The wars of Alexander: an alliterative romance translated chiefly ...

"
Dublin] DARIUS writes to Alexander. 183
And all pat lent wer on-lofte • lost haue fe swete. 3068 [FoI. M&.]
|3us mony deyd jis day • as demys me written,
Off polles oute of pe-sye • w/t/ioute pe prouude grekys,
Thre C MzUe^ of throo • Jjat tharnyd paiv lyfez,
^y^th Jje folez & Jje folke • Jjat pe fliide drynched. 3072
\)[s seneour vnto susys • liys awne cyte wended,
Fallys downe on hys face * flatt in Jje sale,
" Wo is me !
" quod pe wreche " wo • !
is me vnhappyn
Sighez selkouthly sore & • sadly he wepys, 3076
" I fat was straught to pe sternes
•
am strykyn nowe to
ground,
Nowe a crathan & a knafFe • nowe am I kest vnder,
J3at had of the Orient all ouer • homage vmwhile.
Wist ony wee qwat hym suld worth • ))is werld wald he
lefe, 3080
FuU symple in a sete-while sekyn * to pe clodes,
And Jjai pat most er of myght meltyn * all to powder."
Vlith pat he rewfully rose & renkes oute he • sendee,
To A[lexander] als hylyfe & • all suche a PistyH. 3084
" I, drery Kyng on my dese • Darius of Perys, Ypistoia.
To A[lexander] fie heyr * pat all hase to weld,
pe leyge lord of my lyfe • to lese or to safe,
l3us send I to my soueren • salutes of Joy. 3088
So wyde is pe wisdome pat wonnys in your *
saule,
j)at wele 36 wate of all pat was & worth here • hyfore,
Off all pe notes pat er nowe & what on next sewys.
•
For-fi 36 wirke euer by witte ye werke • vnreprefytt^. 3092
Sir, I knalegh me a creatur & Comyn of A woman,
•
Hefys nott your hert to hye • bott hede*- to your ende ;
It lympys nott allway pe last • be lykkynd to pe first",
Quatt suld a knyght more Couett • fen conquer hys fucsl
Was not Seryxes hym-self • pe soueranest on ground, 3097
And chefyd hym nott of cheualry • chekez oute of nombre ]
3itt for hys wiH oute of warde • was wonne into p77de,
' I. e. Three hundred thousand,
1 I*