Hail-Storm, and Grasshoppers

ſwilc hail was her or neuere nomen

3040

So ſal ðiſ ſel to-morgen cumen;
Do men and erue in huſe ben,
If ðu wilt more hem liues ſen."
He threatens the king with hail-storm.

ðo men, ðe weren in eige and dred,

3044

ben borwen, and erue, ðurg ðiſ red.
[Fol. 59b.]

O morgen, al ſwilc time al ſir,
ðhunder, and hail, and leuenes fir,
Cam wel vnghere; al ðat it fond
On the morrow came thunder, hail, and lightning.

3048

Bergles, it ſloge in ðat lond;
Treeſ it for-brac, and greſ, and corn,
ðat waſ up-ſprungen ðor bi-foren;
Oc ðe ebrius in lond gerſen

3052

ne derede it, coren, ne erf, ne men;
ðo ſeide ðe folc to pharaon,
It slew many men, broke down trees, grass, and corn.

"Nu ic wot we haue miſ-don;
Moyſes, do ðiſ weder charen,

3056

And gu ſal [ic] leten ut-faren."
Moyſes gede vt, helde up iſ hond,
And al ðiſ vnweder ðor atwond,
The Egyptians beseech Moses to remove this plague.

And wurð ðiſ weder ſone al ſtille,

3060

And al after ðe kinges wille.
The storm ceased,

ðiſ weder iſ ſofte, And ðiſ king hard,
And brekeð him eft ðat forward.
MOyſes ſiðen, and aaron,
but though the weather was soft, the king's heart was hard.

3064

Seiden bi-foren pharaon,
Then said Moses,

"To-morgen ſulen greſſeoppes cumen,
And ðat ail ða bileaf ſal al ben numen;
So ſal ðin hardneſſe ben wreken,

3068

ðat men ſulen longe ðor-after ſpeken."
"To-morrow shall the grasshoppers come into the land."

"Goð vt," quað he, "red ic ſal taken,
And gu ſiðen i ſal anſwer maken."
[Fol. 60.]

Qvað ðiſ folc, "beter iſt laten hem vt-pharen,

3072

Al ſal egipte elles for-faren."
The Egyptians advise the king to let the Israelites go.

He calde hem in; quad pharaon,
"Quilc ben ðo ðe ſulen vt-gon?"
Pharaoh is at first inclined to let them go,