XII

Danyel in his dialokeȝ de-vysed sum tyme,
As ȝet is proued ex-presse in his profecies,
Hov þe gentryse of Iuise & Iherusalem þe ryche
Watȝ disstryed wyth distres, & drawen to þe erþe,
For þat folke in her fayth watȝ founden vntrwe,
Þat haden hyȝt þe hyȝe god to halde of hym euer;
& he hem halȝed for his & help at her nede
In mukel meschefes mony, þat meruayl [is] to here;
& þay forloyne her fayth & folȝed oþer goddes,
& þat wakned his wrath & wrast hit so hyȝe,
Þat he fylsened þe faythful in þe falce lawe
To for-fare þe falce in þe faythe trwe;
Hit watȝ sen in þat syþe þat ȝedechyas rengned,
In Iuda, þat iustised þe iuyne kynges.
He sete on Salamones solie, on solemne wyse,
Bot of leaute he watȝ lat to his lorde hende;
He vsed abominaciones of idolatrye,
& lette lyȝt bi þe lawe þat he watȝ lege tylle;
For-þi oure fader vpon folde a foman hym wakned,
Nabigo-de-noȝar nuyed hym swyþe.
He pur-sued in to palastyn with proude men mony,
& þer he wast wyth werre þe wones of þorpes.
He herȝed vp alle israel & hent of þe beste,
& þe gentylest of Iudee in Ierusalem biseged,
Vmbe-walt alle þe walles wyth wyȝes ful stronge,
At vche a dor a doȝty duk, & dutte hem wyth-inne;
For þe borȝ watȝ so bygge baytayled alofte,
& stoffed wyth-inne with stout men
to stalle hem þer-oute.
Þenne watȝ þe sege sette þe Cete aboute,
Skete skarmoch skelt, much skaþe lached;
At vch brugge a berfray on basteles wyse,
Þat seuen syþe vch a day asayled þe ȝates,
Trwe tulkkes in toures teueled wyth-inne,
In bigge brutage of borde, bulde on þe walles;
Þay feȝt & þay fende of, & fylter togeder
Til two ȝer ouer-torned, ȝet tok þay hit neuer.
At þe laste vpon longe, þo ledes wyth-inne,
Faste fayled hem þe fode, enfaminied monie;
Þe hote hunger wyth-inne hert hem wel sarre,
Þen any dunt of þat douthe þat dowelled þer-oute.
Þenne wern þo rowtes redles in þo ryche wones,
Fro þat mete watȝ myst, megre þay wexen,
& þay stoken so strayt, þat þay ne stray myȝt
A fote fro þat forselet to forray no goudes.
Þenne þe kyng of þe kyth a counsayl hym takes,
Wyth þe best of his burnes, a blench forto make;
Þay stel out on a stylle nyȝt er any steuen rysed,
& harde hurles þurȝ þe oste, er enmies hit wyste,
Bot er þay at-wappe ne moȝt þe wach wyth-oute,
Hiȝe skelt watȝ þe askry þe skewes an-vnder,
Loude alarom vpon launde lulted watȝ þenne;
Ryche, ruþed of her rest, ran to here wedes,
Hard hattes þay hent & on hors lepes;
Cler claryoun crak cryed onlofte.
By þat watȝ alle on a hepe hurlande swyþee,
Folȝande þat oþer flote, & fonde hem bilyue,
Ouer-tok hem, as tyd, tult hem of sadeles,
Tyl vche prynce hade his per put to þe grounde;
& þer watȝ þe kyng kaȝt wyth calde prynces,
& alle hise gentyle for-iusted on ierico playnes,
& presented wern as presoneres to þe prynce rychest,
Nabigo-de-noȝar noble in his chayer,
& he þe faynest freke þat he his fo hade,
& speke spitously hem to & spylt þerafter.
Þe kynges sunnes in his syȝt he slow euer vch one,
& holkked out his auen yȝen heterly boþe
& bede þe burne to be broȝt to babyloyn þe ryche,
& þere in dongoun be don to dreȝe þer his wyrdes.
Now se, so þe soueray[n] set hatȝ his wrake;
Nas hit not for nabugo ne his noble nauþer,
Þat oþer depryued watȝ of pryde with paynes stronge,
Bot for his beryng so badde agayn his blyþe lorde;
For hade þe fader ben his frende þat hym bifore keped,
Ne neuer trespast to him in teche of mysseleue.
To Colde wer alle Calde & kythes of ynde,
Ȝet take torkye hem wyth her tene hade ben little;
Ȝet nolde neuer nabugo þis ilke note leue,
Er he hade tuyred þis toun & torne hit to grounde;
He ioyned vnto Ierusalem a gentyle duc þenne,
His name watȝ nabu-ȝardan, to noye þe iues;
He watȝ mayster of his men & myȝty him seluen,
Þe chef of his cheualrye his chekkes to make,
He brek þe bareres as bylyue, & þe burȝ after,
& enteres in ful ernestly, in yre of his hert.
What! þe maysterry watȝ mene, þe men wern away,
Þe best boȝed wyth þe burne þat þe borȝ ȝemed;
& þo þat byden wer so biten with þe bale hunger,
Þat on wyf hade ben worþe þe welgest fourre;
Nabiȝardan noȝt for-þy nolde not spare,
Bot bede al to þe bronde vnder bare egge.
Þay slowen of swettest semlych burdes,
Baþed barnes in blod & her brayn spylled;
Prestes & prelates þay presed to deþe,
Wyues & wenches her wombes tocoruen,
Þat her boweles out-borst aboute þe diches,
& al watȝ carfully kylde þat þay cach myȝt,
& alle [þat] swypped vnswolȝed of þe sworde kene,
Þay wer cagged & kaȝt on capeles al bare,
Festned fettres to her fete vnder fole wombes,
& broþely broȝt to babyloyn þer bale to suffer,
To sytte in seruage & syte; þat sumtyme wer gentyle,
Now ar chaunged to chorles & charged wyth werkkes,
Boþe to cayre at þe kart & þe kuy mylke,
Þat sumtyme sete in her sale syres & burdes.
& ȝet nabuȝardan nyl neuer stynt,
Er he to þe tempple tee wyth his tulkkes alle;
Betes on þe barers, brestes vp þe ȝates,
Slouen alle at a slyp þat serued þer-inne,
Pulden prestes bi þe polle & plat of her hedes,
Diȝten dekenes to deþe, dungen doun clerkkes,
& alle þe maydenes of þe munster maȝtyly hokyllen
Wyth þe swayf of þe sworde þat swolȝed hem alle.
Þenne ran þay to þe relykes as robbors wylde,
& pyled alle þe apparement þat pented to þe kyrke,
Þe pure pyleres [o]f bras pourtrayd in golde,
& þe chef chaundeler charged with þe lyȝt,
Þat ber þe lamp vpon lofte, þat lemed euer more,
Bifore þ[e] sancta sanctorum þer selcouth watȝ ofte.
Þay caȝt away þat condelstik, & þe crowne als,
Þat þe auter hade vpon, of aþel golde ryche;
Þe gredirne & þe goblotes garnyst of syluer,
Þe bases of þe bryȝt postes & bassynes so schyre;
Dere disches of golde & dubleres fayre,
Þe vyoles & þe vesselment of vertuous stones.
Now hatȝ nabuȝardan nomen alle þyse noble þynges,
& pyled þat precious place & pakked þose godes;
Þe golde of þe gaȝafylace to swyþe gret noumbre,
Wyth alle þe vrnmentes of þat hous, he hamppred to-geder.
Alle he spoyled spitously in a sped whyle,
Þat salomon so mony a sadde ȝer soȝt to make,
Wyth alle þe coyntyse þat he cowþe clene to wyrke;
De-uised he þe vesselment, þe vestures clene,
Wyth slyȝt of his ciences, his souerayn to loue,
Þe hous & þe anournementes he hyȝtled to-gedere.
Now hatȝ nabuȝardan numnend hit al samen,
& syþen bet doun þe burȝ & brend hit in askes;
Þenne wyth legiounes of ledes ouer londes he rydes,
Herȝeȝ of Israel þe hyrne aboute.
Wyth charged chariotes þe cheftayn he fynde[ȝ],
Bikennes þe catel to þe kyng, þat he caȝt hade,
Presented him þe prisoneres in pray þat þay token,
Moni a worþly wyȝe whil her worlde laste,
Moni semly syre sone, & swyþe rych maydenes,
Þe pruddest of þe prouince, & prophetes childer,
As Ananie & aȝarie & als Miȝael,
& dere daniel also, þat watȝ deuine noble,
With moni a modey moder chylde mo þen in-noghe.
& nabugo-de-noȝar makes much ioye,
Nov he þe kyng hatȝ conquest & þe kyth wunnen,
& dreped alle þe doȝtyest & derrest in armes,
& þe lederes of her lawe layd to þe grounde,
& þe pryce of þe profecie prisoners maked;
Bot þe ioy of þe iuelrye so gentyle & ryche,
When hit watȝ schewed hym so schene, scharp watȝ his wonder,
Of such vessel auayed þat vayled so huge,
Neuer ȝet nas nabugo-de-noȝar er þenne.
He sesed hem with solemneté, þe souerayn he praysed,
þat watȝ aþel ouer alle, israel dryȝtyn;
Such god, such gomes, such gay vesselles
Comen neuer out of kyth, to Caldee reames.
He trussed hem in his tresorye in a tryed place
Rekenly wyth reuerens, as he ryȝt hade;
& þer he wroȝt as þe wyse, as ȝe may wyt here-after,
For hade he let of hem lyȝt, hym moȝt haf lumpen worse.
Þat ryche in gret rialté rengned his lyue,
As conquerour of vche a cost he cayser watȝ hatte,
Emperour of alle þe erþe & also þe saudan,
& als þe god of þe grounde watȝ grauen his name
& al þurȝ dome of daniel, fro he deuised hade,
Þat alle goudes com of god, & gef hit hym bi samples,
Þat he ful clanly bi-cnv his carp bi þe laste,
& ofte hit mekned his mynde, his maysterful werkkes.
Bot al drawes to dyȝe with doel vp[o]n ende;
Bi a haþel neuer so hyȝe he heldes to grounde,
& so nabugo-de-noȝar as he nedes moste;
For alle his empire so hiȝe in erþe is he grauen.
Bot þenn þe bolde baltaȝar, þat watȝ his barn aldest,
He watȝ stalled in his stud, & stabled þe rengne;
In þe burȝ of babiloyne þe biggest he trawed,
Þat nauþer in heuen ne no erþe hade no pere;
For he bigan in alle þe glori þat hym þe gome lafte,
Nabugo-de-Noȝar, þat watȝ his noble fader;
So kene a kyng in Caldee com neuer er þenne.
Bot honoured he not hym þat in heuen wonies,
Bot fals fantummes of fendes, formed with handes
Wyth tool out of harde tre, & telded on lofte,
& of stokkes & stones, he stoute goddes callȝ
When þay ar gilde al with golde & gered wyth syluer,
& þere he kneles & calleȝ, & clepes after help.
& þay reden him ryȝt rewarde he hem hetes,
& if þay gruchen him his grace to gremen his hert,
He cleches to a gret klubbe & knokkes hem to peces;
Þus in pryde & olipraunce his Empyre he haldes,
In lust & in lecherye, & loþelych werkkes;
& hade a wyf forto welde, a worþelych quene,
& mony a lemman, neuer þe later, þat ladis wer called.
In þe clernes of his concubines & curious wedeȝ,
In notyng of nwe metes & of nice gettes,
Al watȝ þe mynde of þat man, on misschapen þinges,
Til þe lorde of þe lyfte liste hit abate.