AND ARE DEFEATED BY MOSES.

Bi a lond weige he wente rigt,
And brogte vn-warnede on hem figt;
He hadden don egipte wrong,
to lead the Egyptians against their enemies.
2684 He bi-loc hem & ſmette a-mong,
He smote and slew them.
And ſlug ðor manige; oc ſumme flen,
Into ſaba to borgen ben.
Moyſes bi-ſette al ðat burg,
2688 Oc it was riche & ſtrong ut-ðhurg;
Many fled to Sheba.
Ethiopienes kinges dowter tarbis,
Riche maiden of michel priſ,
The king of Ethiopia's daughter, for love,
Gaf ðiſ riche burg moyſi;
2692 Luue-bonde hire ghe it dede for-ði.
ðor iſe fon he leide in bonde,
gave this rich city to Moses,
And he wurð al-migt-ful in ðat lond;
He bi-lef ðor(.) tarbis him ſcroð,
who waxed mighty in the land.
2696 ðog was him ðat ſurgerun ful loð;
Mai he no leue at hire taken
His sojourn there was distasteful to him,
but-if he it mai wið crafte maken:
He waſ of an ſtrong migt wiſ,
but by craft he brought it to an end.
2700 He carf in two gummes of priſ
Two likeneſſes, ſo grauen & meten,
He carved upon two gems two likenesses;
ðiſ doð ðenken, & ðoð[[251]] forgeten;
He feſt is in two ringes of gold,
the one caused remembrance, the other forgetfulness.
2704 Gaf hire ðe ton, he was hire hold;
Moses gave her the one which caused her to forget her love,
Ghe it bered[[252]] and ðiſ luue iſ for-geten,
Moyſes ðus haued[[253]] him leue bi-geten;
Sone it migte wið leue ben,
 [Fol. 53.]
2708 Into egypte e[[254]] wente a-gen.
and so he came again to Egypt.
AN time he for to lond gerſen,
to ſpeken wið hiſe kinnes men;
And ſone he cam in-to ðat lond,
2712 A modi ſtiward he ðor fond,
Betende a man wid[[255]] hiſe wond;
ðat ðhugte moyſes michel ſond,
On a time he went to Goshen, and found a "moody steward" beating a Hebrew.
And hente ðe cherl wið hiſe wond,
2716 And he fel dun in dedes bond;
He seized the churl, slew him, and buried him in the sand.

[251]

ðoðer?

[252]

bereð?

[253]

haueð?

[254]

MS. ewente.

[255]

wið?