MS. dat.
MS. ðeden.
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. |
MS. ðragen.
MS. haued.