The Canterbury Tales [219]
*bow down to Or in a furnace, full of flames red, He should be burnt that woulde not obey: But never would assente to that deed Daniel, nor his younge fellows tway.
This king of kinges proud was and elate;* *lofty He ween'd* that God, that sits in majesty, *thought Mighte him not bereave of his estate; But suddenly he lost his dignity, And like a beast he seemed for to be, And ate hay as an ox, and lay thereout In rain, with wilde beastes walked he, Till certain time was y-come about.
And like an eagle's feathers wax'd his hairs, His nailes like a birde's clawes were, Till God released him at certain years, And gave him wit; and then with many a tear He thanked God, and ever his life in fear Was he to do amiss, or more trespace: And till that time he laid was on his bier, He knew that God was full of might and grace.
His sone, which that highte BALTHASAR, That *held the regne* after his father's day, *possessed the kingdom* He by his father coulde not beware, For proud he was of heart and of array; And eke an idolaster was he aye. His high estate assured* him in pride; *confirmed But Fortune cast him down, and there he lay, And suddenly his regne gan divide.
A feast he made unto his lordes all Upon a time, and made them blithe be, And then his officeres gan he call; "Go, bringe forth the vessels," saide he, "Which that my father in his prosperity Out of the temple of Jerusalem reft, And to our highe goddes thanks we Of honour, that our elders* with us left." *forefathers
His wife, his lordes, and his concubines Aye dranke, while their appetites did last, Out of these noble vessels sundry wines. And on a wall this king his eyen cast, And saw an hand, armless, that wrote full fast; For fear of which he quaked, and sighed sore. This hand, that Balthasar so sore aghast,* *dismayed Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, and no more.
In all that land magician was there none That could expounde what this letter meant. But Daniel expounded it anon, And said, "O King, God to thy father lent Glory and honour, regne, treasure, rent;* *revenue And he was proud, and nothing God he drad;* *dreaded And therefore God great wreche* upon him sent, *vengeance And him bereft the regne that he had.
"He was cast out of manne's company; With asses was his habitation And ate hay, as a beast, in wet and dry, Till that he knew by grace and by reason That God of heaven hath domination O'er every regne, and every creature; And then had God of him compassion, And him restor'd his regne and his figure.
"Eke thou, that art his son, art proud also, And knowest all these thinges verily; And art rebel to God, and art his foe. Thou drankest of his vessels boldely; Thy wife eke, and thy wenches, sinfully Drank of the same vessels sundry wines, And heried* false goddes cursedly; *praised Therefore *to thee y-shapen full great pine is.* *great punishment is prepared for thee* "This hand was sent from God, that on the wall Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, truste me; Thy reign is done; thou weighest naught at all; Divided is thy regne, and it shall be To Medes and to Persians giv'n," quoth he. And thilke same night this king was slaw* *slain And Darius occupied his degree, Though he thereto had neither right nor law.
Lordings, example hereby may ye take, How that in lordship is no sickerness;* *security For when that Fortune will a man forsake, She bears away his regne and his richess, And eke his friendes bothe more and less, For what man that hath friendes through fortune, Mishap will make them enemies, I guess; This proverb is full sooth, and full commune.
ZENOBIA, of Palmyrie the queen, <12> As write Persians of her nobless, So worthy was in armes, and so keen, That no wight passed her in hardiness, Nor in lineage, nor other gentleness.*
This king of kinges proud was and elate;* *lofty He ween'd* that God, that sits in majesty, *thought Mighte him not bereave of his estate; But suddenly he lost his dignity, And like a beast he seemed for to be, And ate hay as an ox, and lay thereout In rain, with wilde beastes walked he, Till certain time was y-come about.
And like an eagle's feathers wax'd his hairs, His nailes like a birde's clawes were, Till God released him at certain years, And gave him wit; and then with many a tear He thanked God, and ever his life in fear Was he to do amiss, or more trespace: And till that time he laid was on his bier, He knew that God was full of might and grace.
His sone, which that highte BALTHASAR, That *held the regne* after his father's day, *possessed the kingdom* He by his father coulde not beware, For proud he was of heart and of array; And eke an idolaster was he aye. His high estate assured* him in pride; *confirmed But Fortune cast him down, and there he lay, And suddenly his regne gan divide.
A feast he made unto his lordes all Upon a time, and made them blithe be, And then his officeres gan he call; "Go, bringe forth the vessels," saide he, "Which that my father in his prosperity Out of the temple of Jerusalem reft, And to our highe goddes thanks we Of honour, that our elders* with us left." *forefathers
His wife, his lordes, and his concubines Aye dranke, while their appetites did last, Out of these noble vessels sundry wines. And on a wall this king his eyen cast, And saw an hand, armless, that wrote full fast; For fear of which he quaked, and sighed sore. This hand, that Balthasar so sore aghast,* *dismayed Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, and no more.
In all that land magician was there none That could expounde what this letter meant. But Daniel expounded it anon, And said, "O King, God to thy father lent Glory and honour, regne, treasure, rent;* *revenue And he was proud, and nothing God he drad;* *dreaded And therefore God great wreche* upon him sent, *vengeance And him bereft the regne that he had.
"He was cast out of manne's company; With asses was his habitation And ate hay, as a beast, in wet and dry, Till that he knew by grace and by reason That God of heaven hath domination O'er every regne, and every creature; And then had God of him compassion, And him restor'd his regne and his figure.
"Eke thou, that art his son, art proud also, And knowest all these thinges verily; And art rebel to God, and art his foe. Thou drankest of his vessels boldely; Thy wife eke, and thy wenches, sinfully Drank of the same vessels sundry wines, And heried* false goddes cursedly; *praised Therefore *to thee y-shapen full great pine is.* *great punishment is prepared for thee* "This hand was sent from God, that on the wall Wrote Mane, tekel, phares, truste me; Thy reign is done; thou weighest naught at all; Divided is thy regne, and it shall be To Medes and to Persians giv'n," quoth he. And thilke same night this king was slaw* *slain And Darius occupied his degree, Though he thereto had neither right nor law.
Lordings, example hereby may ye take, How that in lordship is no sickerness;* *security For when that Fortune will a man forsake, She bears away his regne and his richess, And eke his friendes bothe more and less, For what man that hath friendes through fortune, Mishap will make them enemies, I guess; This proverb is full sooth, and full commune.
ZENOBIA, of Palmyrie the queen, <12> As write Persians of her nobless, So worthy was in armes, and so keen, That no wight passed her in hardiness, Nor in lineage, nor other gentleness.*