Thornton Manuscripts

bitwex the reed See and Araby, whare grete multitude of Pepir growed; And thare ware many grete nedders wit hornnes on thaire hedes lyke tuppe horned, wit the whilke thay smate Alexanders 4 knyghtis riyt felly. Off thase nedderes slew tye Macedoynes a grete party.

¹ Theine thay remowed and luged in a place whare many Rynosephales ware, the whilke hade heuedes & manes lyke 8 horsez. And thay hade grete bodys, and wonder grete teethe and lange, and oute of thaire mouthes thay schotte flawmez of fyre. And when thay saw the Oste luge thare thay come & assaylled tham. And Alexander ran hyder and thedir

12 amangez the oste and comforthed his knyghtes and bad tham feghte manly wit thase monstres. And so thay didd. Neuer-the-losse thare ware a grete multitude of his knygbtis slayne of thase bestez. Bot of the Rynocephales thare was slayne an hugge 16 mutltitude.

² Than thay remowed fra theine and come in-till a champayne cuntree and luged tham thare, And lay thare a certane days, Bi-cause of his horse Buktyphalas that fell seke thare ; of the 20 whilke sekenesse he dyed. And when Alexander saw hym dedd he made grete dole for hym and weped for hym rizt sare. For he hadd borne hym in many a Batelle, and broghte [hym] oute of many perells. And thare-fore when he was dede Alexander 24 gart doo aboute hym grete exequyes and gart make hym a full riche toumbe & a hye and did hym thare-in and made a grete citee thare, the whilke in mynde of his horse he gart call Buktyphalas.

28 ³ Fra theine thay remowed and come till a ryuere ⁴ that was called Cytan or Deciracy whare men of the cuntree broghte hym ṽ Olyphantes and ṽ cartes of werre. And fra theine thay remowed & come till kynge zerses palace. And in that Palace 32 thay fande beddez of clene golde many a thowsande. Thare also grete fewles white als doufes, the whilke had knawyng be-fore of a seke man wheder he schulde lyffe or dye. For if thay by-helde the seke man in the vesage, he schulde mende & 36 fare wele. And if thay tourned tham awaywarde witowtten

¹ Three lines. ² Three lines. ³ MS. has a small f written in margin, but no space for the large capital to be put. ⁴ The scribe first wrote rever, then altered it to ryver then scratched it all out and wrote ryvere after it.

doute he schulde dye,* and if thay tourned hym the bakke wit owttein dowte he sulde dye.

FRa ¹theine thay remowed and come to the grete Citee of Babiloyne and wanne it oo werre and slew the kynge thare-offe 4 & the Captayne also. And thare he duelled un-till his lyffes end, and that was Bot vij seuen Monetbes. In that mene tyme Alexander sent a lettre till Olympias his Moder and till his Mayster Arestotle, latand tham witte of the Batells and the dyssese 8 that thay suffred bathe wynters and Somers in Inde and other cuntreey, and also of the Batetts that thay had hadd wit dyuerse Monstres. And than Arestotle wrate another lettre till Alexander agayne the wbilke was of this tenour : 12

²' Un-till Alexandere the grete kynge of kyngegh Arestotle sendegh ioy and seruyce. When I hade redde your wyrchipfull lettres I was gretly astonayd. For whilke cause I desyre with all myn hert for to fynde lonynge that I myghte yelde un-to the. 16 I take witnesse at oure goddegh that for the passande hardenesse of thi hert & the grete auentours that thou hase put the in, thou erte wele worthy for to be loued & praysede. For thou hase sene & assayed thyngegh that neuer man or this durste assaye. Whare-for 20 thankynge & lonynge I yhelde to the makere of all this wyde werlde that swylke victoryes hase grantede un-to the. For thou hase ouercommen all & nane hase ouercomen the. Full blyssede are all thy pryncey that hase bene obeyande unto the, and helped the 24 in all thi disessegh.'

³Afftir this Alexander gart make in Babyloyne a wonder curious trone ⁴ of golde, thare was noghte swilke another in the werlde. For the grekeȝ broghte so mekill golde oute of perse & 28 oute of Inde, that it ware wonder for to telle. This ilke toure was twlue cubytegh hye and by twelue grecegh⁵ men ascended thare-too, and thase greegh ware all of golde. This trone was wonderfully wroghte and sett apon twelue ymagegh of golde, the wbilke trone the forsaid ymagegh helde up wit thaire hende. And on thase twelue ymagegh ware wretyn the names of the twelue pryncegh of Macedoyne. The seet of the trone was of a Smaragde,

¹ Three lines with big capital F followed by small capital.

² Four lines with red capital U and small u in the margin.

³ Four lines with red capital A and small a in the margin beside.

⁴ toure scratched out and trone written in.

⁵ The first part of this word reads gr + blot + ceȝ.

& the sydes pare off ware of Topaghes & in ilkan of the grees ware sett dyuerse maneres of precyouse stanes. In the summyt of this trone thare was sett a ruby that schane on the nyghte as it hade 4 bene the Mone. In this trone also was thare sett on ilke a syde dyuerse ymages; on the whilke ware wretyn bathe in latyne & in grew* verses that contened all the nammes of the rewmes & cuntrees that Alexandere had conquered and ware sugetes un-till hym. 8 ¹ After this ⁴ Alexander gert make a coron of golde sett full of all maner of precyouse stanes, and gert wryte apon it a tytle in grew & in latyn : ' Ortus & occasus, Aquilo michi seruit & Auster.' That es at saye : ' Est & weste, Northe & southe dose 12 seruyce un-to me.' In the mene tyme whils Alexander was in babyloyne, a woman was delyuer of a knaue childe the whilke fra the heuede to the nauyll hadd schappe of man, & was borne dedd. And fra the nauyll downwardes it had lyknesse of dyuerse 16 bestes and was qwykke. This Monstre was taken & broghte till Alexander; and als son als he saw it he meruaylled gretly thare-off, and gart come bi-fore hym a philosopher that couthe of wiche-crafte, & aschede hym what it sygnyfyed. And when the 20 philosopher saw it, he syghede, & saye wepand sayde un-to hym : ' Sothely wirchipfull emperour,' quoth he, ' the tyme commes nere that thou sall passe oute of this werlde.' ' Telle me,' quoth Alexander, ' whareby thou knawes that.' And the philosophre 24 ansuerde & sayde : ' My lorde,' quoth he, ' the halfe of this Monstre that base the schappe of man & es dedd, betakens that thou sall passe out of this werlde in haste. And the tother party that hase the lyknes of dyuerse bestes & es on lyfe, betakynges the kynges 28 that sall come after the. Bot thare sall nane of tham be lyke un-to the, na mare than a beste es lyke un-till a man.' When Alexander herde this he was wonder heuy, and sare wepand he sayde on this wyse : ' OAllmyghty Iubiter,' quoth he, ' what 32 menes it that my dayes sall be so schortte ? Me thynke that it had bene semely that I had leffed langere for till haf endid thynges that are in my thoghte. Bot for als mekill als it es noghte plesande un-to the, I beseke the that thou resayffe me when 36 I sall passe hethen als thyn awen seruante.'

² In this mene tyme pare was in Macedoyne a lorde that highte

¹ Three lines with red capital A and small a in the margin beside.

² Four lines with red capital I and small i in margin beside.

Autipater, the whilke of langetyme be-fore hadd casten for the dedde of Alexander ; And wit many other that he hadd confedred un-till hym he conspyred for to brynge it tyll ende, bot he myghte neuer come aboute ther-with. For Olympias, Alexander 4 moder, wrate un-till hym ofte-sythes and warned hym that he scholde be warre wit Anipater & his childre, and herefore was Antypater wonder sary. So apon a tyme he [vmby-thoghte?] hym that he myghte neuer come aboute wit his purpose 8 for to slaa Alexander, bot if it ware thurgh enpuysonynge. *And so apon a daye he went till a Sotell leche, arid boghte of hym a maner of drynke made of puyson that was so felle & so ranke that thare myghte no vesselle halde it Bot a vessell made of Iren ; and thare-in he putt it. And than he gaffe it his son Cassandre, and bad hym bere it till his brother Iobas and byd hym, quoth he, gyffe it to kyng Alexander in his drynke, when he seegh his tyme. This ilk Iobas was a faire yong man & was duellyng with 16 Alexander, and gretly by-luffede & cheriste of hym. Bot so it be-felie apon) a tyme fat Alexander smate lobas on f e heued wit a warderere for na trespasse. Whare-fore Iobas was gretly angred and greued at Alexander and consented till his dede, and 20 tuke the puyson of his brother that was ordeyned for Alexander dede that luffed hym so mekill.

¹ And apon a daye Alexander gart ordeyne a grete reuelle in Babyloyne and called thare too all his pryncegh on ilke a syde. 24 And as he satt at the mete Imange his pryncegh he was wonder mery & gladde & iocund, and reheted his lordegh & prayed tham that thay schulde be mery. Than Iobas that serued the kyng of his coupe tuke of the puyson a porcyon, and putt it under the nayle 28 of his thowme, and broghte the coppe to the kynge full of wyne. And as he gaffe it to the kynge, he lete the puyson falle in the wyne priualy. And als sone als the kyng hadd dronken the puyson, Sudaynly he gaffe a grete scryke, and lened hym down 32 towarde the righte syde. For hym thoghte reghte als a man hadd smyten hym in-to the lyuere wit a suerde. Neuer-the-lesse he feyned & forbare a while & suffred a grete penance, and when he my3te na langere habyde, he rase vp fra f e burde and 36 saide till his lordegh & his knyghtes : ' Lordyngis,' quoth he,

¹ Three lines with red capital A and small a in the margin beside.

112

The will of Alexander. The earthquake.

the Egyptian priest of his mausoleum. Ptolemy is the governor. If Roxana bear a man child he , shall be Emperor ; * Leaf 48. if a girl they shall choose their own. He apportions his domains.

The earthquake.

The Macedonians come armed and demand to see their Emperor.

He prays his knights bear him before them.

He praises them. They speak with him and pray

& entered', j~ besandes of golde. Also I will that Tholomeus that es kepare of oure body be your Gouernour, And forgetis noghte my laste will, Bot lates my testament be alway bi-fore your eghne so that it be fulfilled & noghte forgetyn. My will es 4 also that if Rosan my wyfe be delyuer of a knafe childe that he be your Emperour and gyffes hym what name so yow liste, and if scho be delyuer of a mayden childe, than es it my will that the Macedoynes chese tham a kynge, and that my wyfe be lady of * all 8 my mobles. Also I will that Tholomeus be kyng of Egipt, and that he tak till his wyfe Cleopatra, that my Fader wedded sumtyme here bi-fore, and that he be lorde & prynce ouer all the lordes of the Este euen un-to Bactrian. Also I will that my 12 brother Arrideus be kynge of the Pelopones, also that Cleopater be kyng of Perse, Mellagere kyng of Ethopy, And Anthiochus be kyng un-to the landes of Gog & magoge, Arestes kynge of Inde, Lissymacus lorde of Seleuce, Lythamon kyng of hungary, Caulus 16 kyng of Ermony, Illicus kyng of Dalmace. Symeon my Notary, will I, be Kyng of Capadoce & Pamphily, Cassander & Iobas be lordes un-to the Ryuer that es called Soll, Antipater thaire Fader be kyng of Cicile.' When this testament was in wrytynge 20 bi-fore Alexander Sodeynly thare come a thonnere & a leuennynge & ane erthedoun righte a hedcus, so that all babyloyne qwoke thare-wit. And than thorowte all Babyloyne the noyse rase that Alexander was dede. And than all the Macedoynes rasse hallely 24 and come armed to the Palace, and cryed on the prynces & said un-to tham : ' Sothely,' quoth thay, ' but if ye onane schewe us oure Emperour we sall slaa yow ilk ane.' And when kyng Alexander herde swilke noyse he askede whate it ment, and the prynces 28 ansuerde & sayde : ' The Macedoynes,' quoth thay, 'are comen armede hedir before the gates, & says sekerly bot if thay see gow thay sall slaa us alle are thay passe hethine.' And when Alexander herde this, he badd his knyghtis that thay scholde take hym up, and bere 32 hym in-to the consistorye. And thay did soo. And than he garte open the Palace gates that the Macedoynes myghte come by-fore hym. And than kyng Alexander be-gan to comend tham of thaire strenth & thaire grete doghtynes, and charged tham that 36 thay scholde be in pesse & reste ilkane wit other. Than the Macedoynes, sare wepande, sayde un-till Alexander : ' A, A, wirchipfull,' quoth thay, ' ordayne & telle us are ye passe

114 The death and burial of Alexander.

thay, ' thou ledd vs in-to Perse, Arraby, and Inde, and vn-to the werldes ende, and in-to what cuntree that the liste wende; why, lorde, flees thou now fra vs ? Lede vs wit the whedir so thou gase.'

Than kyng Alexander sent to the templee of Appollo in 4 Athenes many riche iowels, and on the same wyse till all oper temples. And than he commanded' that when he ware dede, thay schulde enoynte his body and embawme it wit riche oynementes, the whilke kepis menes bodys in graues wit-owtten corupcioun. 8 Than he badde Tholomcus that he scholde [take] a c̃ besantes of golde, & thare-off gere make hym a tombe in Alexander. And onane * as he had commanded hym thus, one-seeand than all, he swelt. And than his prynces lifte vp his body, and did apon his 12 clethyng of astate and putt a riche coron on his heued, and sett hym in the emperours chayer, the whilke twelue prynces drewe wit thaire brestes fra Babiloyne till Alexander. Tholomeus went alway bi-fore the chayere wepande & sayande one this 16 wyse : 'Fult waa es me, My lord Alexander, waa es me. For in all thi lyfe slew thou neuer so many men as thou dose nowe after thi dede.' All Alexanders knyghtis also weped & made grete dole & sayde on this wyse : ' Waa es vs wreches ! whatt schall wee 20 now do after the dede of oure lorde Alexander ? Whedir sall we now gaa or whate party e may we now chese ? Whare schall we now get any helpe till oure lyfelade ! ' One this wyse thay went wepand after Alexander, till thay come till the citee of 24 Alexander. And thare thay beryed hym in a toumbe that was righte hye and wonder curyouslye wroghte. This tombe was all of fyne golde sett full of precyous stanes, and on that toumbe ther was sett xxx ymages of golde wonder craftily made. 28

¹ Alexander was a man bot of a comon stature, wit a lange nekke, Faire eghne & glad, his chekes ruddy, and all the remenant of his lymmes ware faire & semely & lyke vn-till a lorde. He ouercome all men & neuer was ouercomen. The lenthe 32 of his lyffe was xxxij yere, twa & thritty yere & seuen monethes. Fra the twentyd yere of his birthe he gaffe hym to werre, and in twelue yere he coriquered all the werlde, and made subiect un-till hym alkyn nacyonns. Seuen monethes he ristede hym. He was 36 borne on the vij kt of January, and dyed on the vij kl of August.

¹ Large red capital A.

His names. 115

He byggid also in his lyfe xij grete citees that hider-to-wardes bene enhabyt, and this are thaire names. Firste Alexander that es called yprysilicas, the secund Alexander es called Bepyporitm, 4 the thrid Alexander es callede Sithia, the ferthe Alexander es called Bicontristi, the fifte Alexander es called Theraucton, the sext Alexander es called Buctiphaloin, the seuent es called under the ryuer of Tygre, the aghtend New Babiloyne, the nyend Aptreadam, 8 the tend Messagetes, the elleuend Ypsyacon, the twelfed es called Egipt.

Explicit vita Alexandry magni conquestoris. Here endes the lyf of gret Alexander conquerour of all the 12 worlde.