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With chastite schal stonde stille：
And natheles I can noght seie；
In aunter if that I misseye。 480
Touchende of this； how evere it stonde；
I here and wol noght understonde；
For therof have I noght to done：
Bot he that made ferst the Mone；
The hyhe god； of his goodnesse；
If ther be cause； he it redresce。
Bot what as eny man accuse；
This mai reson of trowthe excuse；
The vice of hem that ben ungoode
Is no reproef unto the goode： 490
For every man hise oghne werkes
Schal bere； and thus as of the clerkes
The goode men ben to comende；
And alle these othre god amende：
For thei ben to the worldes ije
The Mirour of ensamplerie；
To reulen and to taken hiede
Betwen the men and the godhiede。
Now forto speke of the comune；
It is to drede of that fortune 500
Which hath befalle in sondri londes：
Bot often for defalte of bondes
Al sodeinliche； er it be wist；
A Tonne； whanne his lye arist；
Tobrekth and renneth al aboute；
Which elles scholde noght gon oute；
And ek fulofte a litel Skar
Upon a Banke； er men be war；
Let in the Strem； which with gret peine；
If evere man it schal restreigne。 510
Wher lawe lacketh； errour groweth；
He is noght wys who that ne troweth；
For it hath proeved ofte er this；
And thus the comun clamour is
In every lond wher poeple dwelleth；
And eche in his compleignte telleth
How that the world is al miswent；
And ther upon his jugement
Yifth every man in sondry wise。
Bot what man wolde himself avise； 520
His conscience and noght misuse；
He may wel ate ferste excuse
His god； which evere stant in on：
In him ther is defalte non；
So moste it stonde upon ousselve
Nought only upon ten ne twelve；
Bot plenerliche upon ous alle；
For man is cause of that schal falle。
And natheles yet som men wryte
And sein that fortune is to wyte； 530
And som men holde oppinion
That it is constellacion；
Which causeth al that a man doth：
God wot of bothe which is soth。
The world as of his propre kynde
Was evere untrewe； and as the blynde
Improprelich he demeth fame；
He blameth that is noght to blame
And preiseth that is noght to preise：
Thus whan he schal the thinges peise； 540
Ther is deceipte in his balance；
And al is that the variance
Of ous； that scholde ous betre avise；
For after that we falle and rise；
The world arist and falth withal；
So that the man is overal
His oghne cause of wel and wo。
That we fortune clepe so
Out of the man himself it groweth；
And who that other wise troweth； 550
Behold the poeple of Irael：
For evere whil thei deden wel；
Fortune was hem debonaire；
And whan thei deden the contraire；
Fortune was contrariende。
So that it proeveth wel at ende
Why that the world is wonderfull
And may no while stonde full；
Though that it seme wel besein；
For every worldes thing is vein； 560
And evere goth the whiel aboute；
And evere stant a man in doute；
Fortune stant no while stille；
So hath ther noman al his wille。
Als fer as evere a man may knowe；
Ther lasteth nothing bot a throwe；
The world stant evere upon debat；
So may be seker non astat；
Now hier now ther； now to now fro；
Now up now down； this world goth so； 570
And evere hath don and evere schal：
Wherof I finde in special
A tale writen in the Bible；
Which moste nedes be credible；
And that as in conclusioun
Seith that upon divisioun
Stant； why no worldes thing mai laste；
Til it be drive to the laste。
And fro the ferste regne of alle
Into this day； hou so befalle； 580
Of that the regnes be muable
The man himself hath be coupable；
Which of his propre governance
Fortuneth al the worldes chance。
The hyhe almyhti pourveance；
In whos eterne remembrance
Fro ferst was every thing present；
He hath his prophecie sent；
In such a wise as thou schalt hiere；
To Daniel of this matiere； 590
Hou that this world schal torne and wende；
Till it be falle to his ende；
Wherof the tale telle I schal；
In which it is betokned al。
As Nabugodonosor slepte；
A swevene him tok； the which he kepte
Til on the morwe he was arise；
For he therof was sore agrise。
To Daniel his drem he tolde；
And preide him faire that he wolde 600
Arede what it tokne may；
And seide： 〃Abedde wher I lay；
Me thoghte I syh upon a Stage
Wher stod a wonder strange ymage。
His hed with al the necke also
Thei were of fin gold bothe tuo；
His brest； his schuldres and his armes
Were al of selver； bot the tharmes；
The wombe and al doun to the kne；
Of bras thei were upon to se； 610
The legges were al mad of Stiel；
So were his feet also somdiel；
And somdiel part to hem was take
Of Erthe which men Pottes make；
The fieble meynd was with the stronge；
So myhte it wel noght stonde longe。
And tho me thoghte that I sih
A gret ston from an hull on hyh
Fel doun of sodein aventure
Upon the feet of this figure； 620
With which Ston al tobroke was
Gold； Selver； Erthe； Stiel and Bras；
That al was in to pouldre broght；
And so forth torned into noght。〃
This was the swevene which he hadde；
That Daniel anon aradde；
And seide him that figure strange
Betokneth how the world schal change
And waxe lasse worth and lasse；
Til it to noght al overpasse。 630
The necke and hed； that weren golde；
He seide how that betokne scholde
A worthi world； a noble； a riche；
To which non after schal be liche。
Of Selver that was overforth
Schal ben a world of lasse worth；
And after that the wombe of Bras
Tokne of a werse world it was。
The Stiel which he syh afterward
A world betokneth more hard： 640
Bot yet the werste of everydel
Is last； whan that of Erthe and Stiel
He syh the feet departed so；
For that betokneth mochel wo。
Whan that the world divided is；
It moste algate fare amis；
For Erthe which is meynd with Stiel
Togedre may noght laste wiel；
Bot if that on that other waste；
So mot it nedes faile in haste。 650
The Ston； which fro the hully Stage
He syh doun falle on that ymage；
And hath it into pouldre broke；
That swevene hath Daniel unloke；
And seide how that is goddes myht；
Which whan men wene most upryht
To stonde； schal hem overcaste。
And that is of this world the laste；
And thanne a newe schal beginne；
Fro which a man schal nevere twinne； 660
Or al to peine or al to pes
That world schal lasten endeles。
Lo thus expondeth Daniel
The kynges swevene faire and wel
In Babiloyne the Cite；
Wher that the wiseste of Caldee
Ne cowthen wite what it mente；
Bot he tolde al the hol entente；
As in partie it is befalle。
Of gold the ferste regne of alle 670
Was in that kinges time tho；
And laste manye daies so；
Therwhiles that the Monarchie
Of al the world in that partie
To Babiloyne was soubgit；
And hield him stille in such a plit；
Til that the world began diverse：
And that was whan the king of Perse；
Which Cirus hyhte； ayein the pes
Forth with his Sone Cambises 680
Of Babiloine al that Empire；
Ryht as thei wolde hemself desire；
Put under in subjeccioun
And tok it in possessioun；
And slayn was Baltazar the king；
Which loste his regne and al his thing。
And thus whan thei it hadde wonne；
The world of Selver was begonne
And that of gold was passed oute：
And in this wise it goth aboute 690
In to the Regne of Darius；
And thanne it fell to Perse thus；
That Alisaundre put hem under；
Which wroghte of armes many a wonder；
So that the Monarchie lefte
With Grecs； and here astat uplefte；
And Persiens gon under fote；
So soffre thei that nedes mote。
And tho the world began of Bras；
And that of selver ended was； 700
Bot for the time thus it laste；
Til it befell that ate laste
This king； whan that his day was come；
With strengthe of deth was overcome。
And natheles yet er he dyde；
He schop his Regnes to divide
To knyhtes whiche him hadde served；
And after that thei have deserved
Yaf the conquestes that he wan；
Wherof gret werre tho began 710
Among hem that the Regnes hadde；
Thurgh proud Envie which hem ladde；
Til it befell ayein hem thus：
The noble Cesar Julius；
Which tho was king of Rome lond；
With gret bataille and with strong hond
Al Grece； Perse and ek Caldee
Wan and put under； so that he
Noght al only of thorient
Bot al the Marche of thoccident 720
Governeth under his empire；
As he that was hol lord and Sire；
And hield thurgh his chiv