THE BRETHREN ARE ACCUSED OF THEFT.
| He dede hem waſſen and him bi-foren, 2292 And ſette hem aſ he weren boren; Get he ðhogte of hiſ faderes wunes Hu he ſette at ðe mete hiſe ſunes; | [Fol. 45.] He made his brethren sit before him according to their age. |
| Of euerilc ſonde, of euerilc win, 2296 moſt and beſt he gaf beniamin. In fulſum-hed he wurðen glaðe,[[222]] Ioſep ne ðoht ðor-of no ſcaðe, Oc it him likede ſwiðe wel, | Of meat and wine, the best he gave to Benjamin. |
|
2300
And hem lerede and tagte wel, And hu he ſulden hem beſt leden, Quene he comen in vnkinde ðeden; | Joseph gave them good counsel, |
| "And al ðe bettre ſule ge ſpeden, 2304 If ge wilen gu wið treweiðe leden." | and advised them to act truthfully. |
| Eft on morwen quan it waſ dai, Or or ðe breðere ferden a-wei, Here ſeckes woren alle filt wið coren, 2308 And ðe ſiluer ðor-in bi-foren; | On the morrow they depart. |
| And ðe ſeck ðat agte beniamin Ioſepes cuppe hid was ðor-in; And quuan he weren ut tune went, 2312 Ioſep haueð hem after ſent. | Joseph's cup is hid in Benjamin's sack. |
| ðis ſonde hem ouertakeð raðe, And bi-calleð of harme and ſcaðe; | Joseph's messenger overtakes them, |
| "Vn-ſeli men, quat haue ge don? 2316 Gret vn-ſelðehe iſ gu cumen on, | and accuses them of theft. |
| for iſ it nogt min lord for-holen, ða[t] gure on haueð iſ cuppe ſtolen." ð[o] ſeiden ðe breðere ſikerlike, | [Fol. 45b.] |
|
2320
"Vp quam ðu it findes witterlike, He ſlagen and we agen driuen In-to ðraldom, euermor to liuen." | The brethren assert their innocence. |
| He gan hem ranſaken on and on, 2324 And fond it ðor ſone a-non, And nam ðo breðere euerilk on, And ledde hem ſorful a-gon, | They are ransacked one by one, |
= glade.