Thornton Manuscripts

Alexander and Dindimus, King of the Brahmans. 77

saw na son And oute of the elude that hange abown than ther fell as it hadd bene grete fyrebrandes the whilk brynt many of thaire tenttis and of thaire luges. And onane Alexander offred 4 sacrafice till his goddes and bad his knyghtis put aide ryuen clathes wate bi-fore the fire, and he made his prayere. And also son the whedir wexe clere & faire.

¹ Fra thethin, puj remowed" and come titt a grete ryuere J^at offers sacri-

8 es called" Ganges & fare f)ay luged J^am). And as J'ay luked" his^gods ouer on the tobe?* syde, bay saw twa or thre men) walke up & and the

weather

downn) ]:»are. And Alexander baddT his men) spirre J^aiiO in pe becomes langage of Inde what Ipej ware. And lpa.j ansuered" & said". Thev come

12 'We are Bragmayns/ quo]) bay. Alexander hadd" grete desyre to the

. -r. , 1 Ganges, on

to speke wit pe Bragmayns. Bot lie my^te no^te wynn) ouer the other

Ipe water ; it was so depe & so brade Bot if it had bene in J)e ^ya<^ are

monethe of July and Auguste. And also it was futt of ypotaynes the Brah-

i6 & scorpyones and cocadrilles, out taken) in Ipe forsaid" monethes. They can-

And when) he saw pat he myghte on na wyse wynn) ouer he was because of

reite heuy. And belyfe he garte make a lyttitt bate of redis, & tiie danger,. . ,iiTft 1 T ^ 'J 11,1 ., -n ous beasts.

couerde it wit nowtte hydis & gerte pykk it wele bathe wet-m & He sends a

20 wit-owtten). And when) pe bate was made, he gert a knyght of ^^^^J^t

his gang in-to it, and gaffe hym a lettre wit hym for to here boat with a

* to Dindimws, pat was kyng of pe Bragmayns, of whilk le^^re Jjis *Leaf 32.

was be tenot^r. 1^!^*^,^.*^

' Dmdimus,

24 ^ ' Kyng of kynges and lorde of lorde^, Alexanc^er pe son) of king of the

godd" AmofD & of pe queue Olympias, vn-to Dindimz^s kyng Alex-°^^

of Bragmayns, ioy. Euer sen) we were comen) to ]?at age J)at ander's

we couthe discerne by-twix gud & itt we hafe desyred? soueraynly Dindimus,

28 for to hafe wysdomwe & konnyng, & for to putt away fra Bra^hmans

vs ignorance & vnconnynge. For as pe wise techynge of oure *h® reason

philosophres declares opynly. Eloquence wit owttefD witt & wis- strange

dom) dose ofte-sythes mare skathe J^an) gude. parefore we hafe ^nce^he^'

22 wele vnderstanden) by relacion) of dyuerse mefD, pat 5owr lyfe & fain would

. pxii 1 learn wis-

50wr maners are diuisea and diuerge Ira att oper men) ; so pat dom of

noper on) pe See ne on J^e lande ^e seke na helpe and pat ^e * ®°^'

^eme anoj^er man ere of doctryne J^an) we hafe lerende of oure

36 doctowrs. Whare-fore we pray 50W pat 50 witt certyfye vs bi

jowr le^^res of ^owr lyffe and ^owr maners and ^our doctryne. For

^ Four lines with capital i*' and small/ ' Four lines with capital K in red,

written in the margin beside. and small k in the margin beside.

78 The Brahmans and Alexander.

perauenture we may take thare of sum gud Ensample, and jour

Since by wysdome & '^our gudnesse neuer be J>e lesse. For it es na harme

othe?man *^^ ^ msifi} tliurgli liis gudnes to make anoj^^r mafi) gude as he es.

goodness The whilk I may proue bi this simylitud" — I supposso a mafi) hadd' 4

one loses no . 11 • .

goodness m his hand" a lyght candilt, many olper canditts may be lyghted"

He^makes a f^^^ ^^' ^ '^^ ^^®^ na-thynge of his lyghte. And rijte so it es of Ipe compari- gudnesse of a man). For many men) may take gude ensaraple of hym & his gudnesse be na thynge enmenuste parehy. AVhere- 8 fore jitt eft-sons we p/'ay jow }>at wit-owtten) any taryinge or delay, je schowe vs ])e maners of ^our lyffyng.' Than kyng Dindimw5 resaffed' ph lettre wirchipfully and wrate anoj^^r agayne of this teno'i^r. 1 2

Dindimus' ^ ' Dyndimws maist^r of j^e Bragmayns vn-to kyng Alexander Alexander. ^^7 ^ gretynge. We hafe wele vndirstanden) by pe tenowr of thi lettves, J>at Ipoa desyres gretly for to hafe v^rray connynge Wisdom and perfitt wysdom) ; Ipe whilke are mekitt better ]:>an) any 16 bought kyngdom) ; for j^ay may neuer be boghte wit na pryce, whare-

with no fore I comend' pe gretly, knawyng J^at J>ou arte a wyse man). * Leaf ^2 -^^^ ^^® Emperowr wzt-owtten) * wisdom), es noghte lorde of l>k' his subiectis, Bot his sugettis ere lordes of hym. 50 wrate 20

mends^wis- vntitt VS, praying vs for to schewe jowe oure maners of lyffynge, domin [\]^q ^ poynte efter olper, ])e whilke we halde inpossible for as an Em- to doo. For oure maner of lyfiynge es futt ferre dyuerse fra TlSr ways B^^^s. For no]:>€r we wurchipe ]>e goddes ]?at je wirchipe, 24 are other j^e ledis be Ivfe bat se lede. And if I writte 5owe oughte

than those i J i J y o

of the of oure maner of lyffyng, 50 may hafe na sauoure ]mre in,

TheVreeks ^^^"Cause je are besily ocupied' wit dedis of armes. 'Neu.er-lpe-

shall have lesse ]:>at je say nojte pat I layne oure lyfe fra 50W for envy, Als 28

because of mekitt as comej to my mynde at Ipis tyme I salt writt vnto 50W

{miner- ofoureman.«.

The Brah- ^ ' We Bragmayns ledej a symple lyfe & a clene and pe wir-

a^s^ ^le c^ipy^g ^^ many goddes we eschu. We do na synnes ne 32

life and v\'e witt hafe na mare J^an) resofi) of kynde asches. Alt thyngej

worship of we suffer & f>at, say we, es necessary & ynoghe, pat es nojte

Thev'cS*^^ ouermekilt. We tiHe na lande, ne eryes, ne sawes, ne jokes noJ>er

not till ox ne horse in plughe ne in carte. Ne iiett caste we nane in be 36 nor fish. i /. 1 t^t i f ^

They trust see, for to take fysche ; JNe nunttynge ne lewlynge vse we

* Four lines with capital D in red, and ^ Three lines with red capital W, and

small d in margin beside. small w in margin.

I