At the bottom of fol. 48b is the catchword—"And he it for-gaff."

THE DEATH OF JOSEPH.

"It ſal," quað he, "ben ſoð, bi-foren
ðat god hað ure eldere ſworen;
He ſal gu leden in hiſ hond
2508 Heðen to ðat hotene lond;
for godeſ luue get bid ic gu,
Leſted it ðanne, hoteð it nu,
and told them of God's promise to their elders.
ðat mine bene ne be for-loren,
2512 wið gu ben mine bones boren."
He it him gatten and wurð he dead,
God do ðe ſoule ſeli red!
He asks them to bear his bones with them, when they leave Egypt.
Hiſe liche waſ ſpice-like maked,
2516 And longe egipte-like waked,
And ðo biried hem bi-foren,
And ſiðen late of londe boren.
Hiſe oðre breðere, on and on,
2520 Woren ybiried at ebron.
The death of Joseph.
An her endede to ful, in wiſ,
ðe boc ðe iſ hoten geneſis,
ðe moyſes, ðurg godes red,
2524 Wrot for lefful ſoules ned.
Here endeth the book called Genesis, written by Moses, through God's counsel.
God ſchilde hiſe ſowle fro helle bale,
ðe made it ðus on engel tale!
And he ðat ðiſe lettres wrot,
 [Fol. 49b.]
God shield his soul from hell-bale, who translated it into English!
2528 God him helpe weli mot,
And berge iſ ſowle fro ſorge & grot
Of helle pine, cold & hot!
And alle men, ðe it heren wilen,[[236]]
May God help and protect him from hell-pain, cold and hot!
2532 God leue hem in hiſ bliſſe ſpilen
Among engeles & ſeli men,
Wiðuten ende in reſte ben,
And luue & pais uſ bi-twen,
2536 And god ſo graunte, amen, ameN!
And all men who will hear it, God grant that they may dwell in bliss among angels for ever!

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MS. welin.

THE OPPRESSION OF THE ISRAELITES.

GOdes bliſcing be wið vs,
Her nu bi-ginned[[237]] exodus.
Here beginneth Exodus.
Pharao kinges rigte name
2540 Vephres, be dede ðe ebriſ frame;
And bi oðere ſeuene kinges ſel,
Under Pharaoh, and the seven kings who succeeded him,
Wexen he ðore & ðogen wel.
the Israelites increased and prospered.
ðe egtenede king amonaphis,
2544 Agenes ðis folc hatel is;
The eighth king treated them harshly,
And egipte folc adden nið,
for ebriſ adden ſeli ſið.
Quuað ðis ging[[238]] wið hem ſtille in red,
2548 "ðis ebris waxen michil ſped,
and the Egyptians became jealous of them.
Bute if we eraflike[[239]] hem for-don,
Ne ſulen he non eige ſen uſ on."
 [Fol. 50.]
Ðo ſette ſundri hem to waken
2552 His tigel and lim, and walles maken,
burges feten; and rameſen
ðurge here ſwinc it walled ben;
They made slaves of them, and set them to build walls.
Summe he deden in vn-ðewed ſwinc,
2556 for it was fugel and ful o ſtinc,
Some they made to do foul work,
Muc and fen ut of burgeſ beren,
ðuſ bitterlike he gun hem deren;
ðe ðridde ſwinc was eui and ſtron[g],
to carry "muck and fen out of the city,"
2560 He deden hem crepen dikes long,
And wide a-buten burges gon,
and to creep along dikes.
And cumen ðer ear waſ non;
And if ðat folc hem wulde deren,
2564 ðe dikeſ comb hem ſulde weren.
for al ðat ſwinc heui & ſor,
The comb of the dike serves them as protection against their enemies.
Ay wex ðat kinde, mor & mor,
And ðhogen, & ſpredden in londe ðor,
2568 ðat made ðe kinges herte ful ſor.
For all that labour, the folk increased and spread.
Ðo bad monophis pharaun
wimmen ben ſet in euerilc tun,
Then bad Pharaoh,
And ðat he weren redi bi-foren,
2572 Quan ebru child ſuld be boren,
that every Hebrew male child should be put to death as soon as it was born.

[237]

bi-ginneð?

[238]