MIRIAM IS SMITTEN WITH LEPROSY.

3680 So fele he wilen, he [h]auen numen,
And dried and holden to eten;
Oc god ne wile[[347]] it nogt for-geten;
ðat gruching hauen he derre bogt,
3684 fier haueð[[348]] on hem ðe wreche wrogt,
Brend and doluen waſ ðat folc ſoth;
ðat ſtede beð cald ðor-fore cabroth.
The Lord smote the people with a plague because of their murmuring.
FOrð he nomen to aſſaroth,
The people come to Hazaroth.
3688 ðor wurð maria ſumdel ſoth,[[349]]
for ſche ðor haueð wið moyſes fliten;
Miriam speaks against Moses,
ðor wurð ghe ðanne wið lepre ſmiten,
And vten ſundred .vii. nigt,
3692 In grot and in ſrifte, ſore offrigt;[[350]]
and is smitten with leprosy.
Moyſes bi-ſogte, and ſche wurð fer
And frend, and cam ðat[[351]] broðer ner.
 [Fol. 72.]
FOrð nam ðiſ folc ſiðen fro ðan
3696 fele iurnes in-to pharan;
Forð waſ gon al ðeſe oðer ger,
ðo he woren at ſyon-gaber;
The people remove from Hazaroth and come to Paran.
Fro ðeðen[[352]] he ſente forð to ſen,
3700 Quilc ðo riche londes ben,
ðat god hem ſulde bringen in;
Men are sent to search the Land of Promise.
On man he ſente of ilc kin.
xii. ſondere men ðor vte faren,
3704 ðiſ hoten lond ðurg-vt he charen,
One is sent from each tribe.
xl. daigeſ faren ben;
Bi ðanne quanne he wenten a-gen,
In-to cades ðe folc was ſogt.
3708 ðeſ .xii. ðider hem hauen brogt
The spies having been away forty days,
Of ðe plenteð ðe god ðor gaf,
An win-grape on an cuuel-ſtaf,
And tolden hem ðe lond iſ god,
3712 ful of erf and of netes brod;
return bringing with them of the plenty of the land.
Oc burges ſtronge and folc v[n-]frigt,
ſtalwurði to weren here rigt;
In Hebron they found walled cities, stalworth men, and giants.

[347]

MS. wile he.

[348]

MS. haued.

[349]

? sot.

[350]

At the bottom of the page is the catchword—"Moyſes bi-ſogte, &."

[351]

MS. dat.

[352]

MS. ðeden.