Confessio Amantis | Page 7

doun to the kne,?Of bras thei were upon to se; 610?The legges were al mad of Stiel,?So were his feet also somdiel,?And somdiel part to hem was take?Of Erthe which men Pottes make;?The fieble meynd was with the stronge,?So myhte it wel noght stonde longe.?And tho me thoghte that I sih?A gret ston from an hull on hyh?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."?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.?Of Selver that was overforth?Schal ben a world of lasse worth;?And after that the wombe of Bras?Tokne of a werse world it was.?The Stiel which he syh afterward?A world betokneth more hard: 640?Bot yet the werste of everydel?Is last, whan that of Erthe and Stiel?He syh the feet departed so,?For that betokneth mochel wo.?Whan that the world divided is,?It moste algate fare amis,?For Erthe which is meynd with Stiel?Togedre may noght laste wiel,?Bot if that on that other waste;?So mot it nedes faile in haste. 650?The Ston, which fro the hully Stage?He syh doun falle on that ymage,?And hath it into pouldre broke,?That swevene hath Daniel unloke,?And seide how that is goddes myht,?Which whan men wene most upryht?To stonde, schal hem overcaste.?And that is of this world the laste,?And thanne a newe schal beginne,?Fro which a man schal nevere twinne; 660?Or al to peine or al to pes?That world schal lasten endeles.?Lo thus expondeth Daniel?The kynges swevene faire and wel?In Babiloyne the Cite,?Wher that the wiseste of Caldee?Ne cowthen wite what it mente;?Bot he tolde al the hol entente,?As in partie it is befalle.?Of gold the ferste regne of alle 670?Was in that kinges time tho,?And laste manye daies so,?Therwhiles that the Monarchie?Of al the world in that partie?To Babiloyne was soubgit;?And hield him stille in such a plit,?Til that the world began diverse:?And that was whan the king of Perse,?Which Cirus hyhte, ayein the pes?Forth with his Sone Cambises 680?Of Babiloine al that Empire,?Ryht as thei wolde hemself desire,?Put under in subjeccioun?And tok it in possessioun,?And slayn was Baltazar the king,?Which loste his regne and al his thing.?And thus whan thei it hadde wonne,?The world of Selver was begonne?And that of gold was passed oute:?And in this wise it goth aboute 690?In to the Regne of Darius;?And thanne it fell to Perse thus,?That Alisaundre put hem under,?Which wroghte of armes many a wonder,?So that the Monarchie lefte?With Grecs, and here astat uplefte,?And Persiens gon under fote,?So soffre thei that nedes mote.?And tho the world began of Bras,?And that of selver ended was; 700?Bot for the time thus it laste,?Til it befell that ate laste?This king, whan that his day was come,?With strengthe of deth was overcome.?And natheles yet er he dyde,?He schop his Regnes to divide?To knyhtes whiche him hadde served,?And after that thei have deserved?Yaf the conquestes that he wan;?Wherof gret werre tho began 710?Among hem that the Regnes hadde,?Thurgh proud Envie which hem ladde,?Til it befell ayein hem thus:?The noble Cesar Julius,?Which tho was king of Rome lond,?With gret bataille and with strong hond?Al Grece, Perse and ek Caldee?Wan and put under, so that he?Noght al only of thorient?Bot al the Marche of thoccident 720?Governeth under his empire,?As he that was hol lord and Sire,?And hield thurgh his chivalerie?Of al this world the Monarchie,?And was the ferste of that honour?Which tok the name of Emperour.?Wher Rome thanne wolde assaille,?Ther myhte nothing contrevaille,?Bot every contre moste obeie:?Tho goth the Regne of Bras aweie, 730?And comen is the world of Stiel,?And stod above upon the whiel.?As Stiel is hardest in his kynde?Above alle othre that men finde?Of Metals, such was Rome tho?The myhtieste, and laste so?Long time amonges the Romeins?Til thei become so vileins,?That the fals Emperour Leo?With Constantin his Sone also 740?The patrimoine and the richesse,?Which to Silvestre in pure almesse?The ferste Constantinus lefte,?Fro holy cherche thei berefte.?Bot Adrian, which Pope was,?And syh the meschief of this cas,?Goth in to France forto pleigne,?And preith the grete Charlemeine,?For Cristes sake and Soule hele?That he wol take the querele 750?Of holy cherche in his defence.?And Charles for the reverence?Of god the cause hath undertake,?And with his host the weie take?Over the Montz of Lombardie;?Of Rome and al the tirandie?With blodi swerd he overcom,?And the Cite with strengthe nom;?In such a wise and there he wroghte,?That holy cherche ayein he broghte 760?Into franchise, and doth restore?The Popes lost, and yaf him more:?And thus whan he his god hath served,?He tok,