All spoke one
speech before.
Al waſ on ſpeche ðor bi-foren,
Now sundry
tongues arose
and sorely terrified
the workmen.
ðor woren ſundri ſpeches boren;
ðo wurðen he frigti and a-griſen,
for dor[119] waſ ſundri ſpecheſ riſen, 668
Seventy-two land-speeches
were
then spoken.
Sexti lond-ſpeches and .xii. mo,
weren delt ðane i_n_ werlde ðo.
That tower was
called Babel.
Babel, ðat tur, bi-lef un-mad,
The folk became
scattered afar
upon the earth.
ðat folc iſ wide on lon[de] ſad; 672
Nembrot nam wið ſtrengðhe ðat lond,
And helde ðe tur o babel in hiſ hond.
Belus was Nimrod's
son, and
after him reigned
Nilus, who set up
an image in remembrance
of his
father.
Beluſ king waſ nembrot ſune,
Nilus hiſ ſune gan ille wune; 676
Belus wurð dead, and nilus king
Made likeneſſe, for muni[gin]g[120]
[Fol. 14.]
After hiſ fader, and he ſo dede,
He it ſetten on an mirie ſtede; 680
Nilus rewarded
all that honoured
this likeness.
Eu_er_ilc man he gaf lif and frið
ðat to ðat likeneſſe ſogte grið;
for ðat frið ðat hem [gaf] ðe king,
He boren ðat likneſſe wurðing, 684
They called it
Bel, after Belum.
Calden it bel, after belum;
After ðis cam ſwilc oðer ſum,
Many made likenesses
of their
friends.
Manie man, iſ frend for to munen,
Made likneſſe after ðe wunen, 688
Bel was the first,
and hence the
names Bal or
Balim.
Bel was ðe firſte, and after him
Sum higte beland, ſu_m_ balim,
And ſu_m_ bel, and ſu_m_ bal;
fendes fleiðing wex wið-al, 692
To wenden men fro godes reed,
To newe luue and to newe dred;
Thus was idolatry
introduced, by
which many are
destroyed.
Ydolatrie ðuſ waſ boren,
for q_u_uam mani man iſ for-loren. 696
Of ſem, and of ðe folc ðe of hi_m_ cam,
luue and dred under gode nam;
Of ðis kinge wil we leden ſong,
[119] _read_ ðor
[120] see l. 1623