Þat were of stokkes and stones, stille evermore—
Never steven hem astel, so stoken is hor tonge; [MS. īs, cf. īf, 692.]
Line 1524
Alle þe goude golden goddes þe gaulez ȝet nevenen,
Belfagor, and Belyal, and Belssabub als,
Heyred hem as hyȝly as heven wer þayres,
Bot hym þat alle goudes gives, þat God þay forȝeten.
Line 1528
XIIIa. THE WRITING ON THE WALL
For þer a ferly bifel þat fele folk seȝen—
Fyrst knew hit þe kyng, and alle þe cort after:
In þe palays pryncipale upon þe playn wowe,
In contrary of þe candelstik þat clerest hit schyned,
Line 1532
Þer apered a paume, wyth poyntel in fyngres,
Þat watz grysly and gret, and grymly he wrytes;
Non oþer forme bot a fust faylande þe wryste,
Pared on þe parget, purtrayed lettres.
Line 1536
When þat bolde Baltazar blusched to þat neve,
Such a dasande drede dusched to his hert,
Þat al falewed his face and fayled þe chere;
Þe stronge strok of þe stonde strayned his joyntes,
Line 1540
His cnes cachches to close, and cluchches his hommes,
And he wyth plattyng his paumes displayes his lers, [MS.lers.]
And romyes as a rad ryth þat rorez for drede,
Ay biholdand þe honde til hit hade al graven,
Line 1544
And rasped on þe roȝ woȝe runisch sauez.
When hit þe scrypture hade scraped wyth a s[c]rof penne, [MS. strof, as M. notes.]
As a coltor in clay cerves þo forȝes,
Þenne hit vanist verayly and voyded of syȝt; [folio 82b]
Bot þe lettres bileved ful large upon plaster.
Line 1549
Sone so þe kynge for his care carping myȝt wynne,
He bede his burnes boȝ to, þat wer bok-lered, [M. were.]
To wayte þe wryt þat hit wolde, and wyter hym to say,
Line 1552
