The Monk's Tale
Folio 192v
7 of 23 folios
Which that my fader in his prosperitee
Out of the temple of Ierusalem birafte
And to our hie goddes thanke we
200
Of honour that our eldres with vs lafte
His wif his lordes and his concubynes
Ay dronken while hir appetytes last
Out of thise noble vesselles sondry wynes
And on a wal this kyng hise eyen cast
205
And say an hand armelees that wroot ful fast
For feer of which he quok and syked soore
This hand that Baltasar so soore agast
Wroot Mane techel phares and na more
In al that lond Magicien was non
210
That koude expoune what that lettre mente
But Danyel expouned it anon
And seide kyng god to thi fader sent
Glorie and honour / regne / tresor / rent
And he was proude and nothing god ne dradde
215
And therfore god grete wreche vpon him sente
And him birefte the regne that he hadde
He was oute cast of mannes compaygnye
With asses was his habitacioun
And eet heye as a beest in weet and drye
220
Til that he knew bi grace and bi resoun
That god of heuene hath domynacioun
Ouer euery regne and euery creature
And than had god of him compassioun
And him restored his regne and his figure
225
Eke thow that art his son art proude also
And knowest thise thynges verrayly
And art rebel to god and art his fo
Thow dranke eke of his vessel boldely
Thi wif eke and thi wenches synfully
230
Dronke of the same vesselles sondry wynes
And heriest fals goddes cursedly
Therfore to the I shapen ful gret pyne is