74 The pillars of Hercules and the uttermost islands.

74
The pillars of Hercules and the uttermost islands.
aboute, & quelles so many men, & soo many ilke dedis dooes
sen thou wate wele that thou sall dye.' 'For sothe,' quoth he, 'the
cause whi I do it es of the provydence of godd. For hys
mynystre I am, doand the commandement of hym. See wate
wele that the see es note trubbled of hym self. Bot when the
wynde entres in-till hym, than it stirees hym & trules hym.
I walde hafe ristedd and lefte all werre. Bot thare es another
spryryte & suffres it note be in reste.' And when Alexander
hadde said thir wordes he lefte tham & wne ttiff another
cuntree.
Another day, he come with his Oste till a place wharee twa
ymages ware, the whilke Ercules gart make & sett in that place.
And the tane of tham was of fyne golde and the toper of fyne
Silvere, & the lenthe of aythir of tham was twa cubettis.
When Alexaner saw thir ymages, he gert perche tham for
to witt, whether that ware holle or massy. And he fand
that thay were a party holle. And he garte stoppe te hole
agayne and putt in tham a thowsande nobles, & fyve hundreth.
And fra theine he removed is Oste, and entrede in-till
a wildirnesse calde & myrk, so that that myghte unnesthes an
knawe another or see another. And fra thythird that went seven
daye iournee and entred in-till a wildirnesse, and come till
a grete revere. And bi-yonde that rivere that saw wonder faire
& wele vesaged women cledd in foule clethyng & horrible; and
that hadd in thaire handes wapne made all of silvere, bicause
thay hadd nother Iren ne stele. And that rade one horse. And
men saw that nane amonges tham. And wen the Oste walde
have passede over this ryvere, that myte note be cause it was
rite brade and full of dragones and other monstres.
Fra, thethin thay went aboute towards the lefte party of
Inde and come till a dry Marras full of gret redes. And as
thay passed thurgh tat Marras, be-lyve thare come owte of the
redes a beste lyke an ypotayne, whase breste was lyke to the
cocadrille, and his bakke lyk a sawe, and his tethe wonder
grete, & als scharpe as a suerde; bot in his gangyng he was

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.