8
ALEXNADER'S FIRST LETTER.
A wel-langaged lud · let þe king sone172 Aspien ful spedliche · bi speche of þe lande,He asks who they are. In what kyþ wer þei kid · of of what hit called were.& ho were lord of hur land · & ledere of alle.They say they are Brahmans, and their king is Dindimus. "We were in bragmanie bred" · saide þe burn þanne,"& dindimus þe dere king · our demere is holde."177"Sertus," saide alixandre · "þi sawe me quemus,Me haþ longe to ȝoour land · liked to wende;Wiþ ȝou to carpe in þis kiþ · couaited y ȝorne;180 For miche ludus of ȝour lif · listned ich haue."Alexander gives the stranger a letter, for Dindimus. Þanne let þe lordliche king · lettres endite,& þere-on settus his sel · & sithen hem takusTo þe burn on his bot · & bad him in haste184 To þe king of hur kiþ · carien his sonde.Þanne whitli þe weiht · ouur þe watur sterus.And þe lettrus to his lord · ledus ful sone.As sone as his king say · þat sonde him yprofred,188He hit lacchus of þe lud · & lokus þer-inne;Contents of the letter. & ȝif ȝe Ludus haue list · þe lettrus to knowe,Tendeþ how þis tale is titeled þer-inne."Alexander, "Þe kidde king alixandre · þat couþ is in erþe,192Þat name haþ of noblete · & neuere man dradde,son of Ammon, Þat grete god amon · in graciouce timusBi-gat on olimpias · þe onurable quene.greets king Dindimus. Dindimus þe dere king · doþ for to grete.196Þat lord of bragmanus lond · & ledere is holde,& in þis same wise saiþ & sendeþ him gon,& til alle þat arn · aftur him þare.—199We have often heard of you. We han, ludus, of ȝour lif · listned ful ofte,You never plough, Þat michil ben ȝour manerus · fram oþur men varied.For ȝe non erthe ne eren[1] · þat erne ȝou miȝhteFode for to fare wiþ · as oþur fok[2] vsen.
de coriis animalium vt per ipsum fluuium transirent. Factum est, et intrauit in eam vnus miles, cui dedit alexander literas, vt portaret eas didimo regi Bragmanorum, continentes ita:--
[R]Ex regum et dominus dominantium Alexander filius dei
