DEATH OF CAIN.

Lamech ledde long lif til ðanLamech led long life till then
ðat he wurð biſne, and haued a manThat he became blind and had a man
ðat ledde him ofte wudeſ ner,That led him oft to woods near,
To scheten after ðe wilde der;To shoot after the wild deer (animals);
Al-so he miſtagte, alſo he ſchet,As he mistaught, so he shot,
And caim in ðe wude iſ let;And Cain in the wood is let;
His knape wende it were a der,His knave (servant) weened it were a deer,
An lamech droge iſ arwe ner,And Lamech drew his arrow near
And letet flegen of ðe ſtreng,And let it fly off the string,
Caim unwar[n]de it under-feng,Cain unwarned it received,
Gruſnede, and ſtrekede, and ſtarf wið-ðan.Groaned, fell prostrate (stretched) and died with-that.
Lamech wið wreðe iſ knape nam,Lamech with wrath his knave seized,
Vn-bente iſ boge, and bet, and slog,Unbent his bow, and beat and slew,
Til he fel dun on dedeſ ſwog.Till he fell down in death's swoon.
Twin-wifing and twin-manſlagt,Twi-wiving (bigamy) and twi-slaughter (double homicide)
Of his ſoule beð mikel hagt.On his soul is great trouble (anxiety).
—(ll. 471-486.)