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As for that time I dar wel swere；
Non other sorwe mai me dere；
Thus am I gladed in this wise。
Bot； fader； of youre lores wise；
Of whiche ye be fully tawht；
Now tell me if yow thenketh awht 2770
That I therof am forto wyte。
Of that ther is I thee acquite；
Mi sone； he seide； and for thi goode
I wolde that thou understode：
For I thenke upon this matiere
To telle a tale； as thou schalt hiere；
How that ayein this proude vice
The hihe god of his justice
Is wroth and gret vengance doth。
Now herkne a tale that is soth： 2780
Thogh it be noght of loves kinde；
A gret ensample thou schalt finde
This veine gloire forto fle；
Which is so full of vanite。
Ther was a king that mochel myhte；
Which Nabugodonosor hihte；
Of whom that I spak hier tofore。
Yit in the bible his name is bore；
For al the world in Orient
Was hol at his comandement： 2790
As thanne of kinges to his liche
Was non so myhty ne so riche；
To his Empire and to his lawes；
As who seith； alle in thilke dawes
Were obeissant and tribut bere；
As thogh he godd of Erthe were。
With strengthe he putte kinges under；
And wroghte of Pride many a wonder；
He was so full of veine gloire；
That he ne hadde no memoire 2800
That ther was eny good bot he；
For pride of his prosperite；
Til that the hihe king of kinges；
Which seth and knoweth alle thinges；
Whos yhe mai nothing asterte；…
The privetes of mannes herte
Thei speke and sounen in his Ere
As thogh thei lowde wyndes were；…
He tok vengance upon this pride。
Bot for he wolde awhile abide 2810
To loke if he him wolde amende；
To him a foretokne he sende；
And that was in his slep be nyhte。
This proude kyng a wonder syhte
Hadde in his swevene； ther he lay：
Him thoghte； upon a merie day
As he behield the world aboute；
A tree fulgrowe he syh theroute；
Which stod the world amiddes evene；
Whos heihte straghte up to the hevene； 2820
The leves weren faire and large；
Of fruit it bar so ripe a charge；
That alle men it myhte fede：
He sih also the bowes spriede
Above al Erthe； in whiche were
The kinde of alle briddes there；
And eke him thoghte he syh also
The kinde of alle bestes go
Under this tre aboute round
And fedden hem upon the ground。 2830
As he this wonder stod and syh；
Him thoghte he herde a vois on hih
Criende； and seide aboven alle：
〃Hew doun this tree and lett it falle；
The leves let defoule in haste
And do the fruit destruie and waste；
And let of schreden every braunche；
Bot ate Rote let it staunche。
Whan al his Pride is cast to grounde；
The rote schal be faste bounde； 2840
And schal no mannes herte bere；
Bot every lust he schal forbere
Of man； and lich an Oxe his mete
Of gras he schal pourchace and ete；
Til that the water of the hevene
Have waisshen him be times sevene；
So that he be thurghknowe ariht
What is the heveneliche myht；
And be mad humble to the wille
Of him which al mai save and spille。〃 2850
This king out of his swefne abreide；
And he upon the morwe it seide
Unto the clerkes whiche he hadde：
Bot non of hem the sothe aradde；
Was non his swevene cowthe undo。
And it stod thilke time so；
This king hadde in subjeccioun
Judee； and of affeccioun
Above alle othre on Daniel
He loveth； for he cowthe wel 2860
Divine that non other cowthe：
To him were alle thinges cowthe；
As he it hadde of goddes grace。
He was before the kinges face
Asent； and bode that he scholde
Upon the point the king of tolde
The fortune of his swevene expounde；
As it scholde afterward be founde。
Whan Daniel this swevene herde；
He stod long time er he ansuerde； 2870
And made a wonder hevy chiere。
The king tok hiede of his manere；
And bad him telle that he wiste；
As he to whom he mochel triste；
And seide he wolde noght be wroth。
Bot Daniel was wonder loth；
And seide： 〃Upon thi fomen alle；
Sire king； thi swevene mote falle；
And natheles touchende of this
I wol the tellen how it is； 2880
And what desese is to thee schape：
God wot if thou it schalt ascape。
The hihe tree； which thou hast sein
With lef and fruit so wel besein；
The which stod in the world amiddes；
So that the bestes and the briddes
Governed were of him al one；
Sire king； betokneth thi persone；
Which stant above all erthli thinges。
Thus regnen under the the kinges； 2890
And al the poeple unto thee louteth；
And al the world thi pouer doubteth；
So that with vein honour deceived
Thou hast the reverence weyved
Fro him which is thi king above；
That thou for drede ne for love
Wolt nothing knowen of thi godd；
Which now for thee hath mad a rodd；
Thi veine gloire and thi folie
With grete peines to chastie。 2900
And of the vois thou herdest speke；
Which bad the bowes forto breke
And hewe and felle doun the tree；
That word belongeth unto thee；
Thi regne schal ben overthrowe；
And thou despuiled for a throwe：
Bot that the Rote scholde stonde；
Be that thou schalt wel understonde；
Ther schal abyden of thi regne
A time ayein whan thou schalt regne。 2910
And ek of that thou herdest seie；
To take a mannes herte aweie
And sette there a bestial；
So that he lich an Oxe schal
Pasture； and that he be bereined
Be times sefne and sore peined；
Til that he knowe his goddes mihtes；
Than scholde he stonde ayein uprihtes；…
Al this betokneth thin astat；
Which now with god is in debat： 2920
Thi mannes forme schal be lassed；
Til sevene yer ben overpassed；
And in the liknesse of a beste
Of gras schal be thi real feste；
The weder schal upon thee reine。
And understond that al this peine；
Which thou schalt soffre thilke tide；
Is schape al only for thi pride
Of veine gloire； and of the sinne
Which thou hast longe stonden inne。 2930
So upon this condicioun
Thi swevene hath exposicioun。
Bot er this thing befalle in dede；
Amende thee； this wolde I rede：
Yif and departe thin almesse；
Do mercy forth with rihtwisnesse；
Besech and prei the hihe grace；
For so thou myht thi pes pourchace
With godd； and stonde in good acord。〃
Bot Pride is loth to leve his lord； 2940
And wol noght soffre humilite
With him to stonde in no degree；
And whan a schip hath lost his stiere；
Is non so wys that mai him stiere
Ayein the wawes in a rage。
This proude king in his corage
Humilite hath so forlore；
That for no swevene he sih tofore；
Ne yit for al that Daniel
Him hath conseiled everydel； 2950
He let it passe out of his mynde；
Thurgh veine gloire； and as the blinde；
He seth no weie； er him be wo。
And fell withinne a time so；
As he in Babiloine wente；
The vanite of Pride him hente；
His herte aros of veine gloire；
So that he drowh into memoire
His lordschipe and his regalie
With wordes of Surquiderie。 2960
And whan that he him most avaunteth；
That lord which veine gloire daunteth；
Al sodeinliche； as who seith treis；
Wher that he stod in his Paleis；
He tok him fro the mennes sihte：
Was non of hem so war that mihte
Sette yhe wher that he becom。
And thus was he from his kingdom
Into the wilde Forest drawe；
Wher that the myhti goddes lawe 2970
Thurgh his pouer dede him transforme
Fro man into a bestes forme；
And lich an Oxe under the fot
He graseth； as he nedes mot；
To geten him his lives fode。
Tho thoghte him colde grases goode；
That whilom eet the hote spices；
Thus was he torned fro delices：
The wyn which he was wont to drinke
He tok thanne of the welles brinke 2980
Or of the pet or of the slowh；
It thoghte him thanne good ynowh：
In stede of chambres wel arraied
He was thanne of a buissh wel paied；
The harde ground he lay upon；
For othre pilwes hath he non；
The stormes and the Reines falle；
The wyndes blowe upon him alle；
He was tormented day and nyht；
Such was the hihe goddes myht； 2990
Til sevene yer an ende toke。
Upon himself tho gan he loke；
In stede of mete gras and stres；
In stede of handes longe cles；
In stede of man a bestes lyke
He syh； and thanne he gan to syke
For cloth of gold and for perrie；
Which him was wont to magnefie。
Whan he behield his Cote of heres；
He wepte and with fulwoful teres 3000
Up to the hevene he caste his chiere
Wepende； and thoghte in this manere；
Thogh he no wordes myhte winne；
Thus seide his herte and spak withinne：
〃O mihti godd； that al hast wroght
And al myht bringe ayein t