60

60

The march against Porus.

that he found there, of the which he & all his men were made rich. And also wrote unto them, that they should make great solemnity lasting eight days because of the wedding of Alexander & Roxana Darius' daughter. And so did Alexander, in Persia, with the macedonians & the persians, many a day.

After this king Alexander assembled a great Army, both of macedonians & of persians, and went toward India for to war upon Porus, king of India, the which ordained him for to come & help king Darius. And, when Alexander was entered unto India, he went through wilderness & waste country, wherein were great rivers and many great caves & caverns. And then Alexander & his men waxed weary, & [irked] right sore. And the princes of macedonia & of greece murmured amongst them greatly, & said each to to the other: 'It might have sufficed to us, that we have overset king Darius, & conquerred the kingdom of Persia. Where beseech we farther into India, the which is full of wild beasts, and leaves our own lands. [Ne] this Alexander [nane] other things desires, but for to wend about and through war to bring all the world under his subjection. For war & debate [unrechez] his body so [fer furth] that, and he rested any long time without war, right as it were for [defaute of mete] he should fail & die. Leave we him therefore, and turn we against unto our own country, and let him wend forth with the persians, if he will' When Alexander heard this, he [garte] all the Army abide, and he went and stood in on high place amongst them, and sai on this ways:

60

The march against Poms.

He com-

*Leaf 23
bk.

mands an
eight days'
feast for
the mar-
riage.
Alexander
marches
against
Porus of
India,
through
waste
country,
with great
rivers and
caverns.
The Mace-
donians
m.urmur at
the con-
tinued
wars and
inarches,
and against
Alex-
ander's
ambition.
They fain
would
leave him.

King Alex-
ander
divides the
Mace-
donians
and the
Persians.

Alexander
rebukes the
Greeks
that they
would
leave him
alone with
rebellious
Persians.
He reminds
them of
what he
has done

f)at he fande )?are, of \>e whilke he & alt his meii) ware made
riche. And also he wrate vn-to f)airD,* J)at f)ay scholde make
grete solempnytee lastyng aghte dayes be-cause of \>e weddyng«
of AXexander & Eosan) Dariws doghter. And so did' Alexander, 4
in Perse, wit ]>e maceydoynes & J?e joersyenes, many a daye.

^ Affter this kyng Alexamder sembled' a grete Oste, bathe of
macedoyns & of persyenes, and went towarde Inde for to werre
apon) Vorus, kyng of Inde, \>e whilke ordeynede hjm for to 8
come & helpe kyng Dariws. And, when Alexander was entered
in-titt Inde, he went thurgh wildernes & waste cuntree, whare
in ware grete reuers and many grete caues & cauernes. And
|:»an) Alexander & his men) wex wery, & irkede ri^te sare. And 12
])e prynces of macedoyne & of grece murmourede amange5 J>am)
gretly, & saide ilkafD titt olper : ' It my^te hafe sufficed' tilt vs,
Jjat we hafe ouer-sett kyng Dariws, & conqerred* pe kyngdom)
of P^rse. Where-be seke we forthire in-titt Inde, pe whilke es 16
futt of wilde beste55 and leues oure awenn) landej. Ne J)is
Alexander nane oper thynge5 desyre^, bot for to wende abowte
and thurgh werre to brynge att pe worlde vndere his subieccion.
For werre & debate unresche^ his body so fer furth J?at, and he 20
ristede any lange tyme witowten) werre, rijte als it were for
defaute of mete he schulde faile & dye. Leue we hym f)ar«fore,
and turne we agayne vn-titt oure awenn) cuntree, and late
hym wende furthe w?'t the persyenes, if he wilt.' When 24
Alexander herde J>is, he garte aR pe Oste habide, and he
went and stodde in ane heghe place amange^ J>am), & sayde
one this wise : ' Departis 30W in twaa, so ]:)at pe p^rsyenes be
by ]:)arn)-selfe and pe Macedoynes and pe grekes bi )?am)-selfe.' 28
And when) pay hadd"" so done, Alexander saide to J^e Macedoynes
and pe grekes : * A A, myne owenn) dere knyghtis,' quop he,
' wele [^e] knawe pat thir persyenes., yn-to ]?is day, hase bene con-
trary & rebettes vn-to 50 w & to me, and 30 witt now lefe me 32
here wit J?am), and towrne agayne to ^our awenn) cuntree. Wele
5e wate, ]:)at when ^our hertes were troubblede, & fered', for pe
wordes Jjat ware contened" in Dariws le^^res, I thrugh my speche
& my consett comforthed' ^our hertis. And afterwarde, when we 36
come in-to pe felde agaynes oure enem^^s, I went bi-fore 50W att.

^ Four lines with miniature A with a
barrel drawn within on its side, and a tree

springing from it.
mai'gin beside it.

Small a written in the