Hic ponit confeffor exemplum contra vi
Though it be nought of loves kinde. A great enfample thou shalt finde This veingloire for to fle,
Whiche is fo full of vanite.
Humani generis cum fit tibi gloria major, Sepe fubeffe folet proximis ille dolor. Mens elata graves defcenfus fepe fubibit, Mens humilis flabile molleque firmat iter. Motibus innumeris volutat fortuna per orbem, Cum magis alta petis, inferiora time.
There was a king, that mochel might,
cium inanis glorie Which Nabugodonofor hight, narrans, qualiter Na- of whom that I fpake here to-fore.
deorum cum ipfe in Yet in the bible this name is bore, omni fue mageftatis
gloria celfior extitif- For all the worlde in thorient
biam caftigare volens Was hole at his commaundement, ipfum extra formam
hominis in beftiam As than of kinges to his liche
tranfmutavit. Et fic Was none fo mighty ne so riche, per feptennium peni- To his empire and to his lawes
ciorem fe agnovit, As who faith all in thilke dawes mifertus deus ipfum
in regni fui folium Were obeifaunt and tribute bere,
mendatum graciofius As though he god of erthe were.
With strengthe he put kinges under And wrought of pride many a wonder, He was fo full of veingloire,
That he ne hadde no memoire, That there was any god but he
For pride of his profperite.
Till that the highe king of kinges,
Which feeth and knoweth alle thinges,
Whose eye may nothinge afterte
The privetes of mannes herte,
They fpeke and founen in his ere As though they loude windes were, He toke vengeaunce of his pride. But for he wolde a while abide To loke, if he wolde him amende, To him afore token he fende. And that was in his flepe by night This proude kinge a wonder fight Had in his fweven, there he lay. Him thought upon a mery day, As he beheld the world aboute, A tre full growe he figh there oute Which stood the world amiddes even, Whos heighte ftraught up to the heven. The leves weren faire and large, Of fruit it bore fo ripe a charge, That alle men it mighte fede. He figh also the bowes fprede Above all erth, in whiche were The kinde of alle briddes there. And eke him thought he figh also The kinde of alle beftes go Under the tre about round
And fedden hem upon the ground. As he this wonder stood and figh, Him thought he herde a vois on high Criende, and faide aboven alle :
Hewe down this tree and let it falle, The leves let defoule in hafte
And do the fruit deftruie and waste.
And let offhreden every braunche,
But ate roote he let it ftaunche. Whan all his pride is caft to grounde, The roote fhall be fafte bounde And shall no mannes herte bere,
every luft he shall forbere
Of man and lich an oxe his mete Of gras he shall purchace and ete, Till al the waters of the heven Have wasshen him by times feven, So that he be through-knowe aright, What is the hevenliche might,
And be made humble to the wille Of him, which may all fave and spille. This king out of his fweven abraide And he upon the morwe it faide Unto the clerkes, which he hadde. But none of hem the foth aradde, Was none his fweven couth undo. And it stood thilke time so, This kinge had in fubjection Judee and of affection Above al other one Daniel
He loveth, for he couthe well Divine, that none other couthe. To him were alle thinges couthe, As he it hadde of goddes grace. He was before the kinges face Affent and bode, that he fhulde Upon the point the kinge of tolde
The fortune of his fweven expounde, As it fhulde afterward be founde.
Whan Daniel this fweven herde, He stood long time, er he answerde, And made a wonder hevy chere. The king toke hede of his manere And bad him telle that he wiste As he, to whome he mochel trifte, And said, he wolde nought be wroth. But Daniel was wonder loth
And faid: upon thy fomen alle, Sir king, thy fweven mote falle. And netheles touchend of this I woll the tellen, howe it is And what disese is to the shape, God wote if thou it fhall escape. The highe tre, which thou haft sein, With lef and fruit fo wel besein,
The which stood in the world amiddes, So that the bestes and the briddes Governed were of him alone,
Sir king, betokeneth thy perfone, Which stonde above all erthely thinges. Thus regnen under the the kinges And all the people unto the louteth And all the worlde thy perfon doubteth, So that with vein honour deceived
Thou haft the reverence weived
Fro him, whiche is thy kinge above, That thou for drede ne for love
Wolt nothing knowen of this god, Which now for the hath made a rod, Thy veingloire and thy folie With grete peines to chastie. And of the vois thou herdest speke, Which bad the bowes for to breke And hewe and felle down the tre, That word belongeth unto the. Thy regne fhall be overthrowe, And thou defpuiled for a throwe. But that the roote fhulde ftonde, By that thou shalt wel understonde, There shall abide of thy regne
A time ayein whan thou shall regne. And eke of that thou herdest faie To take a mannes hert aweie And fette there a bestiall,
So that he lich an oxe fhall Pafture, and that he be bereined By times seven and fore peined, Till that he knowe his goddes mightes, Than shall he ftond ayein uprightes. All this betokeneth thine eftate, Which now with god is in debate, Thy mannes forme fhall be laffed, Till seven yere ben overpaffed, And in the likeneffe of a beste Of gras fhall be thy roiall feste, The weder shall upon the reine. And understonde, that all this peine,
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