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

the upper half of which is born dead.
that it signifies his approaching death.
Alexander's will. 277
A soothsayer tells Alexander
At that time there was a man in Macedon named Antipater, who
conspired with others to kill Alexander. He designed to do so by
poison.
Antipater procures very strong poison, and sends it to his son
Cassander. Cassander instructs his brother Eoboas (whom Alexander
loved, but had chidden for a slight faiilt) how to convey the
poison to Alexander.
Alexander makes 'a great feast in Babylon. Eoboas puts the
poison in a cup, and hands it to Alexander, who drinks it, and cries
out, " Help, help !
" In falling, his sword pierces his liver ;
yet he
rises again, and bids his guests continue the feast.
Alexander asks Cassander for a feather, to cause vomiting, and
Cassander hands it to him, dipped in poison, which only increases
the malady. Alexander passes a sleepless night, during which his
lamp goes out. He crawls along on hands and knees to drown himself
in the Euphrates. Eoxana stops him, and replaces him in his
bed, lamenting.
jAlexander sends for a notary to make his will.
The will instructs Aristotle to give a thousand talents of gold to
the priests of Egypt. If Eoxana gives birth to a boy, he is to be
emperor ; if to a girl, she is to be empress, married to some princely
Macedonian, who is to be made emperor.
Let Ptolemy have Egypt
and marry Cleopatra ; let Cleother have Ethiopia, Antiochus Syria,
Arrideus Peloponnesus, Aristus India, Nicanor Seleucia, Tsmachas
Hungary, Haulus Armenia, Lyochus Dalmatia and Sicily, Simon the
notary Cappadocia and Pelagonia ; lastly, let Cassander and Eoboas
have Bill as far as the river named Sol, and let their father Antipater.-
have Cilicia.
When the will was made, there followed thunders and lightnings
and great earthquakes, and all the world knew that his death was
near. The Macedonians crowd round the palace, demanding t& see
him, and to know who is to be his successor. He names Perdiccas,
to whom he commends Eoxana and all his soldiers.
Then the Macedonians all begin to kiss him and to weep bitterly.
Their lamentations are as low thunder, and even the sun is eclipsed.