40

40

Alexander s trouble idth his men; the Battle luith Darius.

first over
the bridgo
with his
princes.
Then the
army
follows.
Alexander
destroys
the bridge
behind
him. The
knights
murmur
thereat,
fearing dis-
aster.

Alex-
ander's
speech to
his men.

Let them
all perish
or con-
quer, for
they shall
never see
home again
till they
have over-
thrown all
their
enemies.

Darius
gathers a
great force

* Leaf i6.

to meet
Alexander
upon the
river Ti-
gris. But
his men
flee.

The brave
Persian
who dares
alone try to
take Alex-
ander's life
in disguise
for the
sake of the

])e hryges, & alt his prynce^ folowecT hym, and sytlien) alt }?e
Oste. Twa grete ryuers ry lines tlmrgti Medee, Mesopotamy
and Babiloyne, Ipat es to say Tygre & Eufrates, and soo rynne3
in-to pe reuere^ of Nil/is. When Alexander & alt hys Oste
ware past ou^r Eufrates, he gert smyte sonder Ipe brygge )?at he
hadd" gert make bifore, and dissolue ilk a pece j^are-off fra o])er.
And when his knyghtis sawe that, pay ware reghte heuy and
mwrnede gretly J^a?'efore, and said" emanges Jjam selfe, ' What
salt we now doo,' quo]) IpsLj, ' when we are harde by-stadde wit
oure enemys & walde flee. For ouer pis reuere may we no^te
wyniD.' And when Alexander perceyued' j^at murmoure of his
folke, he said vn-to )?am). ' What es f)at/ quolp he, * ]:>at 5e say
amange3 50 w, ''If it falte ])at we flee owte of )?e bataile."
Sothely, I late 30W wele wite, ]?at f>is is Ipe cause whi I garte
for-do J^is bry gg, pat I gert make; For-thi, ]?at owj^er we schulde
feghte manly or etls if [we] walde flee, we schulde alt perische at
anes and alt drynke of a coppe. For-whi Ipe victorye es no5te
aretted? to J^am) J)at fliej, Bot to ]:»am) pat habyde3, or folowes on
pe chace. pare-fore comforthe^ 30W wele, & bese balde of hertis,
and thynke it bot a playe stalworthly to feghte. For I say
30W sekerly ; we ne schalt neuer see Macedoyne, be-fore we hafe
ouercomen) att oure enemys, And J^an) w^t j^e victorie we salt
tourne hame agayne.'

'^In ]:>is mene tyme, kyng Darius gadirde a grete multitude
of men) agaynes Alexander, and ordeyned? ou^r J)am) fyve-
hundreth * chyftaynes of grete lordes and luged hym wit his
mefD apon) pe reuere of Tygre. And one a day thir twa
kynges wtt J^aire bather Ostes mett to-gedir apon) a faire felde
and faughte to-gedir wonder egerly. Bot sone Detrius men)
hadd pe werre & 3ode to grounde thikkfalde, slayne in pe felde.
And when) pe remenante saw J^at, {jay tuk ))am) to J^e flighte.
In DdiTius oste was a man) of Perse, a doghety, & a balde ;
to whaym Dariits highte^for to giffe his doghter to wyfe, if so
were, p8it he myglite, by any way, sla kyng Alexander. This
man) gatt hym clethyng and Armour like vn-to pe macedoyns,
and went amange3 J^afrD, as J?ay faghte, ay tilt he come by-hynd
kyng Alexander. And alson) als he come nere hjm, he lifte his

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

^ Scribe first wrote revere here, and then
wrote a y {ryvere) over it. The process is

quite plain.

^ Two lines with small miniature I.