72 The combat of Porus and Alexander.

72

The combat of Porus and Alexander.

have conquered. The armies of Porus and Alexander are arrayed against each other.
The Indians fall heavily. Porus challenges Alexander to single combat.
The kingship of the nations to abide by the outcome.
For Porus being a great man scorned Alexander.

* Leaf 29 bk.

Porus hits Alexander on the head.
Alexander slays Porus by a trick.
The Indians fight on for their dead king.
Alexander chides them for fighting when their leader is dead.

Alexander bespeaks them peace and surety.

They are right glad and wor-

Alexander lepped upon his horse Buktiphalas and went before
his Oste & than they trumpede up & the batells joyned samen,
& faghte to-gedir rizte sare. Bot the Indienes fell thikfalde
in the batell as corne does in the felde be-fore the sythe.
And when Porus say that, he went and stode bi-fore all
his men, and cryed un-till Alexander, & saide on this wyse :
' It sitted nogte till an emperour,' (quoth he), ' to lose his men)
thus in vayne. Bot it sittez till hym for to determyne his
cause with his awenn handes. And tharefore late thi folke
stand still on the ta syde, & myn on the tother & late the &
me feghte to gedir hand for hand. And if it happen that thou
ouer-come me, my folke & I sall be subjected un-to the. And
if I ouer come the, than thou & thi folkes be subjected un-to
me.' Thir wordes said Porus dispysand Alexander, bi-cause
that he was a man of littill stature. For he was bot three
cubites hye, & Porus was fyfe cubetes hye & mare. And thare-
fore he traysted hym all in strenghe of his body, nogte
knawande te vrtu & the hardnes that was hidd in Alexander.
*And than bathe the ostes stode still ant lete the twa
kynges feghte samen, Porus gaffe Alexander a grete str[a]ke
on the hede, & was in poynte to hafe felled hym. And then
Porus knyghtes sett up a grete Schowte. And Porus tourned
hym to tham-warde for to reproue tham for thaire schowttyng.
And Alexander went till hym manfully & tuke his swerd in
bathe his handes & lete flye at hym & hitt hym fullbott one
the heued & slew hym. And when the Indienes saw that thay
bi-gan scharply for to fighte wit Alexander & his oste. Vn-
to whayme Alexander spake & sayde : 'Wrechis,' quoth he,
'wharto feghte ze sen zour kynge es dede. Wate ze nogte wele
that thare na gouernour es the folke are sparpled be-lyfe als
schepe that ere wit-owtten ane hirde.' The Indienes ansuerd &
saide : ' Vs es leuer,' quoth thay, 'fighte manfully, and dye in the
felde, than for to see the dissolacion of oure folke, and oure lande
be distroyed & wasted.' Leues your feghtynge,' quoth Alexander,
' & wendey hame to yowr howsey pesaybly & seurely. For I swere
yow bi oure goddes, if yee will do so, ye sall hafe no harme, ne
your lande sall nogte be distroyed ne spoyled, bicause that ye hafe
foghten so manfully for your kynge.' And when the Indienes

1Robert Louson is scribbled here in the right-hand margin.