MS. dat.
MS. wid-held.
ſwilc hail was her or neuere nomen
3040
So ſal ðiſ ſel to-morgen cumen;
Do men and erue in huſe ben,
If ðu wilt more hem liues ſen."
| He threatens the king with hail-storm. |
ðo men, ðe weren in eige and dred,
3044
ben borwen, and erue, ðurg ðiſ red.
| [Fol. 59b.] |
O morgen, al ſwilc time al ſir,
ðhunder, and hail, and leuenes fir,
Cam wel vnghere; al ðat it fond
| On the morrow came thunder, hail, and
lightning. |
3048
Bergles, it ſloge in ðat lond;
Treeſ it for-brac, and greſ, and corn,
ðat waſ up-ſprungen ðor bi-foren;
Oc ðe ebrius in lond gerſen
3052
ne derede it, coren, ne erf, ne men;
ðo ſeide ðe folc to pharaon,
| It slew many men, broke down trees, grass, and
corn. |
"Nu ic wot we haue miſ-don;
Moyſes, do ðiſ weder charen,
3056
And gu ſal [ic] leten ut-faren."
Moyſes gede vt, helde up iſ hond,
And al ðiſ vnweder ðor atwond,
| The Egyptians beseech Moses to remove this
plague. |
And wurð ðiſ weder ſone al ſtille,
3060
And al after ðe kinges wille.
| The storm ceased, |
ðiſ weder iſ ſofte, And ðiſ king hard,
And brekeð him eft ðat forward.
MOyſes ſiðen, and aaron,
| but though the weather was soft, the king's heart
was hard. |
3064
Seiden bi-foren pharaon,
| Then said Moses, |
"To-morgen ſulen greſſeoppes cumen,
And ðat ail ða bileaf ſal al ben numen;
So ſal ðin hardneſſe ben wreken,
3068
ðat men ſulen longe ðor-after ſpeken."
| "To-morrow shall the grasshoppers come into the
land." |
"Goð vt," quað he, "red ic ſal taken,
And gu ſiðen i ſal anſwer maken."
| [Fol. 60.] |
Qvað ðiſ folc,
"beter iſt laten hem vt-pharen,
3072
Al ſal egipte elles for-faren."
| The Egyptians advise the king to let the Israelites
go. |
He calde hem in; quad pharaon,
"Quilc ben ðo ðe ſulen vt-gon?"
| Pharaoh is at first inclined to let them go, |
Quað moyſes, "but alle wapmen,
3076
wið erf, and childre, and wimmen."
| |
"Hu! haue ge wrong," quad pharaon,
"Gu wapmen giue Ic leue to gon;
Of erf and wimmen leue ic nogt,
3080
Ear one of wapmen waſ bi-ſogt."
Ef[t] ðiſ andſwere, ben vt-gon
moyſes forð and aaron;
| but would only grant permission to the men. |
MOyſes held up hiſ
hond,
3084
A ſuðen wind iſ flig[t] up-wond,
And blew ðat day and al ðat nigt
And brogte egipte an newe figt;
| Moses held up his hand, and a southern wind
uprose, |
ðiſ wind hem brogte ðe ſkipperes,
3088
He deden on greſ and coren deres.
| which brought the locusts. |
ðat lond was ful, and ðiſ king wo,
He ſente after ðe breðere ðo.
Quad pharaon, "ic haue miſ-numen,
| Then was the king full of woe, |
3092
Wreche iſ on vs wið rigte cumen;
Bi-ſek get god, ðis one ſiðe,
ðat he vs of ðiſ pine friðe."
| and besought Moses to turn from them the evil. |
And ſo [he] dede, and on wind cam
3096
fro weſten, and ðo opperes nam,
And warpes ouer in-to ðe ſe;
ðo pharaun ſag iſ lond al fre,
| [Fol. 60b.]
A western wind took away the locusts. |
Hiſ herte ðo wurð ðwert and hard,
3100
And al he brac hem [ðat] forward.
MOyſes ſiðen held up iſ hond,
| Pharaoh broke his covenant. |
And ðhikke ðherkneſſe cam on ðat lond,
ðat migte non egipcien
3104
Abuten him for mirkneſſe ſen;
Manige ðor ſorge on liue bead,
| The plague of thick darkness. |
And manige weren rewlike dead;
Quor-ſo ðe folc waſ of yſrael,
| Many died from fear. |
3108
He adden ligt and ſowen wel.
ðo quad pharaon to moyſen,
| The Israelites had light. |
"Led vt al ðat iſ boren of man,
| The king tells them to go, and |