54

54

Alexander comes to Darius.

went over the water of Graunt, and all his Army with him, and come to the city of Susis. And as soon as the persians saw him,, They Opened the gates of the city, & received him with great worship. And when the princes that slew Darius [wiste[ that Alexander was coming into the city they went & held them in hiding until they might [gete knaweynge] of Alexander will, as [towchand] that they had done to Darius. Alexander then went into the king's Palace, adn as he went therein he marvelled him greatly of the building thereof. For Darius the king of Persia [gert] built it royally. And the [pament] thereof was made of stones of diverse colors, & the walls all around with fine gold & precious stones & [sternes lyke] to the firmament, and pillars of gold that bore up the work. When Alexander saw all this curious work, he marvelled him greatly. And then he went to the chamber where Darius lay half-dead. And as soon as he saw him he had great ruth & compassion of him, and he took off his own mantle & covered him therewith, & went and [graped] his wounds and wept for him right tenderly, & said unto him. 'Rise up, sir Darius,' quoth he, '& be of good comfort. And as freely as ever thou rejoysed thine Empire, so must thou this do, And be as mighty, & as glorious as ever thou was. I swear the here by our mighty gods & by the faith in my body, that here I resign unto thee all thine empire, desiring [souerayngly] for to have the life of thee, as the son of the Father, For [sekerly] it is unfitting & unseely to an emperor for to be rejoiced of another emperor's mischief & disease, when fortune has forsaken him Tell me, sir, what they are that has thus [faren] with thee, and I swear thee as I am a true man I shall avenge thee to the utterest.' And when Alexander had said this & much more, sorely weeping, Darius put out his hand, and laid his arm about Alexander's neck, and kissed his breast, his neck, & his hand, & said these words, there that her follows. 'A, dear son Alexander,' quoth he, 'as thy highe with knows well, all this world is corrupt and set in malice. For the sovereign foresight of god, all things known from the beginning, and [hafand felying] of the workings for to come, made man in that way, at the