Jordan for his
dwelling-place.
In mirie dale hiſe bigginge he ches,
ðat he ſiðen twie for-les. 808
[Fol. 16b.]
Abram let loth in welðe and wale,
Abram dwelt
in Mamre-dale,
towards Ebron.
And ferde a-wei to mambre dale;
ðor wunede abram henden ebron,
ðat burge an oðer man lið on, 812
This city is called
Kirjatharba, _i. e._
four cities.
It atteð cariatharbe,
On engle ſpeche fowre cite;
fowre arbe cariatht arn in,
Four lie buried
there.
for ðat fowre biried ðor ben; 816
There was laid
Adam and Eve,
Abram and
Sarai, Jacob and
Leah.
ðor waſ leid adam and eua,
Abram ſiðen and ſarra;
ðor yſaac and rebecca,
And iacob and hiſe wif lia. 820
Mamre, Eschol,
and Aner were
sworn brothers
with Abram.
MAmbre, wið excol and anel,
ðor luueden Abram ful wel;
He woren breðere of kinde boren,
And abram woren he breðre ſworen. 824
Q_u_or abram wunede, ðor wex bi
An ok' ðat waſ of gibi,
God promised
that Abram's
seed should possess
the land
wherein he was
a stranger.
ðer het god abre ðat tagte lond
Sal cumen al in hiſ kinneſ hond, 828
And eſt and weſt, and ſuð and norð;
Al ðat god wile ſal wel gon forð.
Then was pride
widely spread,
and desire of
sovereignty.
Ðo wurðen waxen ſo wide and ſpred,
pride and giſcinge of lou_er_d-hed; 832
Nearly every city
had its ruler.
Neg ilc burge hadde iſe lou_er_eding,
Sum waſ king, and ſum kumeling;
[Fol. 17.]
Sum waſ wið migte[125] ſo forð gon,
ðat hadden he under hem mani on. 836
The five cities of
Pentapolis, ruled
over by their own
kings,
Fif burges of pentapoliſ,
Adama, bala, Seboyſ,
And ſodoma wið gomorra,
ðe kinges welten burges ðoa, 840
[125] The MS. has migt; but migte is at the bottom of p. 16 b in the
catchwords—"Sū waſ wið migte."