10

10

Alexander s first encounter, and victory.

* Leaf. 2

The king
challenges
Alexander.
Alexander
accepts,
and they
both go
home to
gather
forces.

Alexander
gathers his
army,
meets King
Nicholas
and slays
him after
the fight.

On his
home-com-
ing, he
finds his
father at
bridal with
a new wife,
and begs
him to take
Olympia
back again,

lest Alex-
ander, giv-
ing her to
another
king, be
his foe.
One Lesias
jeeringly
foretelling
that Cleo-
patra shall
bear Philip
an heir,

' Luke on me ' * quoth he 'that spekes to the: Fore I swere the
be my Fader hele, & I anes spitte in thi face, thou schale dye'
And wit that he spitte at Alexander, & said: 'Take the thare,
thou biche whelpe, that the seme3 till hafe.' And Alexander 4
stepped furthe, & said un-till hym. 'For thou' quoth he 'hase
dispised me, by-cause I ame littill ; I swere the, bi the pete of my
Fader, & by my moders wambe, in the whilke I was consayued
of godd Amon, that thou schall see mee, are oughte lange, in 8
thi rewme, redi to feghte wit the; and owther I schall wyn
thi rewme wit dynte of swerd, & brynge it under my subieccionn,
or thou schall make me subiecte un-to the.' And thare thay
assignede day of Batelle ; and ayther of tham went hame fra 12
other.
^1 And agaynes the day of Batelle, Alexander, bi ascent &
ordynance of kynge Philippe, gadird a grete Oste, & went to
the place thare the Batelle was assigned, and fand all redy thare, 16
kyng Nicoll and his oste. And thay trumpped up appon bathe
the parties, and bigan to feghte, & many men ware slaen on
bathe the syde3. Bot at the laste, Alexander hade the felde,
& tuke kyng Nicholl, & gart smytte of his heued, & went in-till 20
his land, and conquered it ; and his knyghtes went and coround
hym kynge thare-off. And sythen he went hame till his fader,
kyng Philippe, and fand hym sittand at the mete at a bridale :
For he had put awaye fra hym his wyfe Olympias, Alexander 24
moder, and taken hym an-other that highte Cleopatra ; And
Alexander went in-to the haulle, and said un-to the kynge
Philipp : 'Fader,' quoth he, ' I pray 3ow, that for a rewarde of
my firste iournee that I hafe now made, 3ee graunte me to take 28
my Moder Olympias agayne un-to 3ow, & do to hir as awe
to be done to a qwenne ^2, rathere than I gyffe hir to another
kynge ; so that I be no3te 3oure enemy for ever. For this
weddyng, that 3e hafe now made here, es unlefull! ' When 32
he hadd said thir wordes, ane of the that satt at the kynges burde,
whase name was Lesias, ansuerd & said to the kyng : ' lord'
quoth he 'thou schall hafe a son of Cleopatra, and he schall
regne after the!' Alexander, than, was gretly greuede at his 36
wordes, and wit a wardrere that he hade in his hande, he went

^ Place for miniature blank, twelve
half-lines.

MS. qwnne with e inserted above text.

10

Alexander s first encounter, and victory.

* Leaf. 2

The king

challenges

Alexander.

Alexander

accepts,

and they

both go

home to

gather

forces.

Alexander
gathers his
army,
meets King
Nicholas
and slays
him after
the fight.

On his
home-com-
ing, he
finds his
father at
bridal with
a new wife,
and begs
him to take
Olympia
back again,

lest Alex-
ander, giv-
ing her to
another
king, be
his foe.
One Lesias
jeeringly
foretelling
that Cleo-
patra shall
bear Philip
an heir,

' Luke on me ' * quo]) he ' pat spekes to the : Fore I swere the
be my Fader hele, & I anes spitte in thi face, ])ou schale dye/
And wit fat he spitte at Alexander, & said": * Take ])e j^are,
])o\i biche whelpe, J)at J>e seme5 titt hafe.' And Alexander 4
stepped' furthe, & said' vn-titt hyin). * For Ipou ' quolp he * base
dispised me, by-cause I ame littitt ; I swere pe, bi Ipe pete of my
Fader, & by my moders wambe, in "pe whilke I was consayued
of godd Amon), J^at poii schalt see mee, are oughte lange, in 8
J)i rewme, redi to feghte wit pe ; and owj^er I schatt wyn)
thi rewme wzt dynte of swerd', & brynge it vnder my swbieccionn),
or ])on schatt make me subiecte vn-to pe.' And J^are ]?ay
assignede day of Batette ; and ayther of J)am) went hame fra 1 2
olper,

*And agaynes J>e day of Batette, Alexander, bi ascent &
ordynance of kynge Philippe, gadird a grete Oste, & went to
the place pare pe Batette was assigned, and fand att redy l^are, 16
kyng Nicott and his oste. And j^ay trumpped" vp appofD bathe
pe parties, and bigan) to feghte, & many men) ware slaen) on)
bathe pe syde^. Bot at pe laste, Alexander hade pe felde,
& tuke kyng Nichott, & gart smytte of his heued', & went iyi-titt 20
his land, and conquered it ; and his knyghtes went and coround?
hym kynge pare-o&. And sythen) he went hame titt his fader,
kyng Philippe, and fand' hym sittand' at the mete at a bridale :
For he had put awaye fra hym his wyfe Olympias, Alexander 24
moder, and taken) hym &,n-oper J^at highte Cleopatra ; And
Alexander went in-to pe hautte, and said vn-to pe kynge
Philipp) : * Fader,' quop he, ' I pray 50W, Jjat for a rewarde of
my firste iowrnee pat I hafe now made, 3ee graunte me to take 28
my Moder Olympias agayne vn-to 50W, & do to hir as awe
to be done to a qwenne ^, rathere J^an) I gyffe hir to 3i.noper
kynge ; so pat I be no5te ^oure enemy for euer. For this
weddyng, ]:>at 56 hafe now made here, es vnlefutt ! ' When) 32
he hadd' said" thir wordes, ane of pe pat satt at pe kynges burde,
whase name was Lesias, ansuerd' & said? to pe kyng : ' lord''
quop he ' pan schall hafe a sofD of Cleopatra, and he schatt
regne after pe ! ' Alexander, than), was gretly greuede at his 36
wordes, and wit a wardrere pat he hade in his hande, he went

^ Place for miniature blank, twelve
half-lines.

MS. qwnne with e inserted above text.