Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

XVIII. THE FIRSTE BOKE OF THE GOUERNOUR. 1 99withoute greate ^ wondryng of all his enemies / whiche stodeand behelde hym.The great kynge Alexander lamented / that he had natlerned to swimme : For in Inde whan he wente agayne the130 puissaunt kynge Porus / he was constrayned / in folowyngehis entreprise / to conuay his hoste ouer a ryuer of wonderfullgreatnesse : than caused he his horse-men to gage thewater / wherby he firste perceiued / that it came to thebrestis of the horsis / and in themyddle of the streme / the135 horsis wente in water to the necke : wherwith the fotemenbeinge aferde / none of them durst aue;^ture to passe ouerthe ryuer : That perceiuynge Alexander / with a dolorousemaner in this wyse lamented :I of all'O howe moste vnhappy amother / that haue nat or this tyme lerned to swymme V140 And therwith he pulled a tergate from one of his souldiours/and castynge it in-to the water / standynge on it / with hisspere conuaied hym-selfe with the streme / and gouernyng thetergate wysely / broughte hym-selfe vnto the other side of thewater ; wherof his people beinge abasshed / some assayed145 to swymme / some holdyng faste by the horses / other byspeares/and other lyke weapons /many vpon fardels & trusses/gate ouer the ryuer : in so moche as nothinge was perisshedsaue ^ a litle bagage / and of that no great quantitie lost.what vtilitiewas shewed to be in swymmynge at the firstei^owarres / whiche the Romanes had agayne the Carthaginensis! it happened a bataile to be on the see betwenethem / where they of Carthage / bei;zge vainquisshed /wolde haue sette vp their sailes to haue fledde / but thatperceiuynge diuers yonge Romanes / they threw them-selfes155 in-to the see / & swymmynge vnto the shippes / they enforcedtheyr ennemies to stryke on lande / and there assaulted^ Printed ' greatte.' ^ Printed ' sauuc'