He bad hiſ ſtiward gerken iſ meten,
2256 He ſeide he ſulden wið him alle eten;
He ledde hem alle to Ioſepes biri,
Her non hadden ðo loten miri.
"Louerd," he ſeiden ðo euerilc on,
and bids his steward prepare a feast for them.
2260 "Gur ſiluer iſ gu brogt a-gon,
It was in ure ſeckes don,
Ne wiſte ur non gilt ðor-on."
"Beð nu ſtille," quad ſtiward,
2264 "for ic nu haue min forward."
They tell Joseph that they have brought back the silver which they found in their sacks.
ðor cam ðat broðer ſymeon
And kiſte iſ breðere on and on;
Wel fagen he was of here come,
2268 for he was numen ðor to nome.
 [Fol. 44b.]
Simeon was brought out unto them.
It was vndren time or more,
Om cam ðat riche louerd ðore;
And al ðo briðere, of frigti mod,
Joseph came home about noon,
2272 fellen bi-forn ðat louerd-iſ fot,
And bedden him riche preſent
ðat here fader hi[m] adde ſent;
And he leuelike it under-ſtod,
2276 for alle he weren of kinde blod.
and the brethren offered him their present.
"LIueð," quad he, "ðat fader get,
ðat ðus manige ſunes bi-gat?"
He inquires after his father.
"louerd," he ſeiden, "get he liueð,
2280 Wot ic ðor non ðat he ne biueð;
They answer that Jacob is well,
And ðiſ iſ gunge beniamin,
Hider brogt after bode-word ðin."
ðo Iosep ſag him ðor bi-foren,
2284 Bi fader & moder broðer boren,
and that Benjamin stands before him.
Him ouer-wente his herte on-on,
Kinde luue gan him ouer-gon;
Joseph was overcome.
Sone he gede ut and ſtille he gret,
2288 ðat al his wlite wurð teres wet.
He went out and wept secretly.
After ðat grot, he weiſ iſ wliten,
And cam ðan in and bad hem eten
After a while he returned to them and bade them eat.

THE BRETHREN ARE ACCUSED OF THEFT.

He dede hem waſſen and him bi-foren,
2292 And ſette hem aſ he weren boren;
Get he ðhogte of hiſ faderes wunes
Hu he ſette at ðe mete hiſe ſunes;
 [Fol. 45.]
He made his brethren sit before him according to their age.
Of euerilc ſonde, of euerilc win,
2296 moſt and beſt he gaf beniamin.
In fulſum-hed he wurðen glaðe,[[222]]
Ioſep ne ðoht ðor-of no ſcaðe,
Oc it him likede ſwiðe wel,
Of meat and wine, the best he gave to Benjamin.
2300 And hem lerede and tagte wel,
And hu he ſulden hem beſt leden,
Quene he comen in vnkinde ðeden;
Joseph gave them good counsel,
"And al ðe bettre ſule ge ſpeden,
2304 If ge wilen gu wið treweiðe leden."
and advised them to act truthfully.
Eft on morwen quan it waſ dai,
Or or ðe breðere ferden a-wei,
Here ſeckes woren alle filt wið coren,
2308 And ðe ſiluer ðor-in bi-foren;
On the morrow they depart.
And ðe ſeck ðat agte beniamin
Ioſepes cuppe hid was ðor-in;
And quuan he weren ut tune went,
2312 Ioſep haueð hem after ſent.
Joseph's cup is hid in Benjamin's sack.
ðis ſonde hem ouertakeð raðe,
And bi-calleð of harme and ſcaðe;
Joseph's messenger overtakes them,
"Vn-ſeli men, quat haue ge don?
2316 Gret vn-ſelðehe iſ gu cumen on,
and accuses them of theft.
for iſ it nogt min lord for-holen,
ða[t] gure on haueð iſ cuppe ſtolen."
ð[o] ſeiden ðe breðere ſikerlike,
 [Fol. 45b.]
2320 "Vp quam ðu it findes witterlike,
He ſlagen and we agen driuen
In-to ðraldom, euermor to liuen."
The brethren assert their innocence.
He gan hem ranſaken on and on,
2324 And fond it ðor ſone a-non,
And nam ðo breðere euerilk on,
And ledde hem ſorful a-gon,
They are ransacked one by one,

[222]

= glade.

JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN.

And brogte hem bi-for ioſep
2328 Wid reweli lote, and ſorwe, and wep.
ðo quat ioſep, "ne wiſte ge nogt
and brought before Joseph,
ðat ic am o wol witter ðogt?
Mai nogt longe me ben for-holen
2332 Quat-ſo-euere on londe wurð ſtolen."
who reproaches them for their crime.
"Louerd!" quad Iudas, "do wið me
Quat-ſo ði wille on werlde be,
Wið-ðan-ðat ðu friðe beniamin;
2336 ic ledde [him] ut on trewthe min,
ðat he ſulde ef[[223]] cumen a-gen
to hiſe fader, and wið him ben."
Judah tells Joseph of his promise to his father.
ðo cam ioſep ſwilc rewðe up-on,
2340 he dede halle ut ðe toðere gon,
And ſpac un-eðes, ſo e gret,
ðat alle hiſe wlite wurð tereſ wet.
Joseph commands all, except his brethren, to leave him, and makes himself known to them.
"Ic am ioſep, dredeð gu nogt,
2344 for gure helðe or hider brogt;
Two ger ben nu ðat derke[[224]] iſ cumen,
Get ſulen .v. fulle ben numen,
ðat men ne ſulen ſowen ne ſheren,
2348 So ſal drugte ðe feldes deren.
 [Fol. 46.]
Rapeð gu to min fader a-gen,
And ſeið him quilke min bliſſes ben,
And doð him to me cumen hider,
Tells them to hasten to his father,
2352 And ge and gure orf al to-gider;
Of lewſe god in lond gerſen
ſulen ge ſundri riche ben."
Euerilc he kiſte, on ilc he gret,
2356 Ilc here was of iſ teres wet.
and return with their cattle to Egypt.
Sone it was king pharaon kid
Hu ðis newe tiding wurð bi-tid;
And he was bliðe, in herte fagen,
2360 ðat Ioſep wulde him ðider dragen,
for luue of Ioſep migte he timen.
Soon did Pharaoh learn the new tidings.
He bad cartes and waines nimen,
He bad them take carts and

[223]

eft?

[224]