f. 278ra
Kandidus wroþ went oway·
& no com oõain nouõt mani a day·
Þo þe cloþ was y drawe·
Þe waite gan a flegel blawe·
Alisaunder & candace·
To chaumber token her pas·
So we finden on þe boke·
Þat niõt þe king his leue toke·
He went to ynde to his barouns·
Bi wodes bi dales & bi tounes·
Leue he had wiþ mornige· ["g" corrected from "n"]
& went forþ in þe daweinge·
Bi an heiõe way þat he kneu·
Til þat he com to tholomeu·
He was welcome mani siþe
Alle his ost was wel bliþe
Þo þai hadde of him siõt·
No bi leued he bot o niõt·
A morwe he went wiþ outen a soigne
To þe gret babilonie·
Antiogus hadde þe form gard·
Tholomeu þe rereward·
& alisaunder þat riche sire·
Passeþ perce & ek assire·
To babiloine for men teld·
Darries tresour was þer in held·
Membrot first a geaunt fel·
Made babiloine & ek babel·
Ac he no miõt for god al miõt·
Fullich out it diõt·
For þer fel first for his vtrage·
·LXii· diuers language·
Seþþen a leuedi amiramis
Alayd his bost & al his pris·
& wan þe cite wiþ al þe honour·
& xv· kingriches tut entour·
Þe cite is so siggeþ men·
Bitven tigre & affraten·
An hundred pas is heiõe þe wal·
& an hundred gates al of metal·
¶ Alisaunder of his regioun·
Þouõt þer make þe maister toun·
In to alle þe warld he sent message·
& doþ arere newe tailage·
f. 278rb
On kinges doukes princes erls·
On barouns kniõtes squiers & cherls·
& doþ gader ost so gret·
Seþþen was neuer non swiche õet·
For he þouõt to aufrike wende·
After in þe somer hende·
Ac him was y sent asond·
Of a iustise of his lond·
Antipater was his name·
Mani man he hadde do schame·
Þe lond folk beden þe kinge·
Of him make remuinge·
Þe king him dede quic despose ["sp" crammed together]
Wiþ harm to his owen nose· ["h" inserted above]
For antipater is to court y sent·
Now hereþ þe kinges en cumbrement·
In þis warld falleþ mani cas·
Gidi blis & schort solas·
Ypomodon & pallidamas·
& absalon þat so fair was·
Þai liueden here a litel ras·
Ac sone for õeten ich so was·
Þe leuedis schene also þe glas·
& þes maidens wiþ rudi fas·
Passeþ sone so flour in gras·
So strong no fair ner non nas·
Þat he no schal passe wiþ allas·
Auentour so haþ turned his pas·
Oõaines þe king & rered mas·
Þat vnder stondeþ olimpias·
& sendeþ to alisaunder bi has·
Þat he him war in al wise
Fram antipater his justise·
& antipater vnder stondeþ wel·
Þe king is feloun & cruwel·
Adred he is he is wode neiõe
Ac õif he is of art sleiõe
Hou so it euer be·
Þe king itschal abigge or he·
Venim he tempreþ wiþ win·
Þe win hete eleborin
In þis warld abouen erþe·
Nis win of so miche werþe·
To þe king he it haþ y sent·
Þe king askeþ drink of þat
present·
f. 278va
Men brouõt it him in a coupe of gold·
Þe king drank oþer þan he schold·
Oway he þrewe þat gold red
b [inserted interlinearly: sign to insert line marked "a " below
Drink no schal neuer eft more·
Don to þis warld so michel sore·
So þis drink haþ y do·
Allas allas what me is wo·
For mi moder olimpias·
& for mi soster þat so fair was·
& for mi barouns al þing aboue·
Þat ich mest in hert loue·
Þai be lordles & icham ded·
Þurch a traitour fals red·
What helpeþ it lenger y teld·
Þe þeues present me haþ aqueld·
No man þat wil þis day passe·
No drink þer of more no lasse·
Wiþ þat word he gan to swouõ·
About him com barouns anouõ
& token him vp in her arm·
& biwepen sore his harm·
Þer men miõt reuþe y sen·
Mani baroun her here to ten·
Mani fest y wrong and hant·
& mani riche robe rant·
Michel defray michel gredeinge·
Michel wope michel wailing·
Oft bi mene his pruesse·
His õingþe & his hardinisse·
His gentilirs his curteisie·
Al þai gunnen aloude crie·
Opon alisaunder þat nam þat was· ["þat" inserted above]
Crid mani allas allas·
Riche & pouer lesse & more·
Wrong honden & wepe sore·
To mile abouten men miõtten here·
Of gentil men þat rewely bere·
¶ Þe king reuerted in þis gredeinge·
& õaf hem al com fortinge·
& seyd bringeþ me to bed mine·
& er ich in þis warld fine·
Ichil bi queþe mi quide·
To alle þo þat han ben me mide
a Allas allas icham dede·
f. 278vb
He was y brouõt to bed anon·
Þe barouns stoden about him ichon·
Lordinges he seyd of þis cuntray·
Of tire of mede & sydoney·
Þat han wide y serued me·
& for me in miche wo be·
Rentes londes so ich founde·
Oõain ich õou õeld hole & sounde
& ich a þousand pounde & more·
Õour harmes forto astore·
O Bele ami sir perdicas
For mi loue in mani cas·
Þou hast y þoled & mani striif
& trewe ben in al þi liif·
Y þe bi queþe grece min hiritage·
Corinthe massidoine & cartage·
Tebes & al þo oþer londes·
Kepe mi moder & awreke mi schond·
THolomen mi marchal·
Þou schalt haue portingal·
& egypt to flumiordon·
For better baroun no liues non·
ANtioge ostage bi dome·
Þou schalt haue riche rome·
& al romaine & lombardie·
For þou hem canst as baroun gye·
AYmes of archade so god me asoile·
Þou schalt haue calabre & poile·
& þer iche lond of labour·
& be antioge neiõebour·
Ciberie wiþ flesche hardi·
Þou schalt haue þe lond of sulie
Acres Iaphes & ierusalem·
& naõaret & bedelem·
& al þe lond of galile·
Quic liche bi queþe y þe·
Marke of rome belami
Estlanoie þat is so fri
Þou schalt haue & costentine noble·
& limochions þat lond so noble·
& griffaine þat riche pece·
Þat liþ to þe lond of grece·
PHilot þou schalt haue caucasus
& alle þe lond to mallenus·
f. 279ra
& al þe lond of caspias·
To þe riche cite of baudas·
& alle þe idles of caproban·
Þat ich of porrus þe King wan·
Samson of emuse for min amour·
þou hast y þoled mani dolour·
Þou schalt haue al albienne·
& armenie in to þe fenne
& orcanie & newe alisaunder·
Mi riche cite & newe of sclaunder·
Salome seþþen darri was ded·
Þou hast me serued in mani red·
In ich seruise wel redi·
Trewe in bataile & hardy·
Þou schalt haue perte &mede
& babiloine þat riche þede·
Darries blod for þou art next·
Wiõt & gentil & ek heiõest·
Darries air y make þe·
& sese þe wiþ al his fe·
¶ Þis venim crepeþ vnder mi ribbe·
No may ich no lenger libbe·
In al þis ich gret dolour·
He dede feche al his tresour·
& õaue to kniõt swain & knaue·
So michel so þai wolden haue·
Of hors of cloþes of siluer wone·
He made hem riche euerichon·
& riõt al so he hadde y do·
Þe liif he lete of bodi go·
Ac noman in soþ treuþe·
No seiõe neuer so michel reuþe·
Of wope of cri of hond wringing
So was for alisaunder þe king·
NOw þe king Is out of þis liue·
Quic ariseþ wel gret striue·
For þe bodis biriiinge
After þe sorwe & criing
Salome seiþ wiþ al fare·
He wil his bodi biri þare·
Ac haue him wold þe douke samsoun·
To alisaunder his riche toun·
Philote also y finde·
Him chalanges in to ynde·
f. 279rb
[Ten lines are missing, and the eleventh line is partial due to the removal of the miniature. Part of a is found at line 7]
???? barouns lete ???
& doþ godes hest biliue·
Of his biriing no þink no redeþ·
Ac in to egypt him ledeþ·
In to alisaunder þat cite apert·
Þat he made in desert·
Þo he destroid þe vermine·
Quic doþ hest mine·
¶ So þe foule went of siõt·
Þe barouns dede so it hiõt·
Þat bodi richeliche þai kept·
& ledden it in to egypt·
& laiden him in gold fin·
In a temple of apolin·
Nist men neuer heþen king
Haue so riche biriing·
Tholomeu haþ þe saisin·
God ous leue for to fin· ["for" inserted above]
Þo þe king was bi delue·
Ich douke went to him selue·
& maden wo & contek anouõ·
Ich of hem neiõe oþer slouõ·
For to haue þe kinges quide
Michel batail was hem midde·
Þus it farþ in þe midlerd·
Among þe lewed & lerd·
When þat heued is y falle·
Acombred beþ þe menbres alle·
Þus endeþ alisaunder þe king·
God ous graunt his blisseing· amen
Explicit
(version: MFV, 13 September 1998)