94

94

Alexander speaks with the Holy Trees.

They
see the
Phoenix.
They come
to the holy
trees of the
sun and
the moon.
The old
man tells
him to look
up and
think and
the Spirit
of the Trees
shall an-
swer his
thought.
These trees
were high.
The leaves
of the sun
tree golden
red, of the
moon tree
shining
white.
Alexander
would sac-
rifice to
these trees
but may
not. The
sun tree
speaks in
Indian or
Greek, the
moon tree
begins in
Greek and
ends in the
language of
India. He
gets his
answer. He
shall win
the world
but never
see home
again.

* Leaf 40.

Twenty
months

and pe tayle was ownnded ouerthwert, wit a colour reede as
rose & wit blewe. And his fethers ware riste faire schynand.
When Alexander saw pis fewle he was gretely meruailled of
pe faired of hym; pan saide pe Alde man: ' Alexander,' quop 4
he, 'pis ilke fewle pat pou here seese es a fenix.' And pan
pay went forper thurgh pe forsaid wodd, And come to thiese
haly trees of pe son & pe mone pat growed in myddes of pe
wodde. And pan pe alde man saide titt Alexander : ' Luke vp,' 8
quop he, ' to sone haly trees, and thynke in thi hert what
preuatee so pe liste, and pou salt hafe a trewe ansuere. Bot
luke pat pou speke na worde in opyn. And pare-by salt pou
witt pat it es a gude spiritt, pat knawes thi thoghte.' Thir 12
twa trees were wonder hye. And pe tree of pe Son had leues
lyk fyne golde, reed & faire schynande. And pe tree of pe
mone had lefes whitt als syluer & faire schynande. And
pan walde Alexander hafe Offrede Sacrafyce to pir trees. Bot 16
pe alde man walde noste suffre hym, bot said: ' It es noste
leuefult,' quop he, ' in pis haly place, nowper to offre encense,
ne to slaa na bestes, Bot to knele doun to pe boles of pir trees
& kysse pam & pray pe son & pe mone to giffe trew ansuers.' 20
And fan Alexander spirred pe alde man, in what langage pe
trees sulde giffe paire answers. And pe alde man ansuerd &
said: ' The tree of pe Son,' quop he, ' answers owper att in pe
langage of Inde or etts of grewe. And pe tree of pe Mone 24
begynnes wit pe langage of grewe & endes wit pe langage of Inde.'
And as fay stode fus spekande, Sudaynly fare come
a bryghte heme fra fe weste fat schane ouer att fe wodde.
And fan) Alexander kneled" doufi), and kyssede f e tree^ an 28
thoght fus in his hert: 'Satt I conquere att fe werlde, and
efterwarde^ wit pe victorye wende hame to Macedoyne titt my
moder Olympias, and my sisters 1 And * fan) f e tree of f e son)
ansuerd" softly in f e langage of Inde, And said fir verse5 : 32

' Tu dominatorwm orbis dommus simul et pater extas,
Set patruTw rignum ^ per tewipora nulla videbis ; '

fat es at say, ' f ou ert bathe lorde & fader of atte f e werlde,
Bot f e Rewme of thy Fadyrs satt f ou neuer see wit thyn) eghne.' 36
pan) bygan) Alexander to thynke how lange he sulde lyffe,

* Sic in MS.

94

Alexander speaks with the Holy Trees.

They
see the
Phoenix.
They come
to the holy
trees of the
sun and
the moon.
The old
man tells
him to look
up and
think and
the Spirit
of the Trees
shall an-
swer his
thought.
These trees
were high.
The leaves
of the sun
tree golden
red, of the
moon tree
shining
white.
Alexander
would sac-
rifice to
these trees
but may
not. The
sun tree
speaks in
Indian or
Greek, the
moon tree
begins in
Greek and
ends in the
language of
India. He
gets his
answer. He
shall win
the world
but never
see home
again.

* Leaf 40.

Twenty
months

and pe tayle was ownnded ouerthwert, wit a colour reede as
rose & wit blewe. And his fethers ware ri^te faire schynandl
When) Alexander saw Ipis fewle he was gretely meruailled' of
Ipe faired' of hym; J^an) saide pe Aide man) : ' Alexander,' quolp 4
he, * j^is ilke fewle )?at Ipon here seese es a fenix.' And ]:)an)
pay went forper thurgli pe forsaid? wodd', And come to thiese
haly tree5 of pe son) & pe mone J^at growed? in mydde^ of pe
wodde. And ]?an) pe aide man) saide titt Alexander : ' Luke vp,' 8
quop he, ' to 5one haly tree5, and thynke in thi hert what
preuatee so pe liste, and po\x salt hafe a trewe ansuere. Bot
luke f)at ]5ou speke na worde in opyn). And fare-by salt pou
witt fat it es a gude spiritt, pat knawes thi thoghte.' Thir 12
twa tree^ were wonder hye. And pe tree of pe Son) had' leues
lyk fyne golde, reed & faire schynande. And pe tree of pe
mone had lefes whitt als sylu^r & faire schynande. And
fan) walde Alexander hafe Offrede Sacrafyce to fir tree^. Bot 16
f e aide mafD walde no^te suffre hym), bot said": ' It es no^te
leuefult,' quop he, ' in f is haly place, nowf er to offre encense,
ne to slaa na beste^, Bot to knele doun) to f e boles of fir tree^
& kysse fain) & pray f e son) & f e mone to giffe trew ansuers.' ao
And fan Alexander spirred' f e aide man), in what langage f e
tree^ sulde giffe faire answers. And f e aide mafD ansuerd' &
said?: ' The tree of f e Son/ quop he, ' answers owf er att in f e
langage of Inde or elts of grewe. And f e tree of f e Mone 24
begynne^ wit pe langage of grewe & ende^ wzt f e langage of Inde.*
And as fay stode fus spekande, Sudaynly fare come
a bryghte heme fra fe weste fat schane ouer att fe wodde.
And fan) Alexander kneled" doufi), and kyssede f e tree^ an 28
thoght fus in his hert: 'Satt I conquere att fe werlde, and
efterwarde^ wit pe victorye wende hame to Macedoyne titt my
moder Olympias, and my sisters 1 And * fan) f e tree of f e son)
ansuerd" softly in f e langage of Inde, And said fir verse5 : 32

' Tu dominatorwm orbis dommus simul et pater extas,
Set patruTw rignum ^ per tewipora nulla videbis ; '

fat es at say, ' f ou ert bathe lorde & fader of atte f e werlde,
Bot f e Rewme of thy Fadyrs satt f ou neuer see wit thyn) eghne.' 36
pan) bygan) Alexander to thynke how lange he sulde lyffe,

* Sic in MS.