96
Kiiig Alexander ancl Queen Candace.
gold with
letters in
Greek,
* Leaf 40
bk.
Hebrew,
Latin, and
Indian,
telling of
his great
deeds and
guiding
after-
comers.
Thence
they go
westwards
towards
Macedonia
and come
to the
country of
Prasiac.
The men
of the
country
bring him
presents.
There is
in that
covTntry a
city of
precious
stones
ruled over
by a widow
queen and
her sons.
Alexander
writes to
Queen
Candace
sending
presents,
asking her
to come
that they
may offer
sacrifice
together.
Queen
Candace
writes to
Alexander
on his con-
quests, but
proclaims
that they
may not
sett tliir pelers here, after ]>e dedcT of Darius kyng of Perse
and of VoYiis kynge of Inde. What man) so witt passe for]>er
late hyfn) * iourne one f>e lefte hand. For wha so tourney one
Ipe ri^te hande he salt fynde many obstacle^ & greuance^ J?at 4
salt perauentttre lett his agayne-commynge.'
^ Fra J^eine fay remowed' thurgh )?at playne and lefte f>ase
strayte wayes, takand' Ipe way westeward' pe gayneste towarde
Macedoyne. And at pe laste J>ay come till a cuntree fat highte g
Prasiac, And fare fay luged" f aiii). And when) meii) of fat
cuntree herd'' of fe commynge of Alexander, wit grete wirchipe
fay broghte hym grete pr^sante5 of swilk thyngej as fay hadd"
in faire lande, fat es at say, sk^/nnes of fischez lyke vn-to fe 12
skynnes of pardes, or of lyouns also, and lawmpray skynnes of
sex cubites lange. In fat cuntree was a noble citee alt of
precyous stanes made wit-owtten) tyme or sande, sett apon) an
hilt. Of fe whilke citee, a wirchipfult lady and a faire hadd? 16
fe lordechipe. pis lady was wedowe and scho hadd' three
son^s. The firste of fain) highte Candeolits, f e secand* Mar-
ciipius, And f e thirde hight Carator. To f is lady Alexander
sent a lettre of f is tenoi^r : 20
^ ' Alexander f e son) of godd' Amon) & of f e quene Olympias,
kyng of kynges & lorde of lordes vn-to quene Candace of Meron)
ioy & gretyng. We sende 50W ane ymage of godd? Amon) alt
of fyne golde ; And f arefore come^ titt vs fat we may wende 34
togeder to f e Mountayne for to make sacrafyce fare to godd?
Amon.' When) f e Qwene Candace hadd" redd' f is lei^^re, Scho
sent hir embassatoztrs tilt kyng Alexander wit grete presante;
and with a le^^re of this tenowr : 28
^ ' Candace, quene of Meron), vn-tilt Alexander, kyng of
kynge^, ioy. Wele we knawe fat ^e hafe by reuelaciofi) of
godd" Amon) fat 5e schukle conquere Perse, Inde and Egipte,
and subiecte vn-to 50 w alt ofer nacions. And alt fat ^e hafe 32
done, no^te allanly was graunted? bot also of att of^r godde^.
Tilt vs fat base faire saules & bryghte it nede5 noghte to make
sacrafyce to godd" Amon) in f e Mountaynes. Neuer-f e-lesse
bicause we wilt nojte offende 50 were maiestatee, we sende tilt 36
^ Four lines with red capital jPand small
/ in margin beside.
2 Four lines with red capital A and
a beside.
^ Four lines with red capital C and c in
the margin.
EN