46 Alexander goes to Darius,

46

Alexander goes to Darius,

prince was a brave man, & a hardy & [very] true to Alexander. And then Alexander bade him leap on a horse, and bring with him another horse & follow him. And he did so. And when they came together to the water of Graunte, that in the language of Persia es called Struma, they found it frozen over, and Alexander anon [chaunged] he wait, & left the foresaid prince with two horses at the waterside and himself, with the horse that he sat upon, went over the water upon the ice, toward the cite of Susis. And his prince besought him that he would suffer him went with him, not peradventure any disease fell him by the way. And Alexander answered & said, 'Abide me here,' quoth he, 'For he shall be my helper, when in dreams I saw appear unto me.' This [icy?] water I spake of before, all the winter seasons each night was frozen all over; but timely in the morning as soon as the warm sun hit upon it, then it dissolved again, & ran very swiftly; the [breadth?] of that water is the space of a furlong. When Alexander came to the gat of the city the Persians, when they saw him, had great wonder of his figure, and [wondered if?] if had been a god, and anon they asked him what he was. And he answered, and said he was a messenger sent from king Alexander to their lord Darius, and [be-lyfe] they brought him to him. Darius, when Alexander come before him, said unto him, 'Here art though,' quoth he. 'I am,' quoth Alexander, 'sent unto thee from king Alexander to [wiete] wherto thou tarries to come to him to give him battle. [Otherwise?] come & fight manfully with thine enemies or else submit thee to him & pay him tribute.

And Darius heard him and said, "Art thou then the Alexander who with such madness shaped they speech, for I see thou holdest thyself not from words as a messenger doth, but art bold as a king. Yet know that by thy words I am not frightened at all. Come dine with me this day.' And with these words, he reached ot his hand to him and took him by his right, and led him into the palace. And Alexander, musing, began to say: 'A right good token hath this barbarian wrought me when he clasped my right hand and drew me into

46

Alexander goes to Darius,

Alexander
rides with
a single
knight to
the River
Grancus
which was
frozen over.

He will not
allow his
knight to
fare further
with him.

The river
ever freezes
in the
night and
thaws in
the morn-
ing.

The Per-
sians are
amazed at
him. Alex-
ander
comes to
Darius and
summons
him to give
tribute or
fight.

* Leaf 19.

prynce wns a wyghte mafD, & an hardy & wonder trewe titt
Alexander. And Jr'an) Alex«7if/er bad hym lepe one a horse, and
brynge \\ii hym a noJ?«r horse & folow hym. And he didd" so.
And wheii) })ay come to gedir to J^e water of Graunte, fat in \>q
hmgage of Perse es called' Struma, J?ay fande it froseiD ower, and
Mtyiander onane chauwged he * wede, & lefte ]?e foresaid" prynce
wtt twa horse at ]?e water-syde and hym selfe, wtt f)e horse J?at
he satt apon), went ouer \>e water apoiD fie Ysj, towarde )?e citee of
Susis. And his prynce besoghte hym Jjat he walde sufifre hywi
wende wit hj^w, ne perauentwre any disesse fette hym by }>e
waye. And AlexancZer ansuerd" & sayde, ' Habyde me here,' c\uo\>
he, ' For he satt be my helpere, wham) in dreme3 I sawe appere
vn-to me.' This ilke water I spake of bi-fore, alt ]:e wynter seson
ilke a nyghte was frosen) att ouer ; bot tymely in J^e mornynge als
sone als )?e warme son) smate apon) it, ]:'an) it dissoluede agayne,
<fe ran) wonder swiftely ; J:e brede of J)at water es \>e space of a
furlange. When Ki^xander come to Jje 5ate of J?e citee the
Perciens, when ]?ay saw hym, hadd" grete wonder of his figure,
and wend" he hadd" bene a godd", and onane J'ay asked* hym what
he was 1 And he ansuerd', and said" he was a messangere sent
fra kyng Alexawc/er to ]?aii e lorde Dariws, and be-lyfe J^ay broghte
hym til hym. Dariws, when Alexawc?er come bi fore hym, said
vn-til hym. ' Whethyn) ert \o\x^' c\uo\) he ? 'I ame,' qwo)>
Alexander, ' sent vn-to J>e fra kyng Alexander to wiete where
to )?ou taries to come titt hym to gyffe hym batette. Owthir
come & feghte manfully wzt thyne enemy s or etts submitte f>e
titt hym) & * pay ^ hym tribute.'

And Darius heard him and said, * Art thou then the Alexander
who with such madness shaped thy speech, for I see thou
boldest thyself not from words as a messenger doth, but art
bold as a king. Yet know that by thy words I am not
frightened at all. Come dine with me this day.' And with
these words, he reached out his hand to him and took him by
his right, and led him into the palace. And Alexander,
musing, began to say : ' A right good token hath this barbarian
wi'ought me when he clasped my right hand and drew me into

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

^ MS. reads * Ae*. We ought perhaps to
substitute ' his'.

2 Pay him tribute is written at the

bottom of leaf t8; between that leaf and
what is now leaf 19 a whole leaf is missing.