And here foure wifes woren he_m_ wið;
ðise .viij. hadden i_n_ ðe arche grið.[111] 560
The ark was a
good vessel.
Ðat arche was a feteles good,
ſet and limed a-gen ðe flood;
Three hundred
ells was it long,
ðhre hundred elne waſ it long,
Naild and ſperd, ðig and ſtrong, 564
fifty wide, and
thirty high.
And .l.^{ti} elne wid, and .xxx.^{ti} heg;
ðor buten noe (.) long ſwing he dreg,
A hundred winters
was Noah in
building it.
An hundred winter, eu_er_ilc del,
welken or it was ended wel; 568
Of alle der ðe on werlde wunen,
And foueles weren ðer-inne cume_n_
Clean animals entered
the ark by
seven and seven,
unclean by two
and two.
Bi ſeuene and ſeuene, or bi two & two,
Al-migti_n_ god him bad it ſo, 572
And mete q_u_orbi ðei migte_n_ liuen,
ðor q_u_iles he woren on water driuen.
[Fol. 12.]
Six hundred
years old was
Noah when he
entered the ark.
Sexe hundred ger noe was hold
Quan he dede him in ðe arche-wold; 576
Two ðhuſant ger, ſex hundred mo,
And ſex and fifti forð to ðo,
weren of werldes elde numen
ðan noe waſ in to ðe arche cumen. 580
The water
springs undid
their strength.
Rain poured
down on every
place.
Ilc wat_er_eſ ſpr_i_nge here ſtrengðe undede,
And Reyn gette dun on eu_er_ilk ſtede
fowerti daiſ and fowerti nigt,
So wex wat_er_ wið magti migt; 584
So wunderlike it wex & get
Fifteen ells it
overflowed, over
every hill and
vale.
ðat fiftene elne it ouer-flet,
Ouer ilk dune, and ou_er_ ilc hil,
ðhurge godes migt and godes wil; 588
And oðer fowerti ðore-to,
Daiſ and nigtes ſtodet ſo;
Then was all flesh
destroyed.
ðo waſ ilc fleiſ on wer[l]de ſlagen,
ðo gu_n_nen ðe wat_er_es hem wið-dragen. 592
[111] _At the end of the line in the margin_ 'Se archa Nœe.'