JOSEPH'S HARSHNESS TO HIS BRETHREN.

"A louerd, merci! get iſ ðor on
2184 migt he nogt fro his fader gon;
He iſ gungeſt, hoten beniamin,
for we ben alle of ebriſſe kin."
"One," the brethren said, "is at home with his father."
"Nu, bi ðe feið ic og to king pharaon,
2188 ſule ge nogt alle eðen gon,
Til ge me bringen beniamin,
ða gungeſte broðer of pore[[215]] kin."
For ðo waſ Ioſep ſore for-dred
2192 ðat he wore oc ðhurg hem for-red;
He dede hem binden, and leden dun,
 [Fol. 43.]
Quoth Joseph, "Ye shall not all go hence, until ye bring me Benjamin."
And ſperen faſte in his priſun;
ðe ðridde dai he let hem gon,
2196 Al but ðe ton broðer ſymeon;
ðiſ ſymeon bi-lef ðor in bond,
To wedde under Ioſepes hond.
ðes oðere breðere, ſone on-on,
2200 Token leue and wenten hom;
He kept them in prison, and on the third day let them all go except Simeon.
And ſone he weren ðeden[[216]] went,
Wel ſore he hauen hem bi-ment,
And ſeiden hem ðan ðor bi-twen,
The others bemoaned their ill-luck.
2204 "Wrigtful we in ſorwe ben,
for we ſinigeden quilum or
On hure broðer michil mor,
for we werneden him merci,
2208 Nu drege we ſorge al for-ði."
Wende here non it on hiſ mod,
Oc Ioſep al it under-ſtod.
They thought of their sin towards Joseph.
Ioſepes men ðor quiles deden
2212 Al-ſo Ioſep hem adde beden;
Joseph's men did, meanwhile, as they were commanded,
ðo breðere ſeckes hauen he filt,
And in euerilc ðe ſiluer pilt
ðat ðor was paid for ðe coren,
2216 And bunden ðe muðes ðor bi-foren;
Oc ðe breðere ne wiſten it nogt
Hu ðis dede wurðe wrogt;
 [Fol. 43b.]
and filled the brothers' sacks, and placed in them the money paid for the corn.

[215]

gure?

[216]

ðeðen?