62

I

62 Alexander comfoHs his knights. His letter to Porus,

He advises was no^te of powere to agaynstande Ipe vertu of men) of Inde.
ba^ again ^^^ IpareioYC, 01" any schame or mischeffe com) to pe ; we con-
to Mace- sett the & commanded the, pat in att pe haste pat pou may, poM
Before to^^rne hame agayne to thyne awen) lande. Fore wele pou 4
tim^the knawes, pat, bi-fore 5erses was kynge of Perse, J^e macedoynes
Macedo- gaffe tribute tilt Inde. Bot, by-cause pat baire lande es

nians gave ° n 1 1 i • i i •u,

tribute to barayne & vnprontable, & na thynge^ per-m plesande tin a

the Indians ^J^g^ • f® ^®^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ no5te pare-hj. For ilke a man), 8

recked desyres mare a large lande & a plenteuoits : psna. *a strayte lande

^ Leaf 24 g^ ^ barayne. And J^arefore, 5itt the thirde towrne, I comaunde

naught of ^^^® ^^^^ P^^ towrne hame to thyne awenfD lande. And new^r, in

Macedonia, ^\^[ jyf^^ couette to hafe Lordschipe f)are J^ou may nane gete.' 12
barren and ^ When) Jjis le^^re was comen) titt Alexander, he gerte rede it

be-fore att men). And when) his knyghtis hadd" herde J^e tenot^r

ander's of J^is lei^re, )?ay were trublede. And Alexander sayde vn-to J

S^ubied^at P^^' '^'^y wirchippfull knyghtis,' quop he, 'late no5te 502^16

the letter, hertis be trublede ne fered* for Porws lettre. Hafe 50 no^te in

mynde, wit how grete pride Darii^s wrate vn-titt vs dyuerse

He tells tymes 1 I say 50W sotheley pat all pe folke of thyse Este parties

Eastern ^Sise )?aire hertis & faire wittis lyke vn-to pe bestes pat paj 20

folks are duette wit-att, pat es at say, Tygres, Pardes, & oper wilde

beasts bestis, whilke futt selden) ere slaenn) of men), and J^are-fore J)ay

bS^intheir triste att in J>aire strengthe.' And when) Alexander hade said

strength. i}^[j. wordes, he garte writte a le^^re vn-to Porws kynge of Inde 24

whare-of this was the tenowr.
Alex- 2 ( Kyng of kynges and lorde of lordes, Alexander pe son) of

letter to godd? Amofi) & pe queue Olympias, vn-to Por«*s we sende. pou

Porus. jjg^gg scharpede oure wittes, & gyffen) vs hardynesse for to feghte 28

words have agaynes pe, whare pon says pat macedoyne es bot a littitt lande

the Greeks & barayne of att thyng pat gude es. And Inde, pon says, es

to win so
great and
fruitful a satt enforce vs to feghte wzt the at att oure myghte, for to con- 32

India as quere thi lande^ pat, pou sais, es so futt of reches. And, for

well as to

crush

large, & plenteuows of att gude5 & reches. And J^ar^-fore we

pon halde^ vs pouer, & of na reputacion), pare-iore we desire

Porus' for to ascende to pe heghte of thi majestie. And also pare pon

For Porus says, p8it nojte allanly vn-to men), bot also vn-to godde^ pon erte 36
is but a emperowr, I satt come to the, for to feght wit pe, as- wit an)

* Three lines with miniature W and ^ Eleven lines blank space without

small w written alongside in the margin. either miniature or small letter at side.