The hyhe almyhti pourveance, In whos eterne remembrance Fro ferst was every thing present, He hath his prophecie sent,[147] In such a wise as thou schalt hiere, To Daniel of this matiere, 590 [Sidenote: Hic in prologo tractat de Statua illa, quam Rex Nabugodonosor viderat in sompnis, cuius caput aureum, pectus argenteum, venter eneus, tibie ferree, pedum vero quedam pars ferrea, quedam fictilis videbatur, sub qua membrorum diuersitate secundum Danielis exposicionem huius mundi variacio figurabatur.] Hou that this world schal torne and wende, Till it be falle to his ende;[148] Wherof the tale telle I schal, In which it is betokned al. [Sidenote: =P. i. 24=] 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,[149] The wombe and al doun to the kne, Of bras thei were upon to se;[150] 610 The legges were al mad of Stiel,[151] So were his feet also somdiel, And somdiel part to hem was take Of Erthe which men Pottes make; [Sidenote: Hic narrat vlterius de quodam lapide grandi,[152] qui, vt in dicto sompnio videbatur, ab excelso monte super statuam corruens ipsam quasi in nichilum penitus contriuit.] The fieble meynd was with the stronge, So myhte it wel noght stonde longe.[153] And tho me thoghte that I sih A gret ston from an hull on hyh[154] 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.’ [Sidenote: =P. i. 25=] [Sidenote: Hic loquitur de interpretacione sompnii, et primo dicit[155] de significacione capitis aurei.] 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. [Sidenote: De pectore argenteo.] Of Selver that was overforth Schal ben a world of lasse worth;