Ghe brogte him bi-foren pharaon,
And ðiſ king wurð him in herte mild,
So ſwide faiger was ðiſ child;
And he toc him on ſunes ſtede,
And hiſ corune on his heued he dede,
And let it ſtonden ayne ſtund;
ðe child it warp dun to ðe grund.
Hamoneſ likeneſ was ðor-on;
ðiſ crune is broken, ðiſ iſ miſdon.
Biſſop Eliopoleos
ſag ðiſ timing, & up he roſ;
"If ðiſ child," quad he, "mote ðen,
He ſal egyptes bale ben."
If ðor ne wore helpe twen lopen,
ðiſ childe adde ðan ſone be dropen;
ðe king wið-ſtod & an wiſ man,
He ſeide, "ðe child doð alſ he can;
We ſulen nu witen for it dede
ðiſ witterlike, or in child-hede;"
He bad ðis child brennen to colen
And he toc is (hu migt he it ðolen),
And in hiſe muth ſo depe he iſ dede
Hiſe tunges ende iſ brent ðor-mide;
ðor-fore ſeide ðe ebru witterlike,
ðat he ſpac ſiðen miſerlike.
She (Thermutis) brought him (Moses) before Pharaoh,
And this king became to him in heart mild,
So very fair was this child;
And he took him on son's stead (instead of a son),
And his crown on his head he did (placed),
And let it stand a stound (while);
The child threw it down to the ground.
Hamon's likeness was thereon;
This crown is broken, this is misdone.
The Bishop of Heliopolis
Saw this circumstance, and up he rose;
If this child, quoth he, might thrive (grow up),
He shall Egypt's bale be.
If there had not helpers 'tween leapt,
This child had then soon been killed;
The king with-stood and a wise man,
He said, The child doth as he can (knows);
We should now learn whether it did
This wittingly, or in childishness;
He offered this child two burning coals
And he took them (how might he bear them?)
And in his mouth so deep (far) he them did (placed)
His tongue's end is burnt therewith;
Therefore said the Hebrew truly,
That he spake afterwards indistinctly.
—(ll. 2634-2658.)