[6-text p 273]
¶ The poeple ros vpon him on a night
ffor his defaute and whan he it aspyed
Out of his dores anon he haþ him dight
Allone and þer he wende han ben allyed
Line 3720
he knokked faste and ay þe more he cryed
þe faster schutten þey þe dores alle
Tho wiste he wel he hadde himself begyled
And went his way no lenger dorste he calle /
Line 3724
¶ The poeple cryed and rombled vp and doun
þat wiþ his eeres herde he how þey sayde
Wher is þis false tyraunt þis Neroun
ffor fere almost out of his witte a brayde
Line 3728
And to his goddes pitously he sayde
ffor socour but it mighte nought betyde
ffor drede of þis him þoughte þat he deyde
and ran in to a gardyn him to huyde
Line 3732
¶ And in þis gardyn fond he cherles tweye
And saten by a fuyre ful grete and rede
And to þe cherles twey he gan to preye
To slen him and to gurden of his hede
Line 3736
That to his body whan þat he were dede
Were no despite y-done for his deffame /
Himself he slough he couþe no better reed [folio 244a]
Of which fortune lough and hadde a game
Line 3740
[Holofernes.]
¶ Was neuer Capitayn vnder a king [¶ De Olipherno]
þat regnes mo putte in subieccioun
Ne strenger was in feeld of alle þing
As in his tyme ne gretter of Renoun
Line 3744
Ne more pompous in heigh presumpcioun
Then Olyferne which fortune ay keste /
So likerously and ladde him vp and doun
Til þat he hed was er þat he wiste /
Line 3748
