And þaȝ þe mater be merk þat merked is ȝender,
He schal declar hit also as hit on clay stande.' [MS., M. stande; Fi. standez.]
Þat gode counseyl at þe quene watz cached as swyþe; [MS., M. 1 as as; M. 2 as.]
Þe burne byfore Baltazar watz broȝt in a whyle. [folio 83b]
When he com bifore þe kyng and clanly had halsed,
Line 1621
Baltazar umbebrayde hym, and 'Leve sir,' he sayde,
'Hit is tolde me bi tulkes þat þou trwe were
Profete of þat provynce þat prayed my fader,
Line 1624
Ande þat þou hatz in þy hert holy connyng,
Of sapyence þi sawle ful, soþes to schawe;
Goddes gost is þe geven þat gyes alle þynges,
And þou unhyles uch hidde þat Hevenkyng myntes;
Line 1628
And here is a ferly byfallen, and I fayn wolde
Wyt þe wytte of þe wryt þat on þe wowe clyves,
For alle Calde clerkes han cowwardely fayled.
If þou wyth quayntyse conquere hit, I quyte þe þy mede:
Line 1632
For if þou redes hit by ryȝt, and hit to resoun brynges,
Fyrst telle me þe tyxte of þe tede lettres, [MS., M. tede; M. Glossary, error for tene (=ten?), accepted by Fi.]
And syþen þe mater of þe mode mene me þerafter,
And I schal halde þe þe hest þat I þe hyȝt have,
Line 1636
Apyke þe in porpre cloþe, palle alþerfynest,
And þe byȝe of bryȝt golde abowte þyn nekke,
And þe þryd þryvenest þat þrynges me after
Þou schal be baroun upon benche, bede I þe no lasse.'
Line 1640
XIIIb. DANIEL'S PROPHECY
Derfly þenne Danyel deles þyse wordes:
'Ryche kyng of þis rengne, rede þe oure Lorde!
Hit is surely soth, þe Soverayn of heven
Fylsened ever þy fader and upon folde cheryched,
Line 1644
Gart hym grattest to be of governores alle,
And alle þe worlde in his wylle welde as hym lykes. [MS., M. lykes, E. suggests lyked.]
