University of Virginia Library

Þe secund day with a saute a cite he takis,
Þe proddest ane at Porrus possessour was euire.
He past in-to his palais & in þe place findis
Þat semed no synfull saule þe selcuthe to trowe.
First fand he þare of fyne gold a foure hundreth postis,
With crafti coronals & clene coruen of þe same.
Be-twene þe pelers was piȝt with precious leuys,
Gilden wynes with grapis of gracious stanes.
Sum were of cristall clere clustrid to-gedire;
Sum made ware of Margarits þe mast of þe werd;
Sum was smeth smaragdyns & oþire small gemmes,
And new nychometis nemellus endentid,
Þat ware as semely quen̄ þai ware samen,
And all pargestis of plate as pure as þe noble.
Þe Messedons in þam̄ merkid with þaire mekill brandis,
And þe thinnest was a nynche thicke quen þai ware þurȝe persed;
And þo ware strenkild with stanes as sterne o þe heuyn̄,
With charbokl[e]s on̄ þe champ & with chefe perles.
Smeten̄ was smaragdans in-to þe smeth werkis,
And athill amytists als in aungels licknes;
Of Euor & of Olifants was ordand þe ȝatis,
With barrers of ane Ebyn̄-tree bonden with cheynes.
Þe Ebyn̄, as þe buke sais brin will neuir,
And growis in þe Iles of ynde as Isodry tellis.
Þe solers was of Sypirs all of a soyte makid;
And Symolacres in þe sale was sett vp-on̄ trones
All of glittirand gold as gomes it were,
Discheualer with chaplets of changand hewes;
And ilka tulke a tabernacle tildid was ouire,
And þat was grauen all grayd of gilden platis,
Flamband all in filour & fewlis en-blanchid,
Mekely merkid & made of all manere of kyndis;
And þa ware proudly depaynt þe pennes & þe wingis,
Of all colours to a-counte as þai ere cled here;
Of fethirhame & all fare as feetely enjoyned,
As þai ware shapen o þe schell to schew to oure eȝen̄.
Bet was all of brent gold þe billis & þe chauyls,
And, quen̄ as Porrus con̄ plese in presens of lordis,
Þai made as mery meledy & musik þai sanng
As in þe moneths of Mai or mydsomere euyn̄!
Þare fand he vessale of value to vyse out of nombre,
Gurds & Goblets of gold althire-finest,
Coupis all of cristall & oþire clere gemmes;
Þai fande bot a fewe dele forged of siluir.
Þan rade he fra þa regions & remewid his hostis;
To þe ȝatis of Caspy he come & sett doun his tentis,
A lande, as þe buke tellis a large & a noble,
All sauand bot serpentis & oþire sere bestis.
To þe mode qwene of Amazoyne þan makis him þis pistill.
“I, þat þe kyng am of kyngs & kiddist of lordis,
Alexander, athil child of Amon oure driȝtin,
To Calistride þe conquirese comfurth & ioye!
Oure weris & oure wirschips & of oure wale notis,
How we haue done ser Dary & drepid his kniȝtis,
Couerd all his kyngdoms & conquirid his landis,
I leue it to ȝour ladyschip þis lange noȝt vnknawen̄.
With Porrus in þe playn̄ fild proued haue my strenthis,
And oþire fele, þat ware to faynt oure force to withstand.
For-þi ȝour landis, if ȝow list to leuire fra oure handis,
Tas tite vn-to ȝour tresory & trebute vs pays.”
Þan̄ writis agayne þe wale quene & on̄ þis wyse spekis:
“I, Calistride, þe conquirese þat kepis all þis endis,
With þe mery mai[d]ons of Amazoyne þe miȝtist in erthe,
And othire birdis ebland þe biggist in erthe,
To þe modi kyng of Messedone message of blisse.
Ȝoure saule sa full of sapient sedis & floures,
Þat all þe present is apert puttis þou in mynde,
And has of cases þat ere to come a knawlage in dole.
For-þi oure soile or þou seke vmse þe be tyme,
Quat tene & torfare may tide & tent to þine ende.
Þare werraid neuir with vs na wee þat wirschip̄ achewid,
Þat he ne was heried in hast or had a heȝe schame.
For ilka lered man of lyue him so lethir haldis,
If he þat for distruccion doun in-to þe depe fallis.
Bot oure werkis & of oure wonynge-stede if ȝe wald knawe,
I sal declare ȝow þe cas clene by þire writtis.
Oure inhabetting, ser, is in an̄ Ilee & amed as a sercle,
With rynand all aboute oure erd an̄ endles wattre.
And we ere of females at þe fewis foure & xx Mille,
And twa hundreth þar-to & all of tried ladis.
A preue planke is at a place to pas & to entre,
Oure bernes bildis noȝt vs by bot ouir þe bourne wyndis.
Bot ȝet be-ȝonde ilka ȝere make we vs festis,
And thretti dais all be-dene oure delitis hauntis.
If any consaue þar a knaf þan kepis him his modire
Vij ȝere with-in oure-selfe & sendis him his fadir.
And be scho lyuir of a lasse scho lengis in oure burȝe,
And is oure thewis of oure thede thryfandly enfourmed.
Quen we to feȝt with oure faes fares out of wanes,
A hundreth thousand I hope we be on̄ horses enarmed,
Þa leues in oure lede oure lithis to defend.
Quen we repaire with þe palme þan prayses vs oure feris.
And, buske ȝe to oure bondsward vs bataill to ȝeld,
Ȝet sall we maynly on̄ þe marche mete ȝow in armes.
To lithe vs all if þou limpes na louyng þou gettis,
For þou wynnes noȝt bot wemen þare-of na worde rysis.
Bot & god graunt vs þe gree grete glorie haue we þan̄,
For þe athelist emperoure we wan̄ euen at oure will.
Be noȝt to sturten with þi sturte to stryue vs a-gayn̄,
For many leres may þe limpe slik as þou noȝt wenes!”
Quen he had lokid ouir þe lyne he laȝes at hire wordis,
And to þat lady belyme þis lettre he writis.

“I, Alexander, þat am aire of Amon̄ him-selfe,
To þe maistres out of Amazoyne many-fald ioyes!
Thre partys of þe proud werde I playnly haue won̄,
Affrike & Asye and Europ̄ þat othire.
Ȝit was neuire man a-pon̄ mold oure miȝtis to withstand,
And feȝt with vs in þe fild; ȝow fallis þe same.
Bot be-cause we lufe ȝour comyng we consall ȝow blyth
To pas out with ȝour paramours & pere vs be-forne.
On Amon̄ oure athill sire an athe I ȝow make,
Of vs to suffire na sare to sauely to wende,
Bathe oure gold ȝow to gefe & of oure gud kniȝtis,
To mary to ȝoure maidens & make þam a-vaunced.”
Sone as þai wist of his will þai wiȝtly him sente
Ten vncorsayd coltis þe clennest of þe werd,
And as mony to amend of milk-quyte stedis,
Of mony & of mekill quat mayn̄ giftis.
Dame Calistride þe conquiris comes with hire ladis,
Mas hire pes with oure prince & pas to hire landis.