| 2424
The war begins.
man, behaves
so to Alexan-
der, a little
man.
The Undying
Gods do not
associate with
men that die.
Alexander
conies as a
mortal man to
fight Darius.
Even if Darius
overcome
Alexander he
shall win no-
thing by it, for
he is but a
little man and
a thief.
Darius's boasts
of the Persians
of old have
heartened
them to attack
the Empire.
The play baU
that was sent
was also a
forecast of his
rule over the
world.
The other
toys like-
wise fore-
tell his rule
over all
men. By
the same,
Darius has
sent tri-
bute to
Alexander.
The letter
is taken to
Darius. He
then
marches on
Persia.
* Leaf 9.
Darius, re-
ceiving
a message vnto me so littill a man) and so pore. For \>om ert
euen lyke to ]?e sonne, as thi selfe says, sittande in |?e trone of
Nitas wit ]?e godde^ of Perse. Bot goddej Jjat euermare are
liffaunde & neueimare dye^, deyne3 no^te for to hnfe ]>e fela- 4
chipe of dedely men). Sekerly I am a dedely man) ; and to J^e
I come as to a dedely man, for to feghte wit the. Bot f)ou J^at
arte so grete & so gloryous & calle5 thi selfe vmledely, pou salt
Wynne na thynge of me, if atte J>ou hafe )?e oue?'hande of me. 8
For {70U hase ouercommen) bot a littitt mafD, and a theeffe ^ als
\>o\x sayse. And if I hafe jje ou^rhande ouer the, It satt be to me
]?e gretteste wirchipe pat eu^re byfett me, for als mekitt als I salt
hafe J?e victorye of j^e worthieste emperowr of J^e werlde. Bot 12
f>are \)0m saide, ):at, in f>e rewme of Perse, es so grete plentee
of golde, J?ou hase scharpede oure herti^, and made mare
balde for to feghte with the, & for to wynne f)at golde; for
to relefe oure pouerte wit-all:, & putte awaye our nede whilke 16
'^ow. says we hafe. In ]:»at also, '\)ai ]?ou sent vs a hande-balle
and 6]>er barne-laykaynes, J^ou prophicyed ri^te, and betakend'
bi-fore, thynges J^at we trewe, thurgh godde5 helpe, sail fatte
vn-titt vs. By J^e rowndenes of ]?e batte, we vnderstande 20
all the werld" aboute vs, ]?e whilke salt fatle vnder oure subiec-
ciofD. Bi f>e tane of ]?e laykanes "^ai Ipou sent vs, f>e whilke es
made of wande5 and cruke5 donwarde^ at J?e ouerend", we vnder-
stand Ipat alt Ipe kynges of ])e werlde, and alt Ipe grete lordej, 24
salt lowte titt vs. Bi pe toper laykan), Ipat es of golde, and
hase apon it, as it ware, a manne^ hede, we vnderstande pat
we salt hafe pe victorye of alt men) and neuer be ouercommen).
And J^ou pat ert so grete & so myghty hase now onwarde^ sent 28
vs trybute, in als mekelt als pou sent vs a handbatte, and f>ir
oper thynges Jjat I rehersed by-fore, the whilke co?itene5 in
J>aTfi) so grete dignyte5.'
^ AVhen) Jjis le^^re was wreten), Alexander called' till pe mes- 32
sangers of pe Emperowr of Perse, and gafife J^am) riche gyites
and betuke J^am pe lettre, and badd' ):»am) here it to J?aire lorde.
And Jjan) Alexander sembled" his Oste, and by-gafD for to wende
towarde Perse. When the messang^rs of Perse come to pe 36
emperowr pa,j talde hyw of pe grete ryaltee of kyng Alexan-
der * and tuke hym the letters J^at Alexander sent hym). And
^ Four half lines space with miniature W.
Translation | 2424
The war begins.
man, behaves
so to Alexan-
der, a little
man.
The Undying
Gods do not
associate with
men that die.
Alexander
conies as a
mortal man to
fight Darius.
Even if Darius
overcome
Alexander he
shall win no-
thing by it, for
he is but a
little man and
a thief.
Darius's boasts
of the Persians
of old have
heartened
them to attack
the Empire.
The play baU
that was sent
was also a
forecast of his
rule over the
world.
The other
toys like-
wise fore-
tell his rule
over all
men. By
the same,
Darius has
sent tri-
bute to
Alexander.
The letter
is taken to
Darius. He
then
marches on
Persia.
* Leaf 9.
Darius, re-
ceiving
a message vnto me so littill a man) and so pore. For \>om ert
euen lyke to ]?e sonne, as thi selfe says, sittande in |?e trone of
Nitas wit ]?e godde^ of Perse. Bot goddej Jjat euermare are
liffaunde & neueimare dye^, deyne3 no^te for to hnfe ]>e fela- 4
chipe of dedely men). Sekerly I am a dedely man) ; and to J^e
I come as to a dedely man, for to feghte wit the. Bot f)ou J^at
arte so grete & so gloryous & calle5 thi selfe vmledely, pou salt
Wynne na thynge of me, if atte J>ou hafe )?e oue?'hande of me. 8
For {70U hase ouercommen) bot a littitt mafD, and a theeffe ^ als
\>o\x sayse. And if I hafe jje ou^rhande ouer the, It satt be to me
]?e gretteste wirchipe pat eu^re byfett me, for als mekitt als I salt
hafe J?e victorye of j^e worthieste emperowr of J^e werlde. Bot 12
f>are \)0m saide, ):at, in f>e rewme of Perse, es so grete plentee
of golde, J?ou hase scharpede oure herti^, and made mare
balde for to feghte with the, & for to wynne f)at golde; for
to relefe oure pouerte wit-all:, & putte awaye our nede whilke 16
'^ow. says we hafe. In ]:»at also, '\)ai ]?ou sent vs a hande-balle
and 6]>er barne-laykaynes, J^ou prophicyed ri^te, and betakend'
bi-fore, thynges J^at we trewe, thurgh godde5 helpe, sail fatte
vn-titt vs. By J^e rowndenes of ]?e batte, we vnderstande 20
all the werld" aboute vs, ]?e whilke salt fatle vnder oure subiec-
ciofD. Bi f>e tane of ]?e laykanes "^ai Ipou sent vs, f>e whilke es
made of wande5 and cruke5 donwarde^ at J?e ouerend", we vnder-
stand Ipat alt Ipe kynges of ])e werlde, and alt Ipe grete lordej, 24
salt lowte titt vs. Bi pe toper laykan), Ipat es of golde, and
hase apon it, as it ware, a manne^ hede, we vnderstande pat
we salt hafe pe victorye of alt men) and neuer be ouercommen).
And J^ou pat ert so grete & so myghty hase now onwarde^ sent 28
vs trybute, in als mekelt als pou sent vs a handbatte, and f>ir
oper thynges Jjat I rehersed by-fore, the whilke co?itene5 in
J>aTfi) so grete dignyte5.'
^ AVhen) Jjis le^^re was wreten), Alexander called' till pe mes- 32
sangers of pe Emperowr of Perse, and gafife J^am) riche gyites
and betuke J^am pe lettre, and badd' ):»am) here it to J?aire lorde.
And Jjan) Alexander sembled" his Oste, and by-gafD for to wende
towarde Perse. When the messang^rs of Perse come to pe 36
emperowr pa,j talde hyw of pe grete ryaltee of kyng Alexan-
der * and tuke hym the letters J^at Alexander sent hym). And
^ Four half lines space with miniature W.
Translation |