[Fol. 11.]
He wrote a book,
well known to
many.
He wrot a boc dat manige witen,
Manige tiding ðor-on iſ writen; 524
ðor iſ writen q_u_at agte awold,
dat[109] ðiſ werld waſ wat_er_ wold.
Fif hundred ger of ðat ðuſent
ðat mankin was on werlde ſent, 528
Cain's kind
wrought against
law.
Caymes ſunes wrogten vn-lage,
Wið breðere wifes hore-plage;
And on ðe ſexte hundred ger
Women waxed
evil, unchaste,
and unnatural.
Wimmen welten wereſ meſter, 532
And ſwilc woded wenten[110] on,
Golhed hunkinde he gunnen don;
And ðe fifte hundred ger,
Men began to addict
themselves
to wretched
practices.
wapmen bi-gu_n_nen q_u_ad meſter, 536
bi-twen hem-ſeluen hun-wreſte plage,
A ðefis kinde, a-genes lage.
Two hundred ger after ðo wunes,
Seth's sons made
marriages contrary
to Adam's
commands.
Mis-wiuen he_m_ gu_n_nen ſeðes ſunes, 540
Agenes ðat adam for-bead,
And leten godeſ frigti-hed;
They chose wives
of Cain's seed,
and mixed with
the accursed kind.
He choſen hem wiwes of caym,
And mengten wið waried kin; 544
Of hem woren ðe getenes boren,
Of them were
giants born who
wrought many
evils.
Migti men, and figti, [and] for-loren;
He wrogten manige [sinne] and bale,
Of ðat migt [nu] is litel tale; 548
[Fol. 11b.]
for ðat he god ne luueden nogt,
ðat migt iſ al to ſorge brogt;
For their great sin
there came wrath
and vengeance
upon the world.
for ſwilc ſinful dedes ſake,
ſo cam on werlde wreche and wrake 552
for to bliſſen ſwilc ſinnes ſame,
ðat it ne wexe at more hu_n_-frame.
A flood drowned
man and beast.
Ðo wex a flod ðis werlde wid-hin,
and [o]uer-flowged men & deres kin, 556
Noah and his
family were saved
in an ark.
wið-vten noe and hise ðre ſunen,
Sem, Cam, Iaphet, if we rigt munen,
[109] _read_ ðat
[110] wentem MS.