And als þe god of þe grounde watz graven his name,
Line 1324
And al þurȝ dome of Daniel, fro he devised hade [MS., M. fro, M. note for(?).]
Þat alle goudes com of God, and gef hit hym bi samples,
Þat he ful clanly bicnu his carp bi þe laste, [M. 1 bicuver which MS. resembles, M. 2 bicnv.]
And ofte hit mekned his mynde, his maysterful werkkes.
Line 1328
Bot al drawes to dyȝe wyth doel up[o]n ende; [MS. vpn.]
Bi a haþel never so hyȝe, he heldes to grounde, [MS., M. bi; M. note be(?), accepted by Fi.]
And so Nabugodenozar, as he nedes moste,
For alle his empire so hiȝe, in erþe is he graven. [folio 79b]
Bot þenn þe bolde Baltazar, þat watz his barn aldest,
Line 1333
He watz stalled in his stud, and stabled þe rengne;
In þe burȝ of Babiloyne þe biggest he trawed,
Þat nauþer in heven ne [on] erþe hade no pere; [MS., M. no erþe; M. note on(?).]
Line 1336
For he bigan in alle þe glori þat hym þe gome lafte,
Nabugodenozar, þat watz his noble fader;
So kene a kyng in Caldee com never er þenne.
Bot honored he not hym þat in heven wonies,
Line 1340
Bot fals fantummes of fendes, formed with handes
Wyth tool out of harde tre, and telded on lofte,
And of stokkes and stones he stoute goddes callz
When þay are gilde al with golde and gered wyth sylver,
Line 1344
And þere he kneles and callez, and clepes after help.
And þay reden him ryȝt, rewarde he hem hetes,
And if þay gruchen him his grace to gremen his hert,
He cleches to a gret klubbe and knokkes hem to peces.
Line 1348
Þus in pryde and olipraunce his empyre he haldes,
In lust and in lecherye, and loþelych werkkes;
And hade a wyf for to welde, a worþelych quene,
