Purity, a Middle English poem, ed. with introduction, notes, and glossary by Robert J. Menner.

XIIIc. BELSHAZZAR'S END

Þe kyng comaunded anon to cleþe þat wyse In frokkes of fyn cloþ, as forward hit asked. Þenne sone watz Danyel dubbed in ful dere porpor, And a coler of cler golde kest umbe his swyre. [MS., M. ¹ cloler; M. ² coler.] Line 1744 Þen watz demed a decre bi þe duk selven: Bolde Baltaza[r] bed þat hym bowe schulde [MS. baltaȝa; M. Bal|taȝa[r].] Þe comynes al of Calde þat to þe kyng longed, [MS., M. ¹ alof; M. ¹ note aloft(?); M. ² a lof; Fi. al of.] As to þe prynce pryvyest preved þe þrydde, Line 1748 Heȝest of alle oþer, saf onelych tweyne, To boȝ after Baltazar in borȝe and in felde. Þys watz cryed and knawen in cort als fast, And alle þe folk þerof fayn þat folȝed hym tylle. Line 1752

Bot how so Danyel watz dyȝt, þat day overȝede, Nyȝt neȝed ryȝt now wyth nyes fol mony, For daȝed never anoþer day þat ilk derk after, Er dalt were þat ilk dome þat Danyel devysed. Line 1756 Þe solace of þe solempnete in þat sale dured Of þat farand fest, tyl fayled þe sunne; Þenne blykned þe ble of þe bryȝt skwes, [MS., M. blykned; M. note blaykned(?), accepted by Fi.]

Morkenes þe mery weder, and þe myst dryves Line 1760 Þorȝ þe lyst of þe lyfte, bi þe loȝ medoes. Uche haþel to his home hyȝes ful fast, Seten at her soper and songen þerafter; Þen foundez uch a felaȝschyp fyrre at forþ naȝtes. Line 1764 Baltazar to his bedd with blysse watz caryed, Reche þe rest as hym lyst, he ros never þerafter. [folio 85b]

For his foes in þe felde in flokkes ful grete, Þat longe hade layted þat lede, his londes to strye, Line 1768 Now ar þay sodenly assembled at þe self tyme, Of hem wyst no wyȝe þat in þat won dowelled. Hit watz þe dere Daryus, þe duk of þise Medes, Þe prowde prynce of Perce and Porros of Ynde, Line 1772 Wyth mony a legioun ful large, wyth ledes of armes, Þat now hatz spyed a space to spoyle Caldeez. Þay þrongen þeder in þe þester on þrawen hepes, Asscaped over þe skyre watteres, and sca[l]ed þe walles, [MS., M. scaþed, B. sca[l]ed.] Line 1776 Lyfte laddres ful longe and upon lofte wonen, Stelen stylly þe toun er any steven rysed. Wythinne an oure of þe [n]yȝt an entre þay hade, [MS. myȝt.] Ȝet afrayed þay no freke; fyrre þay passen Line 1780 And to þe palays pryncipal þay aproched ful stylle. Þenne ran þay in on a res, on rowtes ful grete; Blastes out of bryȝt brasse brestes so hyȝe, Ascry scarred on þe scue þat scomfyted mony. Line 1784 Segges slepande were slayne er þay slyppe myȝt, Uche hous heyred watz wythinne a hondewhyle; Baltazar in his bed watz beten to deþe, Þat boþe his blod and his brayn blende on þe cloþes; Line 1788 The kyng in his cortyn watz kaȝt bi þe heles, Feryed out bi þe fete, and fowle dispysed, Þat watz so doȝty þat day and drank of þe vessayl; Now is a dogge also dere þat in a dych lygges. Line 1792

Line 1792

For þe mayster of þyse Medes on þe morne ryses, Dere Daryous þat day dyȝt upon trone, Þat cete seses ful sounde, and saȝtlyng makes Wyth alle þe barounz þeraboute, þat bowed hym after. Line 1796 And þus watz þat londe lost for þe lordes synne, And þe fylþe of þe freke þat defowled hade Þe ornementes of Goddez hous þat holy were maked. He watz corsed for his unclannes, and cached þerinne, Line 1800 Done doun of his dyngnete for dedez unfayre, And of þyse worldes worchyp wrast out for ever, [folio 86a] And ȝet of lykynges on lofte letted, I trowe, To loke on oure lofly Lorde late bitydes. Line 1804

Þus upon þrynne wyses I haf yow þro schewed, Þat unclannes tocleves in corage dere Of þat wynnelych Lorde þat wonyes in heven, Entyses hym to be tene, tel[des] up his wrake; [MS., M. telled; M. note telles(?).] Line 1808 Ande clannes is his comfort, and coyntyse he lovyes, And þose þat seme arn and swete schyn se his face. Þat we gon gay in oure gere þat grace he uus sende, Þat we may serve in his syȝt þer solace never blynnez. Amen. Line 1812