104

104

The Ten Tribes of Israel.

carry off a
knight and
his horse.
Alex-
ander's
knights
fight man-
fully
against
them.
They come
to a great
river and
make boats
to cross
over. The
people of
the country
send

Alexander
gifts.

They find
women in
that river
■who slay
men.
Two of
them they
capture.
They come
to Gog and

* Leaf 44
bk.

Magog, who
are the ten
tribes of
Israel led
out of their
own land
by a Per-
sian king.
They ask
Alexander
leave to
come forth.

wliilke smate kynghtes in ]>e vesage^ reghte felly. fi\y ware so
strange Ipat ane of J^am) wolde bere away an armecT knyglite
& his horse also, pan) kynge Alexander rade hedir & }?edir
amange^ his men) and comforthed" Jjam) and badd' Jjain) feghte 4
manly agaynes f'aifi) wit speres and wit arowes. And so J>ay
did". Bot pare was slayne of Alexander knyghtes ccviii.

' And fra J?eine J>ay remowed' and come tilt a grete ryuer
]?e whilke was twenty furlange on brede fra j^e ta banks to 8
pe toper. And on J^ase bankes pare growed" redis wonder grete
and hye. Of paee redes garte Alexander mak bates & anoynte
J?am) wit terre & talgh of beste^, And badd' his knyghtis row
oner pe water in J>ase bates. And J?ay did' soo. And when) ]^e 12
[pople] ^ of pe cunwtree herde tell of pe commynge of Alexander
& his Oste, J^ay sent hym gyftes of swylk thynge^ als was
in l^aire cuntree, J^at es at say Grete spou'?ige5 bathe whitte
& pwrpure & schelles of pe see so grete pat an of }>am) walde 16
halde twa pekkes or three, pay sent hym also wormes ]:»at J:)ay
drew owte of ]:>at ryuer grettere J^an) a manes thee, and )?ay ware
swetter of taste )?afD any fysche. pay gaffe hym Cukstoles alt
rede J^at ware of a wonderfutl gretnesse. In pat ryuer ware 20
womans J»at ware wonder faire & p&j hade on) J>am) mekitt here
]:>at rechedd" doun) to thaire fete, pir women), when J^ay saw
any straunge mefD swymme in f»at riu€r, owper paj drownned*
J^am) in pe water, or etts pay walde lede ]?am) to pe rede^ pat 24
growed' on) pe water bankes and garre f»am) lye by f>am) ay titt
any lyfe was in Jjam). pe Macedoynes persued J^am) & tuke
twa of {^am) and broghte f)am) tilt Alexander,* and J)ay ware als
white as any sn^we, and fay ware ten fote lange and J?aire 28
teethe ware lyke dogge teethe.

^ Efter this Alexander went and closed' in a maner of folkes
]^at are called" Gog & Magog, with-in J^e hille^ of Caspy. pis
folke^ were of pe ten kynde5 of Israel, and pay ware leedd'owte 32
of ]:>aire awenn) land" bi a kyng of Perse be-cause of j^aire sjnne^
and halden in thralledom). And pa,j asched? Alexanc^er leue for
to wende furtK of J^at cuntree. And Alexander gert spirre Ipe
cause of f>aire thraldom), and he was encensed^ pat be-cause pay 36

1 Three lines with red capital A and
small a in margin beside.

* MS. reads, And taken J>e of^e ctmntree

(?>[i] of, &c.).

3 Three lines with red capital E and
small c in the margin beside.