40

Alexander s trouble with his men; the Battle with Darius.

the bridges, & all his princes followed him, and [sythen] all the Oste. Two great rivers run through Medea, Mesopotamia and Babylon, that is to say Tigris & Euphrates, and so runs into the river of Niles. When Alexander & all his Oste were past over Euphrates, he [gert smyte sonder] the bridge that he had [gert] make before, and [dissolue] each a piece thereof from other. And when his knights saw that, they were right [heuy] and mourned greatly therefore, and said amongst themselves, 'What shall we now do,' quoth they, 'when we are hard [be-stadde] with our enemies & would flee. For over this river may we not win.' And when Alexander perceived that murmur of his folke, he said unto them. 'What es that,' quoth he, 'tht thee say [amangez] thoug, 'If it fall that we flee out of the battle.' [Sothely], I let thou well [wite], that this is the cause why I [garte] fordo this bridge, that I [gert] make; [For-thi], that other we should fight manly or else if [we] would flee, we should all perish at once and all drink of a cup. [For-whi] the victory es not [arretted] to them that flees, But to them that abides, or follows on the chase. Therefore comforts thou well, & be bold of heart, and think it but a play stalwartly to fight. For I say thou [secretly?]; we shall never see Macedonia, before we have overcome all our enemies, And then with the victory we shall turn home again.

In this meantime, king Darius gathered a great multitude of men against Alexander, and ordained over them five-hundred chieftains of great lords and [deluged?] him with his men upon the river of Tigris. And on a day their two. kings with their [bather] Ostes met together upon a fair field and fought together eagerly. But soon Darius men had the [war?] & [zode] to ground thick-fold, slain in the field. And when the remnant saw that, they took them to the flight. In Darius oste was a man of Persia, a doubty, & a bold; to whom Darius [highte] for to give his daughter to wife, if so were, that he might, by any way, slay king Alexander. This man got him clothing and Armour like unto the macedonians, and went amongst them, as they fought, ay till he come behind king Alexander. And also as he come near him, he lift his

40

Alexander s trouble idth his men; the Battle luith Darius.

first over
the bridgo
with his
princes.
Then the
army
follows.
Alexander
destroys
the bridge
behind
him. The
knights
murmur
thereat,
fearing dis-
aster.

Alex-
ander's
speech to
his men.

Let them
all perish
or con-
quer, for
they shall
never see
home again
till they
have over-
thrown all
their
enemies.

Darius
gathers a
great force

* Leaf i6.

to meet
Alexander
upon the
river Ti-
gris. But
his men
flee.

The brave
Persian
who dares
alone try to
take Alex-
ander's life
in disguise
for the
sake of the

])e hryges, & alt his prynce^ folowecT hym, and sytlien) alt }?e
Oste. Twa grete ryuers ry lines tlmrgti Medee, Mesopotamy
and Babiloyne, Ipat es to say Tygre & Eufrates, and soo rynne3
in-to pe reuere^ of Nil/is. When Alexander & alt hys Oste
ware past ou^r Eufrates, he gert smyte sonder Ipe brygge )?at he
hadd" gert make bifore, and dissolue ilk a pece j^are-off fra o])er.
And when his knyghtis sawe that, pay ware reghte heuy and
mwrnede gretly J^a?'efore, and said" emanges Jjam selfe, ' What
salt we now doo,' quo]) IpsLj, ' when we are harde by-stadde wit
oure enemys & walde flee. For ouer pis reuere may we no^te
wyniD.' And when Alexander perceyued' j^at murmoure of his
folke, he said vn-to )?am). ' What es f)at/ quolp he, * ]:>at 5e say
amange3 50 w, ''If it falte ])at we flee owte of )?e bataile."
Sothely, I late 30W wele wite, ]?at f>is is Ipe cause whi I garte
for-do J^is bry gg, pat I gert make; For-thi, ]?at owj^er we schulde
feghte manly or etls if [we] walde flee, we schulde alt perische at
anes and alt drynke of a coppe. For-whi Ipe victorye es no5te
aretted? to J^am) J)at fliej, Bot to ]:»am) pat habyde3, or folowes on
pe chace. pare-fore comforthe^ 30W wele, & bese balde of hertis,
and thynke it bot a playe stalworthly to feghte. For I say
30W sekerly ; we ne schalt neuer see Macedoyne, be-fore we hafe
ouercomen) att oure enemys, And J^an) w^t j^e victorie we salt
tourne hame agayne.'

'^In ]:>is mene tyme, kyng Darius gadirde a grete multitude
of men) agaynes Alexander, and ordeyned? ou^r J)am) fyve-
hundreth * chyftaynes of grete lordes and luged hym wit his
mefD apon) pe reuere of Tygre. And one a day thir twa
kynges wtt J^aire bather Ostes mett to-gedir apon) a faire felde
and faughte to-gedir wonder egerly. Bot sone Detrius men)
hadd pe werre & 3ode to grounde thikkfalde, slayne in pe felde.
And when) pe remenante saw J^at, {jay tuk ))am) to J^e flighte.
In DdiTius oste was a man) of Perse, a doghety, & a balde ;
to whaym Dariits highte^for to giffe his doghter to wyfe, if so
were, p8it he myglite, by any way, sla kyng Alexander. This
man) gatt hym clethyng and Armour like vn-to pe macedoyns,
and went amange3 J^afrD, as J?ay faghte, ay tilt he come by-hynd
kyng Alexander. And alson) als he come nere hjm, he lifte his

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

^ Scribe first wrote revere here, and then
wrote a y {ryvere) over it. The process is

quite plain.

^ Two lines with small miniature I.