104

104

The Ten Tribes of Israel.

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

wlilke smate kynghtes in þe vesageȝ reghte felly. Ƿay ware so
strange þat ane of þam) wolde bere away an armed knyghte
& his horse also, þan) kynge Alexander rade hedir & þedir
amangeȝ his men) and comforthed þam) and badd' þam feghte 4
manly agaynes þam) wit speres and wit arowes. And so þay
did. Bot þare was slayne of Alexander knyghtes ccviii.

¹ And fra þeine þay remowed' and come till a grete ryuer
þe whilke was twenty furlange on brede fra þe ta banke to 8
þe toþer. And on þase bankes þare growed redis wonder grete
and hye. Of þaee redes garte Alexander mak bates & anoynte
þam) wit terre & talgh of besteȝ, And badd' his knyghtis row
ouer þe water in þase bates. And þay did' soo. And when) þe 12
[pople] ² of þe cunntree herde tell of þe commynge of Alexander
& his Oste, þay sent hym gyftes of swylk thyngeȝ als was
in þaire cuntree, þat es at say Grete spoungeȝ bathe whitte
& purpure & schelles of þe see so grete þat an of þam) walde 16
halde twa pekkes or three. Ƿay sent hym also wormes þat þay
drew owte of þat ryuer grettere þan) a manes thee, and þay ware
swetter of taste þan any fysche. Ƿay gaffe hym Cukstoles all
rede þat ware of a wonderfull gretnesse. In þat ryuer ware 20
womans þat ware wonder faire & þay hade on) þam) mekill here
þat rechedd doun) to thaire fete. Ƿir women), when þay saw
any straunge men swymme in þat riuer, owþer þay drownned
þam) in þe water, or etts pay walde lede þam) to þe redeȝ þat 24
growed' on) þe water bankes and garre þam) lye by þam) ay titt
any lyfe was in þam). Ƿe Macedoynes persued þam) & tuke
twa of þam) and broghte þam) till Alexander,* and þay ware als
white as any snawe, and þay ware ten fote lange and þaire 28
teethe ware lyke dogge teethe.

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.

³ Efter this Alexander went and closed' in a maner of folkes
þat are called" Gog & Magog, with-in þe hilleȝ of Caspy. Ƿis
folkeȝ were of þe ten kyndeȝ of Israel, and þay ware leedd' owte 32
of þaire awenn) land" bi a kyng of Perse be-cause of þaire synneȝ
and halden in thralledom). And þay asched Alexander leue for
to wende furth of þat cuntree. And Alexander gert spirre þe
cause of þaire thraldom), and he was encensed þat be-cause þay 36

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

² MS. reads, And when þe of þe cunntree

(?þ[i] of, &c.).

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

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.