Page:Alexander and Dindimus (Skeat 1878).djvu/28

 II. A tent. Alexander receiving a letter from a man who kneels before him (248).

III. Two naked men, of whom one is Dindimus, who bears a crown, and sits at the mouth of a cave, writing. The other, half hid in the cave, is the messenger to whom he is to entrust his letter.

IV. King Alexander before his tent. Before him stand four naked men, of whom the foremost, bearing a crown, is Dindimus.

V. In the middle of the pictures is an idol, seated on a pillar or pedestal. The idol is in a constrained posture, pointing, apparently, towards its stomach. It probably represents Cupid (686). On the right of the idol stands Alexander. On the left of it stands Dindimus, naked but crowned, who is administering a reproof.

VI. Dindimus, naked but crowned, is receiving a letter presented to him by Alexander's messenger.

VII. Alexander is seated before his tent. He receives a letter from a naked messenger.

VIII. Alexander's page is kneeling down and offering a letter to Dindimus, behind whom are four men, one of whom is issuing from the mouth of the cave. In this picture, Dindimus and his men are apparently naked, but are curiously tattoeed or marked all over with something that alost gives them the appearance of wearing coats of mail.

IX. Alexander is setting up a large white pillar (1135).

The chief value of the poem is in the language of it. It is a good specimen of Alliterative English, and contains, in common, with all other such poems, a number of curious and characteristic words. My original impression was that it might be referred to about the year 1340; Dr. Trautmann argues that the date should rather be about 1370. It is hardly possible to decide the matter either way; and, if it may be argued on the one hand, that there are reasons for putting it earlier than William of Palerne (written about 1350), it may be said, on the other, that alliterative poems, by their retention of archaic forms, have an appearance of antiquity which is rather deceptive. It is not of much consequence either way; and it is