107 The strange beasts. The death of Bucephalus

The strange beasts. The death of Bucephalus. 107

bitwex ye reed See and Araby, whare grete multitude of Pepir growed; And yare ware many grete nedders wit hornnes on yaire hedes lyke tuppe horned, wit ye whilke yay smate Alexanders
4
knyghtis rizt felly. Off yase nedderes slew ye Macedoynes
a grete party.

[right margin]
pepper
trees and
horned
adders.

¹ Yeine yay remowed and luged in a place whare many
Rynosephales ware, ye whilke hade heuedes & manes lyke
8
horsez. And yay hade grete bodys, and wonder grete teethe
and lange, and oute of yaire mouthes yay schotte flawmez

[right margin]
They meet and have to fight Rhinoceri that spit forth fire.

of fyre. And when yay saw ye Oste luge yare yay come
& assaylled pam. And Alexander ran hyder and thedir

[right margin]
They fight
them
fiercely.

12
amangez ye oste and comforthed his knyghtes and bad pam
feghte manly wit yase monstres. And so yay didd. Neuer-ye-
losse yare ware a grete multitude of his knygbtis slayne of yase
bestez. Bot of ye Rynocephales yare was slayne an hugge
16
mutltitude.

² Yan yay remowed fra yeine and come in-till a champayne
cuntree and luged yam yare, And lay yare a certane days,
Bi-cause of his horse Buktyphalas yat fell seke yare ; of ye
20 whilke sekenesse he dyed. And when Alexander saw hym dedd
he made grete dole for hym and weped for hym rizt sare. For
he hadd borne hym in many a Batelle, and broghte [hym] oute of
many perells. And yare-fore when he was dede Alexander
24
gart doo aboute hym grete exequyes and gart make hym a full
riche toumbe & a hye and did hym yare-in and made a grete
citee yare, ye whilke in mynde of his horse he gart call Buktyphalas.

[right margin]
Alexander's steed Bucephalus dies. He makes a rich tomb and builds a city round him.

28
³ Fra yeine yay remowed and come till a ryuere ⁴ yat was
Cytan or Deciracy whare men of ye cuntree broghte hym
v Olyphantes and v cartes of werre. And fra yeine yay
remowed & come till kynge zerses palace. And in yat Palace
32
yay fande beddez of clene golde many a thowsande. Yare
also grete fewles white als doufes, ye whilke had knawyng
be-fore of a seke man wheder he schulde lyffe or dye. For
if yay by-helde ye seke man in yr vesage, he schulde mende &
36
fare wele. And if yay tourned yam awaywarde witowtten

[right margin]
They come to the palace of Xerxes.

The birds that foretell the life or death of a man.

¹ Three lines.
² Three lines.
³ MS. has a small f written in margin, but no space for the large capital to be put.
⁴ The scribe first wrote rever, then altered it to ryver en scratched it all out and wrote ryvere after it.

The strange beasts. The death of Bucephalus. 107

bitwex f)e reeLV See and Araby, whare grete multitude of Pepir pepper
growed"; And )?are ware many grete nedders wit hornwes on hoTned^
l^aire hedes lyke tuppe homes, wit Ipe wliilke f>ay smate Alex- adders.
4 ander knygbtis rijt felly. Off {?ase nedderes slew ]>e Macedoynes
a grete party.

^ peine |:»ay remowed* and luged" in a place whare many They meet
Rynosephales ware, pe whilke hade beuedes & manes lyke to fight
8 horsey. And bay hade grete bodys, and wonder grete teethe Eiimoceri
and lange, and oute of J>aire mouthes fay schotte flawme^ forth fire,
of fyre. And when) J:ay saw f»e Oste luge f)are |3ay come
& assaylled* pami. And Alexander ran) hyder and thedir They fight

12 amange^ pe oste and comforthed? his knyghtes and bad ]pam) fiercely,
feghte manly wit f)ase monstres. And so f>ay didd'. Neuer-J'e-
lesse pare ware a grete multitude of his knygbtis slayne of Jjase
beste^. Bot of pe Eynocephales pare was slayne an hugge

1 6 mitltitude.

^ pan) f>ay remowed? fra )?eine and come in-titt a champayne Alex-
cuntree and luged" f)am) J^are, And lay J^are a certane days, steed Buce-
Bi-cause of his horse Buktyphalas ]?at felt seke J)are ; of pe ^^lusdies.

2o whilke sekenesse he dyed?. And when) Alexander saw hyw dedd? a rich tomb
he made grete dole for hyw and weped" for hym ri5t sare. For ^ city
he hadd* borne hym in many a Batetle, and broghte [hym] oute of ^^^^^ ^"^'
many peretts. And J^are-fore when) he was dede Alexander

24 gart doo aboute hym grete exequyes and gart make hym a full
riche toumbe & a bye and did* hym pare-in and made a grete
citee J)are, pe whilke in mynde of his horse he gart call Bukty-
phalas.

28 3 Fra ]:)eine psij remowed and come titt a ryuere ■* pat was called" They come
Cytan or Deciracy whare men) of pe cuntree broghte hym) palace of
V Olyphantes and v cartes of werre. And fra J^eine pB,j Xerxes.
remowed? & come tilt kynge 3erses palace. And in )?at Palace

32 J^ay fande bedde5 of clene golde many a thowsande. pare ware The birds
also grete fewles white als doufes, pe whilke had knawyng teSthTlife

be-fore of a seke man) wheder he schulde lyffe or dye. For or death of

. Till -I * man.

if pSLj by-helde J^e seke man) m pe vesage, he schulde mende &

36 fare wele. And if ]?ay towrned? f>am awaywarde wztowtten)

* Three lines. * The scribe first wrote rever, then

2 Three lines. altered it to ryver, then scratched it all out

' MS. has a small / written in margin, and wrote ryvere after it.
but no space for the large capital to be put.