Soon was Sarai
taken from
Abram, and
brought to king
Pharaoh.
Sone him waſ ſarrai binumen; 772
Sone him waſ ſarray bi-lagt,
And [124]pharaon ðe kinge bi-tagt;
God plagued the
king with sickness.
God ſente on him ſekeneſſe & care,
And lettede al his lecher-fare. 776
Sarray liuede in clene lif,
Pharaoh at last
became aware
that all this strife
was on account
of Sarai,
And ðe king ðholede ſorges ſtrif
Til he wiſte al ðat ſtrif
Cam him on for ab_ra_m wif; 780
so he restored her
to her husband,
ðo ſente he after abram,
And bi-tagte he him iſ leman,
[Fol. 16.]
and gave Abram
land and cattle.
And gaf him lond, and agte, and fe,
And leue, ðor q_u_iles his wille be, 784
To wune egipte folc among,
And friðen him wel fro eu_er_ilc wro_n_g,
Bad him to god hiſ erdne beren,
In Egypt the patriarch
abode in
security.
ðat ywel him ſulde nu_n_mor deren. 788
ðor wunede abra_m_ in welðe and i_n_ frið,
Egypt's clerks
held him in high
honour.
Egipte clerkes woren him wið,
And hem lerede, witt_er_like,
Aſtronomige and arſmetike; 792
He was hem lef, he woren him hold.
God greatly increased
his riches.
God gaf him ðor ſiluer and gold,
And hird, and orf, and ſrud, and ſat,
Vn-achteled welðe he ðor bi-gat. 796
Out of Egypt
Abram went to
Canaan, and
abode between
Bethel and Ai.
Vt of egipte, riche man,
Wente abram i_n_ to lond canaan;
And loth hiſe neue and ſarray
bileften bi-twen betel and ay, 800
ðor he q_u_ilum her wiſten wunen,
Or he weren to egipte cumen.
Strife arose between
Abram and Lot's herdsmen.
So wex here erue, and ſo gan ðen
An twen here hirdeſ ſtriui_n_g gan ben; 804
Lot, by leave of
his uncle, chose
the plains of the
Loth him cheſ, bi leue of abram,
ðat herðe hende ðe flu_m_ iurdan;
[124] _w_ in MS. But the _w_ is much like _p_.