soume & fra þe sege wendis,
Þe toure of Tire & þe toune titly he leues,
And Ioynes him to Iosaphat full ioyles he rydes.
Ay he gretis as he gase for grefe of his knyȝtis,
Ay he pleynys as he passes þe pite of his erlis,
Ay he wepis as he wendis for his wale princes,
And soueraynly for Sampson̄ he sorowis ay elike.
When he was tane fraward Tyre toward þe vaile,
Þe werke at he wroȝt had þat water whyt-in,
Þat he had sett in þe see þe cite with-out,
Þar-in he lefte had a lede þe loge for to kepe.
Bot þan ser Balaan, a berne at in þe burȝe lengis,
Ane of þe terands of Tyre atyres him belyue,
Buskes him in breneis with big men̄ of armes,
With traumes & with tribochetis þe tild to asaile.
He bekirs out at þe bild within þe burȝe-wallis,
And þai without in þe werke wiȝtly defendis,
Schot scharply betwene schomes of dartis;
Weris wondirly wele werpis out stanes.
Bot Balaa[n] in þe barmeken̄ sa bitterly fiȝtis,
All to-combirs þam̄ clene with cast of engynes.
Sone þe top of þe toure he tiltis in-to þe watir,
And all þe tulkis in þe tild he termens o lyue;
And þan in batis & in bargis he bownes him swyth,
To þe bothum of þe baistell he buskis him with-out,
Bretens doun all þe bild & þe bernys quellis,
Drenches hire in þe hiȝe see & drawis hire on̄ hepis.
Quen it was smeten in small with þe smert waȝes,
Ilka gobet his gate glidis fra othire.
Þus þe strenth ilk stike was in a stounde wasted,
And Balaa[n] bowis in-to þe burȝe & barris to þe ȝatis.
Be þis oure kyng with his kniȝt[is] is comen in-to þe vaile,
Alexander with ane ost his kniȝtis to help̄,
Fyndis a fewe of his folke feȝtand ȝerne,
And ay a segge be him-selfe sett all a hundreth.
With þat Bucifalon his blonke he brased in þe side,
Springis out with a spere spillis at þe gaynest,
Ridis euen þurȝe þe route þar rankest þai were,
Be rawe of þar rabetis he ruschid to þe erthe,
He strikis all fra þar stedis streȝt him be-forne.
Was nane sa stiffe in þat stoure miȝt stand him agayn̄;
Quare althire-thickest was þe thrange þurȝe þaim he rynnes,
And makis a wai wyde enoȝe waynes to mete.
He laschis out a lange swerde quen his launce failes,
Threschis doun in a thrawe many threuyn dukis,
Stirs him sa in a stonde & his stithe erlis
Þat þar was [na] berne on bent bott bretened or ȝolden.
Þe seggis on̄ his awen side þat he slayn̄ fyndis,
He mas to graue sum in grete & sum in gray marble.
And þa þat laft ware o-lyue he lokis þar woundis,
And faire fangis his folke & fra þe fild wendis.
Þan bowes he to þe baistall & brymly it semblis,
Gedirs of ilk glode grettir & smallire,
And prekis furth with his pray & passes fraward Gadirs,
And tiȝt agayne toward Tyre to termen his sege.
Quen he was dreuyn ouer þe dales & drewe to þe cite,
With þat he blisches to þe burȝe & sees his bild voidid,
Als bare as a bast his baistell a-way,
But outhire burde or bate bot þe brade wattir,
Þan mournes all þe Messadones & maynly was sturb[i]d.
And Alexander also was augrely greuyd,
So ware þai troubild out of tone quen þai þaire tild miste,
Þat of þe taking of Tire trest þai na langire.
And so him-selfe in his slepe þe same niȝt eftir,
Him thoȝt he had in his hand & held of a vyne
A growen grape of a grype a grete & a rype,
Þe quilke he flange on̄ þe flore & with his fete tredis.
And quen he broken had þe bery als þe berne semes,
Þar folowis out of fresche wyne feetles to mete;
So largely & so delauyly of licoure, him thinkis,
Of ane rasyn to ryn̄ it was a ryfe wondire.
Þe kyng callis him a clerke kenely on̄ þe morne,
Als radly as he rase to reche him his sweuyn̄.
“Sire, bees a-dred neuir a dele” þe diuinour said,
“I vndire-take on my trouthe Tire is þine awen̄;
For þe bery at ȝe brake sa is þe burȝe euen.
Þai sall be sesid þe full sone & to þi-selfe ȝolden̄,
For þou sall eft all on̄ ernest entire on̄ þe wallis,
And foulire vndir þi feete with-in a fewe days.
Now compas kenely þis kyng & castis in his mynd
How he miȝt couir in any cas to come to þe cite,
Deuynes depely on dais dropis many wiles,
If he cuthe seke any sleȝt þat him serue wald;
And makis to sett in þe see riȝt in þe same place,
Þar as þe bild at he bi[l]did biggid wasse first,
To stable vp a grete strenthe all on store schipis,
Hugir be þe halfe dele & hiȝere þan̄ þe toþire;
And þat he fiches & firmes sa fast to þe wall,
So nere vnethes at ane eld miȝt narowly betwene,
And band hire, as þe buke sais bigly to-gedire,
With þat scho flisch noþer fayle fyue score aunkirs.
Quen he had tiȝt vp þis tram & þis tild rerid,
Hit had of bradnes abofe to breue out of mesure;
And to hede be a huge thing hiȝere it semed
Þan was þe wallis, sais þe writt of þe wale touris.
Þan Alexander all his ane an-ane he ascendis,
Closid all in clere stele & in clene plates,
And monestis ilk modire son̄ maynly & swyth,
Þat all be bowne at a brayd þe burȝe to assaile.
And all þe ost euyn̄ ouir he openly comandis
To be radly all arayd & redy to fiȝt;
And quen þai saȝe þat him-selfe þe cite was entrid,
Wan vp wiȝtly on þe wallis ilk wee him eftir.
Now tenelis vp taburs and all þe toūn rengis,
Steryn̄ steuyn vp̄ strake strakid þar trumpis,
Blewe bemys of bras bernes assemblis,
Seȝes to on̄ ilk syde & a saute ȝeldis.
Þare presis to with paues peple withouten̄;
Archars with arows of atter envemonde
Schotis vp scharply at shalkis on̄ þe wallis,
Lasch at þam̄ of loft many lede floȝen,
And þai ȝapely a-ȝayne & ȝildis þam swythe,
Bekire out of þe burȝe bald men many,
Kenely þai kast of with kastis of stanys,
Driues dartis at oure dukis dedly þam woundid.
Þan passe vp oure princes prestly enarmed,
In-to þe baistell a-bofe bremely ascendid,
Sum with lances on̄-loft & with lange swerdis,
With ax & with alblaster & alkens wapen̄.
Alexander ai elike augrily feȝtis,
Now a schaft, now a schild nowe a scheue hentis,
Now a sparth, now a spere & sped so his miȝtis,
Þat it ware tere any tonge to of his turnes rekyn̄.
And þai with-in on þe wall worthili with-stude,
Fersly defend of & fellid of his knyȝtis,
Thristis ouir thikefald many threuyn berne[s],
And doun bakward þam̄ bare in-to þe brad wattir.
With þat oure wees without writhis þam vnfare,
Went wode of þaire witt & wrekis þam̄ swyth;
For na wounde ne na wathe wand þai na langir,
Bot all wirkis him þe wa & wrake at he cuthe.
Sum braidis to þar bowis bremely þai schut,
Quethirs out quarels quikly be-twene;
Strykis vp of þe stoure stanes of engynes,
Þat þe bretage a-boue brast all in soundire,
Girdis ouir garettis with gomes to þe erthe,
Tilt torettis doun toures on̄ hepis,
Spedely with sprygaldis spilt þaire braynes,
Many miȝtfull man marris on̄ þe wallis.
And be þe kirnells ware kast & kutt doun before,
Be þat þe baistell & þe burȝe ware bathe elike hiȝe,
And all oure werke without þe wallis weterly semed,
Þe sidis of þe cite to se to o fernes,
Þan̄ Alexander belyf on̄ þam̄ all entris,
Bruschis in with a brand on bernes a hundreth,
Thrang thurȝe a thousand þare thikest þai were,
Wynnes worthly ouer þe wallis with-in to þe cite.
Þe first modire son̄ he mett oþire man̄ outhire,
Was Balaan þe bald berne as þe boke tellis,
And him he settis on̄ a saute & sloȝe him belyue,
And werpid him out ouir þe wall in-to þe wild streme.
Sone as oure athils be-hind saȝe þar he entred,
His men & all þe Messedones maynly ascendis,
And þai of Grece gredely girdis vp eftire,
Thringis vp on̄ a thraw thousandis many.
Sum stepis vp on sties to þe stane wallis,
On ilka staffe of a staire stike wald a cluster;
And qua sa leddirs had nane as þe lyne tellis,
Wald gett þam̄ hald with þar hend & on̄-loft clyme.
Sa freȝt ware þar othire þat feȝtis within̄,
For Balaan þar bald duke þat broȝt was of lyue,
Þat all failis þam̄ þe force & so ferd worthe,
Þat nothire with stafe ne with stane withstand þai na langir.
Sire Alexander with his athils & his awen̄ sleȝtis

Þe toune of Tire þus he tuke & othire twa burȝes,
In þe quilke þe siriens of þis sire so many soroȝes had,
As wald bot tary all oure tale þaire tourment to reken.
Sone as þis cite was sesid & slayne vp & ȝolden,
Þen ridis furth þe riche kyng & remowed his ost,
Gais him furth to Gasa a-nothire grete cite,
And þat he settis on a saute & sesis it be-lyue;
And quen þis Gasa was geten he graythis him swyth,
And Ioynes him toward Ierusalem þe iewis to distroy;
And ȝe þat kepis of þis carp̄e to knaw any ferre,
Sone sall I neuen ȝow þe note þat is next eftir.