BENJAMIN IS TAKEN TO EGYPT.
| Oc alle he weren ouer-ðogt, 2220 And hauen it ſo to iacob brogt, And tolden him ſo of here ſped, And al he it liſtnede in frigtihed; | Unopened they brought them to Jacob and told him how they had sped. |
| And quan men ðo ſeckes ðor un-bond, 2224 And in ðe coren ðo agtes fond, Alle he woren ðanne[[217]] ſori ofrigt. Iacob ðus him bi-meneð o-rigt, | Great was their fear when they saw the money in the sack's mouth. |
| "Wel michel ſorge is me bi-cumen, 2228 ðat min two childre aren me for-numen; | "Much sorrow," says Jacob, "is come upon me, |
| Of Ioſep wot ic ending non, And bondes ben leid on ſymeon; If ge beniamin fro me don, 2232 Dead and ſorge me ſegeð on; | since my two children are taken from me. |
| Ai ſal beniamin wið me bi-lewen ðor quiles ic ſal on werlde liuen." ðo quað iudas, "us ſal ben hard, 2236 If we no[[218]] holden him non forward." | Benjamin shall remain with me." |
| Wex derke,[[219]] ðis coren iſ gon, Iacob eſt[[220]] bit hem faren agon, | The corn is soon consumed, and Jacob bids them go to Egypt for more. |
| Oc he ne duren ðe weie cumen in, 2240 "but ge wið uſ ſenden beniamin;" | [Fol. 44.] |
| ðo quað he, "quan it iſ ned, And ne can no bettre red, | Jacob is persuaded to send Benjamin. |
| Bereð dat[[221]]
ſiluer hol agon, 2244 ðat hem ðor-of ne wante non, | He sends back the silver, |
| And oðer ſiluer ðor bi-foren, for to bigen wið oðer coren; | and other corn-money, |
| fruit and ſpices of dere priſ, 2248 Bereð ðat man ðat iſ ſo wiſ; God hunne him eði-modes ben, And ſende me min childre agen." | together with a present of fruit and spices for Joseph. |
| ðo nomen he forð weie rigt, 2252 Til he ben cumen in-to egypte ligt; | The brethren come again to Egypt. |
| And quanne Ioſep hem alle ſag, Kinde ðogt in his herte was [ðag]. | Joseph treats them kindly, |
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