[Sidenote: Their king is made prisoner.] & þer watȝ þe ky{n}g kaȝt wyth calde pry{n}ces, & alle hise gentyle for-iusted on ierico playnes, 1216 [Sidenote: His chief men are presented as prisoners to Nebuchadnezzar.] & presented wern as presoneres to þe prynce rychest, Nabigo-de-noȝar noble i{n} his chayer, & he þe faynest freke þat he his fo hade, & speke spito{us}ly hem to & spylt þ{er}aft{er}. 1220 [Sidenote: His sons are slain.] Þe ky{n}g{es} su{n}nes i{n} his syȝt he slow eu{er} vch one, [Sidenote: His own eyes are put out.] & holkked out his auen yȝen het{er}ly boþe [Sidenote: He is placed in a dungeon in Babylon.] & bede þe burne to be broȝt to babyloyn þe ryche, [Sidenote: [Fol. 74a.]] & þere i{n} dongou{n} be don to dreȝe þ{er} his wyrdes. 1224 Now se, so þe sou{er}ay[n] set hatȝ his wrake; Nas hit not for nabugo ne his noble nauþ{er}, Þat oþ{er} depryued watȝ of pryde with paynes stronge, [Sidenote: All for his “bad bearing” against the Lord, who might otherwise have been his friend.] Bot for his bery{n}g so badde agayn his blyþe lorde; 1228 For hade þe fader ben his frende þat hy{m} bifore keped, Ne neu{er} trespast to him i{n} teche of mysseleue. To Colde wer alle Calde & kythes of ynde, Ȝet take torkye hem wyth her tene hade ben little; 1232 [Sidenote: Nebuchadnezzar ceased not until he had destroyed Jerusalem.] Ȝet nolde neu{er} nabugo þis ilke note leue, Er he hade tuyred þis tou{n} & torne hit to grou{n}de; He ioyned vnto I{e}r{usa}l{e}m a gentyle duc þe{n}ne, [Sidenote: Nebuzaradan was “chief of the chivalry.”] His name watȝ nabu-ȝardan, to noye þe iues; 1236 He watȝ mayster of his men & myȝty hi{m} seluen, Þe chef of his cheualrye his chekkes to make, He brek þe bareres as bylyue, & þe burȝ aft{er}, & enteres i{n} ful ernestly, i{n} yre of his hert. 1240 What! þe maysterry watȝ mene, þe me{n} wern away, [Sidenote: The best men were taken out of the city.] Þe best boȝed wyth þe burne þat þe borȝ ȝemed; & þo þat byden wer so[61] biten with þe bale hunger, Þat on wyf hade ben worþe þe welgest fo{ur}re; 1244 [Sidenote: Nevertheless Nebuzaradan spared not those left.] Nabiȝardan noȝt for-þy nolde not spare, Bot bede al to þe bronde vnder bare egge. Þay slowen of swettest semlych burdes, [Sidenote: Brains of bairns were spilt.] Baþed barnes i{n} blod & her brayn spylled; 1248 [Sidenote: Priests pressed to death.] Prestes & prelates þay presed to deþe, [Sidenote: Wives and wenches foully killed.] Wyues & wenches her wombes tocoruen, Þat her boweles out-borst aboute þe diches, [Sidenote: All that escaped the sword were taken to Babylon, and were made to drag the cart or milk the kine.]