University of Virginia Library

Vicesimus sextus passus Alexandri.

Þan aires furth ser Alexander & with his arte closis
Of terands of þir tartaryns twa & twenti kyngs.
He stekis þam̄ vp with þar stoures in a straite lawe,
And I sall neuen ȝow þar names if ȝe þaim neuire herd.
Gogg & magogg þe grete he with þir gomes pyndis,
Agekany & Anafrage & Almade bathe,
Sire Camour & ser Cacany with all þar kidd ostis,
And ane ser Clambert þe kene was kyng of þer ostis;
Gamarody þe goblyn a-nothire gryn̄ sire,
Marthyney þe miȝtfull & Magen his fere,
Appedanere, Olaathere & Alane þe grete,
And ane ser naþy onone he in þe nabb speris.
He lockis in ane ser limy with a laith mey[n]he,
And raryfey, a riche ray he in þe roche stoppis,
Sire Filies, a fell kyng with all his fers kniȝtis,
And ane ser Bedwyn̄ þe bald with many briȝt helmes.
Arteneus ane athill kemp̄ als-so he in-parkis,
And ane ser Tarbyn̄, a tulke with many toore thousandis;
Sire Saltary, a-nothire sire now is þe sowme reckend.
All þire he closis in þat cliffe & cairis on forthire
To þe occyan̄ at þe erthes ende & þar in an Ilee he heres
A grete glauir & a glaam of grekin tongis.
Þan̄ bad he kniȝtis þaim vnclethe & to þat kithe swym̄,
Bot all at come in-to þat cole crabbis has þaim drenchid.
Þan̄ sewis furth þat souerayn̄ ay by þa salt strandis
Toward þe settynge of þe son̄ in seson̄ of wintir;
Sexti dais with his sowme sadly he ridis,
Raȝt on̄ to þe reede See & rerid þare his tentis.
Þare was a miȝti montayne at to þe mone semed,
He gessis it gaynir to god þan to þe grounde vndire,
And slike a fonned fantasy þan fell in his hert,
How þat he liftid miȝt be fra þe lawe vn-to þe liȝt sternes.
Þan made he smythis to gaa smert & smethe him a chaiere
Of blake iren̄ & of bigge & bynde it with cheynes,
A sekire sege in to sitt & sett him on-loft.
And foure Griffons full grym̄ he in þat graythe festes;
He makis to hinge ouir þaire hede in hokis of iren̄
Flesch on ferrom̄ þaim fra at þai miȝt noȝt to reches,
To make þaim freke to þe fliȝt þat fode for to wyn̄,
For þai ware fastand be-fore halden for þe nanes.
Now is he won̄ þurȝe þar wingis vp̄ to þe wale cloudis;
So hiȝe to heuen þai him hale in a hand-quile,
Midil-erth bot as a mylnestane na mare to him semed,
And all þe watir of þe werd bot as a wrethen neddire.
Þe vertu of þe verray god envirounis him swythe,
And þan̄ þai fell on̄ a fild as ferre fra his ost
As any freke miȝt founde in fiftene daies,
And he vnhurt with mikill vnhome he to his ost wynes.
A-nothire wondirfull witt ȝit worthid in his hert,
How he miȝt seke doun sounde in-to þe see bothom̄,
To see quat selcuthe is seet in þe salt watir,
How many kind of creatours þat in þe cole duellis.
Þan gert he gomes for to gang & grayth him a tonn̄
Of grene glitterand glas with gerrethis of iren̄,
Þat he miȝt sitt in him-selfe & with his seȝt persee
Ane & othire & all þing at outwith it lengid.
Sone was it blawen at a braide & broȝt him be-forne,
All boun as he badd & bunden with cheynes.
Þan of his bald bachelers þe biggist out callis,
And raȝt to þaim þire rekenthis to rewle & to hald.
He makis a conand with his kniȝtis & kend þaim þe time,
Howe lange him likid fra þe lande to leng in þe depe,
In at a wicket he went & wynly it speris;
Princes pointid it with pik & he þe plunge entres.
Þare saȝe he figours of fischis & fourmes diuerse,
Þat kend he neuir so many kindis ne of so qwaynt hewis.
Sum ferd all on̄ foure feete & farand as bestis,
Bot quen þai blischt on̄ þis berne þan bade þai na langir.
And oþir sellis he saȝe at sai wald he neuir,
Þat ware vnlikly to leue to any man wittis.
Sone so þe setnes was gane þat him-selfe made,
Þai dreȝe him vp to þe drye & he na dere sufird.
Þan raikis he by þe reede see & rides ay þe sannd,
Ferly ferre with his folke & ficchid his tentis,
Þare fande he bestis on̄ þe brym̄ with bemes as sawis,
Þat ware as bitand breme as bladis of swerdis.
Þai sett in a sadd sowme & sailid his kniȝtis,
Porris doun of his princes & persys þar schildis,
Ȝit fellid his folke of þaim fey foure score hundreth,
And foure hundreth, & ferre be fifti, þai drepid.
Þan driues he þethin with his dukis in-to desert landis,
Is riȝt betwene þe reede see & Arrabie costis,
A wilsom wast & a wild & wons full of neddirs,
And þai ware hedously hoge & horned as Tupis.
Þai turred doun of his tulkis & with þar tyndis sloȝe;
Bot þe dreȝest deele of þaim died of his dukis handis.
Þan past he to a-noþir place & piȝt doun his tentis,
And fand a bataill of bestis as breme as þe first.
Þai ware of figour & of fourme as fendis of hell,
With heuy hedis & hoge as horses it were.
And þai ware tacchid full of tethe as tyndis ere of harows,
And fell flammes as of fire floȝe fra þaire mouthes.
A selly sowme of his seggis was slane or he wist,
And he þan̄ hertis his here biddis, “hewis on̄, my childire;”
And ferly ferd of his folke was in þe fild strangild.
Bot all þe dreȝe of þa deuels þai drenchid or þai past.
Þan fondis he furth with his folke in-to a fild entris,
And þar he logis with his lordis & lengis for a quile.
For slike a fell infirmite was in his hors bunden̄,
Bucifalon þe bald stede þat he for bale dies.
Þe berne blischis on̄ his blonke & seȝes his breth faile,
Sighis selcuthly sare & sadli he wepis,
For he had standen him in stede in stouris full hard,
Won̄ him wirschip in were fra many wathe saued.
Þe kynge to þis carion̄ he castis his eȝen,
Said, “fare wele, my faire foole þou failid me neuire!
Sall now þi flesch here be freten̄ with fowlis & with wormes,
Þat has so doȝtyly done? nay, driȝtin for-bede!”
Þan̄ bilds he þare a berynes þis beste in-to ligg,
Of schene schemerand gold as it a schrine ware,
A tombe as a tabernacle & tildis vp̄ a cite
In reuerence of þat riche stede & eftir him it callis.
Þan ridis he to a Reuere a ruyde & a hoge,
Detiraty þe depe þe men̄ þare it callis;
Fyue thousand Olifants in feree þa frithmen̄ him broȝt,
A hundreth Mille heuy chargis ware hewen̄ for þe were.
Þan pas he to a proude place a palas of ioye,
Of Sexis, at sum time was senyour of Persy.
Þar fand he garettis all of gold & gildin̄ chaumbres,
And many a miracle in þe mote þat miche ware to reken.
Þar fand þai bridis in þa bilds borely & quite,
Of feþir fresch as any fame as ere þir fedill dowfis,
Þat see wald of a sekeman̄ or any sorow ailid,
Queþir he suld warisch of þat waa or of þe werd turne.
For if þai blithly vp blenkid & blischt on̄ his face,
Þan̄ suld he couir of his care men knew by þe takens;
And if þai chaungid opon̄ chaunce his chere to be-hold,
With-outen̄ doute he was dede þan̄ durid he na langir.
Now bowis furth þis baratour & Babiloyn̄ he wynnys,
Brettenes þe bald kyng & bringis him of lyue,
Ane Nabizanda was named & a noble kniȝt,
Was ane þe proudest of his pirs & prince of his ward.
He lengis in lithis & in lee to his lyues ende,
A seuen monethis in sonde & sende out a pistill
To his modire in-to Messedone & to his maistir als
Of his auntours, of his angwisch & of his athill werkis,
And Aristotill be-lyue him anothire writis.
“To þe kyng of kyngis,” quod þis clerke “comande I myselfe.
Sire, quen I waitid on̄ ȝour werkis I wex all affraid
Sum grayne of godhede, I gesse was growen ȝow within;
For þou has said þat neuir did segge ne saȝe bot þine ane;
Ȝit miȝt neuir, I lofe oure lorde my lege, ȝow withstande;
Sire, blissid be all þi bachelers at þe in bales helpid!”
And now fynes here a fitt & folows a-nothire.