University of Virginia Library

Thare Cassamus þe present tuke in gre,
And maid ane vow that euerie man mycht se,
And euer he saw King Clarus at þe nede,
He suld gar lymmys brist or sidis bleid,
And put in antyr land, liffe, and riches,
Or he sould helpe to put him of distres.
Than said Porrus, “Lord, thankit mot ȝe be—
Ȝe schaw þat man of grete honoure ar ȝe.”
Syne was þe powin presentit till Arestes
With ane fare ladie, berare of þe meis,
And he avowit a vow for his honoure,
As he quhilk was a man of grete valoure,
He sould þai ladyis manteine and defend,
And lelely serue þame quhill þe were tuke end,
With leif and tolance of Alexander þe king,
Quhome first he sould obey attoure all thing.
Syne was þe powin presentit to Perdicas,
The quhilk in armes ever wourthie was,
Quhilk maid his vow before all þat was þare
That quhan þe battallis baith assemblit were,
He sould licht doun in myddis of þe feild,
In all his armoure, baith with spere and scheild,
And on his fute in battalle sould abide
In myddis þe stoure, betid quhat mycht betide,
And nocht agane as þat day lepe on hors
Bot gif he wan ane in þe feild on force.

Syne nixt to him was sittand Phisonace,
Quhilk maid avow, as scho þat madin was,
That scho sould neuer tak lemman na spousale
Bot be the ordinance and the counsale
Off Alexander, þe nobill conquerioure,
“Quhilk in þis land is cummyn in oure succoure.”
Than Porrus, þat was sittand nixt thareby,
Made his avow before þe cumpaney,
Sayand, bot he had sonȝe racionabill,
Quhilk before all men suld be excusabill,
And he micht mete in feild Emenedoun,
Owthir graith sould birst or sould bere him doun,
“And seis his hors, and lede away with me,
Throw quhilk the battalle sall discomfeist be.”
Syne satt the Baudreane, þat was King of Meid,
Quhilk worthy man was provit in every dede,
Maid vow, and he micht Alexander anys se
In batalle place, þat ane of þame sould de,
Or ellis he sould his suerd fra him arrais,
And bere away in dispite of his face,
Sa fra þe dede þat God wald kepe him first,
Fra lake of hors, fra spere, or lymmys brist.

Than ansurid Caulon, þat him narrest was,
And maid his wow, and h[e] war nere þe place,
That or he past fra thyne ane akir bred,
He sould for-rew þat evir he did þat dede,
That owther he sould þat swerde fra him arrege,
Or ellis his hede sould leif him in ostage,
Or eik his elme, fra bouclere, band, or brace,
Attoure his hede on force he sould arrais,
And baith his swerde and helme sould tak him fra,
Or ellis on force his nek sould birst in twa.
Syne efter þat satt madyin Edea,
Quhilk for Bites hir hart was wounder wa,
Quhilk maid hir vow þat, quhill hir lyffe mycht lest,
Hir first luvar sould euer be luffit best,
And evir sa did sen first tyme scho him knew,
Na nevir his lyftime changit him for na newe,
For gold na gere, farehede, lordschip, na land,
Bot it war force þat scho mycht nocht withstand.

Nixt efter þat satt wourthy Leones,
Quhilk maid his vow þat he sould nevir ceis
Quhill he come to King Clarus' pavillioun,
On hors enarmit with his scheild and bourdoun,
And deid of armes of Chaleos clame,
To serf him for his ladeis saik and dame,
And nocht to leif for mannis drede nor aw,
Þocht all þare battall standand be on raw.
Syne efter þat satt gentill Gaudefere,
Quhilk of his eild was wise and wer in were;
He maid his vow, quhan baith the kingis of pride
War in batale arrayit on everie syde,
To Clarus' banner furthwith suld him draw,
And strike it doun, for ony mannis aw,
And syne licht doun and put his hors in reingȝe,
And in handis on force to ceis þe anseingȝe.
Syne efter þat [was] sittand Ydory,
Quhilk oure all luffit þe Baudriane lelely:
Scho made hir vow þat furthwith scho sould ga
With hir cousing, and vþer ladyis twa,
To tempill Marcus to mak sacrefice,
To send hir luffe fare fortoun at devise,
On kneis at prayer, all tyme of þe stoure,
To saif his lyffe, his landis, his honoure.
Than Marchiane, þat was sittand hir beside,
Avisit him of ane vow, as man of pride,
And maid his vow þat euerie man mycht here,
That in defence of his lordis bannere,
Quhan Gaudefere had made his interprise,
And sesit had his baner on þis wise,
Agane his will he sould it fra him arais,
Or ane of þame suld leve into þe place.

Than was þe powin departit in þe hall
To lordis and ladis, baith grete and small,
And syne þai passit to dance and revelling,
Sa that the Baudriane, þat of Meid was King,
Micht se þat of þare sege þai had na tocht,
Na for to tak þare plesance sparit nocht.

Than Leonides, quhilk sic ane vow had maid,
Enermait on his hors, but mare ab[a]de,
King Clarus' pavillioun in haist he passit till,
With Caleos his vow for to fulfill,
Quhilk was content, and seruit him in haist,
And furthwith in þe feild enarmit past;
And strake togidder sa treulie in þe scheild
That hors and man lay flatlingis in þe feild:
On everie syde þare was na grete chesoun,
Quhan hors and man was clenly strikin doun.
Than Clarus, quhilk was present, was sa blayth
That hors and man he gart lift vp belife,
And fare giftis he gaf Leonides,
And gart convoye him hame out of peris,
And grete honoure and wourschip did him to,
And chargit all his oist richt sa to do;
And or he past, of trewis þai till him spak,
Sayand, till men of honoure war na lake,
Gif ony lordis tane war presoneris,
To change corpis for corpis, and feris for feris,
And gif sum of þame war of hie parrage,
To tak for þame sum ressonabill hostage;
And gif it plesit party þare devise,
To change first Marchiane for Bites,
And for Porrus and Baudriane, King of Mede,
Thay sould þame greter lordis in hostage lede;
And he grantit his gud word for to do,
Als fast as till his fallowis he come to.
And furthwith þare þai ordanid messingeris,
To send in trety for þe presoneris,
And askit þe ladyis, for King Clarus' saik,
That þai wald helpe þe trety for to mak;
And als till Cassamus, for his curtessy,
Thay made request þat he wauld here trety.
The quhilk was done, and changis gevin and tane
For Porrus, Cassaell, and the Marchiane,
And vnder hope of tretise and recorde,
To mak all pece with Clarus king, þare lord.
Thus tua princis for þir lordis was tane
And send away, and Bites for Marchiane.
This Porrus, þat saw his fader at myschance,
Reprevit him sare of his misgouernance.
Than Clarus gart recounfort his menȝie,
Sayand all thing sould wele amendit be,
And all his princis and lordis assembilit hale,
To mak þe ordinance of his battale:
And five battallis he ordanid for to be,
Him-selff, þe Baudriane, and his sonyis thre,
To governe þa[me] and lede alhalely,
With vther princis in þare cumpaney.

Than was Emenedus passit agane
Till Alexander, and tald him of þe trane
Quhilk Clarus to þe citie had purposit,
And how he tocht þe citie til haue posit,
For till asselȝe þe ciete of Effesoun,
And hawe þe wourthy men within þe toun,
With Cassamus, ȝoung Gaudefere, and Bites,
Quhilk in þe were ar worthy men and wise,
Had tane and slane all þat þame leivast war,
And chaist agane Clarus and his power;
And nocht forþi þat he was in þe chais,
To helpe þe ladyis, as wele worthy was,
For he was nocht fryndit with Gaudefere,
And ȝoung Bites he lest nocht cum mare nere.

Than was King Alexander cumin to Pharoun,
And nere þareby plantit his pallȝeoun,
And to þe citie send his messingere,
And ordanid þame þat þai sould mak gud chere.
Than Cassamus, quhilk herd of þat tithing,
In haist he passit to Alexander þe king,
And with him Gaudefere and ȝoung Betoun,
And maid þare frendschip with Emenedoun,
And tauld the king withoutin ony falȝe
That on þe thrid day Clarus in battalȝe
Was past for to cum with all power,
And all his princis semblit, fare and nere,
On all sydis the ciete till asselȝe,
To tak on force, or ellis till haue battalȝie.

Than haue þi tald þe vowis to þe king,
The quhilk þareof had litill affraying.
Than ȝoung Bites, quhilk was nocht at þe vow,
Said, “Perdicas, schir, I will pas with ȝow,
On futte in myddis of þe battalle for to wend,
Quhill God and fortoun sum grace till ws send,
And þat as now here for my vow mak I.”
Syne said [ane] knicht of his awne cumpaney
That “Certis ȝe sall nocht pas ȝoure allane—
Ane hundreth in ȝoure cumpaney sall gane
On futte with ȝow, and tak ȝoure aventure,
Of ȝoure awin land, of sturdy men and sture.”
Than says þe king to Cassamus, “Now ga
To Effesoun, and all men reddy ma:
I salbe þare to-morne, with Godis grace,
For ȝitt þis nycht I sall þe ryver pas.”
Thus Cassamus past vntill Effeȝon is;
The king gart sone pluke vp þe palliouns,
And trumpit vp, and oure þe Pharoun past,
[And] tuke bot few men, and of þe wourthiest,
And on the morne arlie to Effeȝoun,
Till mete þe sege þai come to þe toun.
The king send efter þame of [þe] citie,
And bauld thame þat þai sould be reddy:
Quhan-ever þai saw his battalle movand ware,
Thai sould cum on with all þare hale poware;
And of his batale þare maid ordanying,
And taucht his bridill till Caulon in keping,
For on þare vow before sum tocht he had,
That Prince Porrus to the powin had maid.

Than King Clarus, quhilk was ane hardy knicht,
Come to þe toun in battall, as he hicht—
Off Alexander gude persaving had he,
Bot for he saw he was sa few menȝe,
He was nocht rad, for he was grete powar,
And had of men ane multetude wele mare.
Bot Alexander, quhilk had nocht his fayance
In multitude, knew wele þare governance,
For men of Ynde ar pompis and fyry,
Thinkand of all men till obeyit be;
And he wist wele þai luffit nocht þare king,
For he was covatus attoure all thing;
And had grete haterent to thame of Calde:
Tharefore in batall ordand he to be
The men of Calde with þe men of Pers,
For þai war woinit togidder in weris convers—
Quhen Gaudefere warrayit with Duke Bites,
With him of Calde war þe men of pris;
And in his awin batall ay ordand he
The men of Grece and Macedone to be:
The quhilkis in all war bot [fiftene] thousand,
And in þe toun war als mony, nere-hand—
Bot King Clarus was thryis or foure tymes ma,
Off quhilkis þare luffit him full few of þa.

Quhat will ȝe mare? Þe bemys begouth [to bla]w,
And all þe chiftianis to the battall draw.
The king mett Claurus cumand to þe toun,
And on the tothir hand þe garnisoun:
On athir hand sic dayntis þare was delt,
On irne paltokkis mony ane hidduous pelt.
Off men of Ynde þare feld was mony ane,
With mekill craith and cry, and taucht machane—
I may nocht bide till tell ilk dele,
Bot everie man þare vowis kepit wele:
Into þe feild Bytes and Perdicas
With tua hundreth on fute doun lichtit was,
And in þe batall kepit þare avow,
And mekill gude þai did, I dar avow,
For þai war ay baith helpe, counfort, and beild
To mony men þat f[el]d war in þe feild.
In to the fore-front cumand was Porrus,
Quhilk vowit to streik doun Emenedus,
And he of him was alsa war agane,
And apoun Ferrand mett him in þe plane—
Thay strake togidder baith sa sturdely,
And gouernit thame sa wele and manfully,
And baith at anis þi hitt in myd the scheld,
Quhill hors and man lay flatlingis in þe feild;
And in a glos a quhile þai lay vnstred,
Bot Porrus first recouerit and tuke erde,
And saw Farrand standand his maister by,
And claucht to him, and lap on him in hy.
With that come ȝoung Bites and Perdicas,
And saw Emenedus doun strikin was,
And claucht him vp in handis, and him hynt,
And saw he had na wound na dedis dynt,
And sone on Porrus' [hors] þai haue him sett,
And all þat for to bete was, þai him bett.

Syne come Marchiane, and strak doun Perdicas,
And he, þat richt wise and worthy was,
Recouerit sone, throw helpe of ȝoung Bites,
And all his feris he horssit at all devise,
For sic a counter was made weil nere þame by
That sone horssitt was all his cumpaney,
For Tholome straik doun þare Caleos,
With mony vþer men of Prince Saligos,
And sett his purpois Clarus till asselȝie.
Syne come Schir Cassamus with his battalȝie,
And or he come, Clarus was strikin doun,
For Perdicas sett him on his arsoun—
Thare come Schir Cassamus, and made him reskew,
And as before he hecht to kepe his vow.
Arestes on the King of Pynkirnay
With his battall put him in hard assay.

Syne come þe lord of Baudre, King of Meide,
Richt stoutlie standand in a sturdy stede,
And saw the King of Macedone at large,
And drest in his gere with spere and targe,
And tocht apoun þe vow þat he had made,
And to þe king he sett, but mare abade.
The king, þat wele persauit of him was,
Spurd Bussifall, and till him couth he dress,
And baith in myddis þe scheild þai hitt treulie,
Quhill baith þe speris þai braik richt haistalie;
And efterwart, with brandis burnist bricht,
Thay strake togidder with sic a fors and micht—
The king the Baudreane hit apoun þe hewit,
Quhill in þe helme a dempill in he dewit,
And gart him gurwill apoun his arssoun doun.
Than in a bricht þe Baudreane maid him boun,
And to þe king he etlit sic a straik
That in his lyffe he gat nevir ȝit þe maik,
And hit him sidlingis on þe charnale pyn
With all his force, als fast as he micht wyn,
Quhill oure þe sadill he lay in ane suewth.
With that þe swerd out of his hand he drewth,
And turnit his hors, and wauld haue bene him by;
With þat come Caulus richt deliuerly,
And till him hynt, and hitt him on þe hewit,
Apoun þe place quhare þat his helme was dewit,
And clawe þe helme sidlingis, quhill blude out sprang,
And oure his hors sidlingis on side he hang.
Than Caulus has him hitt apoun þe hals,
And of his hand þe swerde he reft out als,
And of his helme he brake baith tye and lasse,
And oure his hede on force he couth it rasse;
And to þe king he taucht þe swerde agane,
Off quhilk þe king was wounder blayth and fane.

Than Saladyne, þe Prince of Salagos,
Thocht with his batall for to wyn grete los,
And sett him for to ourethraw Antigonus;
And Alexander saw þat he sett him thus,
And sett on him, and tuke him at a side,
And he quhilk with gude will sett him to bide—
Bot all for nocht, for sone he strake him doun,
And put his batall to confusioun.
Than was the Caldeanis with Cassamus
In a grete stoure fechtand with King Clarus:
Than cummys Gaudefere with his battalȝe,
As he hed hecht, þe baner till assalȝie;
And in a fertyr to sett his spere begane,
And ettellit him apoun þe banerman,
And myssit him nocht, bot to erd him bare;
And syne furthwith he lichtit on him þare,
And vp the banner in his hand he tais.
Than Marchiane saw, and furthwith till him gais,
And he, quhilk mycht nocht fecht and banner saif,
Reft it of þe spere, and into pecis raif;
And Marciane tuke þe banner as it was,
And tocht to life it vp and to radres.

Be that þe force of þame was thrawin doun,
And Clarus' men put to confusioun:
The King of Meid was tane and led away,
The King of Nuby, þe Prince of Pinkirnay,
And slane was Clarus and Caleoȝ,
King Clarus' sonnys, and als Prince Saligoȝ,
And mony vþer of Ynde and Ethiope
In-to þe feild liand in-till ane hope.
Wyth þat the battallis semblit all anone
Off Grece, of Pers, Calde, and Macedone,
And on King Clarus' battall strake alhale,
And bare all doun, and tuke baith will and wale.
Thare was King Clarus slane, and Porrus fled,
And all þat micht eschape, follow him he bad,
And in-till Ynde Maior þe way he takis,
Baith nycht and day, and na delay he makis,
And all his faderis cieteis, townis, and landis
But mare abade he sesit in his handis;
And syne he send his epistill oure all-quhare,
As he quhilk was his faderis sone and air.

Thus was þe feild discomfist and ouregane,
And mony princis and presonaris tane,
And all þe feild dispuleȝede of riches,
And gold and iowell þat but nowmer wes.
Than all the oist is past to þe cietie,
With mekill wourschip and with dignite,
Quhare to þe king cummys dame Phesonas,
With all the ladyis þat in þe citie was,
And thankit him of his grace hartfully.
Syne to þe pallyss past þai in hy,
And first þai enterit in þe tempill of Marcus,
And syne into the chalmer of dame Venus:
Bot God watt quhat kyn welecummying þai had,
Quhat feist and ryall chere was to þame made!
And restit þare at eis fourtene dayis,
In hunting, halking, dansing, and in plais.
Ȝoung Gaudefere he made lord of his land,
And all his lordis to him obeysand;
His sister Phesonas þare maryeit he
With ane þe gretest prince in þat countray,
And all þe lordis þat presonaris þare was,
The king þame tuke in frendschip and in grace;
And als gart cry þat quha wauld till him cum,
Thay sould ioy all þare lordschipis with fredome.