THE BUILDING OF THE ARK. THE FLOOD.

And here foure wifes woren hem wið;
560 ðise .viij. hadden in ðe arche grið.[[111]]
Ðat arche was a feteles good,
ſet and limed a-gen ðe flood;
The ark was a good vessel.
ðhre hundred elne waſ it long,
564 Naild and ſperd, ðig and ſtrong,
Three hundred ells was it long,
And .l.ti elne wid, and .xxx.ti heg;
ðor buten noe (.) long ſwing he dreg,
fifty wide, and thirty high.
An hundred winter, euerilc del,
568 welken or it was ended wel;
Of alle der ðe on werlde wunen,
And foueles weren ðer-inne cumen
A hundred winters was Noah in building it.
Bi ſeuene and ſeuene, or bi two & two,
572 Al-migtin god him bad it ſo,
And mete quorbi ðei migten liuen,
ðor quiles he woren on water driuen.
Clean animals entered the ark by seven and seven, unclean by two and two.
Sexe hundred ger noe was hold
576 Quan he dede him in ðe arche-wold;
Two ðhuſant ger, ſex hundred mo,
And ſex and fifti forð to ðo,
weren of werldes elde numen
580 ðan noe waſ in to ðe arche cumen.
 [Fol. 12.]
Six hundred years old was Noah when he entered the ark.
Ilc watereſ ſpringe here ſtrengðe undede,
And Reyn gette dun on euerilk ſtede
fowerti daiſ and fowerti nigt,
584 So wex water wið magti migt;
So wunderlike it wex & get
The water springs undid their strength. Rain poured down on every place.
ðat fiftene elne it ouer-flet,
Ouer ilk dune, and ouer ilc hil,
588 ðhurge godes migt and godes wil;
And oðer fowerti ðore-to,
Daiſ and nigtes ſtodet ſo;
Fifteen ells it overflowed, over every hill and vale.
ðo waſ ilc fleiſ on wer[l]de ſlagen,
592 ðo gunnen ðe wateres hem wið-dragen.
Then was all flesh destroyed.

[111]

At the end of the line in the margin 'Se archa Nœe.'