And vsest hem on ouþer wyse,
Line 9340
Þy wytyng;—þou synnest dedly
Yn sacrylage certeynly.
Þarto shal y preue my sawe
By a tale of þe oldë lawe;
Line 9344
And þys tale yn þat tyme fyl, [fel.]
Þat was of þe prophete Danyël.
[The Tale of Belshazzar's Feast, and the Prophet Daniel.]
Þyr was a kyng of grete powere; [A tale.]
yn hys tyme was none hys pere;
Line 9348
ynogh he hadde of worldës myȝt,
And Baltazar [Crost out, and 'Nabygodonosore' inserted.] hys namë hyȝt.
Þys kyng was a paynym,
and with oste he come to Ierusalem,
Line 9352
And robbed þe temple, þys Baltaȝare,
And þe tresour awey bare;
Þe vessel þat was of ryche metalle,
Þat Goddes temple was seruede with-alle,
þat, and more, he dyd aloyne,
Line 9357
And ledde hem yn-to Babyloyne.
Sone aftyrward, þys ychë kyng
Deyd, and madë hys endyng.
Line 9360
hys sone reyned yn þat same,
And Baltaȝarë was hys name;
Alle þe vessel with hym lefte, [folio 62b]
Þat hys fadyr hadd stole and refte.
Line 9364
A day he made a noble feste
with barons and with rychë geste;
Þys vessel þat hys fadyr stale,
Rychely he dyd hym serue with-alle;
Line 9368
Of þe vessel þey ete and dranke,
But to God made þey no þanke;
But yn alle here moste gladyng,
To fals goddys þey made wurschypyng.
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