THE FAMINE IN EGYPT AND CANAAN.

And ghe ðer him two childer bar,
Or men wurð of ðat hunger war,
first manaſſen and effraym;
2152 He luueden god, he geld it hem.
Before the famine came two sons were born to Joseph.
ðe .vii. fulſum geres faren,
Ioſep cuðe him bi-foren waren;
ðan coren wantede in oðer lond,
2156 ðo ynug [was] vnder his hond.
The years of plenty pass away.
Hvnger wex in lond chanaan,
And his .x. ſunes iacob for-ðan
The famine was felt in Canaan.
Sente in-to egipt to bringen coren;
2160 He bilef at hom ðe was gungeſt boren.
Jacob sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn.
ðe .x. comen, for nede ſogt,
To Ioſep, and he ne knewen him nogt,
 [Fol. 42b.]
And ðog he lutten him frigtilike,
2164 Anð ſeiden to him mildelike,
"We ben ſondes for nede driuen
To bigen coren ðor-bi to liuen."
Though they honoured Joseph,
(Ioſep hem knew al in his ðhogt,
2168 Alſ he let he knew hem nogt.)
"It ſemet wel ðat ge ſpies ben,
yet he pretended not to know them.
And in-to ðiſ lond cumen to ſen,
And cume ge for non oðer ðing,
2172 but for to ſpien ur lord ðe king."
"Nai," he ſeiden euerilc on,
He accused them of being spies.
"Spies were we neuer non,
Oc alle we ben on faderes ſunen,
2176 For hunger doð es[[213]] hider cumen."
"Oc nu ic wot ge ſpieſ ben,
for bi gure bering men mai it ſen;
They declared that they were true men, the sons of one father.
Hu ſulde oni man[[214]] poure for-geten,
2180 ſwilke and ſo manige ſunes bigeten?
for ſeldum bi-tid ſelf ani king
ſwilc men to ſen of hiſe ofſpring."
"Only kings," said Joseph, "had so many sons."

[213]

doðes MS.

[214]

MS. Hu suld sulde oninan.