56

56

Darius asks
burial of
Alexander,
and that
both
peoples
should
come there-
to. And
wills there-
to that both
empires be
one. He
bids him be
merciful to
his widow,
and take
his daugh-
ter Roxana
to wife. He
dies.

Alexander
buries
Darius in
royal state.
He bears
the bier
himself.
The Mace-
donians
and the
Persians go
before it.
Alexander
seats him-
self on the

* Leaf 22.

throne of
Cyrus, and
is crowned
with the
crown of
Darius.

The throne
of seven
steps with
its mystic
meanings
inwrought.

Darius dies. His burial,

)?ou no^te how oure lyffe may be lykkenecT to f>e werke of Eranes,
)?at so sotelly makes jjaire webbes 1 Bot alson) als a little blasts
of wynde puffes apori) f)am), f)ay breke, & falles to grownde. Be-
halde & see how gloriws I was ^isterday & how wrechede I am)
to-day, & how law I am broghte. I was lorde nerehande of
all Ipe werlde, & now I hafe na power of myiD awen) selfe.
Now I be-seke the, son), J>at pou. witt bery me wit thy
benynge handes. And suffre for to come to myn) exequise bathe
Ipe Macedoynes and Ipe persyenes. And fra this tyme forwarder,
)?e empire of Macedoyne & Ipe empire of perse be bathe ane.
Haffe recomend' vn-to the my Moder Rodogon), & trete hir
wirchipfully as thyn) awenn) Moder. And I be-seke ]?e also,
f)at ])ou be Mercyable to my wyfe. And if ^ it be lykynge to pe,
take Rosan) my dogheter to thi wyfe. For semely it es, p&t je
be ioynede to-geder J^at er comefi) of so wirchipfult progenitowrs,
For povL of kyng Philippe, and scho of kyng Dsnius. And of
50W twa may a wirchipfutt & a noble fruyte sprynge.' And
ri5te as he had saide thir worde^ he swelt in Alexander armes.
Kyng Alexander, J^an), after pe custom) was for to bery
emperowrs, gert araye Dariws body als ryally as he couthe.
And wit att J^e solempnyte and wirchipe J?at myghte be done,
he helped hym selfe for to here pe here, sare wepande, and
gert pe Macedoynes & pe Percyenes gaa bi-fore pe here. The
p^rsyenes also weped" wonder faste, no^te allanly for pe dede
of Davius, bot for petee of J?aire hertis, pat ]?ay saw Alexander
wepe so enterely. And whefD Dariws was beried' Alexander
went agayne to pe palace.

^ And one pe morne Alexander went and sett hjm in a trone
alt of golde & pr^cyotts stanes, the whilke Cyrus sumtyme gert
* make pat was kynge of Perse. And the Macedoynes and pe
Persyenes sett apofi) his hede a coroune pat was Dariws, pe
whilke was so precious, J?at men) knewe nane like it in na lande.
For all pe palace schane thurgh bryghtness of pe precyous
stanes, ]?at were sett pare-in. And pe trone was all of golde,
& of precious stanes, & of pe sege pare-o&e was vii seuen) ^ cubetej
heghe fra pe grounde, and a grece of seuen) gree5 was made

i

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

* it written in above by the scribe.

• Two lines space with miniature A.

' 'vii * occurs at the end of one line, and * seven ' at the beginning of the next.