4
ALEXANDER'S DEFENCE.
I am silkure of my silf · to suffre min ende;
76I ne haue no lordschipe of lif · to lengþe my daies."
They ask "why then do you want to conquer the world?" "Seg," saide þei again · "syn þou so knowist,
Þat þe is demed þe deþ · to dure nouht longe,
Whi farest þou so fihtinge · folk to distroie,
80& for to winne þe word · wendest so romme?
How miȝht þou kepe þe of sckaþe · with skile & with trouþe
Aȝeins rhyt to bireue · rengnus of kinguus?"
Þanne agayn saide þe gome · wiþ a good chere,
84He says he is king by the Grace of God "Þorou þe grace of god · i gete þat .i. haue.
Þei han demed me, or deþ · þhorou dintus of miȝhte,
Of erþe to be emperour · in euerych a side.[1]
Sin i haue grace of þat graunt · grimmest to worþe,
88I wrouthe wrecheli now · & wraþede drihten,
and must fulfil his destiny Ȝif i for dul of any deþ · my destene fledde,
Þat is markid to me · & to no mo kinguus.
Men seþ wel þat þe see · seseþ & stinteþ,
92[Fol 309, back] But whan þe wind on þe watur · þe wawus arereþ.
So wolde .i. reste me raþe · & ride ferþe,
Neuere to gete more good · no mo gome derie,
Bute as þe heie heuene goodus · wiþ herteli þouhtus
96So a-wecchen my wit · & my wil chaungen,
He cannot rest still anywhere Þat .i. mai stinte no stounde · stille in o place,
Þat i ne am temted ful tid · to turne me þennus.
& sin we wetin hur wil · to worchen[2] on erþe,
100We mowe be soþliche isaid · hur seruauntus hende.
Were all men wise alike Ȝif god sente euery gome · þat goþ up-on molde
Wordliche wisdam · & wittus iliche,
Betur miȝhte no burn · be þan an oþur;
76I ne haue no lordschipe of lif · to lengþe my daies."
They ask "why then do you want to conquer the world?" "Seg," saide þei again · "syn þou so knowist,
Þat þe is demed þe deþ · to dure nouht longe,
Whi farest þou so fihtinge · folk to distroie,
80& for to winne þe word · wendest so romme?
How miȝht þou kepe þe of sckaþe · with skile & with trouþe
Aȝeins rhyt to bireue · rengnus of kinguus?"
Þanne agayn saide þe gome · wiþ a good chere,
84He says he is king by the Grace of God "Þorou þe grace of god · i gete þat .i. haue.
Þei han demed me, or deþ · þhorou dintus of miȝhte,
Of erþe to be emperour · in euerych a side.[1]
Sin i haue grace of þat graunt · grimmest to worþe,
88I wrouthe wrecheli now · & wraþede drihten,
and must fulfil his destiny Ȝif i for dul of any deþ · my destene fledde,
Þat is markid to me · & to no mo kinguus.
Men seþ wel þat þe see · seseþ & stinteþ,
92[Fol 309, back] But whan þe wind on þe watur · þe wawus arereþ.
So wolde .i. reste me raþe · & ride ferþe,
Neuere to gete more good · no mo gome derie,
Bute as þe heie heuene goodus · wiþ herteli þouhtus
96So a-wecchen my wit · & my wil chaungen,
He cannot rest still anywhere Þat .i. mai stinte no stounde · stille in o place,
Þat i ne am temted ful tid · to turne me þennus.
& sin we wetin hur wil · to worchen[2] on erþe,
100We mowe be soþliche isaid · hur seruauntus hende.
Were all men wise alike Ȝif god sente euery gome · þat goþ up-on molde
Wordliche wisdam · & wittus iliche,
Betur miȝhte no burn · be þan an oþur;
Mortalis cum sim, immortalitem nequeo exhibere." At [ed. Ait] illi dixerunt, "Miser, si mortalis es, quare huc et illuc discurris tot et tanta facinora committendo? Hec omnia nisi a summa prudentia gubernantur"—Alexander itaque respondit eis et dixit, "Nescitis quod mare nullatenus conturbatur, nisu cum a ventis validissimis commouetur. Uellem siquidem in pace consistere, sed habeo in me
