Isaac Takes Rebekah to Wife

(Quan god haueð it ſo bi-ſen,

1412

Alſe he ſendet, alſ it ſal ben.)

Wið gold, and ſiluer, and wið ſrud,
ðiſ ſonde made ðe mayden prud;
With gold and silver and raiment Eliezer made the maiden proud.

ðe broðer and de moder oc

1416

Riche gifteſ eliezer ðe toc.
Sone o-morwen he gan him garen,
Gifts also he gave to the brother and mother.

And crauede hiſ erdene, and wolde hom faren,
for ſcrið, ne mede, ne wold he ðor

1420

Ouer on nigt drechen nunmor;
And ðo gan ðat moder and laban
No longer than one night would he delay his errand.

Rebecca freinen ðor for-ðan,
And ghe it grantede mildelike,

1424

And he hire bi-tagten bliðelike.
Rebekah's consent was first asked and obtained.

Siðen men hauen holden ſkil,
firſt to freinen ðe wimmaneſ wil,
Or or men hire to louerd giue,

1428

for wedding or for morgen-giwe.
For this reason men ask the woman's will before she is given in marriage.

Eliezer iſ went hiſ wei
And haueð hem boden godun dai.
Or he wel homward cumen was,

1432

Yſaac waſ cume to geraſis,
Eliezer takes his departure, wishing all a good day.

And wunede ðor in ðogt and care,
for moderes dead and ſondes fare.
In a weie an time he cam,

1436

And to a welle, ſigande, he nam,
ðohgteful he waſ on felde gon;
Eliezer him cam a-gon,
[Fol. 28b.]
Isaac mourned for the death of his mother.

Eððede hiſ ſorge, brogt him a wif

1440

Of faiger waspene, of clene lif.
He fagnede hire wið milde mod,
Here ſameni[n]g was clene and god;
Eliezer brought him a wife by whom he was comforted.

He luuede hire on-like and wel,

1444

And ſge ne bi-ſpac him neuere a del.
Isaac loved Rebekah well, and she never contradicted him.

read ðe

read ðo?

An error for wasteme.