(Quan god haueð it ſo bi-ſen,
1412 Alſe he ſendet, alſ it ſal ben.)
Wið gold, and ſiluer, and wið ſrud,
ðiſ ſonde made ðe mayden prud;
With gold and silver and raiment Eliezer made the maiden proud.
ðe broðer and de[[161]] moder oc
1416 Riche gifteſ eliezer ðe[[162]] toc.
Sone o-morwen he gan him garen,
Gifts also he gave to the brother and mother.
And crauede hiſ erdene, and wolde hom faren,
for ſcrið, ne mede, ne wold he ðor
1420 Ouer on nigt drechen nunmor;
And ðo gan ðat moder and laban
No longer than one night would he delay his errand.
Rebecca freinen ðor for-ðan,
And ghe it grantede mildelike,
1424 And he hire bi-tagten bliðelike.
Rebekah's consent was first asked and obtained.
Siðen men hauen holden ſkil,
firſt to freinen ðe wimmaneſ wil,
Or or men hire to louerd giue,
1428 for wedding or for morgen-giwe.
For this reason men ask the woman's will before she is given in marriage.
Eliezer iſ went hiſ wei
And haueð hem boden godun dai.
Or he wel homward cumen was,
1432 Yſaac waſ cume to geraſis,
Eliezer takes his departure, wishing all a good day.
And wunede ðor in ðogt and care,
for moderes dead and ſondes fare.
In a weie an time he cam,
1436 And to a welle, ſigande, he nam,
ðohgteful he waſ on felde gon;
Eliezer him cam a-gon,
 [Fol. 28b.]
Isaac mourned for the death of his mother.
Eððede hiſ ſorge, brogt him a wif
1440 Of faiger waspene,[[163]] of clene lif.
He fagnede hire wið milde mod,
Here ſameni[n]g was clene and god;
Eliezer brought him a wife by whom he was comforted.
He luuede hire on-like and wel,
1444 And ſge ne bi-ſpac him neuere a del.
Isaac loved Rebekah well, and she never contradicted him.

[161]

read ðe

[162]

read ðo?

[163]

An error for wasteme.

THE BIRTH OF ESAU AND JACOB.

Get men seyn[[164]] ðat abraham,
ſiðen calde agar ceturam,
Men say that Abraham called Hagar Keturah.
And ſge bar him ſiðen ſex ſunen;
1448 Abraham dede hem ſiðen ſundri wunen;
fer eſt fro cratonidé,
Weren he ſpred to ðe rede se.
Yſaac he let al hiſ god,
1452 for he waſ bi-geten of kinde blod.
She bore him seven sons.
An hundred ger hold and ſeuenti
And .v. he waſ leid ſarram bi.
boðen yſaac and yſmael
1456 Him bi-ſtoden wurlike and wel.
Abraham died at the age of 175.
On hundred ger and .xxxvij.
Liuede yſmael and waſ ðor bi.
Ishmael was 137 years old when he died.
Yſaac waſ hold .xl. ger
1460 Quanne rebecca cam him ner;
Longe it waſ or ghe him child bar,
 [Fol. 29.]
Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife.
And he bad god, quanne he it wurð war,
ðat he ſulde fillen ðat quede
1464 ðat he[[165]] abraham quilum dede.
ðo wurð rebecca childre bere,
Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, who was barren.
ðat ghe felte ful time in gere;
At on burdene ghe under-stod
1468 two ðe weren hire ſibbe blod;
Alſe ðhute hire day and nigt,
Rebekah conceived.
Alſe he wrogten and[[166]] figt,
Queðer here ſulde birðen bi-foren.
The children struggled together within her.
1472 Oc eſau waſ firmeſt boren,
And iacob ſone after, ic wot,
for ðat he heldim bi ðe fot.
Esau was the first born, and Jacob was born soon after.
Sexti ger yſaac waſ old,
1476 Quan ðiſ tidi[n]g him waſ told;
Ghe[[167]] was abraham liues her,
After ðiſ, fiftene ger.
Sixty years was Isaac at this time.

[164]