109 The crown of Alexander. The Philospher.

& the sydes pare off ware of Topaghes & in ilkan of the grees ware
sett dyuerse maneres of precyouse stanes. In the summyt of this
trone thare was sett a ruby that schane on the nyghte as it hade
4 bene the Mone. In this trone also was thare sett on ilke a syde
dyuerse ymages; on the whilke ware wretyn bathe in latyne & in
grew* verses that contened all the nammes of the rewmes & cuntrees
that Alexandere had conquered and ware sugetes un-till hym.
8 ¹ After this ⁴ Alexander gert make a coron of golde sett full
of all maner of precyouse stanes, and gert wryte apon it a tytle
in grew & in latyn : ' Ortus & occasus, Aquilo michi seruit
& Auster.' That es at saye : ' Est & weste, Northe & southe dose
12 seruyce un-to me.' In the mene tyme whils Alexander was in
babyloyne, a woman was delyuer of a knaue childe the whilke fra
the heuede to the nauyll hadd schappe of man, & was borne dedd.
And fra the nauyll downwardes it had lyknesse of dyuerse
16 bestes and was qwykke. This Monstre was taken & broghte till
Alexander; and als son als he saw it he meruaylled gretly
thare-off, and gart come bi-fore hym a philosopher that couthe of
wiche-crafte, & aschede hym what it sygnyfyed. And when the
20 philosopher saw it, he syghede, & saye wepand sayde un-to
hym : ' Sothely wirchipfull emperour,' quoth he, ' the tyme commes
nere that thou sall passe oute of this werlde.' ' Telle me,' quoth
Alexander, ' whareby thou knawes that.' And the philosophre
24 ansuerde & sayde : ' My lorde,' quoth he, ' the halfe of this Monstre
that base the schappe of man & es dedd, betakens that thou sall
passe out of this werlde in haste. And the tother party that hase
the lyknes of dyuerse bestes & es on lyfe, betakynges the kynges
28 that sall come after the. Bot thare sall nane of tham be lyke
un-to the, na mare than a beste es lyke un-till a man.' When
Alexander herde this he was wonder heuy, and sare wepand
he sayde on this wyse : ' OAllmyghty Iubiter,' quoth he, ' what
32 menes it that my dayes sall be so schortte ? Me thynke that it
had bene semely that I had leffed langere for till haf endid
thynges that are in my thoghte. Bot for als mekill als it es
noghte plesande un-to the, I beseke the that thou resayffe me when
36 I sall passe hethen als thyn awen seruante.'

² In this mene tyme pare was in Macedoyne a lorde that highte

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

² Four lines with red capital I and small i in margin beside.

& the sydes pare off ware of Topaghes & in ilkan of the grees ware
sett dyuerse maneres of precyouse stanes. In the summyt of this
trone pare was sett a ruby pat schane on pe nyghte as it hade
4 bene pe Mone. In J?is trone also was pare sett oil) ilke a syde
dyu^rse ymage; on pe wbilke ware wretyn) bathe in latyne & in
grew* verse^ pat contened' att pe nammes of pe rewmes & cuntree^ * Leaf 46
pat Alexandere had cojiquered' and ware sugetes vn-tiK hym.
8 ^ After ]?is * Alexander gert make a coron) of golde sett full The crown
of alt maner of precyouse stanes, and gert wryte apon) it a tytle ander and
in grew & in latyn) : ' Ortus & occasws, Aquilo michi seruit tiiemscnp-
& Auster.' pat es at saye : ' Est & weste, Northe & southe dose on.

12 seruyce vn-to me.' In the mene tyme whils Alexander was in Thestrange
babyloyne, a woman) was delyu^r of a knaue childe pe whilke fra i^ Babylon
pe heuede to pe nauyH hadd? schappe of man), & was borne dedd! ^alf ahve
And fra pe nauytl downwarde^ it had lyknesse of dyuerse half dead,

16 beste^ and was qwykke, pis Monstre was taken) & broghte tilt and half

Alexander; and als son) als he saw it he meruaylled' ffretly animai,and
' . J t) .7 ^l^g mean-

pare-o&, and gart come bi-fore hym) a iphiloso2)heY ]?at couthe of ing it has.
wiche-crafte, & aschede hym what it sygnyfyedl And when) pe ^f liex-

20 philosopher saw it, he syghede, & saye wepand" sayde vn-to ander and
hym : ' Sothely wirchipfult emiperour,' quop he, ' pe tyme comme^ of his suc-
nere that pon salt passe oute of this werlde.' ' Telle me,' quop i^^^hat
Alexander, ' whareby pou knawes J?at/ And pe philosophre ^^^y shall

34 ansuerde & sayde : ' My lorde,' quop he, ' pe halfe of J^is Monstre him.
J)at base pe schappe of man) & es dedJ, betakens pat pon salt
passe out of J^is werlde in haste. And pe toper party J^at base
J^e lyknes of dyu^rse beste^ & es on lyfe, betakynges pe kynges

28 f'at salt come after pe. Bot pare salt nane of J^ain) be lyke

vn-to pe, na mare pari) a beste es lyke vn-tilt a man).' When) The sorrow
Alexander herde ]?is he was wonder heuy, and sare wepand? ^nder^"
he sayde on )?is wyse : ' Altmyghty lubiter,' quop he, ' what

32 mene^ it ]:»at my dayes sail be so schortte ? Me thynke pat it
had bene semely J^at I had leffed" langere for tilt haf endidT
thynge^ j^at are in my thoghte. Bot for als mekilt als it es
no^te plesande vn-to pe, I beseke the pat po\x resayffe me when)

36 I salt passe hethen) als thyn) awen) seruante.'

o -r -I ' ' -MT ^ 11 1 • 1 Antipator

^ In this mene tyme pare was in Macedoyne a lorde pat highte wishes for

^ Three lines with red capital A and ^ Four lines with red capital / and

small a in the margin beside. small i in margin beside.