JOSEPH IS SOLD TO CHAPMEN,

1936 Hate hem on ros, in herte numen;
Swilc nið & hate roſ hem on,
He redden alle him for to ſlon.
"Nai," quad ruben, "ſlo we him nogt,
and took counsel to slay him.
1940 Oðer ſinne may ben wrogt,
Quat-ſo him drempte ðor quiles he ſlep,
In ðiſ ðiſterneſſe,[[199]] old and dep,
Get wurðe[[200]] worpen naked and cold,
1944 Quat-ſo hiſ dremeſ owen a-wold."
ðiſ dede waſ don wid[[201]] herte ſor,
Reuben advised them to throw Joseph into an old and deep pit.
Ne wulde ruben nogt drechen ðor;
He gede and ſogte an oðer ſtede,
1948 Hiſ erue in bettre lewſe he dede;
Reuben left his brethren to seek better pasture for his cattle.
Vdas dor[[202]] quiles gaf hem red,
ðat was fulfilt of derne ſped;
fro galaad men wið chafare
1952 Sag he ðor kumen wid ſpices ware;
Judah gave them bad advice,
To-warde egipte he gunne ten.
Iudas tagte hu it ſulde ben,
 [Fol. 38b.]
Ioseph ſolde ðe breðere ten,
1956 for .xxx. plates to ðe chapmen;
Get waſt bettre he ðuſ waſ ſold,
dan[[203]] he ðor ſtorue in here wold.
and Joseph was sold for thirty pieces of silver.
Ðan ruben cam ðider a-gen,
1960 to ðat ciſterneſſe[[204]] he ran to ſen;
He miſſed Ioseph and ðhogte ſwem,
Reuben came thither again and found Joseph gone.
wende him ſlagen, ſet up an rem;
Nile he blinnen, ſwilc ſorwe he cliued,
1964 Til him he ſweren ðat he liued.
ðo nomen he ðe childes ſrud,
ðe iacob hadde mad im[[205]] in prud;
Great was his outcry, which did not cease until he was assured that Joseph lived.
In kides blod he wenten it,
1968 ðo waſ ðor-on an rewli lit.
Sondere men he it leiden on,
Joseph's coat was dipt in kid's blood,

[199]

cisterneſſe?

[200]

he is inserted in the later hand.

[201]

wið?

[202]

ðor?

[203]

ðan?

[204]

MS. cifterneſſe.

[205]

madim in MS.