The Story of Genesis and Exodus: An Early English Song, about 1250 A.D. Papyras Classics

← The Story of Genesis and Exodus: An Early English Song, about 1250 A.D.

Chapter 97

Plagues of Flies, Boils, and Blains,

Sei him, if min folc ne mote gon,

3004

fleges kin ſal hin ouer-gon,
And al hiſ lond to ſorge ten;
Oc lond gerſen ne ſal non ben."
and was punished by a plague of flies.

And ðuſ it was, and al ðiſ ſor

3008

Sag pharaun, and dredde him ðor.
He gaf hem leue ðo vt to faren
wið-ðanne-ðat he to londe ef[t] charen;
And moyſes bad meðe here on,
Then gave he them leave to depart,

3012

And ðiſ fleges fligt vt iſ don;
And pharaon wroð herte on hard,
And vn-dede hem ðat forward.
Moyſes ſpac ſiðen wið gode,
and the flight of flies was removed.

3016

And he brogte pharaun ðiſ bode;
Message comes to Pharaoh of a great plague.

"To-morgen, bute he mugen vt-pharen,
Egyptes erf ſal al for-faren."
[Fol. 59.]

He wið-held hem and, al-ſo he it b[e]ad,

3020

Al ðe erf of egipt wurð dead;
And get ne migte ðiſ folc vt-gon,
ſwilc har[d]neſſe iſ on pharaon.
After ðiſ time, it ſo bi-cam,

3024

ðat moyſes aſkes up-nam,
The murrain among the cattle.

And warpes vt til heuene-ward;
ðo wex vn-ſelðe on hem wel hard,
dolc, ſor, and blein on erue and man;
The plague of boils and blains.

3028

ðe wicches hidden hem for-ðan,
Bi-foren pharaun nolden he ben,
The sorcerers hid themselves, and would not come before Pharaoh,

So woren he lodelike on to ſen;
At laſt, quan it waſ ouer-gon,

3032

Hadde moyſes ðo leue non.
Siðen ſente ðe louerd gode,
so loathsome were they to look upon.

bi moyſes, to ðiſ king bode;
"for-ði lete ic ðe king her ben,

3036

Men ſal, ðurg ðe, min migte ſen,
And knowen ſal ben, ðe to un-frame,
In euerilc lond min migte name.
God's message to Pharaoh.

MS. duſ.

worð?

MS. dat.

MS. wid-held.