Þe chef of his chevalrye his chekkes to make;
He brek þe bareres as bylyve, and þe burȝ after,
And enteres in ful ernestly, in yre of his hert.
Line 1240
What! þe maysterry watz mene, þe men wern away,
Þe best boȝed wyth þe burne þat þe borȝ ȝemed;
And þo þat byden wer [s]o biten with þe bale hunger [MS. fo, as M. notes.]
Þat on wyf hade ben worþe þe welgest fourre.
Line 1244
Nabizardan noȝt forþy nolde not spare,
Bot bede al to þe bronde under bare egge;
Þay slowen of swettest semlych burdes,
Baþed barnes in blod, and her brayn spylled,
Line 1248
Prestes and prelates þay presed to deþe,
Wyves and wenches her wombes tocorven,
Þat her boweles outborst aboute þe diches,
And al watz carfully kylde þat þay cach myȝt.
Line 1252
And alle [þat] swypped unswolȝed of þe sworde kene, [M. supplies þat.]
Þay wer cagged and kaȝt on capeles al bare,
Festned fettres to her fete under fole wombes,
And broþely broȝt to Babyloyn þer bale to suffer;
Line 1256
So sytte in servage and syte þat sumtyme wer gentyle; [M. to (with comma after suffer and semi-colon after syte), but MS., though very faint, seems to read so.]
Now ar chaunged to chorles, and charged wyth werkkes,
Boþe to cayre at þe kart and þe kuy mylke,
Þat sumtyme sete in her sale syres and burdes. [folio 78b]
XIIa. THE SEIZURE OF THE HOLY RELICS
And ȝet Nabuzardan nyl never stynt
Line 1261
Er he to þe tempple tee wyth his tulkkes alle;
Betes on þe barers, brestes up þe ȝates,
Slouen alle at a slyp þat served þerinne,
Line 1264
Pulden prestes bi þe polle, and plat of her hedes,
Diȝten dekenes to deþe, dungen doun clerkkes,
