59

He punishes the murderers of Darius.

'swore thou not to us, by our gods that our Almighty, & by the [hele] of thy mother Olympias, that thou should [gerre] do us no harm, but that thou sould give us a worthy reward.' And Alexander said again unto them: 'So [aught] me well for to swear, for to get to know of the slayers of Darius. For I should never have gotten knowing thereof had I not sworn so. And this I shall save mine [athe] well enough. For it was always mine intent, that if I might [wete] what they were, they should have such a reward. For they that slays their own lord it is a taken that they will have no conscience to slay another man.' And when the persians heard this they began to praise Alexander & to commend him and bless him as he had been a god. Then king Alexander [gert hede] the two homicides. And all the [rewme] he set in governance of certain lords. Amongst others there was an old lord was uncle to Darius, the which [highte] Climitus, that was greatly loved by the persians; And Alexander at the request of all the persians ordained him for to be chief governor under him of all persia. And on the morn Alexander set him in his throne, with his crown on his head, and after the [biddynng] of Darius he commande to bring before him Roxana, Darius' daughter, with a crown on her head, set full of precious stones. And there, as the manner was of the persians, he took her to his wife, and made her to sit with him in his throne & command all men to worship her as queen. And then the persians were very glad, & anon they brought their gods before Alexander, and began to worship him, & love him right as he had been a god, and said unto him, [hallely] with a voice, 'thou thyself is a god, For that that is pleasing to our gods always thou does.' And when Alexander saw this, he was greatly troubled & right feared & said unto them: 'Worshipful sirs,' quoth he, 'I pray thou that thee worship me not as a god, for truly I am as thee are, a corruptible & a mortal man, and in me there is no parcel of the godhead. And therefore, I beseech thou, ceases of this worship that thee do me.'

Then [gert] Alexander write a letter to Olympias his mother & to Aristotle his master, making mention of all the battles & the diseases that he had suffered in Persia, and of the great riches

He punishes the murderers of Darius, 59

' swore \>o\\ no^te tilt vs, bi oure godde^ f)at ere Almy^ty, and be-

& bi f»e hele of thi moder Olympias, ])at )?ou solde gerre do vs They^piead

na harme, bot bat boa solde sriff vs a worthi reward?,' And ^^^ o"^"
• or words.

4 AAeyiander saide agayne vn-to j^am) : ' So aughte me wele for to But it

swere, for to gette knawyng of J^e slaers of Darms. For I solde nought.^^"^

neu«r hafe getyiD knawyng ]?are-offe had I no^te sworne so. And

^itt I salt safe myfi) athe wele ynoghe. For it was al-way myn)

8 entent, J^at if I my5te wete what J»ay ware, fay solde hafe

swilke a rewarde. For ]?ay ]^at slaes Jjaire awenfD lorde it es

a taken) ]>at })ay wilt hafe na conscience to sla anoj^er man).' And

when \)Q perseyenes herde this })ay by-gan) to prayse AXe'^ander

12 & to commende hym and blysse hyw as he had bene a godd".

pan) kyng A\e:s.ander gert hede tha twa homycydes. And att They are

)?e rewme he sett in gou(?mance of certayne lordes. Amanges Alexander

ober hare was ane aide lorde was eme to Dariws, be whilke i^akes

\ . . ^ Darius'

1 6 highte ClimitMs, J^at was gretly luffede wit f)e p^rsyenes ; And uncle
AlexamZer at J^e request of all the persyenes ordeyned hyw for to of the^^^
be chefe gowemour vnder hym of alt perse. And one ]?e morne Persians.
Alexanc/er sett hym in his trone, wit his coroufi) on his hede,

20 and eft^r \>e biddy n7^g of Dari^^s he commande to brynge bi-fore Alexander
hym Rosan), Darii^s doght^r, wit a coronn) on) hir hede, sett futt Eoxana
of pr^ciows stanes. And J^are, as J»e mangr was of J^e p^rsyenes, Darius'
he tuke hir to his wyfe, and made hir to sitt wit hym in his

24 trone & command att men) to wirchipe hir als quene. And
fan) fe p^rsyenes were wonderly glade, & onane fay bro^te
f aire godde^ bi-fore Alexander, and bi-gan) to wirchipe hym, & The Per-
loue hym rijte als he hade bene a godd", and said? vn-till hym, gjjp iUex-

28 hallely wit a voyce, ' f ou thi selfe es a godd". For that fat es ander as
plesande tilt oure goddes alway f on dose.' And when) Alex-
cmder saw this, he was gretly troubled & ri3te ferde & said'
vn-to f am : ' Wirchipfuii sirs,' qttof he, * I p^ay 50W fat 56 He chides

32 wirchipe me nojte as a godd', for sothely I am as 56 are, a
corupteble & a dedly man), and in me fare es na parcett of the
godhede. And f arefore, I beseke 30W, cessej of this wirchipe
fat 5e do me.'

36 ^ pan gert Alexander write a le^^re titt Olympias his moder & -^exander
tili Arestotle his maister, makand mencyon) of att f e bataylts & tis mother
f e disessej fat he hadd? suffred in P^rse, and of f e grete reches Aristotle.

* Five lines with large capital p.