THE BATTLE OF FOUR KINGS AGAINST FIVE.

On-kumen was cadalamor,
king of elam, wið ferding ſtor;
were conquered by Chedorlaomer, and paid him tribute.
.xij. ger he weren under iſ hond,
844 And gouen him gouel of here lond;
Twelve years they were under his hand.
.xiij. ger gan ſo forð gon
wulde he giuen him gouel non;
In the thirteenth they rebelled,
ðre kinges haued he wið him brogt,
848 wið here-gonge hiſe gouel ſogt;
He ben cumen to mirie dale,
An ðere he werken ſckaðe and bale;
Chedorlaomer and other three kings made war upon the cities.
fowre on-ſeken and fifue weren,
852 Oc ðe fowre ðe fiue deren;
wunded ðor waſ gret folc and ſlagen,
ðe fifwe flen, ðe fowre ben fagen;
Much sorrow they wrought. The four kings conquered the five.
ðe fifwe up to ðe dunes flen,
856 ðe fowre in to ðe tuneſ ten;
wifwes, and childre, and agte, and ſrud,
The five flee to the hills, and the four to the cities of the plain.
He ledden a-wei wið herte prud.
Loth and iſ agte, childre and wif,
860 ben led a-wei bunden wið ſtrif;
They led away with them Lot, his goods, children, and wife.
oc on of hem, ðe flogen a-wei
[Fol. 17b.]
Told it abram ðat ilke deai.
ðre hundred men and .xiij. wigt,
864 Alle ſtalwurði and witter of figt,
wið mambre, and excol, and anel,
Abram let him tunde wel;
ðat hird he folged[[126]] alſ to ðan,
868 On heued-welle of flum iordan,
ðor he wenden ben ſiker on nigt;
Abram he brogte wel newe figt.
But one escaped and told Abram, who armed 313 servants and pursued the enemy.
He woren drunken and ſlepi,
872 Abram[[127]] folc made hem dredi;
ſo heg, ſo long, ne ſpared hem nogt,
Abram found them drunk and sleepy.
Alle he ben ðor to gronde brogt,
wið-ðuten ðo ðe cuden flen;
He brought them all to ground.

[126]

folgel in MS.

[127]

An is is inserted by a later hand.