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ABRAHAM IS PROMISED A SON.

Abraham ſtod and quamede hem wel,
1020 Hiſ good[e] wil was hem good mel.
Quuad ðiſ on, "ðiſ time oðer ger,
Sal ic me to ðe taunen her;
Bi ðan ſal ſarra ſelðe timen,
1024 ðat ge ſal of a ſune trimen."
Abraham is promised a son.
ðanne herde ſarra ſwilc tiding,
And it hire ðogte a ſelli ðhing,
for ghe waſ nigenti winter hold,
1028 Abraham on wane of an hundred told;
Sarah heard the words of the Lord.
Ghe glente and ðhogte, migte it nogt ben,
And ghe ðat ſulde her wið childe be ſen;
She did not believe them.
And Abraham trewid it ful wel,
1032 And it wurð ſoð binnen ſwilc ſel.
Abraham, however, trowed it full well.
Fro mambre dale wente ðo ðre,
to-ward ſodome geden he;
Quad ðe louered, "wile ic nogt ſtelen,
Then the three went towards Sodom.
1036 Ne min dede abraham helen;
Ic cume to ſen ðat ſinne dwale
ðat iſ me told of mirieſ dale."
The destruction of Sodom is revealed to Abraham.
ðo adde abram iſ herte ſor,
1040 for loth hiſ newe wunede ðor.
He is in great grief on account of Lot.
"Louerd," quad he, "hu ſaltu don,
If ðu ſalt nimen wreche ðor on;
He intercedes for the wicked cities.
Salt ðu nogt ðe rigt-wiſe weren,
1044 Or for hem ðe toðere með beren?"
 [Fol. 21.]
Quad god, "find ic ðor ten or mo,
Ic ſal meðen ðe ſtede for ðo."
Durſte Abraham freinen nunmor,
God promises to spare the cities for the sake of five righteous.
1048 Oc wente agen wið herte ſor;
And god at-wot in-to hiſe ligt,
ðo to gon to ſodome rigt.
Abraham departs sore at heart.
Sunne iſ weſt under erðe numen,
1052 Quuanne he ben to ſodome cumen;
At even two angels came to Sodom.
Get ſat loth at ðe burges gate,
After ſum geſte ſtod him quake;[[138]]
Lot sat at the city's gate, and seeing them,

[138]

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LOT ENTERTAINS TWO ANGELS.

He roſ, and lutte, and ſcroð him wel,
1056 And bead hem hom to iſ oſtel
To herbergen wið him ðat nigt,
ðo ſwete angeles, faier and brigt;
And he ſo deden alſ he hem bead,
1060 He wiſten him bergen fro ðe dead;
he invited them to his home to stay with him that night.
And loth hem ſerued faire and wel,
And he him gulden it euerilc del.
Oc al ðat burgt folc ðat helde waſ on,
1064 ðe migte lecher crafte don,
Lot served his guests fair and well.
To lothes huſ he cumen ðat nigt
And bi-ſetten it redi to figt;
The wicked Sodomites beset Lot's house.
He boden him bringen ut o-non,
1068 ðo men ðat woren ðidir in-gon.
They bade him bring out the strangers.
Loth hem bead iſ dogtres two,
for to friðen hiſe geſte ſwo;
Oc he ne wulden hiſ dogtres nogt,
 [Fol. 21b.]
Lot offered them his daughters.
1072 for wicke and feble waſ here ðogt.
ðat folc vn-ſeli, ſinne wod,
ðo ſori wrecches of yuel blod
wulden him ðor gret ſtrengðe don,
1076 Til wreche and letting cam hem on.
The wicked folk sought to harm Lot.
ðis angels two drogen loth in,
And ſhetten to ðe dure-pin.
The angels drew Lot in.
Wil ſiðen cam on euerilc on,
1080 ðo wrecches ðe wið-vten gon,
for al ðat nigt he ſogten ðor
Blindness came upon the Sodomites,
ðe dure, and fundend[[139]] neuere mor.
ðo ſeiden ðiſ angeles to loth wið ſped,
and they sought the door in vain.
1084 If ðu frend haueſt and wi[l]t don red,
Bid him, or day, redi ben,
And ſwiðe ut ðiſ burgeſ flen,
elles ſulen he brennen and for-faren,
1088 If he ne bi time heðe[n] waren.
Two ðor werren quam him ðogte ear
To wedden hiſ two dogtres ðear;[[140]]
Lot is commanded to leave the city with his friends before daybreak.

[139]

So in MS.

[140]