Balaam's Advice to Balak

And quuo-ſo wile curſing maken,
Ille curſing ſal him taken;

Of ðe ſal riſen ſterre brigt,

4040

And a wond ðe ſal ſmiten rigt
Moab kinges, and under-don
Al ſedes-kin ðiſ werld up-on."
and prophesies their future happiness and greatness.

Manie tiding quad balaam ðor,

4044

ðe made balakes herte ſor;
Oc ðan balaam wente a-gen,
Such tidings made Balak's heart sore.

Tagte he balaam quat migte ben
ðiſ folc to dere, and gaf him red

4048

ðat brogt iſrael iwel ſped.
Balaam teaches Balak how to injure the Israelites,

"ðe ginge wimmen of ðin lond,
faiger on ſigte an[d] ſofte on hond,
And brigte on hewe, on ſpeche glad,

4052

Wið ðgere ſal ic ſondes ſad,
ðe ðu ten vt gen ðiſ men,
by sending out young women fair of face and soft of speech,

ðe cunen brewen herte-bren,
wið win, and wlite, & bodi, & dwale,

4056

Luue[li]ke and wið ſpeche ſmale,
who should "brew heart-burning and love,"

To wenden hem fro godes age
To ði londe godes and vre lage;
Bute-if ðu migt forðen ðiſ red,

4060

And hem fro godes luue led,
[Fol. 79.]
and so turn the people from God.

And fonde to wenden ðuſ here ðhogt,
for wi ne wopen ne helpeð nogt."
forð-nam balaam, ðat ille qu[e]ad

4064

ðe gaf ðiſ read of ſoules dead.
For war nor weapon had no power to harm them.

ðuſ it was don, and bi ðat ſel
This counsel was followed,

In ſichin ſingede iſrael,
And for luue of ðiſ hore-plage

4068

Manie for-leten godes lage,
And wrogten ðor ſwilc ſoules for
and thus it fell that Israel sinned in Shittim,

ðat he ðor lutten belphegor.
Ðo ſeide god to moyſen,

4072

"ðe me[i]ſtres of ðiſe hore-men,
and worshipped Baal-peor.

gere?

MS. cumen.

MS. helped.