And Are Defeated by Moses

Bi a lond weige he wente rigt,
And brogte vn-warnede on hem figt;
He hadden don egipte wrong,
to lead the Egyptians against their enemies.

2684

He bi-loc hem & ſmette a-mong,
He smote and slew them.

And ſlug ðor manige; oc ſumme flen,
Into ſaba to borgen ben.
Moyſes bi-ſette al ðat burg,

2688

Oc it was riche & ſtrong ut-ðhurg;
Many fled to Sheba.

Ethiopienes kinges dowter tarbis,
Riche maiden of michel priſ,
The king of Ethiopia's daughter, for love,

Gaf ðiſ riche burg moyſi;

2692

Luue-bonde hire ghe it dede for-ði.
ðor iſe fon he leide in bonde,
gave this rich city to Moses,

And he wurð al-migt-ful in ðat lond;
He bi-lef ðor(.) tarbis him ſcroð,
who waxed mighty in the land.

2696

ðog was him ðat ſurgerun ful loð;
Mai he no leue at hire taken
His sojourn there was distasteful to him,

but-if he it mai wið crafte maken:
He waſ of an ſtrong migt wiſ,
but by craft he brought it to an end.

2700

He carf in two gummes of priſ
Two likeneſſes, ſo grauen & meten,
He carved upon two gems two likenesses;

ðiſ doð ðenken, & ðoð forgeten;
He feſt is in two ringes of gold,
the one caused remembrance, the other forgetfulness.

2704

Gaf hire ðe ton, he was hire hold;
Moses gave her the one which caused her to forget her love,

Ghe it bered and ðiſ luue iſ for-geten,
Moyſes ðus haued him leue bi-geten;
Sone it migte wið leue ben,
[Fol. 53.]

2708

Into egypte e wente a-gen.
and so he came again to Egypt.

AN time he for to lond gerſen,
to ſpeken wið hiſe kinnes men;
And ſone he cam in-to ðat lond,

2712

A modi ſtiward he ðor fond,
Betende a man wid hiſe wond;
ðat ðhugte moyſes michel ſond,
On a time he went to Goshen, and found a "moody steward" beating a Hebrew.

And hente ðe cherl wið hiſe wond,

2716

And he fel dun in dedes bond;
He seized the churl, slew him, and buried him in the sand.

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