ALEXANDER'S OFFER.
3
To bi-holden here hom · & non harm wirke.
So haþ þe king to hem sente & siþenn wiþ his peple
48 Kairus cofli til hem · to kenne of hure fare.
But they are afraid But whan þei sien þe seg · wiþ so manie ryde,
and hide them-selves Þei were a-grisen of his grym · & wende gref þolie.
Faste heiede þei to holis · & hidden hem[1] þere,
52& in cauus hem kepte · fro þe king sterne.
Their wives and children remain visible Þanne weren from hem went · wifis & children,
Wiþ oþur bestus aboute · þat hem bi ferde.
Alexander asks why they too do not hide in caves? Aftur ferde alixandre · & asked hem sone,
56By ludus of þe langage · how þei leue miȝhte?
And ȝif þei ne hadde none holis · on þe holw erþe,
As hadde þe weies þat were · here wordliche makus?
Þanne þei caire wiþ þe king · hur cauus to schewe,
60& kennen þe conquerour · hur costomus alle,
They say that they dwell in the caves too & saide "seg, to us silf · sofisen þis cauus,
Of oþur hous þan her arne · haue we no nede."
Alexander promises to grant that them any boon whatever. Whan alle þei to alixandre · hadde answere i-ȝoulde
64Þe king cortais i-kid · cofliche saide,
"For i haue founde you folk · faiþful of speche
Me to lere of ȝour lif · with-oute les tale
Ȝernes now of my ȝift · þat ȝou leue were,
68& what it be þat ȝe bidde · ȝour bonus i graunte."
They ask for everlasting life. Þanne saide þei, "wordlich weiȝ · we wische of þi[2] ȝifte
Ai-lastinge lif · to lacchen up-on erþe;
Þat us derye no deþ · desire we nouþe,
72For oþur wordliche won · at wille we haue."
He replies that he himself is but mortal "Nai sertus," saide þe noble · "þat may not be graunted
Of me, þat miȝhteles am · my silf so to kepe.
So haþ þe king to hem sente & siþenn wiþ his peple
48 Kairus cofli til hem · to kenne of hure fare.
But they are afraid But whan þei sien þe seg · wiþ so manie ryde,
and hide them-selves Þei were a-grisen of his grym · & wende gref þolie.
Faste heiede þei to holis · & hidden hem[1] þere,
52& in cauus hem kepte · fro þe king sterne.
Their wives and children remain visible Þanne weren from hem went · wifis & children,
Wiþ oþur bestus aboute · þat hem bi ferde.
Alexander asks why they too do not hide in caves? Aftur ferde alixandre · & asked hem sone,
56By ludus of þe langage · how þei leue miȝhte?
And ȝif þei ne hadde none holis · on þe holw erþe,
As hadde þe weies þat were · here wordliche makus?
Þanne þei caire wiþ þe king · hur cauus to schewe,
60& kennen þe conquerour · hur costomus alle,
They say that they dwell in the caves too & saide "seg, to us silf · sofisen þis cauus,
Of oþur hous þan her arne · haue we no nede."
Alexander promises to grant that them any boon whatever. Whan alle þei to alixandre · hadde answere i-ȝoulde
64Þe king cortais i-kid · cofliche saide,
"For i haue founde you folk · faiþful of speche
Me to lere of ȝour lif · with-oute les tale
Ȝernes now of my ȝift · þat ȝou leue were,
68& what it be þat ȝe bidde · ȝour bonus i graunte."
They ask for everlasting life. Þanne saide þei, "wordlich weiȝ · we wische of þi[2] ȝifte
Ai-lastinge lif · to lacchen up-on erþe;
Þat us derye no deþ · desire we nouþe,
72For oþur wordliche won · at wille we haue."
He replies that he himself is but mortal "Nai sertus," saide þe noble · "þat may not be graunted
Of me, þat miȝhteles am · my silf so to kepe.
eos cum pace alacriter venit et ingressus est ad eos. Alexander autem intuens illos nudos ambulare et habitare in abditis tuguriis et speluncis, filios vero et vxores separatos cum animalibus ambulantes, interrogauit eos dicens; "Non sunt sepulcra vobis?" At illi ostenderunt tuguria et speluncas in quibus habitabant, et dixerunt:—"Hic per dies singulos requiescimus." Deinde dixit Alexander, "Quid vultis petere, dabo vobis." Illi autem dixerunt, "Da nobis immortalitem, quia nihil aliud peroptamus." Quibus alexander Respondit, "
