94

94

Alexander speaks with the Holy Trees.

They
see the
Phoenix.
They come
to the holy
trees of the
sun and
the moon.
The old
man tells
him to look
up and
think and
the Spirit
of the Trees
shall an-
swer his
thought.
These trees
were high.
The leaves
of the sun
tree golden
red, of the
moon tree
shining
white.
Alexander
would sac-
rifice to
these trees
but may
not. The
sun tree
speaks in
Indian or
Greek, the
moon tree
begins in
Greek and
ends in the
language of
India. He
gets his
answer. He
shall win
the world
but never
see home
again.

* Leaf 40.

Twenty
months

and the tayle was ownnded ouerthwert, wit a colour reede as
rose & wit blewe. And his fethers ware riyte faire schynand.
When Alexander saw this fewle he was gretely meruailled of
the faired of hym; than saide the Alde man: ' Alexander,' quop
4
he, 'this ilke fewle that thou here seese es a fenix.' And than
thay went forther thurgh the forsaid wodd, And come to thiese
haly trees of the son & the mone that growed in myddes of the
wodde. And than the alde man saide to Alexander : ' Luke vp,'
8
quoth he, ' to yone haly trees, and thynke in thi hert what
preuatee so the liste, and thou sat hafe a trewe ansuere. Bot
luke that thou speke na worde in opyn. And thare-by sat thou
witt that it es a gude spiritt, that knawes thi thoghte.' Thir
12
twa trees were wonder hye. And the tree of the Son had leues
lyk fyne golde, reed & faire schynande. And the tree of the
mone had lefes whitt als syluer & faire schynande. And
than walde Alexander hafe Offrede Sacrafyce to thir trees. Bot
16
the alde man walde noste suffre hym, bot said: ' It es noste
leuefull,' quoth he, ' in this haly place, nowther to offre encense,
ne to slaa na bestes, Bot to knele doun to the boles of thir trees
& kysse tham & pray the son & the mone to giffe trew ansuers.'
20
And than Alexander spirred the alde man, in what langage the
trees sulde giffe thaire answers. And the alde man ansuerd &
said: ' The tree of the Son,' quoth he, ' answers owther all in the
langage of Inde or ells of grewe. And the tree of the Mone
24
begynnes wit the langage of grewe & endes wit the langage of Inde.'

And as thay stode thus spekande, Sudaynly thare come
a bryghte beme fra the weste that schane ouer all the wodde.
And than Alexander kneled doun, and kyssede the trees an
28
thoght thus in his hert: 'Sall I conquere all the werlde, and
efterwardes wit the victorye wende hame to Macedoyne till my
moder Olympias, and my sisters? And * than the tree of the son
ansuerd softly in the langage of Inde, And said thir verses:
32

'Tu dominatorwm orbis dommus simul et pater extas,
Set patrum rignum¹ per tempora nulla videbis; '

that es at say, ' thou ert bathe lorde & fader of alle the werlde,
Bot the Rewme of thy Fadyrs sakk thou neuer see wit thyn eghne.'
36
than bygan Alexander to thynke how lange he sulde lyffe,

¹Sic in MS.