A   Kynge Balthazar made a great b&abar;cket to his thousand Lordes: with all these thousande he made great chere, and when he was droncken with wyne commaunded to bring hym the golden and syluer vessels ^note which hys father Nabuchodonosor had taken oute of the temple at Ierusalem: that the kynge ∧ his Lordes with his quene and concubynes myght drincke therout.

So they brought the golden vessell, that was taken oute of the temple of the Lordes house at Ierusalem. Then the kynge and his Lordes with his quene and concubines dr&obar;cke out of them. They droncke wyne, and praysed theyr Idoles of golde, syluer, copper yron, wodde and stone.

B   In the very same houre there appeared fyngers, as it had bene of a mans hande writynge, ryght ouer agaynst the candelstycke vpon the playne wall in the kynges palace: ∧ the kynge sawe the palme of the hande that wrote. ^noteThen chaunged the kynge his co&ubar;tena&ubar;ce, and his thoughtes troubled hym, so that the ioyntes of his body shoke, and hys knees smote one agaynst þe; other. ^noteWherfore the kinge cried myghtely, that they shulde brynge hym the charmers. Caldees and coniurers of deuels. The kynge spake also to the wyse men of Babylon, and sayde: Who so can rede this writing, ∧ shewe me the playne meaning therof: shalbe clothed with purple, haue a cheyne of golde aboute his necke, and rule the thyrde part of my kyngdome.

Upon this, came all the kinges wyse m&ebar;: but they coulde nether reade þe; writynge, ner shewe the kinge what it signifyed. Th&ebar; was the kynge sore afrayed, in so moch, þt; hys coloure cha&ubar;ged, and his Lordes were sore vexed. C   So by reason of this matter, that had happened to the kynge ∧ his Lordes, þe; quene went vp herselfe into the bancket house, and spake vnto the kinge, sayinge: O kyng, God saue thy lyfe for euer. Let not the thoughtes trouble the, and let not thy countenaunce be chaunged. For why? there is a man in thy kyngdome, that hath the sprete of the holy goddes within him, ^note as it was sene in thy fathers dayes. He hath vnderstandynge and wysdome lyke þe; goddes. Ye the kynge Nabuchodonosor thy father made this man chefe of the sothsayers, charmers, Caldees &abar;d readers of destines: because that soche an aboundaunt sprete, knowledge ∧ wysdome (to expounde dreames, to open secretes, and to declare harde dowtes) was founde in him: yee, euen in Daniel, whom the kyng named Balthasar. Let this same Daniel be sente for, and he shall tell, what it meaneth.

Then was Daniel brought before the kynge. So the kinge spake vnto Daniel, and sayde. Art thou that Daniel, one of the presoners of Iuda, whom my father the kynge brought out of Iewry? I haue heard speake of the, that thou hast the sprete of the holy goddes, experience and vnderstandinge, and that there hath bene greate wysdome founde

in þe;. D   Nowe haue there bene brought me, wise ∧ conninge charmers, to reade thys wryting and to shewe me the meanynge therof. But they coulde not tell me, what thys matter signifyed Then hearde I saye, that thou canst expounde darcke thynges, and declare harde doutes. Well than, yf thou canst reade thys wrytynge, ∧ shewe me the meanynge therof thou shalt be clothed &wt; purple, haue a cheyne of golde aboute thy necke, and rule the thyrd parte of my kyngdome.

E   Daniel answered, ∧ sayde before the kyng: ^note As for thy rewardes, kepe th&ebar; to thy selfe, or geue thy ryche gyftes to another: yet not the lesse, I will rede þe; wryting vnto þe; kyng, ∧ shewe him the interpretacyon therof ^note O kynge heare. God þe; hyest gaue vnto Nabuchodonosor thy father, the dignitie of a kyng with worshyppe ∧ honour, so that all people, kinreddes ∧ tunges stode in awe and feare of hym, by reason of the hye estate, that he had lent hym. For why, he slewe wh&obar; he wolde: he smote, wh&obar; it pleased him. Agayne: whom he wolde, he set vp: and whom he lyst, he put downe. ^noteBut because his hert was so proude, and his stomack set so fast vnto wylfulnesse: he was deposed fr&obar; his kyngly trone, ∧ hys magesty was taken from hym. He was shut out fr&obar; amonge men, hys herte was lyke a beastes herte, and hys dwellynge was with the wylde asses: F   he was fayne to eate grasse lyke an oxe, ∧ hys body was wet with the dewe of the heau&ebar;, tyll he knewe, that the hyest had power vpon þe; kyngdomes of men and setteth ouer them, whom he lyst.

And thou his sonne (O Balthazar) for all this, hast not submytted thyne herte, though thou knewest all these thinges: but hast magnifyed thy selfe aboue the Lorde of heauen, so that the vessels of hys house were brought before the: that thou, and thy Lordes? with thy quene and concubynes, myght dryncke wyne therout. And hast praysed the Idoles of syluer and gold, copper and yron, of wodd and stone. As for the God ^note in whose hande consysteth thy breth and all thy wayes: thou hast not loued hym.

G   Therfore is the palme of thys hande sent hyther from hym, to token vp this wryting. And this is the scripture, that is written vp: Mane, Thetel, Phares. Nowe the interpretacion of the thynge is this: Mane, God hath nombred the kyngdome, and brought it to an ende: Thetel, thou art weyed in the balaunce, and art founde to lyght: Phares, thy kyngdome it delt in partes, and geuen to the Medes and Perses.

Then commaunded Balthazar, to cloth Daniel wyth purple, to hange a cheyne of golde aboute hys necke, and to make a proclamacyon concernynge hym: that he shulde be the ruler of the thyrde parte of hys kyngdome. ^noteThe very same night was Balthazar þe; kynge of the Caldees slayne, and ^note Darius out of Medea toke in the kyngdome, beynge .lxii. yeare of age.

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