44 Letter of Alexander. Another defat. Porus' letter.

44

Letter of Alexander. Another defeat. Porus' letter.

make us of them [?], and shoes; and with camels that [?]
[?] at Alexander [?] carry them to thee water of Euphrates.' In
the mean time a prince of Darius, Nostande by name, wrote to
Darius on [?his way?].

To Darius the worshipful great god has serenade Nostande
[?] [?]. Me ought not to send [?] [?] to our
royal majesty, but great need [?] me do it. Therefore be it
known unto our high lordship, that the great prince of ours, and
I, have fought with king ALexander, and him is fallen thee victory,
and slain he has [?] [?] worthy princes, and I killed other folk,
and I fled grieviously wounded. And many worthy knights of
ours have forsaken our lordship and joined him till Alexander
[?], thee [?] he has worshipfully, and has given great lordships
of ours. And when Darius had read this letter, he
sent in haste till Nostand and commanded him till [?]
a great Oste; and manfully [?against?] thee folk of Macedonia.
He also sent a letter to Porus king of Ynde, praying to him to
help him against Alexander, and Porus wrote again in this manner.

Porus, king of Ynde, unto Darius, king of Perse, [?].
For thou has prayed for us to come to thee in helping of thee
against thine enemies, we let the [?], that we are ready and
always have been, for to come to help you. But at this time
we are [?] to come to you, because of great sickness that we
are [?] in, Neuer thee [?], [?], it is right [?] until us,
and grevious, until [us to] here of thee great injury that is done
until thou. And therefore we let thou [?], that within short
time, we shall come for the help thou withten [?] of knights.'
But when Rodogorious, Darius mother, heard tell that Darius her
son ordained him for to fight again with king Alexander
[?] was right sorry and wrote a letter until him that contented
this sentence.

To king Darius, her most beloved son, Rodogorius, his
mother sneds greetings and joy. I have understood that he has
assembeled our men, and [?] other folk also, fot to fight

44

Letter of Alexander, Another defeat. Poms' letter.

One of his
barons
writes to
Darius,
telling of
his own
defeat and
the

treachery
of others.

Darius
writes to
him, order-
ing him to
gather a
great force,
and to
Porus,
King of
India, ask-
* Leaf 1 8.

ing help.
Porus re-
plies that '
he is at
that time
grievously
sick, but
that he will
come as
soon as
possible
with ten
legions of
knights.

Darius'
mother
writes to
him, coun-

make vs of J^am) clethyng, & schoees ; And wit cameles ]?at 36
haue at Alexsander gerre cary J^am) to J^e wat^r of Eufrates.' In
]?is mene tyme a prynce of Dariws, Nostande by name, wrate to
Darms on J?is wise. 4

* 'To Darms ]:?e wirchipfull grete godd'his seruande Nostand'
law seruyce. Me aughte no3te to sende swylk tytliynge to '^our
ryalle maiestee, bot grete nede gers me do it. pare-fore be it
knawen) vn-to ^our hie lordchipe, ]:at twa grete pryncej of 3owrs,& 8
I, base foghtefi) wit kyng Alexander, And hym)es fallen) j^evictorie,
& slayne be base tbir twa wortby prynce^, & mekilt o]?er folke,
and I fleed' greuously wondedl And many wortbi knygbtis of
3owrs base for-saken '^our lordcbipe & ioyned f)am) titt Alexander 12
oste, J)e wbilk be base wircbipfully, and base giffen grete lord-
cbipes of joi^rs.' And wben) Dariws bad redd" j^is Z^^^re, be
sent in baste till Nostand, and commanded' bym for tilt ordeyne
a grete Oste ; and manfully agaynestande ]?e folke of Macedoyne. 16
He sent also a lettve to Porus kyng of Ynde, prayng bym to
belpe bym agayn'es Alexander, and Vovus wrate agayne in J^is
manere.

"^^ Vovus, kyng of Ynde, vn-to Dariits, kyng of Perse, grety»ig. 20
For J)ou base prayed vs to come to tbe \n belpynge *of ^tbe
agaynes tbyn enemys, we late tbe wete, "^ai we are redy &
alwaye base bene, for to com) to belpe 50W. Bot as at J>is tyme
we are lettede to com) to 50W, be-cause of grete seknesse ])at we 24
ere stadd? in, Neu(?r j^e less^, sekerly, it es ri^te beuy vn-titt vs,
& greuous, vn-titt [vs to] bere of ]?e grete injury ]:>at es done
vn*tiR 50W. And \)areiovQ we late 50W wite, J^at wit-in scborte
tym), we salt come for to belpe 30W wit ten) legyouns of knygbtis/ 28
Bot wben) Eodogorius, Dari^<.5 moder, berd" telte ])ai Dari^^s bir
son) ordayned" bym for to fegbte agayne wit kyng Alexander
scbo was ri3te sory and wrote a le^^re vn-tilt bym J?at contened?
tbis sentence. 32

' To ^ kyng Dariws, bir moste biloued' son, Eodogoriii^, his
modir sende3 gretyng & ioy. I bafe vnderstandefi) J>at 3e bafe
assemblede 50Mr men), & mekitt o\er folke also, for to fegbte

^ Four lines with red capital T, much
smudged ; a small t written beside it in
margin.

* Two lines with smudged capital P ;
a small p written in margin.

^ On leaf 17 of/^e, on leaf 18 of the.

* Bodorins scratched out. Four lines
with large capital T in red; small t in mar-
gin beside.