ðe, leuerd god, to wurðinge,
Queðer ſo hic rede or ſinge!"[[4]]
Then follows the Bible narrative of Genesis and Exodus, here and there varied by the introduction of a few of those sacred legends so common in the mediæval ages, but in the use of which, however, our author is far less bold than many subsequent writers, who, seeking to make their works attractive to the "lewed," did not scruple to mix up with the sacred history the most absurd and childish stories, which must have rendered such compilations more amusing than instructive. It seems to have been the object of the author of the present work to present to his readers, in as few words as possible, the most important facts contained in the Books of Genesis and Exodus without any elaboration or comment, and he has, therefore, omitted such facts as were not essentially necessary to the completeness of his narrative;[[5]] while, on the other hand, he has included certain portions of the Books of Numbers and Deuteronomy,[[6]] so as to present to his readers a complete history of the wanderings of the Israelites, and the life of Moses their leader.
In order to excite the reader's curiosity, we subjoin a few passages, with a literal translation:—
LAMECH'S BIGAMY.
| Lamech is at ðe sexte kne, | Lamech is at the sixth degree, |
| ðe ſeuende man after adam, | The seventh man after Adam, |
| ðat of caymes kinde cam. | That of Cain's kin came. |
| ðiſ lamech waſ ðe firme man, | This Lamech was the first man |
| ðe bigamie firſt bi-gan. | Who bigamy first began. |
| Bigamie is unkinde ðing, | Bigamy is unnatural thing, |
| On engleis tale, twie-wifing; | In English speech, twi-wiving; |
| for ai was rigt and kire bi-forn, | For aye was right and purity before, |
| On man, on wif, til he was boren. | One man, one wife, till he was born. |
| Lamech him two wifes nam, | Lamech to him two wives took, |
| On adda, an noðer wif ſellam. | One Adah, another wife Zillah. |
| Adda bar him ſune Iobal, | Adah bare him a son Jubal, |
| He was hirde wittere and wal; | He was a [shep-]herd wise and able; |
| Of merke, and kinde, and helde, & ble, | Of mark,[[7]] breed, age, and colour, |
| ſundring and ſameni[n]g tagte he; | Separating and assembling taught he; |
| Iobal iſ broðer ſong and glew, | Jubal his brother poetry and music, |
| Wit of muſike, wel he knew; | Craft of music, well he knew; |
| On two tableſ of tigel and braſ | On two tables of tile and brass, |
| wrot he ðat wiſtom, wiſ he was, | Wrote he that wisdom, wise he was, |
| ðat it ne ſulde ben undon | That it should not be effaced |
| If fier or water come ðor-on. | If fire or water came thereon. |
| Sella wuneð oc lamech wið, | Zillah dwelleth also Lamech with, |
| ghe bar tubal, a ſellic ſmið; | She bare Tubal, a wonderful smith; |
| Of irin, of golde, ſiluer, and bras | Of iron, of gold, silver and brass |
| To ſundren and mengen wiſ he was; | To separate and mix, wise he was; |
| Wopen of wigte and tol of grið, | Weapon of war and tool of peace, |
| Wel cuðe egte and ſafgte wið. | Well could he hurt and heal with. |
| —(ll. 444-470.) |
DEATH OF CAIN.
| Lamech ledde long lif til ðan | Lamech led long life till then |
| ðat he wurð biſne, and haued a man | That he became blind and had a man |
| ðat ledde him ofte wudeſ ner, | That led him oft to woods near, |
| To scheten after ðe wilde der; | To shoot after the wild deer (animals); |
| Al-so he miſtagte, alſo he ſchet, | As he mistaught, so he shot, |
| And caim in ðe wude iſ let; | And Cain in the wood is let; |
| His knape wende it were a der, | His knave (servant) weened it were a deer, |
| An lamech droge iſ arwe ner, | And Lamech drew his arrow near |
| And letet flegen of ðe ſtreng, | And let it fly off the string, |
| Caim unwar[n]de it under-feng, | Cain unwarned it received, |
| Gruſnede, and ſtrekede, and ſtarf wið-ðan. | Groaned, fell prostrate (stretched) and died with-that. |
| Lamech wið wreðe iſ knape nam, | Lamech with wrath his knave seized, |
| Vn-bente iſ boge, and bet, and slog, | Unbent his bow, and beat and slew, |
| Til he fel dun on dedeſ ſwog. | Till he fell down in death's swoon. |
| Twin-wifing and twin-manſlagt, | Twi-wiving (bigamy) and twi-slaughter (double homicide) |
| Of his ſoule beð mikel hagt. | On his soul is great trouble (anxiety). |
| —(ll. 471-486.) |
HOW THE CHILD MOSES BEHAVED BEFORE PHARAOH.
| Ghe brogte him bi-foren pharaon, | She (Thermutis) brought him (Moses) before Pharaoh, |
| And ðiſ king wurð him in herte mild, | And this king became to him in heart mild, |
| So ſwide faiger was ðiſ child; | So very fair was this child; |
| And he toc him on ſunes ſtede, | And he took him on son's stead (instead of a son), |
| And hiſ corune on his heued he dede, | And his crown on his head he did (placed), |
| And let it ſtonden ayne ſtund; | And let it stand a stound (while); |
| ðe child it warp dun to ðe grund. | The child threw it down to the ground. |
| Hamoneſ likeneſ was ðor-on; | Hamon's likeness was thereon; |
| ðiſ crune is broken, ðiſ iſ miſdon. | This crown is broken, this is misdone. |
| Biſſop Eliopoleos | The Bishop of Heliopolis |
| ſag ðiſ timing, & up he roſ; | Saw this circumstance, and up he rose; |
| "If ðiſ child," quad he, "mote ðen, | If this child, quoth he, might thrive (grow up), |
| He ſal egyptes bale ben." | He shall Egypt's bale be. |
| If ðor ne wore helpe twen lopen, | If there had not helpers 'tween leapt, |
| ðiſ childe adde ðan ſone be dropen; | This child had then soon been killed; |
| ðe king wið-ſtod & an wiſ man, | The king with-stood and a wise man, |
| He ſeide, "ðe child doð alſ he can; | He said, The child doth as he can (knows); |
| We ſulen nu witen for it dede | We should now learn whether it did |
| ðiſ witterlike, or in child-hede;" | This wittingly, or in childishness; |
| He bad ðis child brennen to colen | He offered this child two burning coals |
| And he toc is (hu migt he it ðolen), | And he took them (how might he bear them?) |
| And in hiſe muth ſo depe he iſ dede | And in his mouth so deep (far) he them did (placed) |
| Hiſe tunges ende iſ brent ðor-mide; | His tongue's end is burnt therewith; |
| ðor-fore ſeide ðe ebru witterlike, | Therefore said the Hebrew truly, |
| ðat he ſpac ſiðen miſerlike. | That he spake afterwards indistinctly. |
| —(ll. 2634-2658.) |