 | The Wars of Alexander |  |
Vicesimus septimus passus Alexandri.
Oure bold kyng in Babiloun nowe bildis vp a trone,
Þe postis with all þe apurtynance as pure as þe noble,
Þat was so wondirly wroȝt of werkis diuerse,
Þat slike a sege vndire son̄ was neuire sene eftir.
So grete garisons of gold þe grekis in broȝt,
Þe Medis & þe Messedons many horsis chargid,
Þat þai out of ynde & els-quare with olifants lede;
It wald haue wlated any wee þat welth to be-hald.
Twelfe cubettis fra þe cald erth he castis it on̄ hiȝt,
And xij degreces all of gold for gate vp̄ of lordis;
And twyse sex Semylacris sesid he þar-vndire,
Þat held on̄ hiȝe with þaire handis all þir heuy werke.
And þar was grauyn in þos gomes with grekin letteris,
And titild in þe tried names of his twelfe princes.
With ilk a statute þat þar stude stoutely enarmed,
And euer-ilk a person̄ a prince payntid was eftir.
All þe sete of þe sege was smaragdyns fyne,
Off tried topaces & trewe tyrid was þe wawes,
A tabernacte ouir þe trone tildid vp̄ on̄ loft,
And þan with stanes of ilka state wall þe stoure clustrid.
A charbocle as a chasse was in þe chefe boll,
Þat brynt in bely-blind niȝt as briȝt as þe son̄,
With Imagis vndire in ilka nend & Impid in þe names
Of all þe prouynces & þe places þat he was prince ouire.
And þai ware visid all in versis in variant lettirs,
Sum in latens lare sum langage of grece,
Assisid all of sex foote & sett in betwene,
Ay thre paire on̄ a plate qware a poynt ristis.
Now sall I neuyn̄ ȝow þe names note ȝe þe wordis;
Þe postis with all þe apurtynance as pure as þe noble,
Þat was so wondirly wroȝt of werkis diuerse,
Þat slike a sege vndire son̄ was neuire sene eftir.
So grete garisons of gold þe grekis in broȝt,
Þe Medis & þe Messedons many horsis chargid,
Þat þai out of ynde & els-quare with olifants lede;
It wald haue wlated any wee þat welth to be-hald.
Twelfe cubettis fra þe cald erth he castis it on̄ hiȝt,
And xij degreces all of gold for gate vp̄ of lordis;
And twyse sex Semylacris sesid he þar-vndire,
Þat held on̄ hiȝe with þaire handis all þir heuy werke.
And þar was grauyn in þos gomes with grekin letteris,
And titild in þe tried names of his twelfe princes.
With ilk a statute þat þar stude stoutely enarmed,
And euer-ilk a person̄ a prince payntid was eftir.
All þe sete of þe sege was smaragdyns fyne,
Off tried topaces & trewe tyrid was þe wawes,
A tabernacte ouir þe trone tildid vp̄ on̄ loft,
And þan with stanes of ilka state wall þe stoure clustrid.
A charbocle as a chasse was in þe chefe boll,
Þat brynt in bely-blind niȝt as briȝt as þe son̄,
With Imagis vndire in ilka nend & Impid in þe names
Of all þe prouynces & þe places þat he was prince ouire.
And þai ware visid all in versis in variant lettirs,
Sum in latens lare sum langage of grece,
276
Ay thre paire on̄ a plate qware a poynt ristis.
Now sall I neuyn̄ ȝow þe names note ȝe þe wordis;
Þe pepill out of Panthi is plant in first,
Pruto, Picard, & Pers & Pamphalie bathe,
Portingale & Paiters it paies me trouage,
Arrabe & Artoyes and Assie þe mare,
Abbeon̄ & Aufrike & Acres anothire,
Effosym̄ & Ethiops þire ebrues folke;
All Ermony & Ewrope enterely me serues,
Ingland, Itaile, & Yndee & Ireland costis,
Meede & Mesopotayme & Massedoyne eke;
Turke, Tuscane, & Troy and Tartary clene,
Surre, Sysyll, & Saarde & Syres all ouire;
Gyane, Garnad, & Grece & Gascoyne I haue,
Baxe, Bayon̄, & Burdeux & Bretayn̄ þe graunt,
Capidos, & Calde þe Canony pepill,
Russe, Romayn̄ & Ramys a rent þai vs ȝeld.
All Calabree & Corwaile oure coroun obien̄,
Bathe naples & Norway þire Nauernes all,
Þe beeris out of Hungry & out of haythen Spayn̄,
Frigie, Flandres, & Fraunce & Femony vs loutis,
Ascalioun, & Arcagee all of vs haldis;
Tiree, & Tasse, & Tessale oure tributars ere,
Poliponens, & Pentapol & Palestyne þe riche.
[OMITTED]
Pruto, Picard, & Pers & Pamphalie bathe,
Portingale & Paiters it paies me trouage,
Arrabe & Artoyes and Assie þe mare,
Abbeon̄ & Aufrike & Acres anothire,
Effosym̄ & Ethiops þire ebrues folke;
All Ermony & Ewrope enterely me serues,
Ingland, Itaile, & Yndee & Ireland costis,
Meede & Mesopotayme & Massedoyne eke;
Turke, Tuscane, & Troy and Tartary clene,
Surre, Sysyll, & Saarde & Syres all ouire;
Gyane, Garnad, & Grece & Gascoyne I haue,
Baxe, Bayon̄, & Burdeux & Bretayn̄ þe graunt,
Capidos, & Calde þe Canony pepill,
Russe, Romayn̄ & Ramys a rent þai vs ȝeld.
All Calabree & Corwaile oure coroun obien̄,
Bathe naples & Norway þire Nauernes all,
Þe beeris out of Hungry & out of haythen Spayn̄,
Frigie, Flandres, & Fraunce & Femony vs loutis,
Ascalioun, & Arcagee all of vs haldis;
Tiree, & Tasse, & Tessale oure tributars ere,
Poliponens, & Pentapol & Palestyne þe riche.
| The Wars of Alexander | |