THEY WORSHIP A GOLDEN CALF.

Swilc wod-hed ðiſ folc[[329]] cam on,
3540 ðat he ſeiden to aaraon,
The people, in the absence of Moses, said unto Aaron,
"Mac vs godes foren us to gon,
of moyſes haue we helpe non."
Aaron and vr ſtoden a-gen,
3544 And boden hem ſwilc ðhowtes leten;
ðat wod folc ðor ur of dage
"Make us gods to go before us,"
Brogten, and deden aaron in age;
Here faigere ringes he boden taken,
3548 And don in fier, and geten, and maken
An calf of gold, and [an] alter
Made ðat folc, and lutten it ðer,
and compelled him to make a molten calf,
And ðat calf ofrendes deden,
3552 And made gret feſt in ðat ſtede[n].
Ðo ſeide god to moyſen,
which they worshipped.
"Go ðu nu dun ðin folc to ſen,
He hauen ſineged and miſdon,
3556 Let me taken wreche ðer-on."
God is angered thereby.
"LOruerd,[[330]] merci!" quad moyſes,
"get ne let hem nogt helpe-les;
If he nu her wurðen ſlagen,
3560 Egipte folc ſal ðor-of ben fagen,
And ſeyen ðat he ben bi-ſwiken,
In ðe deſert wel liðerlike;[[331]]
Moses intreateth for them.
And ðenk, louerd,[[330]] quat ben bi-foren
3564 Abram, and yſaac, and iacob ſworen."
 [Fol. 69b.]
God liſtnede wel[[332]] al ðis anſwere;
ðat he ðis folc al ðer[[333]] ne dere.
And moyſes gan neðer-ten,
God listeneth to Moses, and is appeased.
3568 And Ioſu cam him a-gen,
Alſ he was ilc dai wune to don,
quil moyſes ðat munt was on.
Quat Ioſue to moyſi,
3572 "Ic wene he figten dun her-bi,"
Moses came down with the tables,

[329]

MS. has "ðiſ folc" twice over.

[330]

MS. louerð.

[331]

MS. liderlike.

[332]

MS. wel and wel.

[333]

MS. alðer.