Lot warned his
sons-in-law in
vain.
Loth hem warnede, wiſlike and wel,
Oc he ne troweden hi_m_ neu_er_e a del. 1092
The angels led
Lot and his
family out of
Sodom,
On morgen quan day ca_m_ he_m_ to,
Loth and hiſ dogtres two
[Fol. 22.]
Ledden ðiſ angeles ut in ſel,
and bade them
turn not back.
And boden hem and tagten wel, 1096
ðat here non wente agen,
for non ðhing he migte ſen.
Lot thought the
way to the hills
hard and strong.
Loth waſ wanſum, and ðugte long
vp to ðo dunes ðe weie hard and ſtrong; 1100
He intreated that
he might dwell
in Segor.
"Lou_er_d," q_u_at he, "gunde under dun,
mot hic ben borgen in ðat tun!"
ðo angeles ſeiden, "we ſulen it ſren,[141]
ðor quile ðu wilt ðor-inne ben; 1104
This city was safe
while Lot abode
there;
Ai waſ borgen bala-ſegor
ðor q_u_ile ðat loth dwelledde ðor;
when he left it,
it was destroyed.
Oc ſiðen loth wente ut of hine,
brende it ðhunder, ſanc it erðe-dine. 1108
Sone ſo loth ut of ſodome cam,
Sodom was destroyed
by fire,
brend-fier-rein ðe burge bi-nam;
Hardere wreche ðor waſ cumen
ðan ear was vnder flode numen; 1112
for sin and "unkind
deeds."
for men ðor ſinne un-kinde deden,
ſo for-ſanc and brente ðat ſteden;
So bitter-like iſ it for-don,
Ne mai non dain waſſen ðor-on; 1116
So for-ſanc ðat folc ſinful ðor,
ſwilc ſinful ſinne wex ðer nu_n_mor.
Lot's wife turned
back, and "went
into a stone."
Ðo lotes wif wente hire a-gon,
Sone ghe ſtod, wente i_n_ to a ſton; 1120
[Fol. 22b.]
Thus is this
merry dale
turned into a
swarthy lake.
So iſt nu forwent mirie dale
In to dririhed and in to bale,
ðe ſwarte flum, ðe dede ſe,
Non fiſ, non fuel ðor-inne mai be. 1124
ðat water iſ ſo deades driuen,
Nothing may live
therein.
Non ðing ne mai ðor-inne liuen;
[141] ? fren