24

The war begins.

a message unto me so little a man) and so poor. For thou art even like to the son, as thyself says, sitting in the throne of[Midas?] with the gods of Persia. But gods that evermore are [liffaunde] & nevermore dies, dies not for to have the fellowshps of deadly men. Secretly I am a deadly man; and to the [ ] I come as to a deadly man, for to fight with them. But thou that art so great & so glorious & calls thyself undeadly, thou shall win nothing of me, if all thou have the overhand of me. For thou has overcome but a little man and a thief, as thou says.
And if I have the overhand over them, It shall be to me the greatest worship that ever befell me, for as [mekitt] as I shall have the victory of the worthiest emperor of the world. But there thou said, that, in the room of Persia, is so great plenty
of gold, thou has sharpened our hearts, and made more bold for to fight with them, & for to win that gold; for to relieve our poverty withall:, & put away our need which thou says we have. In that also, that thou sent us a handball and other [barne-laykaynes], thou prophesied [riste], and betakend' before, things that we knew, through god's help, shall fall unto us. By the roundness of the ball, we understand all the world about us, which shall fall under our subjection. By the tane of the [laykanes] as thou sent us which is made of wands and crooks downward that overend, we understand that all the kings of the world, and all the great lords, shall [lowte] to us. By the tother [laykan], that is of gold, and
has upon it, as it were, a man's head, we understand that we shall have the victory of all men and never be overcome.
And thou that art so great & so mighty has now onward sent us tribute, in as [mekelt] as thou sent us a handball, and other things I rehearsed before, which contains in them such great dignities.

When the letter was written, Alexander called to the messengers of the Emperor of Persia, and gave them rich gifts and betook them the letter, and bade them bear it to their lord.
And then Alexander sembled his Oste, and began for to wend toward Persia. When the messengers of Persia come to the emperor they told him of the great royalty of king Alexander and took him the letters that Alexander sent him. And

The war begins.

a message unto me so little a man) and so poor. For thou art
even like to the son, as thyself says, sitting in the throne of
[Midas?] with the gods of Persia. But gods that evermore are
[liffaunde] & nevermore dies, dies not for to have the fellowshps of deadly men. Secretly I am a deadly man; and to the [ ] I come as to a deadly man, for to fight with [the]. But thou that art so great & so glorious & calls thyself undeadly, thou shall win nothing of me, if all thou have the overhand of me. For thou has overcome but a little man and a thief, as thou says.
And if I have the overhand over them, It shall be to me the greatest worship that ever befell me, for [als mekitt] as I shall have the victory of the worthiest emperor of the world. But there thou said, that, in the room of Persia, os so great plenty
of gold, thou has sharpened our hearts, and made more bold for to fight with them, & for to win that gold; for to relieve our poverty withall:, & put away our need which thou says we have. In that also, that thou sent us a handball
and other [barne-laykaynes], thou prophesied ri^te, and betakend'
bi-fore, thynges J^at we trewe, thurgh godde5 helpe, sail fatte
vn-titt vs. By J^e rowndenes of ]?e batte, we vnderstande 20
all the werld" aboute vs, ]?e whilke salt fatle vnder oure subiec-
ciofD. Bi f>e tane of ]?e laykanes "^ai Ipou sent vs, f>e whilke es
made of wande5 and cruke5 donwarde^ at J?e ouerend", we vnder-
stand Ipat alt Ipe kynges of ])e werlde, and alt Ipe grete lordej, 24
salt lowte titt vs. Bi pe toper laykan), Ipat es of golde, and
hase apon it, as it ware, a manne^ hede, we understand that
we shall have the victory of all men and never be overcome).
And thou that art so great & so mighty has now onward sent us tribute, in als [mekelt] as thou sent vs a handbatte, and f>ir
oper thynges Jjat I rehersed by-fore, the whilke co?itene5 in
J>aTfi) so grete dignyte5.'

^ AVhen) Jjis le^^re was wreten), Alexander called' till pe mes- 32
sangers of pe Emperowr of Perse, and gafife J^am) riche gyites
and betuke J^am pe lettre, and badd' ):»am) here it to J?aire lorde.
And Jjan) Alexander sembled" his Oste, and by-gafD for to wende
towarde Perse. When the messang^rs of Perse come to pe 36
emperowr pa,j talde hyw of pe grete ryaltee of kyng Alexan-
der * and tuke hym the letters J^at Alexander sent hym). And

^ Four half lines space with miniature W.