| ðog had he ðo wif(.) and bi-foren Childre of him bi-geten and of hire boren, Oc after ðis it ſo bi-cam, 2008 Ioseph iſ dowter to wiue nam. | [Fol. 39b.] |
| Putifar luuede ioſeph
wel, bi-tagte him hiſ huſ euerilc del, And he wurðede riche man an heg, | Potiphar loved Joseph well. |
|
2012
vnder ioſeph hiſ welðe ðeg. Hiſ wif wurð wilde, and nam in ðogt | His wealth prospered under Joseph's care. |
| vn-rigt-wiſ luue, and ſwanc for nogt, One and ſtille ðogt hire gamen 2016 wið ioſeph ſpeken and plaigen ſamen; | His wife sought to lead Joseph astray. |
| Ghe bed him gold, and agte, and fe, To maken him riche man and fre, wið-ðhan ðat he wið here wile; 2020 Oc him mislikede ðat ghe wile; for ſcrið, ne ðret, ne mai ghe bi-geten for to don him chaſthed for-geten; | For gold nor for wealth of any kind would he "forget his chastity." |
| Often ghe ðrette, often ghe ſcroð, 2024 Oc al it was him o-like loð. An time he was at hire tgeld, ðo ghe him his mentel for-held; | Neither threats nor intreaties prevailed. |
| for he wið hire ne wulde ſpeken, 2028 Ghe ðhenkeð on him for to ben wreken; Sone ghe mai hire louerd[[209]] ſen, Ghe god him bitterlike a-gen, | Wherefore she sought to be revenged upon Joseph. |
| And ſeið ioſeph hire wulde don, 2032 ðat ghe ne migte him bringen on; "ðiſ mentel ic wið-held for-ði, To tawnen [ðe] ðe ſoðe her-bi." ðe wite iſ hiſe(.) ðe right iſ hire, 2036 God al-migtin ðe ſoðe ſhire. | [Fol. 40.] She accused him falsely to Potiphar, |
| Pvtifar trewið hiſe wiwes
tale, And haued[[210]] dempt ioſep to bale; He bad [him] ben ſperd faſt dun, | who, believing his wife's tale, |
|
2040
And holden harde in priſun. | threw Joseph into prison. |
MS. loruerd.
? haueð.
HE INTERPRETS THE PRISONERS' DREAMS.
| An litel ſtund, quile he waſ ðer, | |
| So gan him luuen ðe priſuner, And him de[[211]] chartre haueð bi-tagt, | The gaoler loved Joseph. |
|
2044
wið ðo priſunes to liuen in hagt. Or for miſdede, or for on-ſagen, ðor woren to ðat priſun dragen, | In this prison, either for misdeed or bad words, |
| On ðat ðe kingeſ kuppe bed, 2048 And on ðe made ðe kingeſ bred; | were placed the chief butler and baker. |
| Hem drempte dremes boðen onigt, And he wurðen ſwiðe ſore o-frigt; Ioſeph hem ſeruede ðor on ſel, 2052 At here drink and at here mel, | Both dreamt dreams in one night, |
| He herde hem murnen(.) he hem freinde for-quat; Harde dremes ogen awold ðat. | which caused them to become very sorrowful. |
| ðo ſeide he to ðe butuler, 2056 "Tel me ðin drem, mi broðer her. | Joseph inquired the reason of their grief. |
| Queðer-ſo it wurðe ſofte or ſtrong, ðe reching wurð on god bi-long." | [Fol. 40b.] |
| "Me drempte, ic ſtod at a
win-tre, | The butler's dream. |
|
2060
ðat adde waxen buges ðre, Oreſt it blomede, and ſiðen bar | A vine with three branches |
| ðe beries ripe wurð ic war; ðe kinges [kuppe] ic hadde on hond, | bore grapes; |
|
2064
ðe beries ðor-inne me ðhugte ic wrong, And bar it drinken to pharaon, Me drempte, alſ ic waſ wune to don." | the juice the butler squeezed into Pharaoh's cup, and gave him to drink as he was wont. |
| "Good is," quað
Ioſeph, "to dremen of win, 2068 heilneſſe an bliſſe iſ ðer-in; | "Good it is," said Joseph, "to dream of wine. |
| ðre daies ben get for to cumen, ðu ſalt ben ut of priſun numen, And on ðin offiz ſet agen; | In three days thou shalt be restored to thy office, |
|
2072
Of me ðu ðhenke ðan it ſal ben, Bed min herdne to pharaon, ða[t] ic ut of prisun wurðe don, | then think of me and bear my errand to Pharaoh, |
| for ic am ſtolen of kinde lond, 2076 and her wrigteleſlike holden in bond." | for I am here wrongfully held in prison." |
ðe?