The Egyptian Hosts Are Drowned

Bi-foren hem fleg an ſkige brigt

3256

ðat nigt hem made ðe weige ligt;
Egiptes folc gunnen ðiſ ſen,
A cloud went before them.

And wenden ðat he wode ben.
Ðis bode herde king pharaon

3260

And him ðuhte ſellic ðer-on,
Garkede his hird & after nam,
Pharaoh pursued the Israelites,

And to ðe ſe bi nigte he cam;
and to the Red Sea he came.

In ferde ðiſ hird after ðiſ king,

3264

And ðo ſprong ðe daiening.
ðhunder, and leuene, and rein ðor-mong
God ſente on ðat hird, ſtið and ſtrong;
In went this host after the king.

ðo quoðen he, "wende we a-gen,

3268

An[d] iſrael folc lete we ben."
ðor-quiles ben ðo kinges cumen
Some were for going back.

Ouer, and hauen ðe londes numen;
Egipcienes woren in twired wen

3272

queðer he ſulden folgen or flen;
And moyſes ſtod up-on ðe ſond,
The Israelites reached the land,

God him bad helden up hiſ hond
to-ward ðiſ water, in a morgen quile

3276

ðe ſe luked, ſo god it wile,
and God bade Moses stretch his rod over the sea.

And on and on, ſwiðe litel ſtund,
Egypcienes fellen to ðe grund;
[Fol. 64.]
The sea covered the Egyptians,

Of hem alle bi-leaf non fot

3280

Vn-drincled in ðat ſalte ſpot.
Ðvs iſ iſrael of hem wreken,
And here welðe iſ to londe weken,
Wepen, and ſrud, ſiluer, and gold;

3284

wel hem mai ben ðe god beð hold!
and not one remained undrowned in that salt spot.

Moyſes ðor made a newe ſong,
And tag[t]e it al ðat folc a-mong;
Moses made a new song, and taught it to the people.

And ilke dai ðat ſeuen nigt,

3288

Ones he ðor it ſungen rigt;
Each day for a week it was sung over.

kindes?

At the bottom of this page is the catchword—"And on and on."

MS. grunð.

MS. ſwot.