THE MIRACULOUS FALL OF MANNA.

On morgen fel hem a dew a-gein.
firſt he wenden it were a rein,
knewen he nogt ðiſ dewes coſt;
and on the morrow a dew,
3328 It lai ðor, quit als a rim[[306]] froſt,
like rime frost;
He ðe it ſogen,[[307]] ſeiden, "man hu,"
Manna for-ði men clepeð it nu.
"Man-hu," said they, wherefore they called it Manna.
Quad moyſes, "loc! her nu [iſ] bread,
3332 Ille gruching iſ[[308]] gu for-bead."
A met ðor was, it het Gomor,
 [Fol. 65.]
Ilc man iſ he bead, and nunmor,
Him gaderen or ðe ſunne-ſine,
3336 Elles he ſulden miſſen hine.
Each man gathered an omer of it before the sun shone,
for it malt at ðe ſunne-ſine,
Oc oðer fir for-hadede hine.
for it melted at the sunshine.
To duſt he it grunden and maden bread,
3340 ðat huni and olies ðef he bead;
Quo-ſo nome up forbone mor,
it wirmede, bredde, and rotede ðor.
When ground and made into bread, it tasted like wafers made with honey.
Moyſen dede ful ðe gomor,
3344 In a gold pot, for muning ðor.
Held it ſundri in clene ſtede,
Moses filled an omer of the manna,
And in ðe tabernacle he it dede.
Wið ðiſ mete weren he fed,
3348 fowerti winter vten leð,[[309]]
Til he to lond canaan
Comen(.) ðat god hem giuen gan.
and placed it in the tabernacle.
Forð nam ðiſ folc, ſo god tagte him,
3352 to ðe deſert of rafadim;[[310]]
Forth came this folk, and came to Rephidim,
Tidlike hem waſ ðat water wane,
ðor he grucheden for ðriſt hane;[[311]]
where they murmured for thirst, and did chide with Moses.
Harde he bi-haluen ðer moyſes,
3356 And to god he made is bi-men.
"Louered," quad he, "quat ſal ic don?
He ſulen me werpen ſtones on."
 [Fol. 65b.]
Quað god, "go ðu to erebiſ ſton,
3360 And ſmit wið ðin gerde ðor-on."
God sent him for water to a rock in Horeb.

[306]

MS. rin.

[307]

MS. logen.

[308]

? ic.

[309]

led?

[310]

MS. rafaclim.

[311]

MS. haue.