teching of Gouernance of Princis. HERE DECLARIS HE HOW ARISTOTLE RESSAUIT A PISTLE SENT FRA ALEXANDER till him in his grete age, to ask counsale, quhen he had conquest Perse, Quhethir he suld destroy and sla all the folk of that land, and peple it with others? because that thay war perilouse to gouerne, and subtile, and full of mychti maliciouse engyne of conquest, for the quhilk he dred thair subtile malice. FORMA EPISTOLE ALEXANDRI REGIS MAGNI AD ARISTOTILEM. Till ane maist noble and worthy Lord of Justice, I signify to thy prudence, that I haue foundyn in the land of Perse a kynde of folk rycht haboundand in richess, and of lytill vnderstanding, settand thair study to mak conquestis of realmes, and desyrand till haue lordschip atour othir men; ffor the quhilk cause, that we can nocht fynd to be seker of thame, we haue tane to purpose to put thame all to dede; bot bydand to haue thy counsale thareto, be wrytt in lettres; the quhilk counsale we will kepe and fulfill at the vtterast. HERE FOLLOWIS THE ANSUERE OF ARISTOTIL TILL ALEXANDER IN EPISTIL. Alexander, 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:--