And pharaon ſtirte up a-non,
2932 And for-bed ðiſ folc to gon.
ÐO ſeide moyſes to araon,
"Quat redeſ tu, broder, ſule wit don?
ðiſ king him his[[268]] wel wiðer-ward
2936 Agen ðis folc, and herte hard;
Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go.
Go we and ſpeken wið hem get,
And fonden wið ðiſ token bet."
Moses and Aaron again came before Pharaoh.
And ſo deden [he] ſone a-non,
2940 And comen bi-foren pharaon,
Quad aaron, "nu ſaltu ſen
Quilc godes migtful ſtrengðes ben."
 [Fol. 57b.]
He ſmot on ðat flod wið ðat wond,
Aaron smote on the flood with his wand;
2944 Sone anon blod men al it fond;
soon anon it became blood,
And ðe fiſſes, in al ðat blod read,
floten a-buuen and wurðeden dead;
and the fish in it died.
In euerilc welle, in euerilc trike,
2948 men funden blod al witterlike,
In every well and pool blood was found,
But-if it were in ðe lond gerſen,
ðor-inne woree[[269]] ðe ebriſſe men.
ðis wreche, in al egypte rigt,
except in Goshen.
2952 Leſtede fulle ſeuene nigt;
ðo waſ ðiſ king ſumdel for-dred,
This plague lasted seven nights.
And het hem he ſulden vt ben led;
And moyſes ðiſ pine vn-dede,
2956 And water wurð on blodeſ ſtede.
Pharaoh then promised that the Hebrews should depart.
ðan pharaon wurð war ðis bot,
ðiſ folc of londe funden ne mot;
Iannes and mambres, wicheſ wod,
2960 Him ðhugte he maden water blod;
When the plague was removed he would not release them.
It waſ on fendes wiſe wrogt,
for to bi-tournen[[270]] ðe kingeſ ðogt.
Moyſes lerede god, ſpac him mide,
2964 Al ðat iſ broðer aaron dede.
Mad sorcerers misled the king.
Eft he comen to pharaon,
And he wernede ðiſ folc ut-gon.
 [Fol. 58.]

[268]

read is.

[269]

woren?

[270]

MS. bitoueren.

THE PLAGUES OF FROGS AND GNATS.

And aaron held up his hond,
2968 to ðe water and ðe more lond;
ðo cam ðor up ſwilc froſkes here
ðe dede[[271]] al folc egipte dere;
Aaron held up his hand towards the water, and up came a host of frogs.
Summe woren wilde, and ſumme tame,
2972 And ðo hem deden ðe[[272]] moſte ſame;
Some were wild and some tame.
In huſe, in drinc, in metes, in bed,
It cropen and maden hem for-dred;
Some crept into houses, drink, meat, and bed.
Summe ſtoruen and gouen ſtinc,
2976 And vn-hileden mete and drinc;
Some died and stank.
Polheuedes, and froſkes, & podes ſpile
Bond harde egipte folc [[273]]in ſile.
ðiſ king bad moyſes and aaron,
2980 ðat he ſulden god bone don;
Tadpoles, frogs, and toads afflicted Egypt's folk.
And ſone ſo moyſes bad iſ bede,
ðiſ wirmes ſtoruen in ðe ſtede;
The frogs died,
And quane ðe king wurð war ðis dead,
2984 Anon ðis folc fore he for-bead.
Ðe ðridde wreche dede aaron
Bi-foren ðe king pharaon;
but the king forbad the departure of the Hebrews.
He ſmot wið ðat gerde on ðe lond,
2988 And gnattes hird ðor ðicke up-wond,
ſmale to ſen, and ſarp on bite,
In al egypte fleg ðiſ ſmite.
The third plague of gnats, small to look at, but sharp in biting.
And ðo dede men and herf wo,
2992 Anger and tene, ſorge and wo.
 [Fol. 58b.]
Quoðen ðo wiches clerkes(.) "ðiſ
fortoken godeſ gaſtes is."
The sorcerers said, "This is token of God's ghost,"
Her hem wantede migt and ſped,
2996 to ſwilc ðing cuðen he non red;
ðiſ toknes dede aaron.
for they lacked might to do this.
God ſente ſiðen hem oðere on,
for euere eld ðiſ king on-on,
3000 And wernede ðiſ folc vt to gon.
Ðo ſeide god to moyſen,
"Go ðu gund pharaon agen;
Pharaoh remained obstinate,

[271]