GOD APPEARS TO MOSES AT SINAI.

An .vii. kinge-riches lond
Ic ſal hem bringen al on hond.
and to bring them into the land of seven kingdoms.
Cum, ðu ſalt ben min ſondere man,
2792 Ic ſal ðe techen wel to ðan;
Come, thou shalt be my messenger,
ðu ſalt min folc bringen a-gen,
And her ðu ſalt min migte ſen;
And ðu ſalt ſeien to faraon,
2796 ðat he lete min folc ut-gon;
and bid Pharaoh release my people.
If he it werne and be ðor-gen,
Ic ſal ðe techen hu it ſal ben;
for ic ſal werken ferlike ſtrong,
If he refuse, I shall work great marvels,
2800 And maken min folc frelike ut-gong;
Ge ſulen cumen wið feteles & ſrud,
and cause my people to go out freely.
And reuen egipte ðat iſ nu prud.
Werp nu to token dun ðat wond."
2804 And it warp vt of hiſe hond,
And wurð ſone an uglike ſnake,
And moyſes fleg for dredes ſake;
As a sign, throw down thy wand." The wand then became an ugly snake.
God him bad, bi ðe tail he it nam,
2808 And it a-non a wond it bi-cam,
God bade Moses take it by the tail, and anon it became a wand.
And in hiſe boſum he dede his hond,
Quit and al unfer he it fond;
[Fol. 55.]
He put his hand into his bosom and it became leprous.
And ſone he dede it eft agen,
2812 Al hol and fer he wiſte it ſen.
He put it in again and it became whole and sound.
"If he for ðiſe tokenes two
Ne liſteðe ne troweð to,
Go, get ðe water of de[[259]] flod
2816 On ðe erðe, and it ſal wurðen blod."
"If they believe not these tokens, pour out the water of the flood on the earth, and it shall become blood."
"Louerd, ic am wanmol, vn-reken
Of wurdes, and may ic Iuel ſpeken.
Nu iſ forð gon ðe ðridde dai,
2820 Sende an oðer; bettre he mai."
"Lord! I am not eloquent, and cannot speak well," said Moses.
"Quo made domme, and quo ſpecande?
Quo made bisne, and quo lockende?
Quo but ic, ðat haue al wrogt?
2824 Of me ſal fultum ben ðe brogt."
Quoth God, "Who made the dumb, the speaking, the blind, and the seeing?"

[259]

ðe?