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[The Tale of Belshazzar's Feast, and the Prophet Daniel.]
Þyr was a kyng of grete powere;
yn hys tyme was none hys pere;
ynogh he hadde of worldës myȝt,
And Baltazar hys namë hyȝt.
yn hys tyme was none hys pere;
ynogh he hadde of worldës myȝt,
And Baltazar hys namë hyȝt.
Þys kyng was a paynym,
and with oste he come to Ierusalem,
And robbed þe temple, þys Baltaȝare,
And þe tresour awey bare;
Þe vessel þat was of ryche metalle,
Þat Goddes temple was seruede with-alle,
þat, and more, he dyd aloyne,
And ledde hem yn-to Babyloyne.
and with oste he come to Ierusalem,
And robbed þe temple, þys Baltaȝare,
And þe tresour awey bare;
Þe vessel þat was of ryche metalle,
Þat Goddes temple was seruede with-alle,
þat, and more, he dyd aloyne,
And ledde hem yn-to Babyloyne.
Sone aftyrward, þys ychë kyng
Deyd, and madë hys endyng.
hys sone reyned yn þat same,
And Baltaȝarë was hys name;
Alle þe vessel with hym lefte,
Þat hys fadyr hadd stole and refte.
Deyd, and madë hys endyng.
hys sone reyned yn þat same,
And Baltaȝarë was hys name;
Alle þe vessel with hym lefte,
Þat hys fadyr hadd stole and refte.
A day he made a noble feste
with barons and with rychë geste;
Þys vessel þat hys fadyr stale,
Rychely he dyd hym serue with-alle;
Of þe vessel þey ete and dranke,
But to God made þey no þanke;
But yn alle here moste gladyng,
To fals goddys þey made wurschypyng.
A kandelstyke stode þe kyng before,
Þat oute of Ierusalem was bore;
Þe kyng lokede to þat candelstyke,
And sagh besyde a grete ferlyke:
Vndyr þe kandelstyke, a lytel logh,
He sagh an hande wryte on þe wogh;
No morë he sagh þan þe hande,
But þe lettres were weyl farande;
he redde hyt as he sate on þe des,
“Mane techel fares.”
No more þyr was þere wryte;
On englys þus ys hyt to wyte,
‘To mornë shal departyng be,
Of þy ryche kyngdom fro þe.’
with barons and with rychë geste;
Þys vessel þat hys fadyr stale,
Rychely he dyd hym serue with-alle;
Of þe vessel þey ete and dranke,
But to God made þey no þanke;
But yn alle here moste gladyng,
To fals goddys þey made wurschypyng.
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Þat oute of Ierusalem was bore;
Þe kyng lokede to þat candelstyke,
And sagh besyde a grete ferlyke:
Vndyr þe kandelstyke, a lytel logh,
He sagh an hande wryte on þe wogh;
No morë he sagh þan þe hande,
But þe lettres were weyl farande;
he redde hyt as he sate on þe des,
“Mane techel fares.”
No more þyr was þere wryte;
On englys þus ys hyt to wyte,
‘To mornë shal departyng be,
Of þy ryche kyngdom fro þe.’
Þe kyng vndyrstode no þyng of þys,
Ne none of hysë coude hym wys.
As he þys hand began to holde,
hys herte bygan to tremle and colde;
he shewed hyt to alle hys ássemble,
And crydë hyt þurgh þe cyte,
‘Þat ȝyf any coude do hym to wyte,
what hyt mente, þat þere was wryte,
He shulde haue of hym grete mede,
Þat coudë vndo þat yn dede.’
But none of alle, forsoþe to wene,
Coude telle þe kyng what hyt wlde mene.
Ne none of hysë coude hym wys.
As he þys hand began to holde,
hys herte bygan to tremle and colde;
he shewed hyt to alle hys ássemble,
And crydë hyt þurgh þe cyte,
‘Þat ȝyf any coude do hym to wyte,
what hyt mente, þat þere was wryte,
He shulde haue of hym grete mede,
Þat coudë vndo þat yn dede.’
But none of alle, forsoþe to wene,
Coude telle þe kyng what hyt wlde mene.
But þe quene seyd sone anone:
“Syre kyng, y wotë where ys one,
Þat kan do ȝow alle to knowe
what ys wrytë on þe wowe.
yn þys cyte, yn a strete,
woneþ a ful wys prophete,
hys name men callë Danyël,
he shal vndo þe wrytyng wel.”
“Syre kyng, y wotë where ys one,
Þat kan do ȝow alle to knowe
what ys wrytë on þe wowe.
yn þys cyte, yn a strete,
woneþ a ful wys prophete,
hys name men callë Danyël,
he shal vndo þe wrytyng wel.”
Þe kyng aftyr Danyël sente,
And þe prophete to hym wente;
Þe kyng hym preyd, byfore hem alle,
To tellë hem what shulde befalle.
And þe prophete to hym wente;
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To tellë hem what shulde befalle.
Þe prophete wuldë no þyng hyde:
“Þe hand þat þou sawe yn þe euyntyde,
hyt was sent fro God almyȝt,
Þat hys wraþþe ys to þe dyȝt,
For þou were serued of þe vesseles
Þat of hys temple were Ieuwels;
Þys day before, of hem þou ete,
And no wurschyp of hym þou lete,
Þat ys God, alle þyng weldande,
And þe and þyne haþ yn hys hande;
But to fals goddes þou madest onour
with vessel of hys owne tresour;
And for þou dedyst boþe euyl, and seyd,
Þy kyngdom ys yn balaunce leyd,
Tyl ryȝt be-demeþ, with euyn hand,
To wham hyt shal be ȝyue, þy land.
Þurgh dome of God, hyt ys so dryue,
To twey maner of folke þy land ys ȝyue;
Medys, and Persys, þy land shul haue;
Þe, ne þyne, mayst þou nat saue.
Here ys wryte þe samë wyse,
Y sey to þe, ryȝt as hyt seyse.”
“Þe hand þat þou sawe yn þe euyntyde,
hyt was sent fro God almyȝt,
Þat hys wraþþe ys to þe dyȝt,
For þou were serued of þe vesseles
Þat of hys temple were Ieuwels;
Þys day before, of hem þou ete,
And no wurschyp of hym þou lete,
Þat ys God, alle þyng weldande,
And þe and þyne haþ yn hys hande;
But to fals goddes þou madest onour
with vessel of hys owne tresour;
And for þou dedyst boþe euyl, and seyd,
Þy kyngdom ys yn balaunce leyd,
Tyl ryȝt be-demeþ, with euyn hand,
To wham hyt shal be ȝyue, þy land.
Þurgh dome of God, hyt ys so dryue,
To twey maner of folke þy land ys ȝyue;
Medys, and Persys, þy land shul haue;
Þe, ne þyne, mayst þou nat saue.
Here ys wryte þe samë wyse,
Y sey to þe, ryȝt as hyt seyse.”
Þe samë nyȝt þe lande was lore,
Þe kyng was slayn, and awey bore.
Þe kyng was slayn, and awey bore.
Here mayst þou se, euyl-wunne þyng,
with eyre shal neuer make gode endyng,
Namly, with þyng of holy cherche
Shalt þou neuer spede wel to werche.
Þat mayst þou se by parsones eyres,
hyt fareþ with hem as doþe with þese feyres;
Now ys þe feyrë bygged weyl,
And on þe morne ys þer neuer a deyl:
Ryche tresoure, now furþe men leye,
And on þe touþer day hyt ys alle aweye;
O day, to-gedyr men mowe hyt se,
A-nouther, sprede þurgh all þe cuntre.
with eyre shal neuer make gode endyng,
Namly, with þyng of holy cherche
Shalt þou neuer spede wel to werche.
Þat mayst þou se by parsones eyres,
hyt fareþ with hem as doþe with þese feyres;
Now ys þe feyrë bygged weyl,
And on þe morne ys þer neuer a deyl:
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And on þe touþer day hyt ys alle aweye;
O day, to-gedyr men mowe hyt se,
A-nouther, sprede þurgh all þe cuntre.
Þus fareþ hyt by þese parsones cosynes;
Þát þe parsone wynnyþ, þe cosyne tynes;
yn þe parsones tyme, rychely he lyueþ,
Aftyr hym, no man of hym ȝyueþ;
yn hys tyme, ofte pens he telleþ,
Aftyr hym, for pouert, penys he selleþ.
Þát þe parsone wynnyþ, þe cosyne tynes;
yn þe parsones tyme, rychely he lyueþ,
Aftyr hym, no man of hym ȝyueþ;
yn hys tyme, ofte pens he telleþ,
Aftyr hym, for pouert, penys he selleþ.
Also with purchasours ryȝt so hyt fareþ,
Alle þat þey bygge, here eyrës bareþ;
A purchasoure may beye þyng, & with lawe,
with-oute any dede of wrong or sawe;
But lokeþ, ȝyue he wynne þat katel weyl,
wharewith he byeþ hyt euerydeyl.
Ȝyf he haue wunne þe penys ryȝt,
Þan haþ he þe lande with-outë plyȝt;
Ȝyue he haue wunne þe penys falsle,
with ryȝt to þe lande com neuer he.
with fals[ë] weyght, of fals[ë] peys,
And many falshede ouþer weys;
And ȝyt moste, with fals sweryng,
wynneþ manyone moche þyng;
with swyche þyng, wene þou hyt noȝt
Þat þe hous ne lande was ryȝtly boȝt.
Alle þat þey bygge, here eyrës bareþ;
A purchasoure may beye þyng, & with lawe,
with-oute any dede of wrong or sawe;
But lokeþ, ȝyue he wynne þat katel weyl,
wharewith he byeþ hyt euerydeyl.
Ȝyf he haue wunne þe penys ryȝt,
Þan haþ he þe lande with-outë plyȝt;
Ȝyue he haue wunne þe penys falsle,
with ryȝt to þe lande com neuer he.
with fals[ë] weyght, of fals[ë] peys,
And many falshede ouþer weys;
And ȝyt moste, with fals sweryng,
wynneþ manyone moche þyng;
with swyche þyng, wene þou hyt noȝt
Þat þe hous ne lande was ryȝtly boȝt.
Vnneþ lasteþ aght þat men bye
with þat ys wunne with marchaundye;
Yn erytage nat long hyt vayleþ,
Þe þred eyre leseþ, þat ouþer trauayleþ;
Vnneþe ys any þat haþ gode grace
To lyuë weyl with swych purchace,
Oþer lyue þey a bysyly lyfe,
Or lese hyt for pouert and for stryfe;
For þys men se, and seye alday,
“Þe þred eyre selleþ alle away.”
with þat ys wunne with marchaundye;
Yn erytage nat long hyt vayleþ,
Þe þred eyre leseþ, þat ouþer trauayleþ;
Vnneþe ys any þat haþ gode grace
To lyuë weyl with swych purchace,
Oþer lyue þey a bysyly lyfe,
Or lese hyt for pouert and for stryfe;
For þys men se, and seye alday,
“Þe þred eyre selleþ alle away.”
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For sacrylage, alle þys ys tolde,
Þat vesselment of cherche ys wyþholde,—
Chaleys, cloth, boke, or lome,—
For sacrylage cumþ ofte hard dome;
yn alle þe poyntës seyd before,
Þat fro holy cherche, oght haþ bore,
Or aght mysdo on any wyse
Þat longeþ vn-to þe fraunchyse,
Y or þou, yn any outrage,
we synne dedly yn sacrylage.
Þat vesselment of cherche ys wyþholde,—
Chaleys, cloth, boke, or lome,—
For sacrylage cumþ ofte hard dome;
yn alle þe poyntës seyd before,
Þat fro holy cherche, oght haþ bore,
Or aght mysdo on any wyse
Þat longeþ vn-to þe fraunchyse,
Y or þou, yn any outrage,
we synne dedly yn sacrylage.
Gode ȝyue vs grace so to serue here
Holy cherche, oure modyr dere,
Here so to serue, and wurschyp make,
Þat we be hyre, and she vs take.
Holy cherche, oure modyr dere,
Here so to serue, and wurschyp make,
Þat we be hyre, and she vs take.
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