The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] In the firste ȝeer of Balthasar [In the firste ȝeer of Baltha|sar; bi this it is open, that Danyel settith not the vi|siouns bi the ordre of stori, ether of tyme in whiche tho weren maad to Danyel; for whi tho thingis that ben writun in the chapitre bifor goinge, weren aftir this visioun, for tho weren maad vndur Darius, that was successour of Bal|thasar, as it is seid in [the G] V. chapitre. The resoun of this ordre is this, for this visioun is clenly of pro|fecie, and ther|for it is set with the vi|siouns suynge, that ben of the same condi|cioun; but the visiouns bifor goinge ben ether of pure stori, ether in parti of pro|fesie, and in parti of stori. Another resoun is this, for the visiouns bifor goinge per|teynen to the firste comyng of Crist, but this visioun, with tho that suen, perteynen to the secounde comynge of Crist, that is to the general doom. Lire here. CGQU.] , kyng of Babiloyne, Danyel siȝ a sweuene [sweuene, ether a dreme CFGHIKMNQRSUX.] . For|sothe he wroot the visioun of his hed in his bed, and the dreem, and compre|hendide in schort word; and he touchide

[verse 2] schortli the sentence, and seide, Y siȝ in my visioun in niȝt, and lo! foure wyndis of heuene fouȝten in the myddis of the greet see. [verse 3] And foure grete beestis dyuerse bitwixe hem silf stieden [stieden vp I.] fro the see. [verse 4] The [And the I.] firste beeste was as a lionesse, and hadde wyngis of an egle. Y bihelde til [vnto I.] the wyngis therof weren pullid awei, and it was takun awei fro erthe, and it stood as a man on the feet, and the herte therof was ȝouun to it. [verse 5] And lo! another beeste, lijk a bere in parti, stood, and thre or|dris weren in the mouth therof, and thre princes in the teeth therof. And thus thei seiden to it, Rise thou, ete thou ful many fleischis. [verse 6] Aftir these thingis Y bihelde, and lo! anothir beeste as a pard, and it hadde on it silf foure wyngis of a brid, and foure heedis weren in the beeste, and power was ȝouun to it. [verse 7] Aftir these thingis Y bihelde in the visioun of niȝt, and lo! the fourthe beeste, ferdful, and wondirful, and ful strong. It hadde grete [strong NS sec. m.] irun teeth, and it ete, and made lesse, and defoulide with hise feet othere thingis; forsothe it was vnlijk othere beestis, which Y hadde seyn bifore it, and it hadde ten hornes. [verse 8] Y bihelde the hornes, and lo! an other litil horn cam forth of the myddis of tho, and thre of the firste hornes weren drawun out fro the face therof; and lo! iȝen as iȝen of a man weren in this horn, and a mouth spekynge grete thingis. [verse 9] Y bihelde, til that trones weren set, and the elde of daies sat; his cloth was whijt as snow, and the heeris of his heed weren as cleene wolle, his trone was as flawmes [flawme A pr. m. RU.] of fier, hise wheelis weren fier [as fier I.] kyndlid. [verse 10] A flood of fier and rennynge faste ȝede out fro his face, a thousynde thousynde mynistriden to hym, and ten sithis a thousynde sithis an hundrid thousynde stoden niȝ hym; the dom sat, and bookis weren opened. [verse 11] Y bihelde for the vois of grete wordis whiche thilke horn spak; and Y siȝ that the beeste was slayn, and his bodi was perischid, and was ȝouun to be brent in

fier. [verse 12] And Y siȝ that the power of othere beestis was takun awei, and the tymes of lijf weren ordeyned to hem, til to tyme and tyme. [verse 13] Therfor Y bihelde in the vi|syoun of niȝt, and lo! as a sone of man cam with the cloudis of heuene; and he cam fulli til to the elde of daies, and in the siȝt of hym thei offriden hym. [verse 14] And he ȝaf to hym power, and onour, and rewme, and alle the puplis, lynagis [and lynagis I.] , and langagis schulen serue hym; his power is euerlastynge power, that schal not be takun awei, and his rewme, that schal not be corrupt. [verse 15] My spirit hadde orrour, ether hidousnesse; Y, Danyel, was aferd in these thingis, and the siȝtis of myn heed dis|turbliden me. [verse 16] Y neiȝede to oon of the stonderis niȝ, and Y axide of hym the treuthe of alle these thingis. And he seide to me the interpretyng of wordis [these wordis N.] , and he tauȝte me. [verse 17] These foure grete beestis ben foure rewmes, that schulen rise of erthe. [verse 18] Forsothe hooli men schulen take the rewme of hiȝeste God, and thei schulen holde the rewme, til in to the world, and `til in to [vnto I. in to NSU sec. m.] the world of worldis. [verse 19] Aftir these thingis Y wolde lerne diligentli of the fourthe beeste, that was greetli vnlijk fro alle, and was ful ferdful, the teeth and nailis therof weren of irun; it eet, and made lesse, and defoulide with hise feet othere thingis. [verse 20] And of ten hornes whiche it hadde in the heed, and of the tother horn, that cam forth, bifore which thre hornes fellen doun, and of that horn that hadde iȝen, and a mouth spekynge grete [verse 21] thingis, and was grettere than othere; I bihelde, and lo! thilke horn made batel aȝens hooli men, and hadde maistrie of [verse 22] hem, til [til to I.] the elde of daies cam, and hiȝ God ȝaf doom to hooli men; and lo! tyme cam, and hooli men goten rewme. [verse 23] And he seide thus, The fourthe beeste schal be the fourthe rewme in erthe, that schal be more than alle rewmes, and it schal de|uoure al erthe, and it schal defoule, and

make lesse that erthe. [verse 24] Forsothe ten hornes schulen be ten kyngis of that rewme; and another kyng schal rise after hem, and he schal be miȝtiere than the formere, and he schal make low thre kyngis. [verse 25] And he schal speke wordis aȝens the hiȝ God, and he schal defoule the seyntis of the hiȝeste; and he schal gesse, that he mai chaunge tymes and lawis; and thei schulen be ȝouun in [Om. I.] to his hondis, til to tyme, and times, and the half of tyme [tymes GI.] . [verse 26] And doom schal sitte, that the power be takun awei, and be al to-brokun, and perische til in to the ende. [verse 27] Sotheli that the rewme, and power, and the [Om. N.] greetnesse of rewme, which is vndur ech heuene, be ȝouun to the puple of the [Om. I.] seintis of the hiȝeste, whos rewme is euerlastynge rewme, and alle kingis schulen serue, and obeie to hym. Hidur to is the ende of the word. [verse 28] Y, Da|nyel, was disturblid myche in my thouȝtis, and my face was chaungid in me; for|sothe Y kepte the word in myn herte.