1    ^noteIn the secounde &yogh;eer of the rewme of Nabugodonosor, Nabugodonosor si&yogh; a dreem; and his spirit was aferd, and his dreem fledde awei fro hym. 2   Therfor the kyng comaundide, that the dyuynours, and astronomyens, and witchis, and Caldeis schulden be clepid togidere, that thei schulden telle to the kyng hise dremys; and whanne thei weren comun, thei stoden bifor the king. 3   And the king seide to hem, Y si&yogh; a dreem, and Y am schent in mynde, and Y knowe not what Y si&yogh;. 4   And Caldeis answeriden the kyng bi Sirik langage, Kyng, liue thou with outen ende; seie thi dreem to thi seruauntis, and we schulen schewe to thee the expownyng therof. 5   And the kyng answeride, and seide to Caldeis, The word is goen awei fro me; if &yogh;e schewen not to me the dreem, and expownyng therof, &yogh;e schulen perische, and &yogh;oure housis schulen be forfetid. 6   Forsothe if &yogh;e tellen the dreem, and the expownyng therof, &yogh;e schulen take of me meedis and &yogh;iftis, and myche

onour; therfor schewe &yogh;e to me the dreem, and the interpretyng therof. 7   Thei answeriden the secounde tyme, and seiden, The kyng seie the dreem to hise seruauntis, and we schulen schewe the interpretyng therof. 8   The kyng answeride, and seide, Certis Y woot, that &yogh;e a&yogh;enbien the tyme, and witen that the word is goen awei fro me. 9   Therfor if &yogh;e schewen not to me the dreem, o sentence is of &yogh;ou, for &yogh;e maken an interpretyng bothe fals and ful of disseit, that &yogh;e speke to me til the tyme passe; therfor seie &yogh;e the dreem to me, that Y wite, that &yogh;e speke also the veri interpretyng therof. 10   Therfor Caldeis answeriden bifor the kyng, and seiden, Kyng, no man is on erthe, that mai fille thi word; but nether ony greet man and my&yogh;ti of kyngis axith siche a word of ony dyuynour, and astronomyen, and of a man of Caldee. 11   For the word which thou, kyng, axist, is greuouse, nether ony schal be foundun, that schal schewe it in the si&yogh;t of the king, outakun goddis, whos lyuyng is not with men. 12   And whanne this word was herd, the kyng comaundide, in woodnesse and in greet ire, that alle the wise men of Babiloyne schulden perische. 13   And bi the sentence goon out, the wise men weren slayn; and Danyel and hise felows weren sou&yogh;t, that thei schulden perische. 14   Thanne Danyel axide of the lawe and sentence, of Ariok, prynce of chyualrie of the kyng, that was gon out to sle the wise men of Babiloyne. 15   And he axide hym, that hadde take power of the kyng, for what cause so cruel a sentence &yogh;ede out fro the face of the kyng. Therfor whanne Ariok hadde schewid the thing to Danyel, 16   Danyel entride, and preyede the kyng, that he schulde &yogh;yue tyme to hym to schewe the soilyng to the kyng. 17   And he entride in to his hous, and schewide the nede to Ananye, and to Misael, and Asarie, 18   hise felowis, that thei schulden axe merci of the face of God of heuene on

this sacrament; and that Danyel and hise felowis schulden not perische with othere wise men of Babiloyne. 19   Thanne the priuyte was schewid to Danyel bi a visioun in ny&yogh;t. And Danyel blesside God of heuene, and seide, 20   The name of the Lord be blessid fro the world, and til in to the world, for wisdom and strengthe ben hise; 21   and he chaungith tymes and ages, he translatith rewmes and ordeyneth; he &yogh;yueth wisdom to wise men, and kunnyng to hem that vndurstonden techyng, ether chastisyng; 22   he schewith deepe thingis and hid, and he knowith thingis set in derknessis, and li&yogh;t is with hym. 23   God of oure fadris, Y knowleche to thee, and Y herie thee, for thou hast &yogh;oue wisdom and strengthe to me; and now thou hast schewid to me tho thingis, whiche we preieden thee, for thou hast openyd to vs the word of the kyng. 24   Aftir these thingis Danyel entride to Ariok, whom the kyng hadde ordeyned, that he schulde leese the wise men of Babiloyne, and thus he spak to hym, Leese thou not the wise men of Babiloyne; leede thou me in bifor the si&yogh;t of the kyng, and Y schal telle the soilyng to the kyng. 25   Thanne Ariok hastynge ledde in Danyel to the kyng, and seide to him, Y haue foundun a man of the sones of passyng ouer of Juda, that schal telle the soilyng to the kyng. 26   The kyng answeride, and seide to Danyel, to whom the name was Balthasar, Whethir gessist thou, that thou maist verili schewe to me the dreem which Y si&yogh;, and the interpretyng therof? 27   And Danyel answeride bifore the king, and seide, The priuytee which the kyng axith, wise men, and astronomyens, and dyuynours, and lokeris of auteris, moun not schewe to the kyng. 28   But God is in heuene, that schewith priuytees, which hath schewid to thee, thou king Nabugodonosor, what thingis schulen come in the laste tymes. Thi dreem and visiouns of thin heed, in thi bed, ben sich.

29   Thou, kyng, bigunnest to thenke in thi bed, what was to comynge aftir these thingis; and he that schewith priuetees, schewide to thee what thingis schulen come. 30   And this sacrament is schewid to me, not bi wisdom which is in me more than in alle lyuynge men, but that the interpretyng schulde be maad opyn to the kyng, and thou schuldist knowe the thou&yogh;tis of thi soule. 31   Thou, kyng, si&yogh;est, and lo! as o greet ymage; thilke ymage was greet, and hi&yogh; in stature, and stood bifore thee, and the loking therof was ferdful. 32   The heed of this ymage was of best gold, but the brest and armes weren of siluer; certis the wombe and thies weren of bras, 33   but the leggis weren of irun; forsothe sum part of the feet was of irun, sum was of erthe. 34   Thou si&yogh;est thus, til a stoon was kit doun of the hil, with outen hondis, and smoot the ymage in the irun feet therof and erthene feet, and al to-brak tho. 35   Thanne the irun, tijl stoon, ether erthene vessel, bras, siluer, and gold, weren al to-brokun togidere, and dryuun as in to a deed sparcle of a large somer halle, that ben rauyschid of wynd, and no place is foundun to tho; forsothe the stoon, that smoot the ymage, was maad a greet hil, and fillide al erthe. 36   This is the dreem. Also, thou kyng, we schulen seie bifor thee the interpretyng therof. 37   Thou art kyng of kyngis, and God of heuene &yogh;af to thee rewme, strengthe, and empire, and glorie; 38   and he &yogh;af in thin hond alle thingis, in whiche the sones of men, and the beestis of the feeld, and the briddis of the eir dwellen, and ordeynede alle thingis vndur thi lordschip; therfor thou art the goldun heed. 39   And another rewme lesse than thou schal rise aftir thee; and the thridde rewme, an other of bras, that schal haue the empire of al erthe. 40   And the fourthe rewme schal be as irun, as irun makith lesse, and makith tame alle thingis, so it schal make lesse,

and schal al to-breke alle these rewmes. 41   Forsothe that thou siest a part of the feet and fyngris of erthe of a pottere, and a part of irun, the rewme shal be departid; which netheles schal rise of the plauntyng of irun, `bi that that thou siest irun meynd with a tijl stoon of clei, 42   and the toos of the feet in parti of irun, and in parti of erthe, in parti the rewme schal be sad, and in parti to-brokun. 43   Forsothe that thou siest irun meynd with a tiel stoon of clei, sotheli tho schulen be meynd togidere with mannus seed; but tho schulen not cleue to hem silf, as irun mai not be meddlid with tyel stoon. 44   Forsothe in the daies of tho rewmes, God of heuene shal reise a rewme, that schal not be distried with outen ende, and his rewme schal not be &yogh;ouun to another puple; it schal make lesse, and schal waste alle these rewmes, and it schal stonde with outen ende, 45   bi this that thou siest, that a stoon was kit doun of the hil with outen hondis, and maad lesse the tiel stoon, and irun, and bras, and siluer, and gold. Greet God hath schewid to the kyng, what thingis schulen come aftirward; and the dreem is trewe, and the interpretyng therof is feithful. 46   Thanne king Nabugodonosor felle doun on his face, and worschipide Danyel, and comaundide sacrifices and encense to be brou&yogh;t, that tho schulden be sacrifised to hym. 47   Therfor the kyng spak, and seide to Danyel, Verili &yogh;oure God is God of goddis, and Lord of kyngis, that schewith mysteries, for thou mi&yogh;tist opene this sacrament. 48   Thanne the kyng reiside Danyel an hi&yogh;, and &yogh;af many &yogh;iftis and grete to hym; and ordeynede hym prince and prefect, ether cheef iustise, ouer alle the prouynces of Babiloyne, and maister ouer alle the wise men of Babiloyne. 49   Forsothe Danyel axide of the kyng, and ordeynede Sidrac, Misaac, and Abdenago ouer alle the werkis of the prouynce of Babiloyne;

but Danyel hym silf was in the &yogh;atis of the kyng.

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