108
The letters of Alexander. His throne.
♦ Leaf 46.
They come
to Babylon
and cap-
ture it.
Thence
Alexander
writes to
his mother
and to
Aristotle.
Aristotle
writes to
Alexander
again
praising
him greatly
for his
victories.
Alexander
has a won-
drous
throne
made.
The throne
of Alex-
ander with
its images,
its ruby,
and its in-
scriptions.
doute he schulde dye,* and if ]?ay toi^rned hym ^pe bakke wit
owtteiD dowte be sulde dye.
^ FRa ]?eiiie J^ay remowed^ and come to ])e grete Citee of
Babiloyiie and wanne it 00 werre and slew J^e kynge J^ar^-offe
& ]^e Captayne also. And |?are he duelled? vn-titt his lyffes end',
and f)at was Bot vij seuen) Monetbes. In J)at mene tyme
AlQ's.ander sent a \ettvQ tiR Olympias bis Moder and titt his
Mayster Arestotle, latand? f)aiTi) witte of ))e Batelts and ]5e dyssese
J:at )?ay suffrecT bathe wynters and Soraers in Inde and o^per
cuntree5, and also of J)e Batetts J^at J?ay bad'badd'wzt dyuerse
Monstres. And ]5an) Arestotle wrate anof)«r \ettvQ titt Alex-
ander agayne ]:>e wbilke was of this tenoi^r :
^ ' Un-titt Alexandere J>e grete kynge of kynge^ Arestotle
sendej ioy and seruyce. When) I hade redde 3owr wyrchipfutt
\ettYQS I was gretly astonaydl For wbilke cause I desyre with
att myn) hert for to fynde lonynge J?at I myghte 5elde vn-to J)e.
I take witness^ at oure godde^ J)at for J^e passande hardenesse of
Y\ hert & )?e grete auentowrs })at Jjou base put ]:)e in, Jjou erte
wele worthy for to be loued' & praysede. For ^po\^. base sene &
assayed? thynge^ J»at neu^r man) or J)is durste assaye. Whare-for
thankynge & lonynge I ^elde to J)e makere of alt J^is wyde
werlde })at sWylke victoryes base grantede vn-to J^e. For Jjou base
ouercommen) alt & nane base ou«rcomen) J^e. Futt blyssede are
alt thy prynce5 j^at base bene obeyande vnto j^e, and helped" J^e
in alt thi disesse^.*
^ Afftir pis Alexanc?er gart make in Babyloyne a wonder
curiows trone * of golde, '\)are was no^te swilke anoJ>^r \n J)e
werlde. For J^e greke^ broghte so mekitt golde oute of perse &
oute of Inde, })at it ware wonder for to telle, pis ilke toure
was twlue cubyte5 bye and by twelue grece^ ^ men) ascended"
\>are"ioo, and J^ase gree) ware alt of golde. pis trone was
wonderfully wroghte and sett apon) twelue ymage^ of golde, fe
wbilke trone J)e forsaid'ymage^ helde vp w«t J^aire hende. And
on }3ase twelue ymage5 ware wretyn) J)e names of J^e twelue
prynce^ of Macedoyne. pe seet of J)e trone was of a Smaragde,
i
la
16
20
24
28
32
1 Three lines with big capital F followed
by small capital.
2 Four lines with red capital U and
small u in the margin.
3 Four lines with red capital A and
small a in the margin beside.
* toure scratched out and trone writ-
ten in.
^ The first part of this word reads gr +
blot + cej.
EN