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The slaying of Darius.

letter comes to thou, thee haste thou to us in all that thee may. For [wite ze wele] for certain, that right as he don to us, so he purpose him in time coming for to do to thou.'

In the meantime, certain men of Darius went from him & come to Alexander, and told him, that Darius purposed him for to fight with him [eftsones], and had sent to Porus, king of India, for to come in great haste, for to help him. When Alexander heard this, [be-lyfe] he removed his Army toward Darius, thinking in his heart that he would on no ways take upon him the. name of Emperor before he had won Darius and his [empire?] in war. And when Darius heard of the coming of Alexander, he dreaded him greatly & the persians also. But there was two princes of Darius, of the which the [tane highte] Bisso & the tother Ariobarsantes, these two when they heard of the coming of Alexander, conspired together for to slay their lord Darius supposing for to have a great [recognition?] of Alexander, and a great reward for their deed. And other of them were sworn to other. And then they went to the king's palace, and unto his chamber with drawn swords in their hands, and found Darius by him[self]. And when Darius saw that, he [trowed] well that they would slay him, And said unto them: 'Dear friends, hither towards have I called thou my servants, but now I call thou my lords. What ails thou at me that thee will slay me? Has Alexander cherished the madeconians more than I have done thou? Have I not sorrow & disease enough of enemies without? But if thee conspire against me for to slay me without guilt, I say forsooth, & thee slay me thus privily, And Alexander may [gete] thou, he will take more cruel vengeance on thou, then on any thieves. For [sothely] it is [neither comforting nor pleasing?] to an Emperor to find another emperor murdered [by] his own men. But they were nothing stirred to pity, nor tenderness, nor mercy, through his words, But went to him and with great cruelty smote him, & [altogether?] mangled him, and went fast their way, & left him for dead.

And when Alexander heard tell that Darius was slain he

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