Alexander the Great

sig: O2

The leter sayd this without fayle

The thred day he shold haue batayle

On the thred day that came

Kyng alesaundre his armur name

and armed him fynly and well

So dyd his peple euerydell

So dyd kyng porrus and all his ost

and come to batayle with gret bost

Ther were displayed many a baner

Of rich selke and of goold wyre

and ther was many a fayre stede

And many a knyght good at nede

Ther was moch ryoll iustyng

So was ther many fayre defendyng

and kyng alesaundre with his meyne

Of kyng porrus he gate the gre

kyng porrus yeld to his hande

and to his wyll all his lande

kyng alesaundre was of hert [c]urteys curteys] ourteys 1525, curteys B

He graunted kyng porrus loue and pese

Now ben thes knyghtes well at on

And soo be her men euerychone

Now is porrus and all his [folk] parde folk] 1525 omits, folk B

They ben [of] kyng alesaundre[s] meyne of] 1525 omits, of B; alesaundres] alesaundre 1525, Alisaundres B

Than went kyng porrus as I fynde

Wt kyng alesaundre ouer all inde

For to schew him of all-thing

Of men and bestis moche maruelynges

He halp to wynne in-to his hande

All the nacyonys of the lande

Now or ye goo eny forther-more

Ye shall here a wonder bore

Yef ye wyll herkyn her-to well

Hit is in kyng alesaundres pystyll

sig: [O2v]

TO aristotell in bookys as I fynd

Alesaundre sent out of inde

How kyng porrus had an hall

That was fayre and ryche with-all

All the pelers that beren that hows

Of massy gold they were presyos

The heyght was meten ther with men

iiij. skore of feete it was and ten

And ther-of was euery chapyter chapyter] chapytler 1525

Of red gold both fyne and klere

Ye wallys weren full rych also

With plate of gold about be_goo

That was enche-thyke ouer-all

Thus [hit] was an hall full ryall hit] 1525 omits

Betwene the pelouris hyng a vyne

All sad gold and seluer fyne

Of pured gold eych lef was als

This story is not holdon fals

This was no vyne made of iape

Of fyne cristall was euery grape

and of emeraunde the riche stonys emeraunde: =emerald

Fayre be_set for the nonys

The chamburis weren full fayr and bryght

Ther-in myght come no wyght

For stonis that weren soo presyos

Endendyd with gold about the hows Endendyd: see OED s.v. indent v.2

Of margarytis and charbocle-ston charbocle: see OED carbuncle

Euery c[h]amber well fayre schone chamber] cyamber 1525

All her chamburis and her bouris

Were be_set with fayre floures

Of euery portrayed of fayre entayle

Whyt as melke witho[u]ten fayle

Ye braces weren wonder fyne

Of atred was kleped Ebyn Ebyn] Ebemyn 1525atred: =black? Ebyn: See OED s.v. ebon, MED s.v. eben =ebony?atred: =black? Ebyn: See OED s.v. ebon, MED s.v. eben =ebony?

The thre shynyd as bryght as golde

sig: [O7]

Sig. O3-O6 wanting

Ne had they don so verament

The snow had keuerde her tentes

But as god wold ther come a rayne

and a lyghtnyng I dar well sayne

Hyt was all so lyght and klere

As all the feldes on fyer were

From heeuen as hit were fyer-brond

Hit fell adowne in-to her hand

Ther ne was no man so hardye

But they were aferde sekerly

Anon after as hit was godes wyl

The nyght be_come fayre and styll

Kyng alesaundre that was so hend

He dyd anon his fyres tende

Than fonde he deede for kolde

v.C. knyghtes that weren bolde

Yt layen in the valey be_lowe

Ther were they keuerde in the snow

Ye kyng let his knyghtes bery

Was he nothyng in hert mery

All her golde nor her ryches

Saued him not fro dystres

The kyng remeued his tentes in hast remeued] reumeued 1525

and went toward the see faste

kyng alesaundre bade his men tho

Aray ther shypys and goo ther-too

[D]romoundes galyes and eke barge Dromoundes] Uromoundes 1525, Dromuns B

Wt ther vytayle they sholde charge

and soo they dyden withouten chest chest: see OED s.v. chest, n.2 (="strife")

and they sayled forth euen Est

100

The .xx. day they come to I_perayne I_perayne] Yperoun B

and ther thay fond a woll fayre towne

But .vij. myle the land ys long

and ther they fond men full strong

And iiij. myle hit was of brede

sig: [O7v]

105

The kyng of the land dyd be reede dyd be reede: see OED s.v. rede, n.1, 1b

He made with alesaundr[e] pese alesaundre] alesaundrt 1525

and gaf him gret yeft nathelese yeft: =gift

In that land groweth no whete

Nor nother corne but spycys swete

110

Ther-of they made all her brede

And dranke wyne whyte and red

Euerich man and woman eke

Of the land that is so swete

With gold and seluer and presyos ston

115

They ben klothed euery_chone

Hyt is boysters folke in euery plase

Mochell men and grysly of fase fase] fasce 1525

The kyng had with him many a gest[n]yng gestnyng] gestyng 1525gestnyng: see OED s.v. gestening ="banquet"

Of mete and drynke and moche thyng

120

For_ther-more in-to the este

Ther was nothyng but wyld best

iiij.-heded nedders and dragonys heded] he ded 1525

Tygris grypys and eke lyonys

A maner folke ther is I_founde

125

That men klepen the see-hounde

The nedders bredyth the presyous stonys

and lystynyth now all at-onys

In schynyng of the son bryght

He turneth his wombe euen-right right] pright 1525or: euen vpright?

130

and as he lyeth in the hot son

With the heete the wombe shynyth than

and conseueth of the son fyer fyer] veire B

Throw n[a]ture of the wynd and eyre nature] noture 1525, nature B

Yef the eyre be of dyuers ble

135

For-soth so schall the stonys bee

Suche is the nedders kendlyng

Presyous stonys forth to bryng

Iacynctys peri[p]es and cryzelitys peripes] peritottes 1525, piropes B.See OED s.v. pyrope "red gem" See OED s.v. pyrope "red gem"

Safurys amorondes and margarytys Safurys] Safurnys 1525, Safyres B.Safurys: =sapphires; amorondes: =emeralds Safurys: =sapphires; amorondes: =emeralds

Fragmentary: text breaks off here.