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[verse 30] Thanne aftir thes thingis weren re|hersid, that weren writen of Artaxerses, the kyng, Rathinus, and Sabellius, the scribe, and thei that weren with hem or|deyned, ioynynge, hyingly camen in to Jerusalem, with horse men, and peple, and [verse 31] with cumpanye; and thei bigunnen to for|fende the buylders. And thei voididen thanne fro the bildyng of the temple, vnto the secounde ȝeer of the rewme of Darij,
kyng of Persis. [verse 1] Kyng Darius made a gret soper to alle his seruauntis, and to alle the maister iuges of Medes and of [verse 2] Persis, and to alle that wereden purpre, and to gouernours, and to counselers, and to prefectis vndir him, fro Ynde vn to Ethiope, to an hundrid and seuen and twenty prouyncis. [verse 3] And whanne thei hadden eten and drunken, and weren ful|fillid, thei turneden aȝen. Thanne kyng Darius stiede vp in his litil bed place, and slepte, and was waken. [verse 4] Thanne thilke thre ȝounge men, kepers of the bodi, the whiche kepten the bodi of the kyng, [verse 5] seiden oon to an oother, Sey we ech of us a word, that bifore passe in kunnyng; and whos euer word seme wiser than of an oother, kyng Darius schal ȝiue to him [verse 6] grete ȝiftis, and to be kouered with pur|pre, and to drynke in gold, and to slepe upon gold; and he schal ȝiue him a golden chare, with the bridil, and a mytre of bijs, [verse 7] and a bie aboute the necke; and he schal sitte in the secounde place fro Darius, for his wisdom; and he schal be clepid Daryus cosyn. [verse 8] Thanne ech of hem thre writinge his word, seleden, and putten tho vndir the [verse 9] pelewe of kyng Daryus; and seiden, Whanne the king hath risen, thei wil take to him her thingis writen, and what euer thing the kyng shall deme of thre, and the maistir iuges of Persis, forsothe the word of him is wiser than of the othere, to him schal be ȝouen the victorie, as it is writen. Oon wrot, Wyn is strong. [verse 10] An oother wrot, [verse 11] The kyng is strenger. [verse 12] The thridde wrot, Wymmen ben strengiste; treuthe ouercomith forsothe ouer alle thingis. [verse 13] And whanne the kyng had resen up, thei token her thingis writen, and ȝouen tho to him, and he radde. [verse 14] And he sende and clepede alle the maistre iuges of Persis, and of the lond Medis, and the clothid men in pur|pre, and the rewlers of prouynces, and [verse 15] prefectis; and thei seten in counsel, and the writingis weren red bifore hem. [verse 16] And the kyng seide, Clepeth the ȝounge men, and thei schul schewe her wordis. And
thei weren clepid, and thei camen yn. [verse 17] And Darius seide to hem, Schewe ȝe to us of thes thingis that ben writen. And the firste, that had seid of the strengthe of [verse 18] wyn, he biganne, and seide to hem, Men! ful passynge strong is wyn; to alle men that drynken it it berith doun the mynde; [verse 19] also it makith the mynde veyn, bothe of kyng and of the fadirles child; also of ser|uaunt and of fre men, of pore and of riche; [verse 20] and it turnith al the mynde in to sikir|nesse, and to gladnesse; and it remembrith [verse 21] not ony serewe and dette; and it makith alle the entrailes honest; and it remem|brith not kyng, ne maistir iuge; and alle [verse 22] thingis it makith speke bi talent; and whanne thei han drunken, thei remem|bren not frendschip ne brotherhed, and [verse 23] not longe aftir thei taken swerdis; and whanne thei han be drowned of wyn, and rijsen, thei han no mynde what thinges thei diden. [verse 24] O men! whether wyn is not passyngly strong, that thus con|streynith men to do? And this thing seid, he hilde his pes.