The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ Dari••s maketh a feast. The thre sentenses of the thre yonge men, of whiche the fyrst is declared.

CAPI. III.

Kynge Darius made a greate feast vn∣to hys seruauntes, vnto all his courte, [unspec A] and to all the offycers of Medea & Persia, yee to all the debytes and rulers that were vnder hym, from India vnto Ethiopia / an hundreth &. xxvij. countres. So when they had eaten and droucken beynge satysfyed, & were gone home agayne / Darius y^• kynge wente into his chambre / layed hym downe to slepe, & so awaked. Thē the thre yong mē, that kepte the kynges personne, and wat∣ched his body, cōmoned amonge thē selues, & spake one to another: let euery one of vs saye some thynge / and loke whose sētence is [unspec B] wyser & more excellent then the other, vnto hym shal kynge Darius geue great gyftes, and clothe hym with purple. He shall geue hym vessels of golde to dryncke in / clothes of golde and couerynges: he shal make hym a costely charet and a brydle of golde / he shall geue hym a bonet of whyte sylke, and a cheyne of golde aboute his necke: yee he shalbe the seconde & pryncypall nexte vnto kynge Datius / & that because of hys wys∣dome, & shalbe called the kynges kynsman.

So, euery one wrote his meaning, sealed it / and layed it vnder the kynges pyllowe / and sayde: when the kynge aryseth, we wyll geue hym oure wrytynges, and loke whose worde the kyng and his chefe Lordes iudge to be the most wysely spoken / the same shall haue the victory. One wrote: Wyne is a [unspec C] stronge thynge. The seconde wrote: The kynge is stronger. The thyrde wrote: womē haue yet more strength / but aboue al thyn∣ges the trueth beareth awaye the vyctory. Nowe when the kynge was rysen vp / they toke theyr wrytynges & delyuered thē vnto hym / and so he red them. Then sent he forth to call all his chefe lordes, all the debytes & rulers of the countrees of Medea & Persia. And when they were set downe in the coun∣cell / the wryttynges were red before them. And he commaunded to call for the ponge mē / y^t they myght declare theyr meaninges them selues by mouth. So when they were sente for, & came in / the kynge sayde vnto them: shewe vs & make vs to vnderstande what the thynges are that ye haue wrytten.

Then beganne the fyrst (which had spekē [unspec D] of the strength of wyne) & sayde: O ye men wyne is meruelous strōge and ouercom∣meth thē y^• dryncke it: it disceaueth y^• mynde. and bringeth both y^• poore man & the Kynge to dotage & vanyte. Thus doth it also with the bonde man & with the fre / with the poore and ryche: it taketh awaye theyr vnderstā∣dynge, & maketh thē carelesse & mery / so that none of thē remembreth any heuynes dette or dewty: It causeth a mā to thynke also y^• the thynge which he doth / is honest & good: and remembreth not that he is a kynge / nor that he is in auctoryte / & that he ought not do such thynges. Moreouer / when men are drynckynge / they forget all frendshype / all brotherly fayth fulnes & loue: but as soone as they are dronkē / they drawe out y^• swerde and wyll fyght: & whē they are layed downe frō the wyne, & so rysen vp agayne, they can nat tel what they dyd: iudge ye nowe is nat wyne y^• strongest? For who wolde els take in hande to do suche thynges? And when he had spoken thys / he helde his tonge.

Notes

• P••on. xx. ••.