lexander, gif thou may change the nature of the erde, the water, and the aire of that regioun, and the disposicioun of the citeis of the landis of Perse, than counsale I that thou do thy will hardily; and gif thou may nocht do as foresaid is, sla thame nocht, bot gouerne thame in all gudelynes, with clemence, benignitee, and sueteness, put honour to thaim, and graciously demayne thame in graciouse justice and equitee; the quhilk gif thou dois, I traist, that with the grace of God, that thai sal be gude subjectis to thé, and sall gouerne thame at thy plesaunce and commandement: ffor than for the lufe that thai sall haue to thé for thy nobless, thou sall haue the dominacioun apon thame with peis and tranquilitie.
The quhilkis lettres the Prince ressauit with benignitee, and fulfillit his counsale vtterly; throu the quhilkis thingis the peple of Perse gafe sik a luferent till Alexander, that thai lufit him better, and was mare obeysand till him, na ony othir pepele of ony of his othir conquestis.
HERE FOLLOWIS A PISTLE SEND FRA ARISTOTIL TILL ALEXANDER excusand him for sore elde and waykenes he mycht na mare byde with him na hald the court; and tharfore he send him a Regement in wrytt, how and in quhat maner he suld gouerne him ay furth; the quhilk begynnis in this maner as efter folowis:—
lexander, faire Sone, gloriouss Emperour, the Souerane preciouss God Almychty mot confirme thé, and send thé knaulege to fauour the wayis of vertu, and of veritee, and that he wald refreyne in thé all bestiale appetitis, and that he wald illumyn thyne engyne, and conferme thy spirit of thy gouernaunce till his honour and service, honourably to be ressauit as efferis. And I have vnderstandin, how thou desyris that I war with thé; and that thou sais thou art amaruailit that I may abstene fra thy presence; thinkand that I am not sa besy and diligent of thy gouernaunce as I was wont to be: And be this cause I haue vndertane to make litil Reugles callit Cannonet, that is to say, A lytil buke, the quhilk salbe as a balaunce in the quhilk thou sall payss all thy werkis in; and to be a supplee to thé in my absence, rycht as I war present: &c.
XL.—CAPITULUM.
Fol. 129.
HERE DECLARIS THE NOBLE PHILOSOPHOUR HOW THAT THE SUBJECTIS OF PRINCIS THAT AR THE VPHALD OF THE WARLDE, AR COMPERIT TILL A FAIRE GARDYN, OR TILL A LORDIS TRESOURE, AND THAT THAI SULD BE KEPIT AS TRESOURE.