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

Ashmole.] Alexander ascends in the air. 271
Sire Saltary, a-notliir^ sire • now is Jie sowme reckend.
All bire he closis in bat cliffe & • cairis on forthire Alexander comea
To fe occyan at Jje erthes ende & • ^lai- in an Ilee he world's end.
heres
A grete glauz'r & a glaam • of grekin tongis. 5504
J3an bacJ he knijtis faiw vnclethe & to^ • J»at kithe swym,
Bot all at come in-to fat cole • crabbis has faim drenchid.
Jjan sewis furth fat souerayn • ay by fa salt strandis
to the ocean at the
Toward fe settynge of fe son • in seson of wintir ;
"e tums '» t'>e
Sexti dais -with his sowme sadly he • ridis,
Eajt on to be reede See & • rerid' bare his^ tentzs, 5510 and reaches the
-' '^
^
Red Sea.
J3are was a mi3ti montayne • at to fe mone semed*,
He gessis it gaynfr to god ' fan to f e grounde vndire,
And slike a fonned fantasy • fan feH: in his hert,
How fat he liftid mijt be fra f e lawe • vn-to f e lijt He wishes to
sternes. 5514
Jjan made he smythis to gaa smert & smethe him a
•
chaiere
Of blake iren & of bigge & •
A sekire sege in to sitt & •
ascend in the air.
bynde it wi't^ cheynes, He has an iron
O'^ J J ' chair made,
sett him on-loft. 5517
And foure Griffons full grym he iu^ bat graythe • festes ;
^ ' y o J
>
to be raised by
four griffins.
^
He makis to hinge ouir faire hede in hokis of iren
•
Flesch on ferrom fai7i fra * at f ai mi3t no3t to reches,'
To make f ain freke to f e fli3t • fat fode for to wyn,
For f ai ware fastand be-fore • halden for fe nanes.
Now is he won burje bar wingis • vp to be wale cloudis ;
They bear him up
So hi3e to heuen fai him hale • in a hand-quile, 5524
Midil-erth bot as a mylnestane • na mare to hii semed,
And aH f
e watiV of f
e werd * bot as a wrethen neddire.
j)e vertu of fe verray god • envirojmis* him swythe,
to the clouds.
And fan fai feH on a fild • as ferre fra his ost 5528 and descend in a
field.
As any freke mi3t fouwde • in fiftene daies,
And he vnhurt vrith mikiH vnhome he • to his ost [Foi.95 6.]
wynes.
' In the margin. ' MS. is his; with is gtnick out.
' Read reche. * The first i above the line.