derðe?

JACOB AND HIS FAMILY GO INTO EGYPT.

And fechen wiues, and childre, and men,
2364 And gaf hem ðor al lond gerſen,
And het hem ðat he ſulden hauen
More and bet ðan he kude crauen.
wains and fetch their wives and children.
Ioſep gaf ilc here twinne ſrud,
2368 Beniamin moſt he[[225]] made prud;
Joseph gave them changes of raiment.
fif weden beſt bar beniamin,
ðre hundred plates of ſiluer fin,
Al-ſo fele oðre ðor-til,
 [Fol. 46b.]
2372 He bad ben in is faderes wil,
And .x. aſſes wið ſemes feſt;
Of alle egiptes welðhe beſt
Gaf he iſ breðere, wið herte bliðe,
He bad them take presents for Jacob,
2376 And bad hem rapen hem homward ſwiðe;
And he ſo deden wið herte fagen.
Toward here fader he gunen dragen,
and hasten homeward.
And quane he comen him bi-foren,
2380 Ne wiſte he nogt quat he woren.
When they came home, Jacob scarcely recognized them.
"Louerd," he ſeiden, "iſrael,
Ioſep ðin ſune greteð ðe wel,
And ſendeð ðe bode ðat he liueð,
2384 Al egipte in hiſ wil cliueð."
"Lord Israel," they said, "Joseph liveth and greeteth thee well."
Iacob a-braid, and trewed it nogt,
Til he ſag al ðat welðe brogt.
"Wel me," quað he, "wel iſ me wel,
2388 ðat ic aue abiden ðuſ ſwil[c] ſel!
Jacob believed not till he saw the presents.
And ic ſal to min ſune fare
And ſen, or ic of werlde chare."
Then he said, "I shall go to my son ere I turn from the world."
[I]Acob wente ut of lond chanaan,
2392 And of iſ kinde wel manie a man;
Ioſep wel faire him vnder-ſtod,
And pharaon ðogte it ful good;
Jacob and his family left Canaan.
for ðat he weren hirde-men,
 [Fol. 47.]
2396 He bad hem ben in lond gerſen.
Iacob waſ brogt bi-foren ðe king
for to geuen him hiſ bliſcing.
Pharaoh gives them the land of Goshen to live in. Jacob is brought before Pharaoh,

[225]

MS. be.

THEY DWELL IN THE LAND OF GOSHEN.

"fader derer," quað pharaon,
2400 "hu fele ger be ðe on?"
"An hundred ger and .xxx. mo
Haue ic her drogen in werlde wo,
ðog ðinkeð me ðor-offen fo,
and tells him of his age,
2404 ðog ic iſ haue drogen in wo,
ſiðen ic gan on werlde ben,
Her vten erd, man-kin bi-twen;
So ðinked[[226]] euerilc wiſ man,
of his many sorrows,
2408 ðe wot quor-of man-kin bi-gan,
And ðe of adames gilte muneð,
ðat he her uten herdes wuneð."
and how all suffer for the sin of Adam.
Pharaon bad him wurðen wel
2412 in ſofte reſte and ſeli mel;
He and hiſe ſunes in reſte dede
In lond gerſen, on ſundri ſtede;
Siðen ðor waſ mad on ſcité,
2416 ðe waſ y-oten Rameſé.
Pharaoh bad him rest in peace.
Iacob on liue wunede ðor
In reſte fulle .xiiij. ger;
Jacob lived one hundred and forty-four years.
And god him let bi-foren ſen
2420 Quilc time hiſe ending ſulde ben;
God showed him the time of his death.
He bad ioſep hiſe leue ſune,
On ðhing ðat[[227]] offe wel mune,
ðat quan it wurð mid him don,
 [Fol. 47b.]
Jacob bad Joseph promise
2424 He ſulde him birien in ebron;
And witterlike he it aueð him ſeid,
to bury him in Hebron,
ðe ſtede ðor abraham was leid;
So was him lif[[228]] to wurðen leid,
2428 Quuor ali gast ſtille hadde ſeid
where Abraham was laid,
Him and hiſe eldere(.) fer ear bi-foren,
Quuor ieſu criſt wulde ben boren,
And quuor ben dead, and quuor ben grauen;
2432 He ðogt wið hem reſte to hauen.
and his elders before him.
Ioſep ſwor him al-ſo he bad,
And he ðor-of wurð bliðe & glad.
Joseph swore to do as his father wished.

[226]

ðinkeð?

[227]