Early English Alliterative Poems 27

Early English Alliterative Poems 27

[Headnote: THE KING OF JUDAH IS MADE PRISONER.]

 

[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.]

& al watȝ carfully kylde þat þay cach myȝt, 1252

& alle [þat] swypped vnswolȝed of þe sworde kene,

Þay wer cagged & kaȝt on capeles al bare,

Festned fettres to her fete vnder fole wombes,

& broþely broȝt to babyloyn þer bale to suffer, 1256

To sytte i{n} seruage & syte; þat su{m}tyme wer ge{n}tyle,

Now ar chau{n}ged to chorles & charged wyth werkkes,

Boþe to cayre at þe kart & þe kuy mylke,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 74b.]]

Þat su{m}tyme sete i{n} her sale syres & burdes. 1260

 

[Headnote: NEBUZARDAN PILLAGES THE TEMPLE.]

 

[Sidenote: Nebuzaradan burst open the temple, and slew those

therein.]

& ȝet nabuȝardan nyl neu{er} stynt,

Er he to þe tempple tee wyth his tulkkes alle;

Betes on þe barers, brestes vp þe ȝates,

Slouen alle at a slyp þat serued þer-i{n}ne, 1264

[Sidenote: Priests, pulled by the poll, were slain along with

deacons, clerks, and maidens.]

Pulden prestes bi þe polle & plat of her hedes,

Diȝten dekenes to deþe, dungen dou{n} clerkkes,

& alle þe maydenes of þe mu{n}st{er} maȝtyly hokyllen

Wyth þe swayf of þe sworde þat swolȝed he{m} alle. 1268

[Sidenote: The enemy pillages the temple of its pillars of brass,

and the golden candlestick from off the altar.]

Þe{n}ne ran þay to þe relykes as robbors wylde,

& pyled alle þe apparement þat pented to þe kyrke,

Þe pure pyleres [o]f bras po{ur}trayd i{n} golde,

& þe chef chau{n}deler charged with þe lyȝt, 1272

Þat ber þe lamp vpon lofte, þat lemed eu{er} more,

Bifore þ[e] sancta s{an}c{t}or{um} þer selcouth watȝ ofte.

Þay caȝt away þat condelstik, & þe crowne als,

Þat þe aut{er} hade vpon, of aþel golde ryche; 1276

[Sidenote: Goblets, basins, golden dishes, all are taken by

Nebuzaradan, and hampered together.]

Þe gredirne & þe goblot{es} garnyst of sylu{er},

Þe bases of þe bryȝt postes & bassynes so schyre;

Dere disches of golde & dubleres fayre,

Þe vyoles & þe vesselment of v{er}tuo{us} stones. 1280

Now hatȝ nabuȝardan nome{n} alle þyse noble þy{n}ges,

& pyled þat p{re}cio{us} place & pakked þose godes;

Þe golde of þe gaȝafylace to swyþe gret nou{m}bre,

Wyth alle þe vrnmentes of þat ho{us}, he hamppred to-geder. 1284

Alle he spoyled spito{us}ly i{n} a sped whyle,

[Sidenote: Solomon had made them with much labour.]

Þat salomon so mony a sadde ȝer soȝt to make,

Wyth alle þe coyntyse þat he cowþe clene to wyrke;

De-uised he þe vesselment, þe vestures clene, 1288

Wyth slyȝt of his ciences, his sou{er}ayn to loue,

Þe ho{us} & þe ano{ur}nementes he hyȝtled to-gedere.

Now hatȝ nabuȝardan nu{m}ne{n}d[62] hit al samen,

[Sidenote: The temple he beats down, and returns to Babylon.]

& syþen bet dou{n} þe burȝ & brend hit i{n} askes; 1292

Þe{n}ne wyth legiou{n}es of ledes ou{er} londes he rydes,

Herȝeȝ of Israel þe hyrne aboute.

Wyth charged chariotes þe cheftayn he fynde[ȝ],

[Sidenote: [Fol. 75a.]]

[Sidenote: Presents the prisoners to the king, among whom were

Daniel and his three companions.]

Bike{n}nes þe catel to þe ky{n}g, þat he caȝt hade, 1296

P{re}sented him þe p{r}isoneres i{n} pray þat þay token,

Moni a worþly wyȝe whil her worlde laste,

Moni semly syre son{e}, & swyþe rych maydenes,

Þe pruddest of þe p{ro}uince, & p{ro}phetes childer, 1300

As Ananie & aȝarie & als Miȝael,

& dere daniel also, þat watȝ deuine noble,

With moni a modey moder chylde mo þe{n} i{n}-noghe.

 

[Headnote: NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS PLEASED WITH THE SPOIL.]

 

[Sidenote: Nebuchadnezzar has great joy, because his enemies are

slain.]

& nabugo-de-noȝar makes much ioye, 1304

Nov he þe ky{n}g hatȝ c{on}quest & þe kyth wu{n}nen,

& dreped alle þe doȝtyest & derrest i{n} armes,

& þe lederes of her lawe layd to þe grou{n}de,

& þe pryce of þe p{ro}fecie p{r}isoners maked; 1308

 

[Headnote: HE PRIZES GREATLY THE SACRED JEWELRY.]

 

[Sidenote: Great was his wonder when he saw the sacred jewelry.]

Bot þe ioy of þe iuelrye so gentyle & ryche,

When hit watȝ schewed hy{m} so schene, scharp watȝ his wonder,

Of such vessel auayed þat vayled so huge,

Neu{er} ȝet nas nabugo-de-noȝar er þe{n}ne. 1312

[Sidenote: He praises the God of Israel.]

He sesed hem w{i}t{h} solemneté, þe sou{er}ayn he praysed,

þat watȝ aþel ou{er} alle, israel dryȝtyn;

[Sidenote: Such vessels never before came to Chaldea.]

Such god, such gomes, such gay vesselles

Comen neu{er} out of kyth, to Caldee reames. 1316

[Sidenote: They are thrust into the treasury.]

He trussed hem i{n} his tresorye i{n} a tryed place

Rekenly wyth reu{er}ens, as he ryȝt hade;

& þ{er} he wroȝt as þe wyse, as ȝe may wyt here-aft{er},

For hade he let of hem lyȝt, hy{m} moȝt haf lu{m}pen worse. 1320

Þat ryche i{n} gret rialté rengned his lyue,

[Sidenote: Nebuchadnezzar reigns as emperor of all the earth,

through the “doom of Daniel,” who gave him good counsel.]

As {con}quero{ur} of vche a cost he cayser watȝ hatte,

Emp{er}o{ur} of alle þe erþe & also þe saudan,

& als þe god of þe grou{n}de watȝ grauen his name 1324

& al þurȝ dome of daniel, fro[63] he deuised hade,

Þat alle goudes com of god, & gef hit hy{m} bi samples,

Þat he ful clanly bi-cnv[64] his carp bi þe laste,

& ofte hit mekned his my{n}de, his mayst{er}ful werkkes. 1328

Bot al drawes to dyȝe w{i}t{h} doel vp[o]n ende;

Bi[65] a haþel neu{er} so hyȝe he heldes to grou{n}de,

[Sidenote: Nebuchadnezzar dies and is buried.]

& so nabugo-de-noȝar as he nedes moste;

[Sidenote: [Fol. 75b.]]

For alle his empire so hiȝe i{n} erþe is he g{ra}uen. 1332

[Sidenote: Belshazzar succeeds him.]

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