24

The war begins.

a message unto me so little a man) and so poor. For thou art
even like to the son, as thyself says, sitting in the throne of
[Midas?] with the gods of Persia. But gods that evermore are
[liffaunde] & nevermore dies, dies not for to have the fellowshps of deadly men. Secretly I am a deadly man; and to the [ ] I come as to a deadly man, for to fight with [the]. But thou that art so great & so glorious & calls thyself undeadly, thou shall win nothing of me, if all thou have the overhand of me. For thou has overcome but a little man and a thief, as thou says.
And if I have the overhand over them, It shall be to me the greatest worship that ever befell me, for [als mekitt] as I shall have the victory of the worthiest emperor of the world. But there thou said, that, in the room of Persia, os so great plenty
of gold, thou has sharpened our hearts, and made more bold for to fight with them, & for to win that gold; for to relieve our poverty withall:, & put away our need which thou says we have. In that also, that thou sent us a handball
and other [barne-laykaynes], thou prophesied 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 understand that
we shall have the victory of all men and never be overcome).
And thou that art so great & so mighty has now onward sent us tribute, in als [mekelt] as thou 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.

24

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.