After a solemn supper made to all the court, and chief princes, king Darius sleeping: 4. three esquires of the body keeping watch, proposed the question: 10. Whether wine, or a King, or women, or the truth doth excel? 17. The first praiseth wine.After a solemne supper made to al the court, and chief princes, king Darius sleeping: 4. three esquires of the bodie keeping watch, proposed the question: 10. Whether wine, or a King, or women, or the truth doth excel? 17. The first prayseth wine.
King Darius made a great supper to all his domestical servants, and to all the magistrates of Media and Persia,KING Darius made a great supper to al his domestical seruantes, and to al the magistrates of Media and Persia,Rex Darius fecit cœnam magnam omnibus vernaculis suis, et omnibus magistratibus Mediæ et Persidis,
2and to all that were purple, and to the prætors, and consuls, and præfectis: deputies, provincial governors set under him, not the military rank under him from India unto Æthiopia, an hundred twenty seven provinces.and to al that were purple, and to the prætors, and consuls, and liuetenantes vnder him from India vnto Æthiopia, an hundred twentie seuen prouinces.et omnibus purpuratis, et prætoribus, et consulibus, et præfectis sub illo ab India usque Æthiopiam, centum viginti septem provinciis.
3And when they had eaten and drunken, and returned full, then Darius went up into his chamber, and slept, and awaked.And when they had eaten and drunken, and returned ful, then Darius went vp into his chamber, and slept, and awaked.Et cum manducassent, et bibissent, et satiati reverterentur. Tunc Darius rex ascendit in cubiculum suum, et dormivit, et expergefactus est.
4Then those three young men keepers of his body, which guarded the king's body, said one to another:Then those three youngmen kepers of his bodie, which garded the kings bodie, sayd one to an other:Tunc illi tres juvenes corporis custodes, qui custodiebant corpus regis, dixerunt alter alteri :
5Let every one of us say a word that may excel: and whose word soever shall appear wiser then the others, to him will king Darius give great gifts,Let euerie one of vs say a word that may excel: & whose word soeuer shal appeare wiser then the others, to him wil king Darius geue great giftes,Dicamus unusquisque nostrum sermonem qui præcellat : et cujuscumque apparuerit sermo sapientior alterius, dabit illi rex Darius dona magna,
6to be covered with purple, and to drink in gold, and to sleep upon gold, and a chariot with a bridle of gold, and a cydarim: a headdress or turban, marking rank of silk, and a chain about his neck:to be couered with purple, & to drinke in gold, and to sleepe vpon gold, & a chariote with a bridle of gold, & a bonet of silke, and a cheyne about his necke:purpura cooperiri, et in auro bibere, et super aurum dormire, et currum aureo fræno, et cydarim byssinam, et torquem circa collum :
7and he shall sit in the second place next Darius for his wisdom. And he shall be called the cognatus: a kinsman or relative generally, not specifically a first cousin of Darius.and he shal sit in the second place next Darius for his wisdome. And he shal be called the cosin of Darius.et secundo loco sedebit a Dario propter sapientiam suam, et cognatus Darii vocabitur.
8Then every one writing his word signed it, and they put it under the pillow of Darius the king,Then euerie one writing his word signed it, and they put it vnder the pillow of Darius the king,Tunc scribentes singuli suum verbum signaverunt, et posuerunt subtus cervical Darii regis,
9and they said: When the king shall rise, we will give him our writings: and which soever of the three the king shall judge, and the magistrates of Persia, that his word is the wiser, to him shall the victory be given as is written.and they sayd: When the king shal rise, we wil geue him our writinges: and which soeuer of the three the king shal iudge, and the magistrates of Persia, that his word is the wiser, to him shal the victorie be geuen as is writen.et dixerunt, Cum surrexerit rex, dabimus illi scripta nostra, et quodcumque judicaverit rex e tribus, et magistratus Persidis, quoniam verbum ejus sapientius est, ipsi dabitur victoria sicut scriptum est.
10One wrote: Wine is strong.One wrote: Wine is strong.Unus scripsit, Forte est vinum.
11Another wrote, a King is stronger.An other wrote, a King is stronger.Alius scripsit, Fortior est rex.
12The third wrote, Women are more strong: but above all things truth overcometh.The third wrote, Wemen are more strong: but aboue al thinges truth ouercometh.Tertius scripsit, Fortiores sunt mulieres : super omnia autem vincit veritas.
13And when the king was risen, they took their writings, and gave him, and he read.And when the king was risen, they tooke their writinges, and gaue him, and he read.Et cum surrexisset rex, acceperunt scripta sua, et dederunt illi, et legit.
14And sending he called all the Magistrates of the Persians, and the Medes, and them that wear purple, and the pretors, and the overseers;And sending he called al the Magistrates of the Persians, and the Medes, and them that weare purple, and the pretors, and the ouerseers;Et mittens vocavit omnes magistratus Persarum, et Medos, et purpuratos, et prætores, et præfectos :
15and they sate in the council: and the writings were read before them.and they sate in the councel: and the writinges were read before them.et sederunt in concilio : et lecta sunt scripta coram ipsis.
16And he said: Call the young men, and they shall declare their own words. And they were called, and went in.And he sayd: Cal the youngmen, and they shal declare their owne wordes. And they were called, and went in.Et dixit, Vocate adolescentes, et ipsi indicabunt verba sua. Et vocati sunt, et introierunt.
17And he said to them: Declare unto us concerning these things which are written. And the first began, he that had spoken of the strength of wine,And he sayd to them: Declare vnto vs concerning these thinges which are writen. And the first began, he that had spoken of the strength of wine,Et dixit illis, indicate nobis de his quæ scripta sunt. Et cœpit prior, qui dixerat de fortitudine vini,
18and said: O ye men, how doth wine prevail over all men that drink! it seduceth the mind.and sayd: O ye men, how doth wine preuaile ouer al men that drinke! it seduceth the minde.et dixit, Viri, quàm prævalet vinum omnibus hominibus qui bibunt illud ! seducit mentem.
19And also the mind of king and orphan it maketh vain. Also of the bondman and the free, of the rich man and the poor,And also the mind of king and orphane it maketh vaine. Also of the bondman and the free, of the rich man and the poore,Itemque regis et orphani facit mentem vanam. Item servi ac liberi, pauperis ac divitis,
20and every mind it turneth into security and pleasantness, and it remembreth not any sorrow and duty,and euerie mind it turneth into securitie and pleasantnes, and it remembreth not any sorow and dewtie,et omnem mentem convertit in securitatem et jucunditatem, et non meminit omnem tristitiam et debitum,
21and all hearts it maketh honest; and it remembreth not king, nor magistrate, and it maketh a man speak all things by talenta: by great weights or large sums, hence in grand and extravagant terms, not natural abilities or aptitudes.and al hartes it maketh honest; and it remembreth not king, nor magistrate, and it maketh a man speake al thinges by talentes.et omnia præcordia facit honesta, et non meminit regem nec magistratum, et omnia per talenta loqui facit.
22And when they have drunk, they remember not friendship, nor brotherhood: yea and not long after they take swords.And when they haue drunke, they remember not frendship, nor brotherhood: yea and not long after they take swordes.Et non meminerunt, cum biberunt, amicitiam nec fraternitatem : sed non multum sumunt gladios.
23And when they are recovered and risen from the wine, they remember not what they have done.And when they are recouered and risen from the wine, they remember not what they haue done.Et cum a vino merserint, et surrexerint, non meminerunt quæ gesserunt.
24O ye men, doth not wine excel? who thinketh to do so? And having said this, he held his peace.O ye men, doth not wine excel? who thinketh to doe so? And hauing sayd this, he held his peace.O viri, num præcellit vinum ? quis sic cogit facere ? Et tacuit hoc dicto.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.