wentem MS.

THE BUILDING OF THE ARK. THE FLOOD.

And here foure wifes woren hem wið;
560 ðise .viij. hadden in ðe arche grið.[[111]]
Ðat arche was a feteles good,
ſet and limed a-gen ðe flood;
The ark was a good vessel.
ðhre hundred elne waſ it long,
564 Naild and ſperd, ðig and ſtrong,
Three hundred ells was it long,
And .l.ti elne wid, and .xxx.ti heg;
ðor buten noe (.) long ſwing he dreg,
fifty wide, and thirty high.
An hundred winter, euerilc del,
568 welken or it was ended wel;
Of alle der ðe on werlde wunen,
And foueles weren ðer-inne cumen
A hundred winters was Noah in building it.
Bi ſeuene and ſeuene, or bi two & two,
572 Al-migtin god him bad it ſo,
And mete quorbi ðei migten liuen,
ðor quiles he woren on water driuen.
Clean animals entered the ark by seven and seven, unclean by two and two.
Sexe hundred ger noe was hold
576 Quan he dede him in ðe arche-wold;
Two ðhuſant ger, ſex hundred mo,
And ſex and fifti forð to ðo,
weren of werldes elde numen
580 ðan noe waſ in to ðe arche cumen.
 [Fol. 12.]
Six hundred years old was Noah when he entered the ark.
Ilc watereſ ſpringe here ſtrengðe undede,
And Reyn gette dun on euerilk ſtede
fowerti daiſ and fowerti nigt,
584 So wex water wið magti migt;
So wunderlike it wex & get
The water springs undid their strength. Rain poured down on every place.
ðat fiftene elne it ouer-flet,
Ouer ilk dune, and ouer ilc hil,
588 ðhurge godes migt and godes wil;
And oðer fowerti ðore-to,
Daiſ and nigtes ſtodet ſo;
Fifteen ells it overflowed, over every hill and vale.
ðo waſ ilc fleiſ on wer[l]de ſlagen,
592 ðo gunnen ðe wateres hem wið-dragen.
Then was all flesh destroyed.

[111]

At the end of the line in the margin 'Se archa Nœe.'

THE ARK STOOD IN ARMENIA.

Ðe ſeuend moned[[112]] waſ in cumen,
And ſeuene and .xx.ti dais numen,
IN armenie ðat arche ſtod,
596 ðo waſ wið-dragen ðat ilc flod.
In the seventh month and the twenty-seventh day the ark stood in Armenia.
Ðo ðe tende moned[[112]] cam in,
So wurð dragen ðe watreſ win;
Dunes wexen, ðe flod wið-drog,
600 It adde leſted longe a-nog
When the tenth month came the waters withdrew.
Fowerti daiſ after ðiſ,
Arches windoge undon it iſ,
ðe Rauen ut-fleg, hu ſo it gan ben,
604 Ne cam he nogt to ðe arche a-gen;
 [Fol. 12b.]
Forty days after this the ark's window is undone, the raven out flew, and came not again to the ark.
ðe duue fond no clene ſtede,
And wente a-gen and wel it dede;
The dove found no clean place, and came again to the ark.
ðe ſeuendai eſt ut it tog,
608 And brogt a grene oliues bog;
Seue nigt ſiðen euerilc on
After seven days the dove left the ark and returned with an olive bough.
He is let ut flegen, crepen, and gon,
wið-uten ilc ſeuend clene der
612 ðe he ſacrede on an aucter.
Sex hundred ger and on dan[[113]] olde
Seven nights after all are let out of the ark.
Noe ſag ut of ðe arche-wolde;
ðe firſt moned[[112]] and te firſt dai,
616 He ſag erðe drie & te water awai;
get he waſ wiſ and nogt to rad,
Noah looked out of the ark and saw that the earth was dry.
Gede he nogt ut, til god him bad.
Ðe toðer moneð was in cumen,
620 And ſeuene and twenti dais numen,
ðo herde Noe wol bliðe bode
Yet went he not out till he was bidden by God.
Of a ſteuene, ðe cam fro gode;
He and hiſe wif wenten ut fre,
624 Hiſe ſunes and here wifes ðre;
At God's command he and his family left the ark.
He made an aucter on godeſ name,
And ſacrede he ðor-on, for ſowleſ frame,
Noah made an altar and sacrificed thereon.
Ilc ſeuende der of clene kin,
628 ðe waſ holden in arche wið-hin,
 [Fol. 13.]
The seventh deer was offered up,

[112]

read moneð

[113]