91

The mountains that border the skies. The battle with the Basilisk. 91

hegheste of this Mountayne, thay saw on the tother syde faire weder

& bryghte. And than thay went down of this Mountayne, and

come in till a grete playne of whilke the erthe was wonder rede.

4 And in this playne thare thare ware growande treesse withouten

nowmer ; and thay ware passed noghte a cubit in heghte, & thaire fruyte

& thaire lefes ware passandly swete as ]:»ay had benefyges. And redearthgrow-

J3ay fande J:are reuetts ri^te many, of clere water as cristatte. i^gdwarftrees

8 And it was als nureschand? to manes body, as it hadd? bene fully sweet

niylke wzt-outen) eny oj^er mete. Thurgh f»at ilk playne J?ay here they

went fourty .xl. days and ban) bay com titt wonder hesjhe ^^^ crystal

'J J i I J o streams whose

Moimtaynes ; and it semed as ])q toppes had towched J?e firma- waters nourish

12 ment. And ]?ir Mountaynes ware als brant vp-ri^te as f'ay had ^ere milk,

bene walles. So ])ai pare was na clymbyng vpon) J?am. And at ^^ou^h^that

Ipe laste J)ay fande twa passagej be-twix, f ase Mountaynes, of plain forty

whilke, Ipe tane streched" to-warde pe west, and pe toper towarde they 'come to

1 6 be Este. Than Alexander demed" hat that dyuyson) be-twix base »aountams

^ J -J '^ i whose tops

Mountaynes was made thurgh Noye flode. And f)an) ]:>ay went reach the skies

by pat passage pat streched to warde pe Este Seuen) days, ^e^e ^wo

And on) pe heghteii) .viij. day J^ay fande a Basilisc }?at meiD passages, one

2o calle^ a Cocatrys, a grete & ane horrible. And bicause of his west and the

grete elde he was foult stynkand". * Dis ilke Basilisc was so ^ ^^^^ „f,

. '^ Leaf 38 bk.

venymous, J?at no5te alt anely thurgh his stynke, bot also the east which

thurgh his sighte allane, whayin) so he luked" on), he sulde dy Alexander

^ o ' J ' -' thinks were

24 onane ; ]pan) pe Macedoynes and pe persyenes, as ]:?ay passede made by the

thurgh pe stray t way dyed" thikk-falde thurgh j^e sighte of )?at ^ east seven "^ ^*^

Basilisc. And when) Alexander knyghtis saw that pmtt, ]?ay f^^^'

durste passe na forther bot sai J amange^ J?am) : ' pe vertue of eighth day

28 oure goddes,' quoth p?ij, 'es bifore vs, pat schewes vs pat we Ba^gniskthat

schulde ga na forthir.' Bot Alexander went bi hym ane vppon) ^^^y^ through

° J ri look alone,

an heghe cragge, where he myghte see on ferrome fra hym. He kills many.

And ))afD he saw this pestellencitts beste pe Basilisc lygg veysMm from

32 slepande in myddes of j^e passage, pe kynde of hym was J>at, ^^^^ ^^'

als so sone als he felid" a man) or a beste coin) nere hym,

for to open) his eghne & stare appoiD J^aiii), and als many

als he luked oil), solde sudaynly fatte doun) & dye. When

36 Alexander had sene hym, Be lyfe he went dounwe of pe *

cragge, and gart sett a merke pat na man) sulde passe. And

^ J)at inserted above the line by scribe.

2 g first turned into c, then finally erased between ^e and cragge.