Bot þe{n}n þe bolde baltaȝar, þat watȝ his barn aldest, He watȝ stalled i{n} his stud, & stabled þe rengne; [Sidenote: He holds himself the biggest in heaven or on earth.] I{n} þe burȝ of babiloyne þe biggest he trawed, Þat nauþ{er} i{n} heuen ne no[66] erþe hade no pere; 1336 For he bigan i{n} alle þe glori þat hy{m} þe gome lafte, Nabugo-de-Noȝar, þat watȝ his noble fader; So kene a ky{n}g i{n} Caldee com neu{er} er þe{n}ne. [Sidenote: He honours not God, but worships false phantoms.] Bot hono{ur}ed he not hy{m} þat in heuen wonies, 1340 Bot fals fantu{m}mes of fendes, formed with handes Wyth tool out of harde tre, & telded on lofte, & of stokkes & stones, he stoute goddes callȝ When þay ar gilde al with golde & gered wyth sylu{er}, 1344 & þere he kneles & calleȝ, & clepes after help. [Sidenote: He promises them rewards if good fortune befal.] &[67] þay reden hi{m} ryȝt rewarde he hem hetes, & if þay gruchen hi{m} his grace to gremen his hert, [Sidenote: If they vex him he knocks them in pieces.] He cleches to a gret klubbe & knokkes hem to peces; 1348 Þ{us} in pryde & oliprau{n}ce his Empyre he haldes, In lust & i{n} lecherye, & loþelych werkkes; [Sidenote: He has a wife, and many concubines.] & hade a wyf forto welde, a worþelych quene, & mony a le{m}man, neu{er} þe lat{er}, þat ladis wer called. 1352 In þe clernes of his {con}cubines & curio{us} wedeȝ, [Sidenote: The mind of the king was fixed upon new meats and other vain things.] In noty{n}g of nwe metes & of nice gettes, Al watȝ þe mynde of þat man, o{n} misschapen þi{n}ges, Til þe lorde of þe lyfte liste hit abate. 1356 [Sidenote 59: MS. _ȝedethyas_.] [Sidenote 60: MS. _wyth with_.] [Sidenote 61: The MS. reads _fo._] [Sidenote 62: _nummen_ (?).] [Sidenote 63: _for_ (?).] [Sidenote 64: Looks like bicuv{er} in MS.] [Sidenote 65: _be_ (?).] [Sidenote 66: _on_ (?).] [Sidenote 67: _An_ (?).] [Headnote: BELSHAZZAR PROCLAIMS A FEAST, TO WHICH KINGS AND EMPERORS ARE INVITED.] XIII.