23

Letter of Alexander to Darius

ettre which e brought witnesses; 'A, A lorde ', quoth they, our emperor sent thus to you for your power & your might was unknown unto him. But we beseech you late [vs gaa,] and we shall make known unto him your great glory, your royalty, & your noblaye.

Then king Alexander bade his knights lowse them, and bring them into his hall, to the meet. And there he made them a great feast & a riot. And as they sat at the meet, their messengers said unto Alexander, ' lorde,' quoth they, 'if it be pleasing to your high majesty [send] with us a thousand of doubty men of arms, and we shall deliver them the Emperor Darius, and Alexander assured again and said, "Sit still,' quoth he, '& make thou merry. For I tell you in certain, for the betraying of your king, I will not grant [though a knight with thou'.] Upon the morn, Alexander the Great write a letter [vr.=] to Darius, whereof the tenor was this.

Ye letter of Alexander

'Alexander, the son of Philippe & of Queen Olympias, unto Alexander,
Darius, king of the land that shines with the gods of Persia, we send. If we greatly and [sothefastly] beheld our self there is nothing that we here have that we may by rights call ours, but all it is lent us for a time. For all we that are whirled about with the wheel of fortune, now are we brought for reaches into port: now for mirth & joy into sorrow & [heuynesse;] and againward: and now from hate, we are plunged into lawness. Therefore there should not [man] that is set in high degree tryest to mekill in his highness, that, through pride and vain glory, he should despise the deaths of other men less than he. For he [wate never how sone] the wheel of fortune may turn about, and cast him down to low degree, that sits high aloft: and raise him to high worship and great noblaye that before was poor and in low degree. And therefore they ought to think great shame, that [such?] a worthy emperor as men [haldez] they should send [swylke]

Letter of Alexander to Darius

ettre which e brought witnesses; 'A, A lorde ', quoth they, our emperor sent thus to you for your power & your might was unknown unto him. Bot we beseech you late [vs gaa,] and we schall make known unto him your great glory, your royalty, & your noblaye.

Then king Alexander bade his knights lowse J?am), and character

bring them into his hall, to J»e mete. And thare he made King Alex-

8 ]?am) a grete feste & a ryatt. And as J^ay satt at the mete, ]?ir ^^ them

messang(?rs saide vn titt Alexander, ' lorde,' qud\> }>ay, ' if it ^^^^ tlciem.

be plesynge to jowr bye maiestee sende^ with vs a thowsand meat.

of doghty mefD of armes, and we satt delyuer f)am) J»e posTto^*'"

12 Emp^roi^r Daritts,' and Alexander ansuerde a^ayne & said"^ Alexander
^. .„ , that they

* Sittes stitte', qwoJ> he, *& makes 30W mery. For I tett should de-

30W in certayne, for f)e betrayinge of '^our kynge, I witt rius^into'
noghte graunt 50W a knyghte wzt 50W '. Apon Jje morne, ^^^^ hands.
16 Alexander gart write a l^^^re vn-to Darit^s, whareoffe f>e tenowr fully re-
was this. j^^*' ^*-

^e letter of ^lexantiere^

■* ' Alexander, the son) of Philippe & of qwene Olympias, vn-to Alexander,
Dariit5, kyng of ]?e land" J^at schynes ^ wit j^e godde^ of Perse, minds Darius
10 we seiide. If we graythely & sothefastly be-halde oure selfe oftheunstead-

l£tStJll6SS Ot

Ipare es na thynge \>ai we here hafe })at we may bi righte catte earthly
ours, bot att it es lent vs for a tyme. For atte we J^at ere ^^^ '
whirlede aboute wit J^e whele of fortune, now ere we broghte high degree

24 fra reches in-to pouerte : now fra myrthe & ioy in-to Sorowe & S°^^^ scorn

^ ^ ^ J those lower,

heuynesse ; and agaynwarde5 : and now fra heghte, we are for he never

plungede in-to lawnesse. pare-fore f)are schulde na man) ]^at es the wheel of

sett in hye degre triste to mekitt in his hyenesse, that, thurgh J'^^^*^"^® ™^y

25 pride & vayne glorye, he schulde despyse ]?e dedis of oj^er men)

lesse * f)an he. For he wate neuer how sone J^e whele of for- * Leafs bk.
tune may twrne abowte, and caste hym doune to lawe degree,
Jjat sitte^ hye on)-lofte : and rayse hym to hye wirchipe and
32 grete noblaye ]?at bifore was pore and in lawe degree. Therefore Da-
And barefore the aughte to thynke grete schame, bat swilke "'i^^ should be

^ ^ J & > r ashamed that

a worthy emperowr as mefD halde5 the, schulde sende swylke he, a great

^ sent in margin of MS. the letter.

^ & said in margin. * Five half lines with miniature A.

^ The rubric is wrongly placed in the ^ schynes in margin of MS.
MS. after Oignyte^^ p. 24, i. e. at the end of