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[verse 1] Balthasar, kyng, made a grete fest to his best men a thousand, and eche man dranke after his age. [verse 2] Forsothe the kyng now drunken comaundide, that the golden vessels and sylueren shulden be brouȝt forth, whiche Nabugodonosor, his fadre, bare out of the temple that was in Jeru|salem, that the kyng, and his best men,
and wyues, and his [Om. A.] concubynes, or se|cundarie wyues, shulden drynke. [verse 4] Thei drunken wijne, and herieden her goddis of gold, and of syluer, and of brasse, and of yren, and of tree, and of stoon. [verse 5] In the same houre there apeeriden fyngris, as of hond of a man, writynge aȝeins the can|dilstike, in the ouermer part of the walle of the kyngis halle; and the kyng bi|helde the fyngris of the hond wrijtynge. [verse 6] Thanne the face of the kyng was chaungid to gydre, and his thouȝtis `al to-trubliden [trubliden A.] hym; and the ioyntures of his reynys weren vnbounden, and his knees weren hurtlid to gydre at hem|self. [verse 7] And so the kyng cried strongly, that thei shulden leede yn witches, or wijs men, Caldeis, and dyuynours by sterris. And the kyng spekyng afer saith to the wijs men of Babiloyne, Who euere shal reede this wrytyng, and shal make the interpretacioun therof knowen to me, shal be clothid with purpre, and shal haue a golden bee in the nek, and shal be the thrid in my rewme. [verse 8] Thann alle wijse men of the kyng gon yn myȝten not reede the scripture, nether shewe to the kyng interpretacioun therof. [verse 9] Wherof kyng Balthasar is trublid to gydre ynowȝ, and his cheere is chaungid, bot and his [Om. A.] best men weren trublid to gydre. [verse 10] Forsothe the queen for the thing that bifelle to the kyng, and best men of hym, wente to the hous of feest; and for spekynge saith, Kyng, in to with outen eende lyue thou. Thi thouȝtis trublen thee not, nether thi face be chaungid. [verse 11] A man is in thi rewme, that hath in hym the spirit of holi goddis, and in the days of thi fadir science and wisdam ben founden in hym; for whi and kyng Nabugodonosor, thi fadre, ordeynyde hym prince of witchis, enchauntris, of Caldeis, and of dyuynours by sterris; sotheli, thou kyng, thi fadir, [verse 12] for the more spirit, and more prudent, and vndirstondynge, and interpretacioun
of sweuens, and shewyng of pryuy thingus, and vndoyng of bounden thingus ben founden in hym, this is in Danyel, to whom the kyng ȝaue name Balthasar. Now therfore Danyel be clepid, and he shal telle the interpretacioun. [verse 13] Therfore Danyel is brouȝt yn byfore the kyng. To whom the forsaid king saith, Thou art Danyel of `the sonys of caytiftee [the caitiftee of the sones A.] of Jude, whom my fadre, kyng, ledde to fro Jude? [verse 14] Y herde of thee, for thou hast in thee the spirit of goddis, and science, and vndirstondynge, and wisdam gretter ben founden in thee. [verse 15] And now wijse men, witches, entreden in my siȝt, for to reede this writyng, and for to shew to me the interpretacioun therof; and thei miȝten not saye out to me the wit of this word. [verse 16] Forsothe I herde of thee, that thou mayst interprete derke thingis, and vnbynde bounden thingus; therfore ȝif thou maist reede the wrijtyng, and shewe to me the [Om. A.] interpretacioun therof, thou shalt be clothid with purpre, and thou shalt have a golden bee aboute thi nek, and thou shalt be the thridde prince in my rewme. [verse 17] To whiche thingus Danyel answerynge saith byfore the kyng, Thi ȝiftis be to thee, and ȝeue thou to an other the ȝiftus of thin hous; forsothe, kyng, I shal reede to thee the wrytyng, and I shal shewe [verse 18] interpretacioun therof to thee, thou kyng. The heeȝist God ȝaue rewme, and magnyficence, glorie, and honour to Na|bugodonosor, thi fadir. [verse 19] And for the [Om. AGH.] magnificence whiche he ȝaue to hym alle peplis, lynagis, and tungis, trembliden and dredden hym; he slowȝ whom he wolde, and whom he wolde he smote, and whom he wolde he enhaunside, and whom he wolde he meekide. [verse 20] Forsothe whan his herte was reyside vp, and his spirit stablid to pride, he was putt doun [verse 21] of [fro A.] the seete of his rewme; and the glo|rie of hym was taken awey, and he was
cast out of sones of men; bot and the herte of hym was putt with beestis, and with feeld assis his dwellynge was; and he eete hay as an oxe, and with dewe of heuen his body was fourmed [deformed G sec. m. H.] , or de|foulid, til he knew that the heeȝist hath power in the rewme of men, and whom euere he shal wole, he shal reyse on it. [verse 22] Forsothe thou, Balthasar, his sone, mek|edist not thin herte, whann thou wistist [verse 23] alle these thingus; bot aȝeinus the Lord of heuen thou art reysid vp, and the vessels of his hous ben brouȝt to byfore thee, and thou, and thi best men, and thi wyues, and thi concubynes han drunke wijne in hem [Om. A.] ; and thou heriedist goddis of syluer, and of gold, and of brasse, and of yren, and of tree, and of stoon, whiche seen not, nether heeren, nether feelen; forsothe thou glorifiedist not God, that hath thi wynd, or spirit, in his hond, and alle thi weies. [verse 24] Therfore fro hym the fyngre of an [the A.] hond is sente, whiche wrote this thing that is writen. [verse 25] Forsothe this is the wrytyng that is ordeyned, Mane, Techel, Phares. [verse 26] And this interpreta|cioun of the word. Mane, God hath noumbride thi rewme, and fulfillid it; [verse 27] Techel, it is hangid in a balaunce, and [verse 28] is founden hauynge lesse; Phares, thi kyngdam is departid, and is ȝouen to Medis and to [Om. AGH.] Persis. [verse 29] Thanne, the kyng comaundynge, Danyel is clothid with pur|pre, and a gold bee is ȝouen aboute in his nek; and it is prechid of hym, that he hadde power, he the thrid in his rewme. [verse 30] The same niȝt Balthasar, kyng [verse 31] Caldey [of Caldeis AG sec. m. Caldeis H.] , is slayn; and Darius of Mede was successour in the rewme, hauynge two and sixti ȝeeris.
