1   Balthasar, kyng, made a grete fest to his best men a thousand, and eche man dranke after his age. 2   Forsothe the kyng now drunken comaundide, that the golden vessels and sylueren shulden be brou&yogh;t forth, whiche Nabugodonosor, his fadre, bare out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, that the kyng, and his best men,

and wyues, and his concubynes, or secundarie wyues, shulden drynke. 4   Thei drunken wijne, and herieden her goddis of gold, and of syluer, and of brasse, and of yren, and of tree, and of stoon. 5   In the same houre there apeeriden fyngris, as of hond of a man, writynge a&yogh;eins the candilstike, in the ouermer part of the walle of the kyngis halle; and the kyng bihelde the fyngris of the hond wrijtynge. 6   Thanne the face of the kyng was chaungid to gydre, and his thou&yogh;tis `al to-trubliden hym; and the ioyntures of his reynys weren vnbounden, and his knees weren hurtlid to gydre at hemself. 7   And so the kyng cried strongly, that thei shulden leede yn witches, or wijs men, Caldeis, and dyuynours by sterris. And the kyng spekyng afer saith to the wijs men of Babiloyne, Who euere shal reede this wrytyng, and shal make the interpretacioun therof knowen to me, shal be clothid with purpre, and shal haue a golden bee in the nek, and shal be the thrid in my rewme. 8   Thann alle wijse men of the kyng gon yn my&yogh;ten not reede the scripture, nether shewe to the kyng interpretacioun therof. 9   Wherof kyng Balthasar is trublid to gydre ynow&yogh;, and his cheere is chaungid, bot and his best men weren trublid to gydre. 10   Forsothe the queen for the thing that bifelle to the kyng, and best men of hym, wente to the hous of feest; and for spekynge saith, Kyng, in to with outen eende lyue thou. Thi thou&yogh;tis trublen thee not, nether thi face be chaungid. 11   A man is in thi rewme, that hath in hym the spirit of holi goddis, and in the days of thi fadir science and wisdam ben founden in hym; for whi and kyng Nabugodonosor, thi fadre, ordeynyde hym prince of witchis, enchauntris, of Caldeis, and of dyuynours by sterris; sotheli, thou kyng, thi fadir, for the more spirit, 12   and more prudent, and vndirstondynge, and interpretacioun

of sweuens, and shewyng of pryuy thingus, and vndoyng of bounden thingus ben founden in hym, this is in Danyel, to whom the kyng &yogh;aue name Balthasar. Now therfore Danyel be clepid, and he shal telle the interpretacioun. 13   Therfore Danyel is brou&yogh;t yn byfore the kyng. To whom the forsaid king saith, Thou art Danyel of `the sonys of caytiftee of Jude, whom my fadre, kyng, ledde to fro Jude? 14   Y herde of thee, for thou hast in thee the spirit of goddis, and science, and vndirstondynge, and wisdam gretter ben founden in thee. 15   And now wijse men, witches, entreden in my si&yogh;t, for to reede this writyng, and for to shew to me the interpretacioun therof; and thei mi&yogh;ten not saye out to me the wit of this word. 16   Forsothe I herde of thee, that thou mayst interprete derke thingis, and vnbynde bounden thingus; therfore &yogh;if thou maist reede the wrijtyng, and shewe to me the interpretacioun therof, thou shalt be clothid with purpre, and thou shalt have a golden bee aboute thi nek, and thou shalt be the thridde prince in my rewme. 17   To whiche thingus Danyel answerynge saith byfore the kyng, Thi &yogh;iftis be to thee, and &yogh;eue thou to an other the &yogh;iftus of thin hous; forsothe, kyng, I shal reede to thee the wrytyng, and I shal shewe interpretacioun therof to thee, 18   thou kyng. The hee&yogh;ist God &yogh;aue rewme, and magnyficence, glorie, and honour to Nabugodonosor, thi fadir. 19   And for the magnificence whiche he &yogh;aue to hym alle peplis, lynagis, and tungis, trembliden and dredden hym; he slow&yogh; whom he wolde, and whom he wolde he smote, and whom he wolde he enhaunside, and whom he wolde he meekide. 20   Forsothe whan his herte was reyside vp, and his spirit stablid to pride, he was putt doun of the seete of his rewme; 21   and the glorie of hym was taken awey, and he was

cast out of sones of men; bot and the herte of hym was putt with beestis, and with feeld assis his dwellynge was; and he eete hay as an oxe, and with dewe of heuen his body was fourmed, or defoulid, til he knew that the hee&yogh;ist hath power in the rewme of men, and whom euere he shal wole, he shal reyse on it. 22   Forsothe thou, Balthasar, his sone, mekedist not thin herte, whann thou wistist alle these thingus; 23   bot a&yogh;einus the Lord of heuen thou art reysid vp, and the vessels of his hous ben brou&yogh;t to byfore thee, and thou, and thi best men, and thi wyues, and thi concubynes han drunke wijne in hem; and thou heriedist goddis of syluer, and of gold, and of brasse, and of yren, and of tree, and of stoon, whiche seen not, nether heeren, nether feelen; forsothe thou glorifiedist not God, that hath thi wynd, or spirit, in his hond, and alle thi weies. 24   Therfore fro hym the fyngre of an hond is sente, whiche wrote this thing that is writen. 25   Forsothe this is the wrytyng that is ordeyned, Mane, Techel, Phares. 26   And this interpretacioun of the word. Mane, God hath noumbride thi rewme, and fulfillid it; Techel, 27   it is hangid in a balaunce, and is founden hauynge lesse; 28   Phares, thi kyngdam is departid, and is &yogh;ouen to Medis and to Persis. 29   Thanne, the kyng comaundynge, Danyel is clothid with purpre, and a gold bee is &yogh;ouen aboute in his nek; and it is prechid of hym, that he hadde power, he the thrid in his rewme. 30   The same ni&yogh;t Balthasar, kyng Caldey, is slayn; 31   and Darius of Mede was successour in the rewme, hauynge two and sixti &yogh;eeris.

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