He roſ, and lutte, and ſcroð hi_m_ wel,
he invited them to
his home to stay
with him that
night.
And bead hem hom to iſ oſtel 1056
To herbergen wið him ðat nigt,
ðo ſwete angeles, faier and brigt;
And he ſo deden alſ he hem bead,
He wiſten him bergen fro ðe dead; 1060
Lot served his
guests fair and
well.
And loth hem ſerued faire and wel,
And he him gulden it eu_er_ilc del.
Oc al ðat burgt folc ðat helde waſ on,
ðe migte lecher crafte don, 1064
The wicked Sodomites
beset
Lot's house.
To lothes huſ he cumen ðat nigt
And bi-ſetten it redi to figt;
They bade him
bring out the
strangers.
He boden him bringen ut o-non,
ðo men ðat woren ðidir in-gon. 1068
[Fol. 21b.]
Lot offered them
his daughters.
Loth hem bead iſ dogtres two,
for to friðen hiſe geſte ſwo;
Oc he ne wulden hiſ dogtres nogt,
The wicked folk
sought to harm
Lot.
for wicke and feble waſ here ðogt. 1072
ðat folc vn-ſeli, ſinne wod,
ðo ſori wrecches of yuel blod
wulden him ðor gret ſtrengðe don,
Til wreche and letting cam hem on. 1076
The angels drew
Lot in.
ðis angels two drogen loth in,
And ſhetten to ðe dure-pin.
Blindness came
upon the Sodomites,
Wil ſiðen cam on eu_er_ilc on,
ðo wrecches ðe wið-vten gon, 1080
for al ðat nigt he ſogten ðor
and they sought
the door in vain.
ðe dure, and fundend[139] neu_er_e mor.
ðo ſeiden ðiſ angeles to loth wið ſped,
Lot is commanded
to leave the
city with his
friends before
daybreak.
If ðu frend haueſt and wi[l]t don red, 1084
Bid him, or day, redi ben,
And ſwiðe ut ðiſ burgeſ flen,
elles ſulen he brennen and for-faren,
If he ne bi time heðe[n] waren. 1088
Two ðor werren q_u_am hi_m_ ðogte ear
To wedden hiſ two dogtres ðear;[140]
[139] So in MS.
[140] _read_ dear