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

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226 ELEPHANTS AND BEARDED WOMEX. [Aslimole.
He cnnnot pross jjafi waltl his^ pepiH & his princes • haue padt ouir be
the river for the ^ ^ ^ ft
dragons.
bo«/'ne,
And mi^t no3t for pe morsure & maynyng *
of bestw,
bred full of ydres, 4089
Of dragons & of othire deuyls & doukand • neddirs.
[Foi. 70 6.] It was so borely & brade • &
)an caires furth oure conquirowr • with his kid osiis,
Lede fam be jje left side • of fe lande of ynde, 4092
He comes to a Sone was he drcuyn with his dukis • in-to a dryi meere,
dried lake.
Was full of gladen & of gale & of grete • redis.
)5an sny3es far, out of ^ pat snyth hiH • as with a snayles
pas,
He finds n A burly best with a bake as bedell as a • saje, 4096
monstrous
animal, KeuB tethe as a knyfe a cowdrife breste,
•
Of sembalaunce as a see-bule & slo3e lilm twa kni3t/6\
•
Wald par na brande in hbn bite ne no bigge launce,
•
which his i;nigiits •
Bot alto-maukid hire with maces mellis of Iren.
kill.
A twenti dais ouire ten with • torfare fai ride ; 4101
To ]>e formast forest of ynde * oure folke^ all ap"ochid.
Euyn at J)e flode of Eumare • oure emperoure logis,
And at pe xj houre • I ame, as it ware, 4104
A great number of Of Olifauts out of fie ways ' an endles nounbre
elephants attack
•
• •
r it i
them. Come with a carefun cne oure kni3t2s • to assain.
A-poii Je bald Bucifalon he bremely ascendis,
•
Bedis of his swiers ga swyth & swyne with pahn take.
•
Jjai ware a-baiste all belyue • as Jje bake tellis, 4109
\)at durst na berne on pe bent a-bide bot '
hi»i-selfe.
Alexander com- " Be no3t a-baist, my bachelars " • pe bald kyng sayd,
forts his mt-ii. _, . _ ,. , ii , •
n
"For wi.th fe swelmg of pe swyne • we saH paim ait
voide." 4112
And so J'ai did al bedene • & sun oure douth slo3e,
Tuke out pe tuskis & j^e tethe • & ternew of pe skinnes.
)>at oper dai be desert fam destaned to ride,
•
Be pe wild ynde woddis & wemefi • ))ai fauml! 4116
[Foi. 71.] ^ViXh bare hedes as a barne & berdis • to pe pappis,
'
MS. rq)cats liis. ' MS. if, altered to of.
^
III the margin.