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

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64 DEEDS OF MELEAGER AND SAMPSON. [Ashmole.
l)ar metis faim with a mekill flote ' fe maister of fe
playnes,
One Tb«osellus
withstands
Alexander's men.
Sir Melea^er
fights manfully.
He fat was duke of fie^ droues & oi pe derfe billis,
Aiie Theosellus, a tulke • \>at tened jjam vnfaire. 1212
He girdis in viith^ a ging* armed in plates,
•
Alto-bruntes oure bernes & bratbly woundid,
•
Fellis fele at a fruscfi fey to • fe gronde,
And many renke at he roue rase neuer • efter. 1216
J3an was ser Meliager moued & maynly debat/s,
•
Fling/s out on a fole • with a feH spere,
So do Sampson
Caulus also
distinguishes
himself.
[FoL 21 i.]
Meleager retreats
in triumph,
with all the
cattle.
But his troubles
girdis Jjur^e mailli.^,
Gers many grete syre grane & •
And many bernes at a braide in his brath endis. 1220
And Sampson on anothire side • seta's out belyue,
Bruschis f urth on a blonk • brymly he smyt/*^
'Betis on with a brande • broken was his Lance,
Hewis doui of Jja hirdis hurti^^ |)am vn-faire. 1224
•
•
Arystes, ane athill man ai elike fi3t/5,
Spirris out with a spere & • spedis his mi3t/>,
•
And noyed of fare note-men at fe nete kepiJ,
And many bald, or he blan • bro3t out o-lyue. 1228
Caulus, anothire knijt • oii a kene stede,
On Theosellus in twa • his tymbre he brekis
And fan he dryfes to fe duke as demys • fe textis.
And with a swyng of a swerd swappis of has hede. 1232
•
When he was drepid! & dede • at f e droues jemytJ,
\)e prekars of fe pastors & ' of fe proude landis,
AH fe folke of his affinite • at fresch ware vii-wondid',
\)at outhire fote had' or fole to fe • flijt foundid. 12-36
•
J3u3 Meliager with his men fe menske has a-chevyd',
For f
e fairere of \iar faes & • f
e fild wonfi
Easchis with rethere & rydis bot a quyle,
•
]pat ne ne3is fam a-nothire note • as new as f e first, 1 240
\)a.re was a maister of f
e marches • mi3tist of othire
Beritinus attacks
him.
Ane Beritini5, a berne • as f
e buke teWis,
Cojne girdand out of Gadirs • out of fe grete cite,
Inserted at the end of the line.