X.

[Sidenote: God’s messengers go to Sodom.]

His sondes i{n}-to sodamas watȝ sende i{n} þat tyme,

I{n} þat ilk euentyde, by au{n}gels tweyne,

Meuand meuande[38] mekely togeder as myry me{n} ȝonge,

[Sidenote: Lot is sitting alone at the “door of his lodge.”]

As loot i{n} a loge dor lened hy{m} alone, 784

I{n} a porche of þat place pyȝt to þe ȝat{es},

Þat watȝ ryal & ryche, so watȝ þe renk{es} seluen.

[Sidenote: Staring into the street he sees two men.]

As he stared i{n}-to þe strete þ{er} stout men played

He syȝe þer swey i{n} asent swete men tweyne; 788

[Sidenote: Beardless chins they had, and hair like raw silk.]

Bolde burneȝ wer þay boþe w{i}t{h} berdles chy{n}neȝ,

Royl rollande fax to raw sylk lyke,

Of ble as þe brere flo{ur} where-so þe bare scheweed,

Ful clene watȝ þe cou{n}tenau{n}ce of her cler yȝen; 792

[Sidenote: [Fol. 68a.]]

[Sidenote: Beautifully white were their weeds.]

Wlonk whit watȝ her wede & wel hit hem semed.

Of alle fetureȝ ful fyn & fautleȝ boþe;

Watȝ non autly i{n} ouþ{er}, for aungels hit wern,

& þat þe ȝep vnder-ȝede þat i{n} þe ȝate sytteȝ. 796

[Headnote: LOT ENTERTAINS THE MESSENGERS.]

[Sidenote: Lot runs to meet them.]

He ros vp ful radly & ran hem to mete

& loȝe he louteȝ hem to, loth, to þe grou{n}de,

& syþen soberly [satȝ] “syreȝ I yow by-seche,

[Sidenote: Invites them to remain awhile in his house, and in

the morning they may take their way.]

Þat ȝe wolde lyȝt at my loge & lenge þ{er}-i{n}ne, 800

Comeȝ to yo{ur} knaues kote I craue at þis oneȝ;

I schal fette yow a fatte yo{ur} fette forto wasche;

I norne yow bot for on nyȝt neȝe me to lenge,

& i{n} þe myry morny{n}g ȝe may yo{ur} waye take.” 804

& þay nay þat þay nolde neȝ no howseȝ,

Bot stylly þer i{n} þe strete as þay stadde wern,

Þay wolde lenge þe long naȝt & logge þ{er}-oute;

Hit watȝ ho{us} innoȝe to hem þe heuen vpon lofte. 808

[Sidenote: Lot invites them so long that at last they comply.]

Loth laþed so longe wyth luflych wordeȝ,

Þat þay hy{m} grau{n}ted to go & gruȝt no leng{er}.

Þe bolde to his byggy{n}g bryngeȝ hem bylyue,

[Sidenote: The wife and daughters of Lot welcome their visitors.]

Þat ryally [watȝ] arayed, for he watȝ ryche eu{er}. 812

Þe wyȝeȝ wern welcom as þe wyf couþe,

His two dere doȝt{er}eȝ deuoutly he{m} haylsed,

Þat wer maydeneȝ ful meke, maryed not ȝet,

& þay wer semly & swete, & swyþe wel arayed. 816

[Sidenote: Lot admonishes his men to prepare the meat, and to

serve no salt with it.]

Loth þe{n}ne ful lyȝtly lokeȝ hy{m} aboute,

& his me{n} amonest{es} mete forto dyȝt,

Bot þenkkeȝ on hit be þrefte what þynk[39] so ȝe make,

For wyth no so{ur}[40] ne no salt serueȝ hy{m} neu{er}. 820

Bot ȝet I wene þat þe wyf hit wroth[41] to dyspyt,

& sayde softely to hir self “þis vn-sau{er}e[42] hyne

Loueȝ no salt i{n} her sauce ȝet hit no skyl were

Þat oþ{er} burne be boute þaȝ boþe be nyse.” 824

[Sidenote: Lot’s wife disregards the injunction.]

Þe{n}ne ho sau{er}eȝ w{i}t{h} salt her seueȝ vchone

Agayne þe bone of þe burne þat hit forboden hade,

& als ho scelt he{m} i{n} scorne þat wel her skyl knewen.

Why watȝ ho wrech so wod, ho wrathed oure lorde! 828

[Sidenote: [Fol. 68b.]]

[Sidenote: The guests are well entertained.]

Þe{n}ne seten þay at þe soper, wern serued by-lyue,

Þe gest{es} gay & ful glad, of glam debonere,

Welawy{n}nely wlonk tyl þay waschen hade,

Þe trest{es} tylt to þe woȝe & þe table boþe. 832

[Headnote: LOT’S HOUSE IS BESET.]

[Sidenote: But before they go to rest the city is up in arms.]

Fro þe seggeȝ haden souped & seten bot a whyle,

Er eu{er} þay bosked to bedde þe borȝ watȝ al vp;

Alle þat weppen myȝt welde, þe wakker & þe stronger,

To vmbe-lyȝe lotheȝ ho{us} þe ledeȝ to take, 836

In grete flokkeȝ of folk, þay fallen to his ȝateȝ,

As a scowte-wach scarred, so þe asscry rysed;

[Sidenote: With “keen clubs” the folk clatter on the walls, and

demand that Lot should deliver up his guests.]

W{i}t{h} kene clobbeȝ of þat clos þay clatȝ on þe woweȝ,

& wyth a schrylle scharp schout þay schewe þyse worde: 840

“If þ{o}u louyeȝ þy lyf loth i{n} þyse woneȝ

Ȝete v{us} out þose ȝong men þat ȝore-whyle here entred,

Þat we may lere hym[43] of lof, as oure lyst biddeȝ,

As is þe asyse of Sodomas to seggeȝ þ{a}t passen.” 844

Whatt! þay sputen & speken of so spito{us} fylþe,

What! þay ȝeȝed & ȝolped of ȝestande sorȝe,

[Sidenote: The wind yet stinks with their filthy speech.]

Þat ȝet þe wynd, & þe weder, & þe worlde stynk{es}

Of þe brych þat vp-braydeȝ þose broþelych wordeȝ. 848

Þe god man glyfte w{i}t{h} þ{a}t glam & gloped for noyse,

So scharpe schame to hy{m} schot, he schrank at þe hert,

For he knew þe costou{m} þat kyþed þose wrecheȝ,

He doted neu{er} for no doel so depe i{n} his my{n}de. 852

[Sidenote: Lot is in great trouble.]

Allas! sayd hy{m} þe{n}ne loth, & lyȝtly he ryseȝ

& boweȝ forth fro þe bench i{n}-to þe brode ȝat{es}.

What! he wonded no woþe of wekked knaueȝ,

Þat he ne passed þe port þe p{er}il[44] to abide. 856

[Sidenote: He leaves his guests and addresses the Sodomites.]

He went forthe at þe wyket & waft hit hy{m} aft{er},

Þat a clyket hit cleȝt clos hy{m} byhynde.

Þe{n}ne he meled to þo men mesurable wordeȝ,

For harloteȝ w{i}t{h} his hendelayk he hoped to chast; 860

“Oo! my frendeȝ so fre, yo{ur} fare is to strange,

Dotȝ away yo{ur} derf dyn & dereȝ neu{er} my gest{es},

Avoy! hit is yo{ur} vylaynye, ȝe vylen yo{ur} seluen;

&[45] ȝe ar iolyf gentylmen yo{ur} iapes ar ille. 864

[Sidenote: [Fol. 69a.]]

Bot I schal ke{n}ne yow by kynde a crafte þat is bett{er};

[Sidenote: He offers to give up to them his two daughters.]

I haf a tresor i{n} my telde of tow my fayre deȝt{er},

Þat ar maydeneȝ vnmard for alle men ȝette;

In sodamas, þaȝ I hit say, non semloker burdes, 868

Hit arn ronk, hit arn rype & redy to ma{n}ne;

To samen wyth þo semly þe solace is bett{er},

I schal biteche yow þo two þat tayt arn & quoy{n}t,

& laykeȝ wyth hem as yow lyst & leteȝ my gest{es} one.” 872

[Sidenote: The rebels raise a great noise, and ask who made him

a justice to judge their deeds, who was but a boy when he came

to Sodom.]

Þe{n}ne þe rebaudeȝ so ronk rerd such a noyse,

Þat aȝly hurled i{n} his ereȝ her harloteȝ speche;

“Wost þ{o}u not wel þ{a}t þ{o}u woneȝ here a wyȝe strange,

An out-comly{n}g, a carle, we kylle of þyn heued. 876

Who Ioyned þe be iostyse oure iapeȝ to blame,

Þat com a boy to þis borȝ, þaȝ þ{o}u be burne ryche?”

Þ{us} þay þrobled & þrong & þrwe vmbe his ereȝ,

& distresed hy{m} wonder strayt, w{i}t{h} strenkþe i{n} þe prece, 880

[Headnote: THE MEN OF SODOM SMITTEN WITH BLINDNESS.]

[Sidenote: The young men bring Lot within doors, and smite those

outside with blindness.]

Bot þat þe ȝonge me{n}, so ȝepe, ȝornen þ{er}-oute,

Wapped vpon þe wyket & wo{n}nen hem tylle,

& by þe hondeȝ hy{m} hent & horyed hy{m} w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne,

& steken þe ȝat{es} ston-harde wyth stalworth barreȝ. 884

Þay blwe a boffet i{n} blande þat ba{n}ned peple,

Þat þay blust{er}ed as blynde as bayard watȝ eu{er};

[Sidenote: In vain they try to find the door of Lot’s house.]

Þay lest of loteȝ loggi{n}g any lysou{n} to fynde,

Bot nyteled þ{er} alle þe nyȝt for noȝt at þe last; 888

Þe{n}ne vch tolke tyȝt hem þat hade of tayt fayled,

& vchon roþeled to þe rest þat he reche moȝt;

Bot þay wern wakned al wrank[46] þat þ{er} i{n} won lenged,

Of on þe vglokest vnhap þat eu{er} on erd suffred. 892

[Sidenote 38: So in MS.]

[Sidenote 39: _þyng_ (?).]

[Sidenote 40: savo{ur} (?).]

[Sidenote 41: _wroȝt_ (?).]

[Sidenote 42: MS. vnfau{er}e.]

[Sidenote 43: _hem_ (?).]

[Sidenote 44: MS. _pil_.]

[Sidenote 45: _And_ = _An_ (?).]

[Sidenote 46: _wrang_ (?).]

[Headnote: LOT IS SENT OUT OF THE CITY.]