108 The letters of Alexander. His throne.

doute he schulde dye,* and if thay tourned hym the bakke wit
owttein dowte he sulde dye.

FRa ¹theine thay remowed and come to the grete Citee of
Babiloyne and wanne it oo werre and slew the kynge thare-offe 4
& the Captayne also. And thare he duelled vn-till his lyffes end,
and that was Bot vij seuen Monetbes. In that mene tyme
Alexander sent a lettre till Olympias his Moder and till his
Mayster Arestotle, latand tham witte of the Batells and the 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 than Arestotle wrate another lettre till Alexander
agayne the wbilke was of this tenour :

' 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.

108

The letters of Alexander. His throne.

* Leaf 46.

They come
to Babylon
and capture
it.

Thence
Alexander
writes to
his mother
and to
Aristotle.

Aristotle
writes to
Alexander
again
praising
him greatly
for his
victories.

Alexander
has a wondrous
throne
made.

The throne
of Alexander
with
its images,
its ruby,
and its
inscriptions.

doute he schulde dye,* and if þay tourned hym þe bakke wit
owttein 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.