64

64

The palace of Porus.

sary. Then the Macedonians & the persians, with arrows and spears & other dyverse weapons of war, slew thickfold of the men of India. And thus they fought continually xxxti days, & much people of both parties were dead. And at the last the Macedonians, & the persians, began fast for to fail. And when Alexander saw that, he was wonder wrathe, and entered into the battle, sitting on his Bucephalus, and fought manfully, & the greeks & the macedonians with him. And his horse also helped him greatly. And then [belyfe] the Indians began greatly for to fail. And when Porus saw that he turned the back & fled. And then the Indians that were left on [lyfe] fled also. And Alexander [luged] him there with his Army and made Sacrifice to his gods and commanded for to bury the dead bodies, both of Indians & of the persians & the Macedonians.

Soon after, upon a day, Alexander ensieged Porus' city & won it, and went into Porus Palace, wherein he found more riches than any man will [trowe]. For he found therein [xl] pillars of [Massy] gold, each of a great thickness & a great length, with their [chapytralles]. And between the pillars of gold, were [hyngande venettez] of gold & silver, with leaves of gold. And the branches of this [venett] were some of crystal, some of Garnets, some of Emeralds, & some of Onyx, and they seemed as they had been very [vynes]. The walls also of the palace were covered all over with plates of gold, the which when the Macedonians cut in [soundre] & [brick?], they found that they were a great inch thick. And their walls were set full of diverse precious stones, that is to say, of [charebuncles, Emeralds, Garnets & Amethysts. And the gates of the Palace were of [Euour wonder whitt], & the bands of them, & the legs of Ebony. The chambers, also of his Palace, were all of Cypress, and the beds in them were set full of Garnets, Emeralds, & [charebuncles]. The hall, also of his Palace, was set full of images of gold, & betwixt them stood [perlatanes] of gold, in the branches of which there were many manners of fowls & each a fowl was colored, & painted after his kind asked, the beaks of them, & the claws were all of fine gold. And ay,

64

The palace of Poms,

The allies
begin the
battle and
fight foi'
thirty
days.
When ex-
hausted
they are rc-

* Leaf 25
bk.

placed by
the Greeks
and Mace-
donians.

Utter de-
feat of the
Indians
and flight
of Porus.

Siege and
capture of
Porus' city.
The riches
of Porus'
palace.

The walls
were plated
with gold
an inch
thick.

The palace
gates were
of ivory
and ebony.

The won-
ders of the
hall. The
golden
birds that
sang as
though
alive.

sary. paiD f>e Medoynes & \>e persyenes, wit arowes and speres
& d\>er dyuerse wapynes of werre, slewe thykfalde of J?e mefD of
Iride. And thus j^ay faghte co^itenuelly xxx*i days, & mekilt
pople of bathe \>q parties ware dede. And at ))e laste )?e 4
Medoynes, & J)e persyenes, begafD faste for to fayle. And when)
Alexander saw that, he was wondere wrathe, and entrede in-to
f>e batette, sittand" on his horse Buctiphalas, *and faghte mann-
fully, & J^e grekes & ]?e macedoynes wit hym. And his horse 8
also helped" hym) gretely. And than) belyfe J»e Indyenes began)
gretely for to fayle. And when) Vovus saw that he turned? f>e
bakke & fleddl And ]?an) J^e Indyenes J>at ware lefte on) lyfe
fledd'also. And Alexanc^^r luged? hym thare wit his Oste and 12
made Sacrafice titt his godde5 and commaunded" for to bery fe
dedd' bodys, bathe of Indyenes & of ]>q persyenes & })e
Macedoynes.

^ Sone after, apon) a day, Alexander ensegedd" Porws citee & 16
wann) it, and went in-titt Voxus Palace, whare-In) he fande^
mare reches f)an) any man) wilt trowe. For he fande ^are-\n xi*
pelers of Massy golde, ilkan) of a grete thikness & a grete
lenthe, wit ]?aire chapytrattes. And bitwene fe pelers of golde, 20
ware hyngande venette^ of golde & syluere, wit leues of golde.
And fe brawnche^ of this venett ware suin) of cristatte, sum) of
Margarite^, sum) of Smaragdes, & sum) of Onyches, and )?ay
semed? as J»ay hade bene verray vynes. pe walles also of J^e 24
palace ware couerde att ouer wit plates of golde, J^e whilke
whefD ^pQ Macedoynes cutte in sou9^dre & brakke, fay fande J?at
J?ay ware a gret ynche thikke. And ]?ir walles ware sett fuH of
diuerse preciows stanes, ]?at es at say, of charebuncles, Smaragdes, 28
Margarites & Amatistes. And ]>& ^ates of J>e Palace ware of
Euowr wonder whitt, & Jje bande^ of ]?ain), & ]?e legges of Ebene.
pe chambirs, also, of fis Palace, were alt of Cipresse, and \>q
bedde^ in ]?am) ware sett full of Margaritej, Smaragde^, & 32
charebuncles. pe hautt, also, of J'is Palace, was sett full of
ymages of golde, & bi-twix }?am) stode perlatanes of golde, in J?e
branches of whilke \>are were many m.dj\ners of fewles & ilke
a fewle was colourede, & paynted" after his kynde asked", })e 36
bekes of )?am), & J?e clowea ware all of fyne golde. And ay,

^ Four lines with red capital ornate 8, and small s in margin beside.
"^ MS. repeats he fande twice.