walknes wurðinge, and erdes frame,
He knowned[[82]] one ilc ſterre name,
 [Fol. 3b.]
He ſettes in ðe firmament,
God set them in the firmament.
136 Al abuten ðis walkne went;
ðe ſeuene he bad on fligte faren,
He let them be
And toknes ben, and times garen.
for signs and for seasons.
Sunne and mone ðe moſte ben
140 Of alle ðe toknes ðat men her ſen;
Sun and moon are the greatest of all these tokens.
ðe mone iſ more bi mannes tale,
ðan al ðis erðe in werldes dale;
The moon is greater than the earth.
And egeſt ſwilc ðe ſunnes brigt,
144 Iſ more ðanne ðe mones ligt.
The sun's brightness is greater than the moon's light.
ðe mones ligt is moneð met,
ðor-after iſ ðe ſunne ſet;
The moon's light is the measure of a month.
In geuelengðhe worn it mad,
148 In Reke-fille, on ſunder ſhad;
In the equinox was it made.
Two geuelengðhes timen her,
And two ſolſtices in ðe ger.
Two equinoxes and two solstices are in the year.
On four doles delen he
152 ðe ger, ilc dole of moneð ðhre;
Euere ſchinen ðo toknes brigt,
And often giuen iſ on erðe ligt;
wel wurðe his migt lefful ay,
156 ðe wroutis on ðe ferðe day!
Forð glod ðis ferðe daiſ nigt,
ðo cam ðe fifte dais ligt;
In four parts the year is divided, each part being of three months.
ðe fifte day god made ywis
160 of water, ilc fuel and eruerilc[[83]] fiſ,
And tagte fuel on walkene his fligt,
Ilc fiſ on water his flotes migt,
On the fifth day, God made of water each fowl and fish,
[Fol. 4.]
And bliſced hem, and bad hem ðen
164 And tuderande on werld[e] ben.
and bad them multiply.
Ðiſ fifte dai held forð his fligt,
And forð endede ðat fifte nigt;
This fifth day took its flight,
And [cam] ðe ſexte dais ligt,
168 So made god wid[[84]] witter migt,
and on the sixth day God made all cattle, reptiles, and wild deer (beasts).

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So in MS.

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CATTLE ARE MADE FOR MAN'S SERVICE. ADAM IS CREATED.

Al erue, and wrim, and wilde der,
Qwel[[85]] man mai ſen on werlde her.
God ſag bi-fore quat after cam,
172 ðat ſingen ſulde firme adam,
And him to fremen and do[[86]] frame,
God knew that Adam would sin,
He made on werlde al erue tame,
ðe ſulde him her, in ſwinkes ſtrif,
176 to fode, and ſrud, to helpen ðe lif;
And him to pine, and loar her,
so He made tame cattle to help him in his labour and to give him food and clothing.
God made wirme and wilde der.
He pine man wid[[87]] ſorwe and dred,
180 And don hem[[88]] monen hiſ ſinfulhed,
ðat iſ him loar quan he ſeð,
ðan he for ſinne in ſorwe beð.
God made the wild deer to trouble man with sorrow and dread and cause him to moan his sinfulness.
Ilk kinnes erf, and wrim, and der
184 Was mad of erðe on werlde her,
Each kind of cattle, reptile, and beast was made of earth.
And euerilc on in kinde good,
ðor quiles adam fro ſinne ſtod;
 [Fol. 4b.]
All were good while Adam was pure.
Oc der and wrim it deren man
188 fro ðan ðat he ſingen bi-gan;
In ðe moſte and in ðe leſte he forleſ
Hiſ louerd-hed[[89]] quuanne he miſ-cheſ;
But reptiles and wild beasts hurt man as soon as he became sinful.
Leunes and beres him wile to-dragen,
Lions and bears tear him in pieces.
192 And fleges ſen on him non agen;
Hadde he wel loked him wið ſkil,
Ilc beſte ſulde don hiſ wil;
Flies have no awe of him.
Erf helpeð him ðurg godes með,
196 Hiſ lordehed[[90]] ðor-onne he ſeð.
And for hiſe ſinne oc he to munen,
ðat moſte and leiſte him ben binumen.
Cattle help him through God's mercy.
Ðiſ ſexte dai god made Adam,
200 And his licham of erðe he nam,
On this sixth day God made Adam of earth,
And blew ðor-in a liues blaſt,
and blew into his body a "life's blast,"
A likneſſe of his hali gaſt,
"a likeness of His Holy Ghost,

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