Who so wolde wel do, wel hym bityde,
And quos deth so he dezyre, he dreped als fast; [MS., M. dezyre, E. suggests desyred.]
Line 1648
Who so hym lyked to lyft, on lofte watz he sone,
And quo so hym lyked to lay, watz loȝed bylyve.
So watz noted þe note of Nabugodenozar,
Styfly stabled þe rengne bi þe stronge Dryȝtyn,
Line 1652
For of þe Hyȝest he hade a hope in his hert,
Þat uche pouer past out of þat Prynce even; [M.1 þat; M.2 [þ]at, but þ, though very faint is still clear in MS.]
And whyle þat watz cleȝt clos in his hert, [Bülbring (Sch., p. 184) suggests connynge or counseyl after þat.]
Þere watz no mon upon molde of myȝt as hymselven;
Line 1656
Til hit bitide on a tyme, towched hym pryde [folio 84a]
For his lordeschyp so large and his lyf ryche;
He hade so huge an insyȝt to his aune dedes,
Þat þe power of þe hyȝe Prynce he purely forȝetes.
Line 1660
Þenne blynnes he not of blasfemy on to blame þe Dryȝtyn, [MS. blasfemyon; M.1 blasfemy on; M.2 blasfemyon.]
His myȝt mete to Goddes he made wyth his wordes:
"I am God of þe grounde, to gye as me lykes,
As he þat hyȝe is in heven his aungeles þat weldes. [þt weldes is written by second hand, and part of the original handwriting is still visible under the small t of þt.]
Line 1664
If he hatz formed þe folde and folk þerupone,
I haf bigged Babiloyne, burȝ alþerrychest,
Stabled þerinne uche a ston in strenkþe of myn armes;
Moȝt never myȝt bot myn make such anoþer."
Line 1668
'Watz not þis ilke worde wonnen of his mowþe, [M. mowþe one, but one in MS. is written at the end of the line in a smaller and different hand; Fi. (p. 48) perhaps [þer] watz not þis ilke worde wonnen of his mowþe.]
Er þenne þe soverayn saȝe souned in his eres:
"Now Nabugodenozar innoȝe hatz spoken,
Now is alle þy pryncipalte past at ones, [MS., M. past; Fi. passed.]
Line 1672
