The mighty trone, the precious tresor,
The glorious ceptre and royal magestee
That hadde the king Nabugodonosor, 3335
With tonge unnethe may discryved be.
He twyes wan Ierusalem the citee;
The vessel of the temple he with him ladde.
At Babiloyne was his sovereyn see,
In which his glorie and his delyt he hadde. 3340
3336. Hl. vnnethes.
The fairest children of the blood royal (161)
Of Israel he leet do gelde anoon,
And maked ech of hem to been his thral.
Amonges othere Daniel was oon,
That was the wysest child of everichoon; 3345
For he the dremes of the king expouned,
Wher-as in Chaldey clerk ne was ther noon
That wiste to what fyn his dremes souned.
This proude king leet make a statue of golde,
Sixty cubytes long, and seven in brede, 3350
To which image bothe yonge and olde (171)
Comaunded he to loute, and have in drede;
Or in a fourneys ful of flambes rede
He shal be brent, that wolde noght obeye.
But never wolde assente to that dede 3355
Daniel, ne his yonge felawes tweye.
3351. E. The; _rest_ To. E. Hn. Cm. he bothe; _rest omit_ he. 3352.
E. Hn. Cm. _omit_ he.
This king of kinges proud was and elaat,
He wende that god, that sit in magestee,
Ne mighte him nat bireve of his estaat:
But sodeynly he loste his dignitee, 3360
And lyk a beste him semed for to be, (181)
And eet hay as an oxe, and lay ther-oute;
In reyn with wilde bestes walked he,
Til certein tyme was y-come aboute.
[250: T. 14181-14212.]
And lyk an egles fetheres wexe his heres, 3365
His nayles lyk a briddes clawes were;
Til god relessed him a certein yeres,
And yaf him wit; and than with many a tere
He thanked god, and ever his lyf in fere
Was he to doon amis, or more trespace; 3370
And, til that tyme he leyd was on his bere, (191)
He knew that god was ful of might and grace.
3365. Wexe _is the right reading, whence_ Cm. wexsyn, _and_ Hl. Cp.
were (_for_ wexe); E. Hn. wax; Pt. Ln. was (_for_ wax).