University of Virginia Library

Þan aires he furth with his erlis & entris an̄ Ile,
Quare þir Exidraces as Ermets inhabet in caues,
A progenie of pore men̄ þat neuir pride hauntis,
And ȝit þe gentill genosophis þam̄ in þe gest callis.
Is þare na bost þaim ebland ne bataills vsyd,
Nouthire cites in to sytt cellis, nor na tounes,
Bot crepis in-to creuesse & craggis on̄ hillis,
And ay is naked [as] a nedill as natour þam̄ schapis.
Þe kyng of þat contre quen he þe come heres
Of þis prince & his parray þis pistill he him sendis.
“We, corruptible creatours & cald as be-fore,
To þe mode man̄ of Messedone all þus-gate I write.
Sire, it is sayd to oure-selfe with sere mens tongis,
How þou comes in-to oure kith-ward to cumbre vs with care,
And þat Vs wondres, I-wis for wyn̄ may ȝe nouthire
Nouthire gold ne na gude at euer gode fourmed.
Sen at we Ioy nouthire gemmes ne Iuwels in cofirs,
Pelour, pirre, ne perle ne na proude wedis,
Ne sauand bot to sustene with oure awen̄ sary craftis,
Quat in þis time may ȝe take if ȝe oure termes entre?
If ȝe will seke in-to oure soile & sett vs agayne,
Oure simpilnes & oure sobirte forsake sall we neuire.”
Quen he had lokid ouire þe lefe a lettre he in-dities,
Þat he aproched all with pes & in na plite ellis.
Quen he was entrid þar erde & sees þaim all nakid,
And won̄ as it ware wildirnes in wastis & greues,
Darke in dennes vndire dounes & in derne holis,
And bath þar bridis & þar barnes with bestes on̄ þe fellis,
Þan Alexander at þam̄ askis & all him a-wondres:
“Haue ȝe na houses ne na hames ne holis in to bery?”
And þar þai schewid him in schurrys to schellis & to caues,
Said, “here we ilka day duell deuyse how ȝow likis.”
Quen he þaire simpilnes sees he soroȝes in his hert,
Pleynes of þaire pouerte & profurs þaim full faire,
“Quat euire ȝe will in all þe werd or I wend, askis,
And I sall gladly ȝow geue with a gud will.”
“Sire, neuire to dee,” quod þai þan̄ “bot euire dure o lyue,
Þat we desire ȝow bedene & þan do vs na mare.”
“Be driȝtin, sirs, I am a duke dedelike my-selfe,
Forþi vnde[d]lynes to dele I dowe be na ways.”
“Now sen̄ it worthis,” quod þa wees “wriche, for to die,
Quarto hiȝis þou fra half to halfe & all þis harme wirkis?”
“Sire, be my croune,” quod þe kyng “þe cause at I haue
Is purly gods prouidens predestayned it is before.
Ȝe se, wele seldom̄ is þe see with him-selfe turbild
Bot with þir walowand windis; my will ware to rifte,
Bot a-noþir gast, & noȝt my gast þar-of my gast lettis;”
And wendis a-way with þat word & wemles þaim leuys.
Þe secund day with vp son̄ he with his sowme neȝes,
Quare þire Imagis ere þat Arculious had in an̄ Ile rerid.
Þe tane was all athill gold of siluir þe tothire,
Twelfe cubettis fra þe topp̄ doun & twa was þe brede.
He made his pepill þaim to perse to proue þam̄ with-in,
Quethire þai ware hologhe or hale & hale he þam̄ fyndis,
Saȝe þaim thike þurȝe-out & aithire thrill stoppis,
And fillis þam̄ florentis a fyftene hundreth.
Þan̄ drafe he þine with his dukis in a deyne entris,
A wilsom̄ wast & wild & wondirly colde,
As mirke as any mydniȝt quen̄ þe mone failes,
Þat vnnethes ken may a kniȝt to se to his fere.
Fifty days be desert he foundis with his folke,
Till he come blesenand on̄ a brym was welland hate,
And on̄ þe ferre halfe of þe bourne was wemen on̄ hors,
Þat frely faire ware of face bot foule ware clethid.
Sum beris all of brent gold brandis in þaire handis,
Sum bataill-axes & with bowes all of briȝt siluir,
For brase is nane with þa bonds ne no bige Iren̄;
Ne neuire na berne þam̄ ebland as þe buke tellis.
Þan̄ wald his pepill & his princes haue past ouir þe bourne,
And miȝt noȝt for þe morsure & maynyng of bestis,
It was so borely & brade & bred full of ydres,
Of dragons & of othire deuyls & doukand neddirs.
Þan caires furth oure conquirour with his kid ostis,
Lede þam̄ be þe left side of þe lande of ynde,
Sone was he dreuyn̄ with his dukis in-to a dryi meere,
Was full of gladen & of gale & of grete redis.
Þan snyȝes þar, out of þat snyth hill as with a snayles pas,
A burly best with a bake as bedell as a saȝe,
Kene tethe as a knyfe a cowdrife breste,
Of sembalaunce as a see-bule & sloȝe him twa kniȝtis.
Wald þar na brande in him bite ne no bigge launce,
Bot alto-maukid hire with maces & mellis of Iren̄.
A twenti dais ouire ten with torfare þai ride;
To þe formast forest of ynde oure folke all aprochid.
Euyn̄ at þe flode of Eumare oure emperoure logis,
And at þe xj houre I ame, as it ware,
Of Olifants out of þe ways an̄ endles nounbre
Come with a carefull crie oure kniȝtis to assaill.
A-pon̄ þe bald Bucifalon̄ he bremely ascendis,
Bedis of his swiers ga swyth & swyne with þaim take.
Þai ware a-baiste all belyue as þe buke tellis,
Þat durst na berne on̄ þe bent a-bide bot him-selfe.
“Be noȝt a-baist, my bachelars” þe bald kyng sayd,
“For with þe sweling of þe swyne we sall þaim all voide.”
And so þai did al bedene & sum oure douth sloȝe,
Tuke out þe tuskis & þe tethe & ternen of þe skinnes.
Þat oþer dai be desert þam̄ destaned to ride,
Be þe wild ynde woddis & wemen̄ þai faund
With bare hedes as a barne & berdis to þe pappis,
And had na hattir þam to hele bot hidis of bestis.
His seggis sesid of þam sum & to him-selfe broȝt,
And he þan̄ askid þam̄ of ynde & at þam̄ enquires,
Quat was þaire viaunce in þa vales “ser, venyson̄,” þai said,
“Slike as we haunt in þar holis with hunting in tymes.”
Þen ferd þai furth all in fere & to fild comys,
Euyn̄ to þe heued of Eumaure as I first rekend.
Þare fand þai bernys & bridis & all bale-nakid,
At was resild as a resch & roghe as a bere.
Ȝit was þe custom̄ of þar kinde as þe clause tellis,
Als wele to bide in þe bourne as on̄ þe brade lande.
Onone as þai on̄ Alexander & on̄ his ost waites,
Þai flee as fast in-to flode & to þe founce plangid.
Þan ferd þai furthe be þe frithis fiftene dais.
And sa þai willid in-to a wod was full [of] wild bestis,
Rynoceros, as I rede þe romance þam callis;
And þai assembild on̄ oure seggis bot þai ware sone drepid.
Þan̄ sexti days with his seggis he soȝt be disert,
Till he was won̄ in-to a werd all of wast fildis,
Quare nouthire holtis was ne hilles ne no hiȝe [h]eggis,
Bot all as planir & as playn̄ as a playn̄ table.
Euen̄ at þe elleuynt houre or euynsange tyme,
Quen he had tild vp̄ his tentis turbils þe welken̄;
Þe semblant sorowis of þe soile & þe son̄ wadis,
Þe werd wannes at a wap̄ & þe wedire gloumes.
Þan fell a fliȝt & a fire betwene þe foure wyndis,
Aquiloun & Affrike & ewrus þe thrid,
Vulturnus þe violent þat voidis doun þe leuys,
Þe south & of all sydis sadly þai mete,
A breme blast on̄ þe bent as þe buke tellis,
Þat all þaire tents it to-terid & turned doun þe hallis;
Þar pauylyon̄s of pirre þaire payntid clathis
It alto-schatird, & to-scailed þam̄ in sondire.
Þan̄ was kniȝtis of þe case kenely affraid,
And ilka segge be him-selfe said vn-to othire,
“Þe writhe of þe wale god I wate, on̄ vs liȝtis,
For oure founding ouire his forbod so ferre to þe est.”
Þan comforthis þaim þe conquirour & carpis on̄ þis wyse,
Bad, “baise ȝow noȝt, my baratours ne batis noȝt ȝour hertis,
It is na greme of oure gode ne grefe at vs fallis,
Bot þe entring of þe equinox it euire elike-dele kyndils.”
Sone as þe wedire wex wele & þe wynde pesid,
As, be þe bale neuir so breme it blynnes at þe last,
Þan ferd þai forth fra fild to fild & freschly assemblis
All at was sperpolid on þe spene & spilt with þe blastis.

Þan fandis he furth, as I fynd fyue & twenti days,
Come to a velans vale þare was a vile cheele,
Quare flaggis of þe fell snawe fell fra þe heuen,
Þat was a-brade, sais þe buke as battis ere of woll.
Þan bett he many briȝt fire & lest it blin nold,
And made his folk with þaire feete as flores it to trede;
Þe hete was þam̄ a hoge helpe & hettirly it voidis,
And ȝit was perischist, or he past a part of his kniȝtis.
Þan̄ vmby-clappis þaim a cloude & couirs all ouire,
As any pynaund pik þe planetis it hidis,
And þat so thestir & so thik a thre dais eftir,
Þai saȝe na leme of þe lyft ne liȝt of þe son̄.
Þan fell þar fra þe firmament as it ware fell sparkis,
Ropand doun o rede fire þan̄ any rayn̄ thikire;
Þaire cabons & þar couertours it kindils on̄ a lowe,
And all þar pauillions of pall it to poudire wastis.
It tinds on tend lowe trappour of stede,
And many costious costis consumes in-to askis,
Bages & baners it blemyschid & swellis,
And quare it neȝes on̄ þe nakid it noyis for euire.
Þan knelis doun oure conquirour & callis on̄ his driȝtins,
Giffe þam̄ siluir & so & sens at þaim castis.
Vnneth his prayer was past quen purid all þe cloudis,
And stint was all þe stikill stormes in a stand-quile.
Þen rade he in aray remowis his ostis,
To þe grete flode of Gangem & graythid þar his tents.
His bernes blischis ouir þe bourne & on̄ þe banke saȝe
Quare thre wees in a wraa welk þaim allane.
Sire Alexander bad an̄ athil aske þem̄ of ynde,
Quase þai ware, quethin þai were & of quat kind.
And þai him swiftly swarid with a swete steuyn̄,
“We ere bald Bragmenys þat neuir bale thoȝt.”
Þan list þe lord on̄ his lyfe haue with þat ledis spoken,
Miȝt he haue won̄ ouir þe watir for wounding of bestis,
As see-bule & serpentis & soukand locerhes,
Bathe eddirs & ascres & atterand wormes.
Þire Cocatricesse in creuessis þar kindiles þai brede,
Scorpions many score scautand neddirs;
And all-way bot in angwisch as þe buk sais,
And saue þe Iolite of Iuly þai Iowke in þa strandis.
Quen̄ he persayued be na poynt at he pas miȝt,
Þan was he sary in þat sithe & sadly he pleyned,
Callid to his carpentars & of his kid wriȝtis,
Bad make him boun at a braide a barge all of redis.
Quen it was done at his diuyse & draȝen ouer with hidis,
Pared & parreld at his pay pickid & taloghid,
Þan̄ bowes þarin a bachelere to bragmeyn he wendis,
To þe souereayn̄ sire of þe soile & sesid him þis pistill.

“I, þat kyng am of kyngis & crouned of lordis,
Alexander þe aire of Amone oure driȝtin,
And of þe quene Olimpades þat I am of sprongen̄,
To þe, ser Dindyn̄, on̄ þi dese dities of Ioye.
Sen we chapid out of childhede & cheued to eldire,
Þat we cuthe any-gates gesse betwyx gud & ill,
Syne was oure will ay with witt to warisch oure saule,
And kest out all vnclennes & clene it deuoidid;
For þe philisophour in his fourme vs feetly declares,
Þat saȝe with-outen sapience it seldoum aproues.
And it is wayued vs to wete & warned now late,
Þat all oure leuyng & oure laȝes ȝe wetirly dispice,
And ȝour manars fra all othire mens so mekill ere deffirrid,
Þat nouthire in see ne in soile seke ȝe na helpe.
Bott deyned it ȝour doctryne bedene vs to write,
Ȝoure customes & ȝoure conscience & of ȝour clene thewis,
We miȝt sum connynge per cas chach of ȝoure wordis,
And ȝour lare of a leke suld neuire þe les worth.
Slike similitude of science is sett, as of kynde,
As of a blesand brand or of a briȝt candill.
For many liȝtis of a liȝt is liȝtid othire-quile,
And ȝit þe liȝt at þam̄ liȝtis is liȝtid as before.”
Quen̄ he had waytid ouer þis writtis his mynd he remembris,
And be þe same sandisman̄ him send sike anothire.

“I, ser Dindimus, a duke þat neuire deere wroȝt,
Blith berne on my benke þe Bragmeyns maistir,
To þe modi kynge of Messedone þis maundment I write.
Sire Alexander, þe athill at all þe werd loutis,
Sire, þe tenour of þi titill I trow, be na mare,
Bot anly wisdom̄ & witt þou willis in þi saule.
And bettir it is to þine a-bofe þan̄ buschels of siluir,
And mare passand of prisse þan̄ all þi proude rewmes.
Sen ȝe discrecion disire we depely ȝow pray;
For a kyng with-outen cunnyng he can noȝt distreyne
His subiectis, & to be subi[e]ctis as subiectis aȝe,
Bot subiectis till his subiectis his subiectis him makis.
Þou prayes vs to þi person a pistill to write
Of all oure lefyng & oure laȝes & oure land techis;
Quare-of þe proces to preue vnpossible it were,
And if we did it to dome it dose ȝow na gude.
For þi tent is all on terrandry & tourment of armes,
In bost & in bobans in bataills & stryuys,
A craft till oure condicions at a-cordis bot litill;
For simpilnes & surquitry a-sewis noȝt to-gedire.
Bot leue ȝe noȝt we be to heȝe ne hauten of will
To steryn̄ or to sturtyn̄ or sterid to enuy;
A partie of oure propertes & of oure pure thewis
Ȝit sall I send ȝow to say sen ȝe me soȝt haue.