THE REPORT OF THE SPIES.

And geteniſſe men ben in ebron,
3716 Quilc men mai get wundren on.
ðiſ folc ðo ſette up grot and gred,
And ſeiden he folwen iuel red;
The Israelites murmur at the news.
"Betre iſ vs get we wenden agen
3720 And in egipte ðralles ben,
ðan we wurðen her ſwerdeſ ſlagen,
 [Fol. 72b.]
And ure kin to ſorge dragen;[[353]]
An loder-man we wilen us ſen,
3724 And wenden in-to egipte agen;
"A captain," said they, "we will make, and return into Egypt."
Ðo quad Ioſue and calef,
"Leateð ben ſwilc wurdes ref,
And doð nogt god almigten wrong,
3728 Iſ milce iſ mikel, iſ ſtrenge iſ ſtrong."
Joshua and Caleb endeavour to still them.
ðor ðrette god hem alle to ſlen,
If moyſes ne wore ðor agen;
God threatens them.
Oc for iſ benes and for iſ ſake[n],
3732 get he ſal wið hem milche maken,
For Moses' sake he spareth them.
Oc alle he ſulen wenden a-gen,
And in ðe deſert longe ben;
And on ðe .xx. winter hold
3736 or mor ut of egipte told,
ðat hauen ðuſ often fand,
Ne ſulden welden ðat leue land,
The murmurers are deprived of entering the land.
Wið-vten Ioſue & calef,
3740 Here rigt-wiſed waſ gode lef.
Joshua and Caleb are excepted.
Moyſes told hem al ðis anſwere,
And he ben ſmiten in ſorweſ dere;
Much sorrow came upon the people.
Get he ſulen .xxx.vii. ger
3744 In ðe deſert ben vten her.
Yet thirty-seven years shall they be in the desert.
Agen he maden here dragt,
Al-ſo ðat ſkie haueð[[354]] tagt.
Oſwas was moyſes eam,[[355]]
3748 And chore was iſ bernteam;
 [Fol. 73.]
Ille nið iſ herte wexe on
A-gen moyſen and aaron,
Korah, with two hundred and fifty princes, rebel against Moses.

[353]

MS. ðragen.

[354]

MS. haued.

[355]

MS. cam.