74
The pillars of Hercules and the uttermost islands.
hear he
also must
die.
He says he
is driven
on to con-
quer by the
might of
God, which
will not
allow him
to rest. He
goes
thenee.
He comes
to the
pillars of
Hercules,
which are
statues,
* Leaf 30
bk.
one of gold
and one of
silver.
He finds
them
hollow and
puts money
therein.
He
marches
thence into
a cold and
miirky wil-
derness.
They come
to a great
river, on the
other side
of which
are fair
women
foully clad,
who bear
weapons of
silver since
other metal
have they
none.
There were
no men
amongst
them.
aboiite, & quellej so many men), & soo many ilke dedi5 dooes
sen \>o\x wate wele \>ai J^ou salt dye.' * For sothe,' qwoj) he, ' ))e
cause whi I do it es of J^e proiiydence of godd. For hys
mynystre I am), doand' J>e ccmmandement of hjm. ^ee wate 4
wele [3at J>e see es no5te trubbled? of hym selfe. Bot when) J^e
wynde entres in-tilt hym, f)an) it stirre^ hym & trublej hym. f
I walde hafe ristedd? and lefte all werre. Bot ]?are es ano]?er
spyryte & suffres it no5te be in reste.' And when) AXexander 8
hadde said' thir worde^ he lefte J?am) & went tilt anoJ?er
cuntree.
^ A.nd\>er day, he come w^t his Oste tiK a place wharee twa
ymage5 ware, ])q whilke Ercules gart make & sett in fjat place. 12
And )?e tane of ]:>am) was of fyne golde and J)e to})er of fyne
Siluere, & the lenthe of aythir of fam) was twa cubettis.
When) Alexander saw J)ir ymage5, * he gert perche ^ f)aiTn) for
to witt, whe]:)(2r J>ay ware holle or massy. And he fand" 16
})at '\)2ij were a party hotte. And he garte stoppe }>e hole
agayne and putt in f)am) a thowsande nobles, & fyve hundreth.
And fra ]?eine he remowed his Oste, and entrede in-titl
a wildirness^ calde & myrk, so ]?at fay myghte vnnethes an) 20
knawe anoper or see anoj'er. And fra thythin) j^ay went seuen)
daye ioitrnee and entred' in-tilt a wildirnesse, and come tilt
a grete reuere. And bi-5onde \>at riuere f)ay saw wonder faire
& wele vesaged? women) cledd'in foule clethyng & horrible ; and 24
J>ay hadd" in J^aire hande^ wapne made att of siluere, bicause
J^ay hadd" n6\>er IrefD ne stele. And ]?ay rade one horse. And
men saw f)ay nane amange^ f)am). And when) Jje Oste walde
hafe passede ouer this ryuere, J?ay my^te no^te be cause it was 38
ri5te brade and futt of dragon^s and o\>er monstres.
'Fra thethin J>ay went aboute towarde^ J^e lefte party of*
Inde and come till a dry Marras futt of gret rede^. And as
J)ay passed thurgh f)at Marras, be-lyue ^iare come owte of )?e 3 a
rede^ a beste lyke ane ypotayne, whase breste was lyke to \>g
cocadritte, and his bakke lyk a sawe, and his tethe wonder
grete, & als scharpe as a suerde ; bot \n his gangyng he was
* Three lines with red capital A and
small a in the margin beside.
^ Bottom of leaf 30 right-hand side reads
as above gert perche ; top of leaf 30 turn-
ing over to the left-hand side reads garte
perche.
^ Four lines with red capital F and
smaliy written in the margin beside.
4 MS. of twice.
EN