Quað ðis bred-wrigte, "liðeð nu me,
me drempte ic bar bread-lepes ðre,
And ðor-in bread and oðer meten,
2080 Quilke ben wune ðe kinges to eten;
The "breadwright's" dream.
And fugeles hauen ðor-on lagt,
ðor-fore ic am in ſorge and hagt,
Fowls seized on the baskets of bread intended for the king,
for ic ne migte me nogt weren,
 [Fol. 41.]
2084 Ne ðat mete fro hem beren."
"Me wore leuere," quad Ioſeph,
"Of eddi dremes rechen ſwep;
and he could not keep the meat from them.
ðu ſalt, after ðe ðridde dei,
2088 ben do on rode, weila-wei!
And fugeles ſulen ði fleis to-teren,
ðat ſal non agte mugen ðe weren."
Soð wurð ſo ioſeph ſeide ðat,
"In three days," said Joseph, "thou shalt be hanged, and fowls shall tear thy flesh in pieces."
2092 ðis buteler Ioſeph ſone for-gat.
The butler soon forgat Joseph.
Two ger ſiðen was Ioſeph ſperd
ðor in priſun wið-uten erd;
After two years,
Ðo drempte pharaon king a drem,
Pharaoh dreamt a dream.
2096 ðat he ſtod bi ðe flodes ſtrem,
And ðeden[[212]] ut-comen .vii. neet,
Euerilc wel ſwiðe fet and gret,
And .vii. lene after ðo,
2100 ðe deden ðe .vii. fette wo,
He stood by the river, and there came seven "neat" fat and great, and seven lean after,
ðe lene hauen ðe fette freten;
ðiſ drem ne mai ðe king for-geten.
An oðer drem cam him bi-foren,
which ate up the fat ones.
2104 .vii. eares wexen fette of coren,
On an busk ranc and wel tidi,
And .vii. lene rigt ðor-bi,
welkede, and ſmale, and drugte numen,
2108 ðe ranc he hauen ðo ouer-cumen,
Seven full ears of corn sprang up "on a rank bush," and then came seven withered ears,
To-ſamen it ſmiten and, on a ſtund,
ðe fette ðriſt hem to ðo grund.
ðe king abraid and woc in ðhogt,
2112 ðeſ dremes ſwep ne wot he nogt,
 [Fol. 41b.]
which smote the others to the ground.

[212]

ðeðen?

WHICH IS INTERPRETED BY JOSEPH.

Ne was non ſo wis man in al hiſ lond,
ðe kude vn-don ðis dremes bond;
None were found able to interpret the dreams.
ðo him bi-ðhogte ðat buteler
2116 Of ðat him drempte in priſun ðer,
And of ioſeph in ðe priſun,
And he it tolde ðe king pharaun.
The butler bethought him of Joseph.
Ioſeph waſ ſone in priſun ðo hogt,
2120 And ſhauen, & clad, & to him brogt;
Joseph is taken from prison,
ðe king him bad ben hardi & bold,
If he can rechen ðis dremeſ wold;
and brought before Pharaoh,
He told him quat him drempte o nigt,
2124 And ioſep rechede his drem wel rigt.
who related to him his dreams.
"ðis two dremes boðen ben on,
God wile ðe tawnen, king pharaon;
ðo .vij. ger ben get to cumen,
"The two dreams," answered Joseph, "are one."
2128 In al fulſum-hed ſulen it ben numen,
And .vij. oðere ſulen after ben,
"Seven years of plenty
Sori and nedful men ſulen iſ ſen;
Al ðat ðiſe firſt .vii. maken,
2132 Sulen ðiſ oðere .vii. roſpen & raken;
shall be followed by seven years of famine.
Ic rede ðe king, nu her bi-foren,
To maken laðes and gaderen coren,
I advise thee to make barns and store up corn, that thy folk perish not."
ðat ðin folc ne wurð vnder-numen,
2136 Quan ðo hungri gere ben forð-cumen."
King pharaon liſtnede hiſe red,
ðat wurð him ſiðen ſeli ſped.
 [Fol. 42.]
He bi-tagte ioſep hiſ ring,
2140 And his bege of gold for wurðing,
Pharaoh gave Joseph his ring,
And bad him al hiſ lond bi-ſen,
And under him hegeſt for to ben,
And bad him welden in hiſ hond
2144 His folc, and agte, & al his lond;
and bad him rule the whole land.
ðo waſ vnder him ðanne putifar,
And hiſ wif ðat hem ſo to-bar.
Ioſep to wiue his dowter nam,
2148 Oðer is nu quan ear bi-cam;
Then were Potiphar and his wife under him.

THE FAMINE IN EGYPT AND CANAAN.

And ghe ðer him two childer bar,
Or men wurð of ðat hunger war,
first manaſſen and effraym;
2152 He luueden god, he geld it hem.
Before the famine came two sons were born to Joseph.
ðe .vii. fulſum geres faren,
Ioſep cuðe him bi-foren waren;
ðan coren wantede in oðer lond,
2156 ðo ynug [was] vnder his hond.
The years of plenty pass away.
Hvnger wex in lond chanaan,
And his .x. ſunes iacob for-ðan
The famine was felt in Canaan.
Sente in-to egipt to bringen coren;
2160 He bilef at hom ðe was gungeſt boren.
Jacob sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn.
ðe .x. comen, for nede ſogt,
To Ioſep, and he ne knewen him nogt,
 [Fol. 42b.]
And ðog he lutten him frigtilike,
2164 Anð ſeiden to him mildelike,
"We ben ſondes for nede driuen
To bigen coren ðor-bi to liuen."
Though they honoured Joseph,
(Ioſep hem knew al in his ðhogt,
2168 Alſ he let he knew hem nogt.)
"It ſemet wel ðat ge ſpies ben,
yet he pretended not to know them.
And in-to ðiſ lond cumen to ſen,
And cume ge for non oðer ðing,
2172 but for to ſpien ur lord ðe king."
"Nai," he ſeiden euerilc on,
He accused them of being spies.
"Spies were we neuer non,
Oc alle we ben on faderes ſunen,
2176 For hunger doð es[[213]] hider cumen."
"Oc nu ic wot ge ſpieſ ben,
for bi gure bering men mai it ſen;
They declared that they were true men, the sons of one father.
Hu ſulde oni man[[214]] poure for-geten,
2180 ſwilke and ſo manige ſunes bigeten?
for ſeldum bi-tid ſelf ani king
ſwilc men to ſen of hiſe ofſpring."
"Only kings," said Joseph, "had so many sons."

[213]

doðes MS.

[214]