Lambert li Tors and Alexandre de Paris.
The development of the Alexander Story in Europe is due, however, neither to Alberic nor Lamprecht, but to Lambert li Tors and Alexandre de Bernay (or Paris), who in the middle of the century wrote the romance in Alexandrines. The poem was full of the magical wonders which Alberic had rejected; it adopted the Egyptian origin of Alexander and the wondrous stories of Bucephalus, and became instantaneously popular.
The Alexander Cycle.
But medieval listeners were not satisfied with so meagre information as the Romance of Alexander gave. Here was a great king foully murdered, beautiful queens beheaded; is there no justice in the skies? So in quick succession came the “Testament d’Alexandre” of Pierre de Saint Cloor, and in 1190 “La Vengeance Alexandre” of Gui de Cambrai. Another poem on the same subject was written between 1288-1308 by Jean le Nevelois (Nevelaux), and a new cycle of poems was opened by the “Voeux du Paon” of Jacques de Longuyon, 1312, the “Restor du Paon” of Brisebarre de Douay (before 1338). The Alexander cycle finishes by Jean de la Mote’s “Parfait du Paon,” 1340.
Eustace of Kent.
Meanwhile the Alexander Story itself had gone on its way. Eustace of Kent had incorporated it in his (still inedited) “Roman de Toute Chevalrie” in the middle of the thirteenth century. Four manuscripts of this work still exist, and it seems to be the stock from which many English translations have been made, notably that published by Weber in 1810. About the same time the prose translation of the “De Proeliis” was made, a translation which profoundly influenced the later story-tellers. Soon the Epitome of Julius Valerius, and a letter of Alexander to Aristotle, giving an account of the wonders of India, were translated. Frère Jehan de Vignay wrote a prose romance of Alexander in 1341, unfortunately lost, and the roll is closed in 1445 by “l’Histoire d’Alexandre” of Jean Wauquelin.
English Versions.
Our English versions seem to have been later. Very few of them have been printed, a fact perhaps due to the very insufficient support extended to the Early English Text Society, which has printed the portions to be found of two of them. Our earliest version seems to be that of which some extracts are given in Warton. There was an English version of 48,000 lines or so of the Alexander Story, belonging to the Duke of Roxburghe, but the MS. has disappeared. Weber, in his “Early English Metrical Romances,” gives a rhymed poem of 8031 lines. Two fragments are known of an alliterative translation of Lambert li Tors, which must have been of enormous length; and a nearly complete poem, which follows pretty closely the “De Proeliis,” is printed under the name of “The Wars of Alexander.” The three last are published by the Early English Text Society. Gower, in the “Confessio Amantis,” also makes use of episodes of the romance. Cockayne printed an A.S. version of the letter of Alexander.
We have thus run down the line which brought the tale from Egypt to Chaucer’s doors, so that he could sing that—
“Alisaundre’s storie is so commune