56

Darius dies. His burial.

thou not how our life may be likened to the work of Eranes, that so subtly makes their webs? But also as a little blast of wind puffs upon them, they break, & fall to the ground. Behold & see how glorius I was yesterday & how wretched I am today, & how low I am brought. I was lorde [nerehande] of all the world, & now I have no power of mine own self. Now I beseech thee, son, that thou will vury me with thy benign hands. And suffer for to come to my [exequise] both the Macedonians and the persians. And from this time forward, the empire of Macedonia & the empire persia be both one. Have recommend unto the my Mother Rodogon, & treat her worshipfully as thine own Mother. And I beseech thee also, that thou be Merciful to my wife. And if it be agreeable to thee, take Roxan my daughter to thy wife. For seemly it is, that thee be joined together that [er] coming of so worshipful progenitors, For thou of king Philippe, and she of king Darius. And of thou two may a worshipful & a noble fruit spring.' And right as he has said these words he swelt in Alexander's arms. King Alexander, then after the custom was for to bury emperors, [gert] array Darius's body as royally as he could. And with all the solemnity and worship that might be done, he helped himself for to [bere the bere, sre weapond], and [gert] the Macedonians & the Persians go before the [bere]. The persians also wept [wonder faste,] not only for the death of Darius, but for pity of their hearts, that they saw Alexander wept so entirely. And when Darius was buried Alexander went again to the palace.

And on the morn Alexander went and set him in a throne all of gold & precious stones, the which Cyrus sometime [gert] * make that was king of Persia. And the Macedonians and the Persians set upon his head a crown that was Darius's, the which was so precious, that men knew none like it in the land. For all the palace shone through the brightness of the precious stones, that were set therein. And the throne was all of gold, & of precious stones, & of the siege thereof was [vii] seven cubits high from the ground, and a [grece] of seven steps was made