Bot in þe þryd watȝ forþrast al þat þryue schuld,
[Sidenote: Malice was merciless.]
Þer watȝ malys mercyles & mawgre much scheued,
Þat watȝ for fylþe vpon folde þ{a}t þe folk vsed,
[Sidenote: A race of men came into the world, the fairest, the
merriest, and the strongest that ever were created.]
[Þ]at þen wonyed i{n} þe worlde w{i}t{h}-outen any mayst{er}ȝ; 252
[Sidenote: [Fol. 60b.]]
Hit wern þe fayrest of forme & of face als,
Þe most & þe myriest þat maked wern euer,
Þe styfest, þe stalworþest þat stod eu{er} on fete;
& lengest lyf i{n} hem lent of ledeȝ alle oþ{er}, 256
For hit was þe forme-foster þat þe folde bred,
[Sidenote: They were sons of Adam.]
Þe aþel au{n}cetereȝ su{n}eȝ þat ad{a}m watȝ called,
To wham god hade geuen alle þat gayn were,
Alle þe blysse boute blame þat bodi myȝt haue, 260
& þose lykkest to þe lede þat lyued next aft{er},
For-þy so semly to see syþe{n} wern none.
[Sidenote: No law was laid upon them.]
Þer watȝ no law to hem layd bot loke to kynde,
& kepe to hit, & alle hit cors clanly ful-fylle; 264
[Sidenote: Nevertheless they acted unnaturally.]
& þe{n}ne fou{n}den þay fylþe i{n} fleschlych dedeȝ
& controeued agayn kynde contraré werkeȝ,
& vsed hem vn-þryftyly vchon on oþ{er},
& als with oþ{er}, wylsfully, vpon a wrange wyse. 268
[Sidenote: The “_fiends_” beheld how fair were the daughters of
these mighty men, and made fellowship with them and begat a race
of giants.]
So ferly fowled her flesch þat þe fende loked,
How þe deȝt{er} of þe douþe wern dere-lych fayre,
& fallen i{n} felaȝschyp w{i}t{h} hem on folken wyse
& en-gendered on hem ieau{n}teȝ w{i}t{h} her Iapeȝ ille. 272
Þose wern men meþeleȝ & maȝty on vrþe,
Þat for her lodlych laykeȝ alosed þay were.
He watȝ famed[15] for fre þat feȝt loued best,
[Sidenote: The greatest fighter was reckoned the most famous.]
& ay þe bigest i{n} bale þe best watȝ halden; 276
& þe{n}ne eueleȝ on erþe ernestly grewen
& multyplyed mony-folde i{n}-mongeȝ mankynde,
[Sidenote: The Creater of all becomes exceedingly wroth.]
For þat þe maȝty on molde so marre þise oþ{er}.
Þat þe wyȝe þat al wroȝt ful wroþly bygy{n}neȝ. 280
[Headnote: GOD DETERMINES TO DESTROY ALL FLESH.]
When he knew vche contre corupte i{n} hit seluen,
& vch freke forloyned fro þe ryȝt wayeȝ,
[Sidenote: Fell anger touches His heart.]
Felle temptande tene towched his hert;
As wyȝe, wo hy{m} with-i{n}ne werp to hy{m} seluen: 284
[Sidenote: It repents Him that He has made man.]
“Me for-þy{n}keȝ ful much þat eu{er} I mon made,
Bot I schal delyu{er} & do away þat doten on þis molde,
[Sidenote: He declares that all flesh shall be destroyed, both
man and beast.]
& fleme out of þe folde al þat flesch wereȝ,
Fro þe burne to þe best, fro bryddeȝ to fyscheȝ; 288
[Sidenote: [Fol. 61a.]]
Al schal dou{n} & be ded & dryuen out of erþe,
Þat eu{er} I sette saule i{n}ne; & sore hit me rweȝ
Þat eu{er} I made hem my self; bot if I may her-aft{er},
I schal wayte to be war her wrencheȝ to kepe.” 292
[Sidenote: There was at this time living on the earth a very
righteous man: Noah was his name.]
Þe{n}ne i{n} worlde watȝ a wyȝe wonyande on lyue,
Ful redy & ful ryȝtwys, & rewled hy{m} fayre;
In þe drede of dryȝtyn his dayeȝ he vseȝ,
& ay glydande wyth his god his g{ra}ce watȝ þe more. 296
Hy{m} watȝ þe nome Noe, as is i{n}noghe knawen,
[Sidenote: Three bold sons he had.]
He had þre þryuen su{n}eȝ & þay þre wyueȝ;
Sem soþly þat on, þat oþ{er} hyȝt cam
& þe Iolef Iapheth watȝ gendered þe þryd. 300
[Sidenote: God in great anger speaks to Noah.]
Now god i{n} nwy to Noe co{n} speke,
Wylde wrakful wordeȝ i{n} his wylle greued:
“Þe ende of alle-kyneȝ flesch þat on vrþe meueȝ,
Is fallen forþ wyth my face & forþ{er} hit I þenk, 304
W{i}t{h} her vn-worþelych werk me wlateȝ w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne,
Þe gore þ{er}-of me hatȝ greued & þe glette nwyed;
[Sidenote: Declares that He will destroy all “that life has.”]
I schal strenkle my distresse & strye al to-geder,
Boþe ledeȝ & londe & alle þat lyf habbeȝ. 308
[Headnote: NOAH IS COMMANDED TO BUILD AN ARK.]
[Sidenote: Commands him to make “a mansion” with dwellings for
wild and tame.]
Bot make to þe a manciou{n} & þat is my wylle,
A cofer closed of tres, clanlych planed;
Wyrk woneȝ þ{er}i{n}ne for wylde & for tame,
& þe{n}ne cleme hit w{i}t{h} clay comly w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne[16] 312
& alle þe endentur dryuen daube w{i}t{h}-outen.
[Sidenote: To let the ark be three hundred cubits in length,
and fifty in breadth, and thirty in height, and a window in it a
cubit square.]
& þ{us} of lenþe & of large þat lome þ{o}u make,
Þre hundred of cupydeȝ þ{o}u holde to þe lenþe,
Of fyfty fayre ou{er}-þwert forme þe brede; 316
& loke euen þat þyn ark haue of heȝþe þretté,
& a wyndow wyd vpon, wroȝt vpon lofte,
In þe compas of a cubit kyndely sware,
[Sidenote: Also a good shutting door in the side, together with
halls, recesses, bushes, and bowers, and well-formed pens.]
A wel dutande dor, don on þe syde; 320
Haf halleȝ þer-i{n}ne & halkeȝ ful mony,
Boþe boskeȝ & bo{ur}eȝ & wel bou{n}den peneȝ;
For I schal waken vp a wat{er} to wasch alle þe worlde,
& quelle alle þat is quik w{i}t{h} quauende flodeȝ. 324
[Sidenote: [Fol. 61b.]]
[Sidenote: For all flesh shall be destroyed, except Noah and his
family.]
Alle þat glydeȝ & gotȝ, & gost of lyf habbeȝ,
I schal wast with my wrath þat wons vpon vrþe;
Bot my forwarde w{i}t{h} þe I festen on þis wyse,
For þ{o}u in reysou{n} hatȝ rengned & ryȝtwys ben eu{er}; 328
Þ{o}u schal ent{er} þis ark w{i}t{h} þyn aþel barneȝ
& þy wedded wyf; with þe þ{o}u take
Þe makeȝ of þy myry su{n}eȝ; þis meyny of aȝte
[Sidenote: Noah is told to take into the ark seven pairs of
every clean beast, and one of unclean kind, and to furnish the
ark with proper food.]
I schal saue of mo{n}neȝ sauleȝ, & swelt þose oþ{er}. 332
Of vche best þat bereȝ lyf busk þe a cupple,
Of vche clene comly kynde enclose seuen makeȝ,
Of vche horwed, i{n} ark halde bot a payre,
For to saue me þe sede of alle ser kyndeȝ; 336
& ay þ{o}u meng w{i}t{h} þe maleȝ þe mete ho-besteȝ,
Vche payre by payre to plese ayþ{er} oþ{er};
W{i}t{h} alle þe fode þat may be fou{n}de frette þy cofer,
For sustnau{n}ce to yow self & also þose oþ{er}.” 340
[Sidenote: Noah fills the ark.]
Ful grayþely gotȝ þis god ma{n} & dos godeȝ hestes,
In dryȝ dred & dau{n}ger, þat durst do non oþer.
Wen hit watȝ fettled & forged & to þe fulle grayþed,
Þe{n}n con dryȝttyn hym dele dryȝly þyse wordeȝ: 344
[Sidenote 15: _fained_ (?).]
[Sidenote 16: MS. w{i}t{h}i{n}me]
[Headnote: THE RAIN DESCENDS.]