54

54

Alexander comes to Darius.

went over the water of Graunt, and all his Army with him, and come to the city of Susis. And as soon as the persians saw him,, They Opened the gates of the city, & received him with great worship. And when the princes that slew Darius [wiste[ that Alexander was coming into the city they went & held them in hiding until they might [gete knaweynge] of Alexander will, as [towchand] that they had done to Darius. Alexander then went into the king's Palace, adn as he went therein he marvelled him greatly of the building thereof. For Darius the king of Persia [gert] built it royally. And the [pament] thereof was made of stones of diverse colors, & the walls all around with fine gold & precious stones & [sternes lyke] to the firmament, and pillars of gold that bore up the work. When Alexander saw all this curious work, he marvelled him greatly. And then he went to the chamber where Darius lay half-dead. And as soon as he saw him he had great ruth & compassion of him, and he took off his own mantle & covered [him] therewith, & went and [graped] his wounds and wept for him right tenderly, & said unto him. 'Rise up, sir Darius,' quoth he, '& be of good comfort. And as freely as ever thou rejoysed thine Empire, so must thou this do, And be as mighty, & as glorious as ever thou was. I swear the here by our mighty gods & by the faith in my body, that here I resign unto thee all thine empire, desiring [souerayngly] for to have the life of thee, as the son of the Father, For [sekerly] it is unfitting & unseely to an emperor for to be rejoiced of another emperor's mischief & disease, when fortune has forsaken him Tell me, sir, what they are that has thus [faren] with thee, and I swear thee as I am a true man I shall avenge thee to the utterest.' And when Alexander had said this & much more, sorely weeping, Darius put out his hand, and laid his arm about Alexander's neck, and kissed his breast, his neck, & his hand, & said these words, there that her follows. 'A, dear son Alexander,' quoth he, 'as thy highe with knows well, all this world is corrupt and set in malice. For the sovereign foresight of god, all things known from the beginning, and [hafand felying] of the workings for to come, made man in that way, at the

54

Alexander comes to Darius.

his death
enters
Susa with-
out resist-
ance.
The con-
spirators
hide them-
selves.

Alexander
goes to the
room
where
Darius lies
dying.

Alexander
has pity
on Darius
and pro-
mises him
all he once
had if he
will but
live.

Alexander
says he
would
rather give
his own
Empire to
Darius
than be-
hold him
dead.
* Leaf 21.

Darius em-
braces
Alexander.

Darius'
speech to
Alexander
on the
worthless-
ness and
unstead-
fastness of

12

went ou«r f)e wat^r of Graunt, and att his Oste vfii hym, and
come to J)e cetee of Susis. And alsone als \>q p^rcj'enes saw
hyw, Thay OpenedT Jje 5ates of f)e citee, &• rescheyued' hym) wtt
grete wirchipe. And when) )?e prynce5 t^^^ slewe Darius wiste 4
))at AXexaiider was comen) in)-to J>e citee J^ay went & helde fain)
in hidils ay titt J:)ay my^te gete knaweynge of Alexanc^er witt,
as towchand" }?at that ]^ay hadd" done to Dariws. Alexander f)an)
went in-to J?e kynges Palace, and as he went pare-in he 8
merueyled hym g^etly of J»e biggyng ]?are-off. For Cirus \>e
kyng of Perse gert bigg it ryally. And the pament Ipareoffe
was made of stanes of dyuerse colours, & ])e walles att enueround
-wit fyne golde & pr^cyows stanes & sternes lyke to ]>e firmament,
and pelers of golde J^at bare vp )?e werke. When) Alexander
saw att this curiows werke, he meruailed" hym gretly. And
than) he went to J>e chambre j^are Dariws laye halfe dede.
And alsone als he saw hym) he hadd" grete rewthe & compassiofD i6
of hym, and he tuke off his awenn) mantitt & couerd" [hym] pare-
wit, & went and graped" his wondes and wepid' for hym rijt
tenderly, & said' un-til hym. * Kise vp, sir Dariws,' quop he, ' &
be of gude comforthe. And als frely as eu^r J?ou reioysede thyn) 20
Empire, so mot J>ou ^itt do, And be als myghty, & als gloryouse
als euer \)ou was. I swere the here by oure my^ty goddes & by
fe faythe in my body, pat here I resigne vn-to the att thyn)
empyre, desyrand" souerayjigly for to hafe pe lyfe of the, as Ipe 24
son) of ^ pe Fader, For sekerly it es ynfittand* & unsemly titt ane
6m-perour for to be reioysede of an oper emiperours mescheffe &
disesse, when) fortune base forsaken) hym. Tette me, szV, what
pay are pat base thus faren) wit the, and I sewre pe als I am 28
trew mafD I satt venge the to pe uttereste.' And * whefD
Alexander had said? this & mekitt mare, Sare wepand' Dariws
putt furthe his hande, and layde his arme abowte Alexander
nekke, and kyssed his breste, his nekke, & his hande, & saide 32
thir worde^, thare that here folowes. ^ < A, dere son) Alexander/
quop he, *als thi heghe witt knawes wele, att this werlde es
corupt and sett in malice. For pe souerayne forluke of godd"
att thynge5 knawande fra pe begynnyng, and hafand' felyng 36
of pe wirkywge^ for to come, made man) in that wyse, at pe

* f>e is written in above the line in the
MS.

^ Four lines miniature with ornamented
red capital A.