38

38

Alexander and his Physician.

chases a great flock of sheep & [gerse them sparple.] Right so, and the wisdom of the greeks passes other nations.

In this meantime, Alexander assembled a great multitude of folks to the number of [cc] of fighting men, and removed toward Persia, & come to a river that is called Mociona, of which the water was wonder cold, & fair, & clear. And Alexander had a great [lyste] for to be bathed therein, and went into it & bathed him, & washed him therein, and also soonhe fell in a fever and a head-ache therewith, so that he [fure[ wonder ill. And when the Macedonians saw their lord so [grievously?] sick, they were wonder [heuy] and [alarmed], and said amongst themselves: "And Darius,' quoth they, '[wete] that our lorde Alexander be thus sick, he shall come & fall upon us suddenly, & [fordo] us each. For, and we had the [health?] of our lorde Alexander, we had comfort enough & dread no nation.' Then king Alexander called to him his Physician that [highte] Philippe & bade him ordain him a Medicine for his sickness. This [ilk] Physician was but a young man, but he was a [passionate cunning?] man and a [sottell] in all the points that belonged to [physics?]. And he [highte] Alexander, that [by] a certain drink he should anon make him all hale. Now fell it, that was with Alexander a prince, that [highte] Parmenius & was lord of hermony This prince had great envy to this physician, because that Alexander loved him so passionatly well & [belyfe] he wrote to Alexander, and warned him that he should be [warre] with Phillippe his physician, and on no ways receive that drink that he would give him. For he said, that Darius had [highte] to give him his daughter to wife & his kingdom after his disease of [swa ware], that he might be any craft make an end of him. When Alexander had read this letter he was nothing troubled, so much he trusted of the conscience of his physician.

In the meantime, this Physician come to Alexander with the forsaid drink, and Alexander took his drink in a hand & the forsaid letter in his other hand and beheld the Physician in the visage right sharply. To whom the Physician said:

38

Alexander and his Physician.

chases a great flock of sheep & [gerse them sparple.] Right so, and the wisdom of the greeks passes other nations.

In this meantime, Alexander assembled a great multitude of folks to the number of [cc] of fighting men, and removed toward Persia, & come to a river that is called Mociona, of which the water was wonder cold, & fair, & clear. And Alexander had a great [lyste] for to be bathed therein, and went into it & bathed him, & washed him therein, and also soonhe fell in a fever and a head-ache therewith, so that he [fure[ wonder ill. And when the Macedonians saw their lord so [grievously?] sick, they were wonder [heuy] and [alarmed], and said amongst themselfves: "And Darius,' quoth they, '[wete] that our lorde Alexander be thus sick, he shall come & fall upon us suddenly, & [fordo] us each. For, and we had the [health?] of our lorde Alexander, we had comfort enough & dread no nation.' Then king Alexander called to him his Physician that

highte Philippe &l badd" hym ordeyne hym a Medcyne for his
sekenes. pis ilk Phicisiene was "^ * hot a ^ong man), hot he was
a passyng kunnyng man) and a sotett in alt J>e poyntes J?at
langed to phisic. And he highte Alex«nc?er, ]5at [by] a certane 20
drynke he sulde onane make hym att hale. Nowe fell it, J?at
was wit Alexander a prynce, \)at highte Parmenit66* & was
lorde of hermony. This prynce hade grete envy to J^is
phicsiene, bi-cause J^dt Alexander luffede hym so passandly 24
wele & belyfe he wrate tilt Alexander^ and warnedT hym J?at
he schulde be warre wit Phillipp^ his phicisiene, and on na wyse
resayfe \>ai drynke J>at he walde gyffe hym. For he said', fat
Dariws had highte to giffe hym his doghter to wyffe & his 28
kyngdoin) aft^r his dissesse if swa ware, fat he myghte be any
crafte make ane ende of hym). When) Alexander hadde I'edJ'
fis k^^re he was na thynge trubbled', so mekiti he tristede of
f e conscience of his phisicmn. 32

In f e mene tyme, f is PhisiciaTi come tilt Alexander w?t f e
forsaid drynke, and Alexander tuk f is drynke in a hande & fe
forsaid le^^re in his ofer hande and biheld" f e Vhidcian in
fe vesage rijte scharpely. To whome f e Phis^c^a?^ saide : 36

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^ Five lines space with miniature I.

^ At bottom of leaf 14 obv. is written *ff' (fecit?) Sereu. Ser."

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