The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

About this Item

Title
The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Publication
London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by K. Paul, Trench, Trübner,
1868-1879.
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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AGZ8234.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AGZ8234.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 20, 2025.

Pages

[Belshazzar.]
His sone which that hyȝte Balthasar [Baltasar] That held the regne aftyr hire fadyris day He by his fader coude not be war [folio 355a] ffor proud he was of herte & of aray Line 3376 And ek an ydolastre was he ay Hise hye estat assurede hym in pryde But fortune caste hym doun & there he lay And sodeynly his regne he gan deuyde Line 3380
A feste he made vnto hise lordis alle Vp-on a day & bad hem blythe bee And thanne hise offiseris gan he calle Goth bryngith forth the vessell quod he Line 3384 Which that myn fadyr in his prosperite Out of the temple of 1Ierusalem1 [[1_1 corrected]] berafte And to oure hye goddis thanke we Of honour that oure olderis with vs lafte Line 3388
His wif hise lordis & hise concubynys Ay dronkyn whil here apetitis laste Out of these noble vessellis sundery wynys And on a wal this kyng his eyen caste Line 3392 And saw an hand armles that wrot ful faste ffor 1feere1 [[1_1 corrected]] of whiche he quok & sykede soore This hand that balthasar so soore a-gaste Wroot Mane 1techel1 [[1_1 corrected]] phares & na moore Line 3396

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[6-text p 263] Line 3396
In al that land magicien was non That coude expoungne what these letterys mente But danyel expoungnede it a-noon And seyde kyng god to thyn fadyr sente Line 3400 Glorie & honour / regne tresor rente And he was proud / & no thyng god ne dradde And therfore god greet 1wreche1 [[1_1 corrected]] on hym sente And hym berafte / the regne that he hadde Line 3404
He was out cast of manny cumpaynye With assis was his habytacioun And eet hay as a beste / in weet & drye Tyl that he knew by grace & by resoun Line 3408 That god of heuene hath domynacioun [folio 355b] Of euery regne / & euery creature And thanne hadde god of hym compascioun And hym restorede his regne & his figure Line 3412
Ek thow that art his sone art proud also And knowist alle these sygnys verrayly And art rebel to god & art his foo Thow drank ek of hise wellys boldely Line 3416 Thyn wyf ek & thynne wenchis synfully Dronke of the same vessel sundery wynys And heryist false goddis cursedely Therfore to the I-schapyn ful greet pyne is Line 3420
This hand was sent from god that on the wal Wroot mane techel phares trust to me Thyn regne is doon thow weyest noght at al Deuidit is thyn regne / & it schal bee Line 3424 To Medes & to perses ȝeuyn quod he And tilke same nyȝt this kyng was slawe And Daryus ocupied his degree Thow he thereto hadde neythir ryȝt ne lawe Line 3428

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[6-text p 264] Line 3428
Lordyngis ensaumple hereby may ȝe take. How that in lordschepe is no sekyrnesse. For whan fortune wele a man forsake. Sche beryth a-wey his regne & hys rychesse. Line 3432 And ek hise frendis bothe moore & lasse. For what that hath frendis thourr fortune. Mishap wele make hem enemyis I gesse. This prouerbe is ful soth & ful comune. Line 3436
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