DRAGONS AND CORCODILES.
7
Þere made þe mascedonius king · his men for to stinte,
And bi þe banke of þe strem · he biggede his tentus.
145Þanne þe mascedonius men · in þe men tyme
He see some men beyond the river, Bi-ȝonde phisonus flod · saien folk rome.
For-þe bad þe bold king · that burnus of inde
148Scholde talken hem til · & tidliche enquere
Þe name of hure nacion · nedli to knowe;
For miche wilnede þe weiȝht · to witen of here fare.
but cannot reach them for the serpents there. Ride miȝhte nouht þe rink · ouur þe romme stronde
152For þe wormus þat were · bi þe watir founde.
For, out-taken .viij. wokus · of al þe watir founde.
Excpet in July and August, Þat is soþli to saie · þe sesoun of iuli,
And heruest þat hastly aftyr him folweþ—
156 there are dragons Dredful dragonus · drawen hem þiddire,
hippotamuses Addrus & ypotamus · & oþure ille wormus,
and crocodilles there. & careful cocodrillus · þat þe king lette.
For skaþe of þe scorpionus · askape þei ne miȝhte;
160So riue romede þei · þe riuer bi-side.
As prest as þe pris king · sai his pres stinte,
Þat he fer wiþ his folk[1] · fare ne miȝhte,
For þe bestus of bale · þat bi þe watur ferde,
164& harm of þe hound-fich · þat houede þer-inne,
Alexander class to one of the Of þe seggus þat he sai · bi-ȝonde þe side stronde
strangers to come over in a boat Ho dide calle ffor to come · to carpen him tille.
When þei hurden [h]is houp · hastiliche aftur
168A lud to a litil boot · lepus in haste,
[Fol. 210] And raþe to þe reiche king · romwus alone,
And aftur alixandre · askeþ his wille.
And bi þe banke of þe strem · he biggede his tentus.
145Þanne þe mascedonius men · in þe men tyme
He see some men beyond the river, Bi-ȝonde phisonus flod · saien folk rome.
For-þe bad þe bold king · that burnus of inde
148Scholde talken hem til · & tidliche enquere
Þe name of hure nacion · nedli to knowe;
For miche wilnede þe weiȝht · to witen of here fare.
but cannot reach them for the serpents there. Ride miȝhte nouht þe rink · ouur þe romme stronde
152For þe wormus þat were · bi þe watir founde.
For, out-taken .viij. wokus · of al þe watir founde.
Excpet in July and August, Þat is soþli to saie · þe sesoun of iuli,
And heruest þat hastly aftyr him folweþ—
156 there are dragons Dredful dragonus · drawen hem þiddire,
hippotamuses Addrus & ypotamus · & oþure ille wormus,
and crocodilles there. & careful cocodrillus · þat þe king lette.
For skaþe of þe scorpionus · askape þei ne miȝhte;
160So riue romede þei · þe riuer bi-side.
As prest as þe pris king · sai his pres stinte,
Þat he fer wiþ his folk[1] · fare ne miȝhte,
For þe bestus of bale · þat bi þe watur ferde,
164& harm of þe hound-fich · þat houede þer-inne,
Alexander class to one of the Of þe seggus þat he sai · bi-ȝonde þe side stronde
strangers to come over in a boat Ho dide calle ffor to come · to carpen him tille.
When þei hurden [h]is houp · hastiliche aftur
168A lud to a litil boot · lepus in haste,
[Fol. 210] And raþe to þe reiche king · romwus alone,
And aftur alixandre · askeþ his wille.
vocatum gagaie (sic); et castra metata sunt ibi. Et respicientes vltra flumen viderunt tres homines, quos iussit alexander indica lingua inquiri qui essent. At illi dixerunt, "Bragmani sumus." Desiderabat autem alexander cum eis loqui, sed ipsam latitudinem fluminis nemo poterat preterire; eo quod erant ibi yppotami multi et scorpiones agrestes et cocodrilli, qui per ipsum fluuium omni tempore discurrebant, excepto mense iulii et augusti. Cumque vidisset alexander quod nullo modo poterat ipsum fluuium transire, tristabatur valde. Statimque iussit vt nauiculam de viminibus fabricarent, et vestirent eam
- ↑ MS. 'flok'
