ſwilc hail was her or neuere nomen
3040
So ſal ðiſ ſel to-morgen cumen;
Do men and erue in huſe ben,
If ðu wilt more hem liues ſen."
| He threatens the king with hail-storm. |
ðo men, ðe weren in eige and dred,
3044
ben borwen, and erue, ðurg ðiſ red.
| [Fol. 59b.] |
O morgen, al ſwilc time al ſir,
ðhunder, and hail, and leuenes fir,
Cam wel vnghere; al ðat it fond
| On the morrow came thunder, hail, and
lightning. |
3048
Bergles, it ſloge in ðat lond;
Treeſ it for-brac, and greſ, and corn,
ðat waſ up-ſprungen ðor bi-foren;
Oc ðe ebrius in lond gerſen
3052
ne derede it, coren, ne erf, ne men;
ðo ſeide ðe folc to pharaon,
| It slew many men, broke down trees, grass, and
corn. |
"Nu ic wot we haue miſ-don;
Moyſes, do ðiſ weder charen,
3056
And gu ſal [ic] leten ut-faren."
Moyſes gede vt, helde up iſ hond,
And al ðiſ vnweder ðor atwond,
| The Egyptians beseech Moses to remove this
plague. |
And wurð ðiſ weder ſone al ſtille,
3060
And al after ðe kinges wille.
| The storm ceased, |
ðiſ weder iſ ſofte, And ðiſ king hard,
And brekeð him eft ðat forward.
MOyſes ſiðen, and aaron,
| but though the weather was soft, the king's heart
was hard. |
3064
Seiden bi-foren pharaon,
| Then said Moses, |
"To-morgen ſulen greſſeoppes cumen,
And ðat ail ða bileaf ſal al ben numen;
So ſal ðin hardneſſe ben wreken,
3068
ðat men ſulen longe ðor-after ſpeken."
| "To-morrow shall the grasshoppers come into the
land." |
"Goð vt," quað he, "red ic ſal taken,
And gu ſiðen i ſal anſwer maken."
| [Fol. 60.] |
Qvað ðiſ folc,
"beter iſt laten hem vt-pharen,
3072
Al ſal egipte elles for-faren."
| The Egyptians advise the king to let the Israelites
go. |
He calde hem in; quad pharaon,
"Quilc ben ðo ðe ſulen vt-gon?"
| Pharaoh is at first inclined to let them go, |