41

The brave Persian; who alone dares against Alexander.

sword on high, & let fly at him with all the might that he had, and hit him on the head so fiercely, that he [perched] his [bayonet?], and drew the blood of him. When Alexander knights saw that: they took him anon, & brought him before Alexander, and Alexander, supposing that he had been a macedonian, said unto him, 'Worshipful man,' quoth he, '& doubty & strange what ailed thee at me, for to give such a strike, knew thou not well that it was I, Alexander your helper & your [allere] servante'. And [the] Persian answered, & said, '[Wait?] thou well worshipful emperor,' quoth he, 'I am not macedonian, but I am a man of Persia; and this deed I did. For king Darius made me a promise of his daughter to wife, if I might bring him thy head.' Then king Alexander called before him all his knights and asked them what they thought it best to go smite off his head, Some for to put him to the fire for to burn, Some to go draw & hang him. And when Alexander had heard their counsel, he answered & said: 'Sirs,' quoth he, 'what wrong or what fault can thee find in this man, [Sen] he has [besied] him to obey to his lord's commandment, and at his power fulfilled it. Which of thou, so deems him worthy to be dead, es worthy in time coming to have the same doom. For if I command any of thou for to go & slay Darius, the same pain, that thee deem this man for to suffer, were thee worthy for to suffer yourselves of Darius, if thee might be [gotten?]. And then he commanded that he should wend home to his fellows without any harm. When Darius heard that his lords were slain in great number, he gathered a great multitude of knights and of footmen, and went up on a hill that is called Taurisius, and there he made his muster of his men, supposing that he should overcome Alexander through [a] multitude of folke. But also as they met with their [bathere] ostez, and began for to fight, Darius men fled and himself also. And Alexander persuaded him unto the city of Bactrian, and there he [luged] him, and offered Sacrifice to his gods. And on the morn, he [garte] assail the

The brave Persian; luho alone dares against Alexander.

41

swerde on heghte, & lete flye at hyni) wit alt f>e myglite ]?at he
hade, and hitt hym on J^e heued? so fercely, f)at he perched ^ his
bacenett, and drewe J^e blode of hym. When) Alexander knyghtis
4 saw that : J?ay tuke hym anone, & broghte hjm bifore Alexander,
and Alexander, supposyng Ipat he hadde bene a macedoyne, saide
vn-till liym. ' Wirchipfuft man/ quo]) he, ' & doghety & strange
what ayled pe at me, for to giffe suylke a strake, knewe Ipou.
8 no5te wele |?at it was I, Alexander 'yyur helpere & ^owr allere
S(?ruande.' And [the] Percyene ansuerd", & said', ' "Wiete )?ou
wele wirchi[)futt emp^roi^r,' c^uo]) he, ' I ne ame na macedoyne,
bot I am a mafD of Perse ; and this dede I didd". For kyng

12 Darit^.s made me a promysse of his doghetir to wife, if I myghte
brynge hym thi heid".' Than kyng Alexander called bi-for hym
all his knyghtis and askede J)am) what J)am) thoghte was for to
do wit this man). Sum) ansuerde & saide J^am) thoghte it beste

i6 to gerre smyte of his held", Sam for to putt hym to pe fire for to
brynne, Sum to gare drawe & hang hym. And when Alexander
had herde f)aire conceit, he ansuerd" & said : ' Sirs,' (]uo]) he,
* what wrange or what defawte can) ^e fynde in ]:>is man), Sen) he

2o base besied' hym tilt obey tilt his lordes commandement, and at
his power fulfilled" it. "Whilke of 50W, so deme^ hym worthy to
be dedde, es worthy in tyme commynge to hafe ]^e same dome.
For if I commande ane of 50W for to ga & sla Darii^s, J^e same

24 payne, that ^e deme J»is man) for to suffre, ware 50 worthy for to
suffre 5o«^rselfe of Darii<5, if 50 my^te be getyn).' ^ And * ]?an he
commanded" J)at he schulde wende hame to his felawes wit-owtten)
any harme. When Darii^s herde J^at his lordes ware slayne in

28 grete nowmer, he gadered? a grete multitude of knyghtis and of
fotemen), and went vp on a hitt J^at es called" Taurisius, and thare
he made his mustre of his men), supposynge j^at he schuld ouer-
come Alexander thurgh multitude of folke. Bot alson) als ]:'ay

32 mett wit ]:>aire bathere oste5, and bigan) for to fighte, T)2^v\us
men) fledd" and hymselfe also. And Alexander p^rsuede hym
vn-to )?e citee of Bactrian), and f^are he luged hym, and oflTerde
Sacrafice titt his godde3. And on J)e morne he garte assaile \)e

King's
daughter.

Alexander
asks bim
why he did
this. He
answers.

Alexander
asks coun-
sel of his
knights,
what shall
he do with
this man ?
Alexander
speaks to
them, and
shows this
man forth
to them as
an ex-
ample.
And then
he u.tters
his will.

* Leaf 16
bk.

Darius
gathers his
men again
to the fight,
but yet
again is he
overcome.

Alexander
pursues
him.
He con-
quers Bac-

* The scribe wrote first ' perceed,^
altered afterwards, in a very rough way,
to * perched.^

■^ MS. reads * and he commanded ' at

bottom of first side of leaf 16 and * JTan
be commanded ' on the top of second side
of the same leaf.