OF PARADISE AND THE CREATION OF EVE.

A ſpirit ful of wit and ſckil;
204 ðor quiles it folgede heli wil,
God ſelf ðor quile liket iſ,
An un-liſ quuanne it wile miſ.
a spirit full of wit and skill."
[I]N feld damaske adam was mad,
208 And ðeðen fer on londe ſad;
In Damascus field Adam was made.
God bar him in-to paradiſ,
An erd al ful of ſwete bliſ;
God bore him into Paradise, an abode full of sweet bliss.
fol wel he wid[[91]] him ðor dede,
 [Fol. 5.]
212 bi-tagte him al ðat mirie ſtede;
Oc an bodeword ðer he him forbed,
if he wulde him ſilden fro ðe ded,
He intrusted to him all that pleasant place.
ðat he ſulde him ðer loken fro
216 A fruit, ðe kenned wel and wo,
But forbad him to touch the fruit which taught "weal and woe."
And hiegt him ded he ſulde ben
If he ðat bode-word ne gunne flen.
Dead should he be if he broke this command.
God brogt adam ðor bi-forn
220 Ilc kinnes beſte of erðe boren,
and fugel, an fiſ, wilde and tame,
God brought all beasts of the earth, fowl, and fish unto Adam,
ðor gaf adam ilc here iſ name;
Ne was ðor non lik adam.
who gave to each a name.
224 God dede dat[[92]] he on ſweuene cam,
And in ðat ſweuene he let him ſen
Mikel ðat after ſulde ben.
God caused a sleep to come upon Adam, and in that sleep he saw much that should hereafter be.
Ut of his ſide he toc a rib,
228 And made a wimman him ful ſib,
And heled him ðat ſide wel
ðat it ne wrocte him neuere a del.
Out of his side God took a rib, and out of it made a woman.
Adam abraid, and ſag ðat wif,
232 Name he gaf hire dat[[93]] iſ ful Rif;
Adam awoke and saw his wife.
Iſſa waſ hire firſte name,
ðor-of ðurte hire ðinken no ſame;
Issa was her first name,
Mayden, for ſche was mad of man,
236 Hire firſt name ðor bi-gan;
because she was made of man.
Siðen ghe brocte us to woa,
Adam gaf hire name eua.
After she brought us to woe Adam called her Eva.
[Fol. 5b.]

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