[Sidenote: Upon the plain wall, “a palm with pointel in fingers” is seen writing.] I{n} þe palays pryncipale vpon þe playn wowe, I{n} contrary of þe candelstik þat clerest hit schyned. 1532 Þer apered a paume, w{i}t{h} poyntel i{n} fyngres Þat watȝ grysly & gret, & grymly he wrytes, Non oþ{er} forme bot a fust faylande þe wryste, Pared on þe parget, purtrayed lettres. 1536 [Sidenote: The bold Belshazzar becomes frightened.] When þat bolde baltaȝar blusched to þat neue, Such a dasande drede dusched to his hert, Þat al falewed his face & fayled þe chere; Þe stronge strok of þe stonde strayned his ioy{n}tes, 1540 [Sidenote: His knees knock together.] His cnes cachches to close & cluchches his ho{m}mes, & he w{i}t{h} plat-ty{n}g his paumes displayes his lers,[80] [Sidenote: He roars for dread, still beholding the hand, as it wrote on the rough wall.] & romyes as a rad ryth þat roreȝ for drede, Ay biholdand þe honde til hit hade al g{ra}uen, 1544 & rasped on þe roȝ woȝe runisch saueȝ. When hit þe scrypture hade scraped wyth a scrof[81] pe{n}ne, As a colto{ur} i{n} clay cerues þ{o} forȝes, [Sidenote: [Fol. 78b.]] [Sidenote: The hand vanishes but the letters remain.] Þe{n}ne hit vanist v{er}ayly & voyded of syȝt, 1548 Bot þe lettres bileued ful large vpon plast{er}. [Headnote: THE KING CONSULTS HIS DIVINERS.] [Sidenote: The king recovers his speech and sends for the “book-learned;” but none of the scholars were wise enough to read it.] Sone so þe ky{n}ge for his care carpi{n}g myȝt wy{n}ne, He bede his burnes boȝ to þat wer{e} bok lered, To wayte þe wryt þat hit wolde & wyt{er} hym to say, 1552 “For al hit frayes my flesche þe fyngres so gry{m}me.” Scoleres skelten þeratte þe skyl forto fynde, Bot þer watȝ neu{er} on so wyse couþe on worde rede, Ne what ledisch lore ne langage nauþ{er} 1556 What tyþy{n}g ne tale tokened þo draȝtes. [Sidenote: Belshazzar is nearly mad.] Þe{n}ne þe bolde baltaȝar bred ner wode. [Sidenote: Commands the city to be searched throughout for the “wise of witchcraft.”] & ede[82] þe Ceté to seche segges þurȝ-out, Þat wer wyse of wyche-crafte & warlaȝes oþ{er}, 1560 Þat con dele wyth dem{er}layk, & deuine lettres: “Calle hem alle to my cort þo calde clerkkes, Vn-folde hem alle þis ferly þat is bifallen here, [Sidenote: He who expounds the strange letters, shall be clothed in “gowns of purple.”] & calle wyth a hiȝe cry; ‘he þat þe ky{n}g wysses, 1564 In expouny{n}g of speche þat spredes i{n} þise lettres, & make þe mat{er} to malt my mynde wyth-i{n}ne, Þat I may wyt{er}ly wyt what þat wryt menes, He schal þe gered ful gaye i{n} gounes of porpre, 1568 [Sidenote: A collar of gold shall encircle his throat.]