King Alexander and Queen Candace. The story of Candeolus. 97

Amon soure godd a Coron of golde and precyouse stanes, And
ten chynes¹ of golde sett full of precious stanes. And vn-to
sow we sende a hundrethe Besauntes of golde; And twa
hundreth papeiayes closed in cages * of golde, c childer of
Ethipes, cc apes, cccc Olyphantis, xxxiiii vnycornes, iij panters
skynnes, of pardes & lyounes cccc, and we beseke sowre hye
maiste that se will notyfye vn-till vs bi sour wirehipfull lettres,
wheder se haue conquered alle be werlde and made it subiecte bezants,

vn-to 50W or no^te.' Amanges her embassatoitrs ]^at scbo sent children,

titt Alexander J^ow-e was a wonder crafty & a sutett payntoi/re. o^gg^range

And bym scbo cbarged? bat be' scbulde besely by-balde Alexander beasts.

, . . 11 • 1 • These gifts

12 & pitrtray bis fygure m a parcbemyn) skynfD and brynge it to hir. she sends

And so be did". Alexawc?er ressayued" Ipe forsaid" gyftes reuerently ^^o^g^J^o^^

and sent bir noble efyftes ae-avne wit bir embassatoz^rs. And portray

Alexander
wben) f>ay come bame ])e payntoitr tuke bir Ipe fegure of Alexander on a parch-

16 purtrayed" as I saide be-fore. And wben) pe quene saw it, Scbo ^^^ ^^ ^^'

was ri^te gladde, for scbo desyred? gretly for to see bis fygure. was done.

^ After J^is ane of pe quene sonn^s J^at bigbt Candeokts went Candeolus

furtbe of J^e Citee wit bis wyfe and a fevve of bis men3€e for to f^e^g^^y ^

20 take be sporte. And onane be kyng of be Bebrikes, kuawyng with his

. wife and a

J?e fairehed? of Candeolws wyfe, come appon) )?ani) witb a grete few for

m-wltitude of mefD, and slew many of Candeolws men3ee and ^^^jfe

refte bym bis wyfe & went bis way. And j^an) Candeol2^s: and ^^^s know-

24 bis men) J^at ware lefte on lyfe went titt Alexander Oste for to wife's

be-seke bym of belpe agaynes pe kynge of Bebrikes. And pe comes^and

wacbes of pe oste tuke Candeolws & brogbte bym bi-fore reaves her

Tbolome-ws, j^at was pe secund' person) after Alexander. And deolus

28 Tbolomeits spirred" bym w^bat be was, & wbat be did" ]:>are. ^^^^^^d"
' I am,' quop be, ' quene Candaee son) and jpis day als I went is brought
wit my wyfe & a p?'€uee men5ee for to take pe sporte, pe kynge He pro-
of be Bebrikes come apon) vs wit a ejrete m-wltitude of men) and ^^^^J^^ ^^^

J ir & he IS and

32 base slayne many of my men^ee & refte me mj wyfe. And his errand.
pare-fore I am comen) beder for to beseke my lord?, pe Emp^rcwr,

of belpe & socoure.' Wben Tbolomei^s bad berd? )?is onane Ptolemy

be garte take kepe of Candeoli^s & went titt Alex^nJer tentis ^^^ander

36 and wakkned" AlexaWer & talde bym & talde ilk a dele bat and

Candeol^^s bad talde bym. And wben) Alexawc?er badd? berde him.

^ Chenes first written ; but when the and joined it to the next letter,
scribe had written e he wrote y over it ^ Four lines with red capital A.