MOSES SLAYS AN EGYPTIAN,

And moyſes drug him to ðe ſtrond,
And ſtille[[256]] he dalf him [in] ðe ſond;
wende he ðat non egipcien
2720 ðat hadde it wiſt, ne ſulde a ſen;
He thought that none had wist it.
Til after ðiſ on oðer day,
He ſag chiden in ðe wey
two egypcienis, modi & ſtrong,
2724 ðiſ on wulde don ðe toðer wrong;
And moyſes nam ðer-of kep,
And to hemward ſwide[[257]] he lep,
And vndernam him ðat it agte awold.
On the second day he saw two men chiding, and reproved them.
2728 And he him anſwerede modi & bold;
The wrong-doer thus answered him,
"Meiſter(.) moyſes, quo haueð ðe mad?
ðu art of dede and o word to rad.
"Moses, who made thee master?
we witen wel quat iſ bi-tid,
2732 Quuow giſter-dai waſ ſlagen and hid;
ðe bode iſ cumen to pharaun,[[258]]
 [Fol. 53b.]
We know well how yesterday one was slain and hid.
Get ſal ðin pride fallen dun."
Soon shall thy pride fall down."
Ðo bi-thowte him moyſes,
2736 And his weige ðeðen ches;
ðurg ðe deſerd a-wei he nam,
Then Moses fled
And to burge madian he cam,
And ſette hi[m] ðor vten ðe town,
and came to Midian,
2740 Bi a welle ðo ſprong ðor dun.
Raguel Ietro ðat riche man,
Was wuniende in madian,
where dwelt Jethro,
He hadde ſeuene dowtreſ bi-geten;
2744 ðor he comen water to feten,
who had seven daughters.
And for to wattren here ſep;
(Wimmen ðo nomen of here erf kep,
These maidens took care of cattle.
Pride ne cuðe bi ðat dai
2748 Nogt ſo michel ſo it nu mai).
Hirdes wulden ðe maidenes deren,
Pride was not so great then as now.
Oc moyſes ðor hem gan weren,
And wattrede here erue euerilc on,
2752 And dede hem tidelike to tune gon;
Moses helped the maidens to water the flocks.

[256]

MS. ſtalle, corrected to ſtille.

[257]

ſwiðe?

[258]

MS. pharaum.