THE COVENANT BETWEEN JACOB AND LABAN.

So waſ he frig[t]ed ear in drem,
ðus meðelike ſpac ðiſ em:
"Qui wore ðu fro me for-holen,
1760 And qui aſ ðu min godes ſtolen?
Min mog, min neue, and felage,
Me ne agtes ðu don ſwilc [vn-]lage."
"[I]c was for-dred ðe migte timen,
1764 fro me ðine doutres bi-nimen,
He complains of the wrong done to him.
fro here childre ðhogt hem ſor,
mor for me bi-leuen ðor;
ſtalðe ic for-ſake, ðat iſ min red,
1768 wið quam ðu iſ findes, ðat he be dead."
Jacob denies that he has been guilty of theft.
Of al ðat laban haued[[185]] iſ ſogt,
So woren it hid, ne fond he is nogt.
Laban searched for his idols, but found them not.
Ðo [q]wað iacob, "yuel iſt bi-togen,
1772 Min ſwinc a-buten ðin holðe drogen;
ðu me ranſakes alſ an ðef,
And me was ðin wurðing lef."
 [Fol. 35.]
Then said Jacob, "What is my sin that thou ransackest me as a thief?"
ðo quat laban, "frend ſule wit ben,
1776 And trewðe pligt[[186]] nu unc bi-twen,
And make we it her an hil of ſton,
Name of witneſſe be ðer-on;"
ðor-on he eten bliðe and glað,[[187]]
Quoth Laban, "Friends will we be and plight troth between us."
1780 ðat hil iſ hoten galaað;
Laban hem bliſcede, & on nigt
This covenant was made at Gilead.
wente a-gen-ward, or it waſ ligt;
And iacob waſ of weie rad,
1784 Raðe he was fer fro laban ſad.
Laban departed before daylight.
Alſ he cam ner cananeam,
Engel wirð a-gen him cam,
Als it were wopnede here,
1788 Redi to ſilden him fro were;
As Jacob drew near to Canaan, he was met by the angels of God.
ðat ſtede he calde manaim,
ðor ðis wird of engeles metten him.
ðor he bi-lef, and ſente ðeden[[188]]
That place he called Mahanaim.
1792 Sondere men to freinen and queðen
Jacob sends messengers to Esau.

[185]

haueð?

[186]

wligt MS.

[187]

glad?

[188]

ðeðen?