23

Letter of Alexander to Darius

ettre which e brought witnesses; 'A, A lorde ', quoth they, our emperor sent thus to you for your power & your might was unknown unto him. Bot we beseech you late [vs gaa,] and we schall make known unto him your great glory, your royalty, & your noblaye.

Then king Alexander bade his knights lowse J?am), and character

bring them into his hall, to J»e mete. And thare he made King Alex-

8 ]?am) a grete feste & a ryatt. And as J^ay satt at the mete, ]?ir ^^ them

messang(?rs saide vn titt Alexander, ' lorde,' qud\> }>ay, ' if it ^^^^ tlciem.

be plesynge to jowr bye maiestee sende^ with vs a thowsand meat.

of doghty mefD of armes, and we satt delyuer f)am) J»e posTto^*'"

12 Emp^roi^r Daritts,' and Alexander ansuerde a^ayne & said"^ Alexander
^. .„ , that they

* Sittes stitte', qwoJ> he, *& makes 30W mery. For I tett should de-

30W in certayne, for f)e betrayinge of '^our kynge, I witt rius^into'
noghte graunt 50W a knyghte wzt 50W '. Apon Jje morne, ^^^^ hands.
16 Alexander gart write a l^^^re vn-to Darit^s, whareoffe f>e tenowr fully re-
was this. j^^*' ^*-

^e letter of ^lexantiere^

■* ' Alexander, the son) of Philippe & of qwene Olympias, vn-to Alexander,
Dariit5, kyng of ]?e land" J^at schynes ^ wit j^e godde^ of Perse, minds Darius
10 we seiide. If we graythely & sothefastly be-halde oure selfe oftheunstead-

l£tStJll6SS Ot

Ipare es na thynge \>ai we here hafe })at we may bi righte catte earthly
ours, bot att it es lent vs for a tyme. For atte we J^at ere ^^^ '
whirlede aboute wit J^e whele of fortune, now ere we broghte high degree

24 fra reches in-to pouerte : now fra myrthe & ioy in-to Sorowe & S°^^^ scorn

^ ^ ^ J those lower,

heuynesse ; and agaynwarde5 : and now fra heghte, we are for he never

plungede in-to lawnesse. pare-fore f)are schulde na man) ]^at es the wheel of

sett in hye degre triste to mekitt in his hyenesse, that, thurgh J'^^^*^"^® ™^y

25 pride & vayne glorye, he schulde despyse ]?e dedis of oj^er men)

lesse * f)an he. For he wate neuer how sone J^e whele of for- * Leafs bk.
tune may twrne abowte, and caste hym doune to lawe degree,
Jjat sitte^ hye on)-lofte : and rayse hym to hye wirchipe and
32 grete noblaye ]?at bifore was pore and in lawe degree. Therefore Da-
And barefore the aughte to thynke grete schame, bat swilke "'i^^ should be

^ ^ J & > r ashamed that

a worthy emperowr as mefD halde5 the, schulde sende swylke he, a great

^ sent in margin of MS. the letter.

^ & said in margin. * Five half lines with miniature A.

^ The rubric is wrongly placed in the ^ schynes in margin of MS.
MS. after Oignyte^^ p. 24, i. e. at the end of

Letter of Alexander to Darius

ettre which e brought witnesses; 'A, A lorde ', quoth our emperor sent ^ thus to you for your powere & your

might was unknown unto him. Bot we beseech you late^ ^ake^^

4 vs gaa, and we schatt mak aknaweiD vntitt hym ^our grete known to

glory, 5o^tr ryaltee, & ^owr noblaye. Alexan-

pafi) king Alexander badd" his knyghtis lowse J?am), and character

bryng J>am) in-tilt his hautte, to J»e mete. And thare he made King Alex-

8 ]?am) a grete feste & a ryatt. And as J^ay satt at the mete, ]?ir ^^ them

messang(?rs saide vn titt Alexander, ' lorde,' qud\> }>ay, ' if it ^^^^ tlciem.

be plesynge to jowr bye maiestee sende^ with vs a thowsand meat.

of doghty mefD of armes, and we satt delyuer f)am) J»e posTto^*'"

12 Emp^roi^r Daritts,' and Alexander ansuerde a^ayne & said"^ Alexander
^. .„ , that they

* Sittes stitte', qwoJ> he, *& makes 30W mery. For I tett should de-

30W in certayne, for f)e betrayinge of '^our kynge, I witt rius^into'
noghte graunt 50W a knyghte wzt 50W '. Apon Jje morne, ^^^^ hands.
16 Alexander gart write a l^^^re vn-to Darit^s, whareoffe f>e tenowr fully re-
was this. j^^*' ^*-

^e letter of ^lexantiere^

■* ' Alexander, the son) of Philippe & of qwene Olympias, vn-to Alexander,
Dariit5, kyng of ]?e land" J^at schynes ^ wit j^e godde^ of Perse, minds Darius
10 we seiide. If we graythely & sothefastly be-halde oure selfe oftheunstead-

l£tStJll6SS Ot

Ipare es na thynge \>ai we here hafe })at we may bi righte catte earthly
ours, bot att it es lent vs for a tyme. For atte we J^at ere ^^^ '
whirlede aboute wit J^e whele of fortune, now ere we broghte high degree

24 fra reches in-to pouerte : now fra myrthe & ioy in-to Sorowe & S°^^^ scorn

^ ^ ^ J those lower,

heuynesse ; and agaynwarde5 : and now fra heghte, we are for he never

plungede in-to lawnesse. pare-fore f)are schulde na man) ]^at es the wheel of

sett in hye degre triste to mekitt in his hyenesse, that, thurgh J'^^^*^"^® ™^y

25 pride & vayne glorye, he schulde despyse ]?e dedis of oj^er men)

lesse * f)an he. For he wate neuer how sone J^e whele of for- * Leafs bk.
tune may twrne abowte, and caste hym doune to lawe degree,
Jjat sitte^ hye on)-lofte : and rayse hym to hye wirchipe and
32 grete noblaye ]?at bifore was pore and in lawe degree. Therefore Da-
And barefore the aughte to thynke grete schame, bat swilke "'i^^ should be

^ ^ J & > r ashamed that

a worthy emperowr as mefD halde5 the, schulde sende swylke he, a great

^ sent in margin of MS. the letter.

^ & said in margin. * Five half lines with miniature A.

^ The rubric is wrongly placed in the ^ schynes in margin of MS.
MS. after Oignyte^^ p. 24, i. e. at the end of