The Monk's Tale
Folio 209v
5 of 20 folios
¶ Thus starfe þis worþe myhte ercules
Lo who maie trust on fortune any þrowe
For him þat foloweþ al þis werlde of pres
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Er he be warre is oft y laide fullowe
Ful wyse es he þat him self knowe
Be war for whan þat fortune lust to glose
Than weyteþ sche hir man downe to þroue
Bn suche a weie as he wolde lest suppose
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¶ The myhty trone þe percious tresoure
Þe glorious septre & Roial Maieste
Þat hadde þe kinge Nabugodonosore
Wiþ tunge vnneþ maie descriued be
He twyes name iherƚm þe Cite
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The vessel of þe temple he wiþ him ladde
Att Babiloyne was his souereigne see
In whiche his glorie & his delyte he had
¶ Þe fairest childern of þe blode Roial
Of iherusalem he dide do gelde anone
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And maade eche of hem to bn his clerke
Amonge al oþere Danyel was one
Þat was þe wisest childe of euerychone
For he þe dremes of þe kenge expounded
Where as in Caldeie clerk was þere none
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Þat wist to wist to what fyne his dremes sounded
¶ This proude kinge lete make a stature of golde
sexty Cubetes longe & .vij. in brede
To whiche ymage boþe ȝonge & olde
Cōmanded he to loute & haue in drede
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Or in a forneys ful of flāmes rede
He scholde be bernt þat wold not obeie
Bot neuer wolde assent to þerat dede
Danyel ne his ȝonge felawes tweye
¶ This kenge of kinges proude & elate
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He wende god þat sitteþ in mageste
Ne myht him nouht be reue of þat estate
Bot sodanly he lost his dignite
And like abeste him semed for to be
And ete haye as an oxe & leye þere oute .