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

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ANECTANABUS AND 0LYMPIA3.
[Ashmole.
J)e lede lavvid in hire lofo • as leme dose of gledis,
" Hail, queen
he said.
He did not call
her madam.
Put vp his hand to his hare & heldid • it hot littiH.
"Haile, modi qwene of Messidoyne " • he maister-like
said!-; 228
pare deyned him na daynte • ' madame ' hire to caH,
Be-cause he knew him a kyng • he carpid on Jjis wyse.
For if he come as A clerke • with a croune schauyn,
And di3t as a DoctoMr • in di-abland wedis, 232
3it aH ]je erth of Egipt • had he bene aire ouire.
Tlie queen
replies, " Hail,
master I
She asks if he is
of Egypt.
[Fol. 5.]
" I am glad to
hear you speak of
Egypt.
There dwell the
wisest men of the
earth.
They can read
the stars, and
understand the
song of birds.
I myself have
]an answars him pe qwene • -with fuH myld speche,
" Haile, maister," qiiod pat myld & made him • to sytt
On a sege hire be-syde of silkyn • clathis, 236
And \iar hire spakid vfith his speche & spird of him
•
wordis.
Quen he was sete in his sete pat semely qwene
*
Ai of Egipt erd • enquirid if he were,
Jjojt him like of pat lede • be langage & othire ; 240
For-])i scho wetis if he wald wete * hire to say.
" A ! athel qwene," qwod! Anec " • ai be pou. ioyed !
•
If pon a wirschipfuH worde has werpid & spoken,
A riatt roune pon me redis^ • a reson of blis, 244
Quen Jjou mynnys of pat marche • & with j^i mouth tellis.
For pare enhabetz^ in pat erd • pat pon are say(J.
Jje wisest wees in fis werd • jie welken vndire.
For ])ai can swyth of a sweuyii • all pe swepe teH,. 248
Whejjire it be sele or soroje • in a sete quile,
And Jjai can certifi & se • by sygnes of pe heuyn,
Quat sail be-fall a-pon fold • with-inen a fewe jerys.
Sum vndirstandis in a stounde • pe steuen of pe briddis,
To say pe by par sapience • quat par sange menys ; 253
Sum can pi consaile declare • fofe pan it carpid neuire,
pe poyntis of all fi preuates • pertly can schewe.
Sum can pe brefe be-life • pe birth of pine childire, 256
Be it hee, be [it] scho • haly pare werdes.
And if I say it my-selfe • slik sotellte I haue,
'
MS. redis a redis ; the tn-o latter wcrdt underlined.