Never shall they
be undone till
Christ is crucified.
Ne ſulen it neu_er_e ben un-don,
Til ih_esus_ beð on Rode don;
Ne ſulen it neu_er_more ben opened,
Til ih_esus_ beð on rode dead. 388
Thus Adam and
Eve became acquainted
with
sorrow and care.
Iff mikel is ſorge, and more care,
Ada_m_ and eue it wite ful gare;
Of paradiſ hem ðinkeð ſwem,
[Fol. 8b.]
Evil and death
troubled them.
They thought
that they must
never look upon
one another.
Of iwel and dead hem ſtondeð greim. 392
On ſundri ðhenken he to ben,
And neiðere on oðer ſen,
Til angel brogte ada_m_ bode,
Message came
from God,
bodeword and tiding fro gode:— 396
"Adam, know
Eve, thy wife, and
live together.
"Adam, ðhu knowe eue ðin wif,
And leded ſamen gunker lif;
Some that shall
be born of you
shall come to
bliss, others shall
be in sorrow after
their death.
Su_m_me ſulen of gu to kumen,
Sulen ben in to reſte numen; 400
Su_m_me ſulen folwen fendes red,
And ben in ſorwe after ðe dead;
And get ſal godeſ dere ſune
God's dear Son
shall bring man
again into Paradise."
In gure kin i_n_ werlde wunen, 404
And he ſal bringen man a-gen
In paradiſ to wunen and ben."
These tidings
partly softened
Adam's sorry
mood.
Swilc tiding ðhugte ada_m_ god,
And ſumdel quemeð it his ſeri mood. 408
Ðiſ angel is to heuone numen,
Adam and Eve
lived together.
And adam iſ to eue cumen,
More for erneſte dan[103] for gamen;
Adam and eue wunen ſamen, 412
Children had
they, many more
than Genesis tells
of.
And hadden childre manige i-wiſ,
Mo ðan of telleð de geneſis;
After fifteen
years Cain was
born,
for fiftene ger hadde adam,
ðan caim of eue cam, 416
[103] _read_ ðan