Morkenes þe mery weder, and þe myst dryves
Line 1760
Þorȝ þe lyst of þe lyfte, bi þe loȝ medoes.
Uche haþel to his home hyȝes ful fast,
Seten at her soper and songen þerafter;
Þen foundez uch a felaȝschyp fyrre at forþ naȝtes.
Line 1764
Baltazar to his bedd with blysse watz caryed,
Reche þe rest as hym lyst, he ros never þerafter. [folio 85b]
For his foes in þe felde in flokkes ful grete,
Þat longe hade layted þat lede, his londes to strye,
Line 1768
Now ar þay sodenly assembled at þe self tyme,
Of hem wyst no wyȝe þat in þat won dowelled.
Hit watz þe dere Daryus, þe duk of þise Medes,
Þe prowde prynce of Perce and Porros of Ynde,
Line 1772
Wyth mony a legioun ful large, wyth ledes of armes,
Þat now hatz spyed a space to spoyle Caldeez.
Þay þrongen þeder in þe þester on þrawen hepes,
Asscaped over þe skyre watteres, and sca[l]ed þe walles, [MS., M. scaþed, B. sca[l]ed.]
Line 1776
Lyfte laddres ful longe and upon lofte wonen,
Stelen stylly þe toun er any steven rysed.
Wythinne an oure of þe [n]yȝt an entre þay hade, [MS. myȝt.]
Ȝet afrayed þay no freke; fyrre þay passen
Line 1780
And to þe palays pryncipal þay aproched ful stylle.
Þenne ran þay in on a res, on rowtes ful grete;
Blastes out of bryȝt brasse brestes so hyȝe,
Ascry scarred on þe scue þat scomfyted mony.
Line 1784
Segges slepande were slayne er þay slyppe myȝt,
Uche hous heyred watz wythinne a hondewhyle;
Baltazar in his bed watz beten to deþe,
Þat boþe his blod and his brayn blende on þe cloþes;
Line 1788
The kyng in his cortyn watz kaȝt bi þe heles,
Feryed out bi þe fete, and fowle dispysed,
Þat watz so doȝty þat day and drank of þe vessayl;
Now is a dogge also dere þat in a dych lygges.
Line 1792
