JACOB AND HIS FAMILY GO INTO EGYPT.

And fechen wiues, and childre, and men,
2364 And gaf hem ðor al lond gerſen,
And het hem ðat he ſulden hauen
More and bet ðan he kude crauen.
wains and fetch their wives and children.
Ioſep gaf ilc here twinne ſrud,
2368 Beniamin moſt he[[225]] made prud;
Joseph gave them changes of raiment.
fif weden beſt bar beniamin,
ðre hundred plates of ſiluer fin,
Al-ſo fele oðre ðor-til,
 [Fol. 46b.]
2372 He bad ben in is faderes wil,
And .x. aſſes wið ſemes feſt;
Of alle egiptes welðhe beſt
Gaf he iſ breðere, wið herte bliðe,
He bad them take presents for Jacob,
2376 And bad hem rapen hem homward ſwiðe;
And he ſo deden wið herte fagen.
Toward here fader he gunen dragen,
and hasten homeward.
And quane he comen him bi-foren,
2380 Ne wiſte he nogt quat he woren.
When they came home, Jacob scarcely recognized them.
"Louerd," he ſeiden, "iſrael,
Ioſep ðin ſune greteð ðe wel,
And ſendeð ðe bode ðat he liueð,
2384 Al egipte in hiſ wil cliueð."
"Lord Israel," they said, "Joseph liveth and greeteth thee well."
Iacob a-braid, and trewed it nogt,
Til he ſag al ðat welðe brogt.
"Wel me," quað he, "wel iſ me wel,
2388 ðat ic aue abiden ðuſ ſwil[c] ſel!
Jacob believed not till he saw the presents.
And ic ſal to min ſune fare
And ſen, or ic of werlde chare."
Then he said, "I shall go to my son ere I turn from the world."
[I]Acob wente ut of lond chanaan,
2392 And of iſ kinde wel manie a man;
Ioſep wel faire him vnder-ſtod,
And pharaon ðogte it ful good;
Jacob and his family left Canaan.
for ðat he weren hirde-men,
 [Fol. 47.]
2396 He bad hem ben in lond gerſen.
Iacob waſ brogt bi-foren ðe king
for to geuen him hiſ bliſcing.
Pharaoh gives them the land of Goshen to live in. Jacob is brought before Pharaoh,

[225]

MS. be.