THE BIRTH AND PRESERVATION OF MOSES.

And ðe knapes to deade giuen,
And leten ðe mayden childre liuen.
Oc he it leten fro godeſ dred;
2576 Get ðo childre wexen in ſped,
And quane he komen to ðe king,
 [Fol. 50b.]
The midwives saved the children's lives,
He wereden hem wið leſing;
He ſeiden ðe childre weren boren
and lied to the king, saying,
2580 Or he migten ben hem bi-foren.
God it geald ðeſe wifes wel,
On hom, on hagte, eddi ſel!
that the children were born ere they arrived.
Ðo bad ðis king al opelike,
2584 In alle burges modilike,
Euerilc knape child of ðat kin
ben a-non don ðe flod wið-in.
Pharaoh then bad that every "knave child" should be drowned.
BI ðat time waſ moyſes boren,
2588 So het abraham dor[[240]] bi-foren;
And his moder het Iacabeð,
Ghe was for him dreful and bleð,
By that time was Moses born.
wel is hire of bird[[241]] bi-tid.
2592 ðre moneð haueð ghe him hid,
durſte ghe non lengere him for-helen,
Ne ghe ne cuðe ðe wateres ſtelen;
His mother hid him for three months.
In an fetles, of rigeſſes wrogt,
2596 Terred, ðat water dered it nogt,
Then she made an ark,
ðiſ child wunden ghe wulde don,
placed the child in it,
And ſetten it ſo ðe water on;
and set it on the water.
Ghe adde or hire dowter ſent,
Miriam was sent to watch what became of it.
2600 To loken quider it ſulde ben went;
Maria dowter ful feren ſtod,
And ghe nam kep to-ward ðiſ flod.
 [Fol. 51.]
Teremuth kinkes[[242]] dowter ðor cam,
2604 ðor ðis child on ðe water nam;
Ghe bad it ben to hire brogt,
And ſag ðis child wol fair[e] wrogt,
The king's daughter came and saw the child on the water.
Ghe wiſte it was of ebrius kin,
2608 And ðog cam hire rewde[[243]] wið-in;
She wist it was of Hebrew kin,

[240]

ðor?

[241]

birð?

[242]

kinges?

[243]

rewðe?