Rachel was bliðe and forð ghe nam,
And kiddit to hire fader laban.
Laban welcomes
his nephew and
brings him to his
house.
Laban fagnede hi_m_ in frendes wune,
feren ſwunken yſaaces ſunen. 1656
Iacob tolde him for q_u_at he ſwanc
So fer, and laban herte ranc;
He cuðe him ðer-of wel gret ðhanc,
He entertains
him well.
And dede him eten and to him dranc, 1660
And ſeide to him, "bi min blod,
ðin come iſ me leflike and good."
Jacob abode with
Laban for one
month,
Laban bi-tagte him, ſiðen to ſen,
Hiſ hirdeneſſe ðat it wel ben. 1664
after which time
Laban said to
him,
And q_u_anne a moneð was ou_er_-meten,
"Iacob," wað he, "q_u_at wiltu bi-geten?
[Fol. 33.]
"Tell me what
shall thy wages
be."
Quat-ſo [177][ðu] wilt for hire crauen,
Aſke it wið ſkil and ðu ſalt hauen." 1668
Jacob covenanted
for Rachel.
Q_u_at iacob, "ic ſal, for rachel,
Seruen ðe ſeuene winter wel."
Luue wel michil it agte a wold,
Swilc ſeruiſe and ſo longe told. 1672
Seven years passed
away and
Laban made a
feast.
forð geden ſeuene ger bi tale,
And laban made him hiſ bridale;
When even came
Jacob was deceived
with Leah.
Iacob wurð drunken, and euen cam,
Laban bi nigt tog him liam; 1676
And a maiden waſ hire bi-tagt,
Zelfa bi name, ðat ilke nagt.
Iacob gan hire under-fon,
Laban says that
it was not the
custom to marry
the younger before
the first-born.
O morgen ðugte it hi_m_ miſ-don. 1680
Q_u_at laban, "long wune iſ her driuen,
firmeſt on elde, firſt ben giuen:
And loð me waſ ſenden rachel
So fer, for ic luuede her wel; 1684
Jacob agrees to
serve other seven
years for Rachel.
Oc ſerf me ſeuene oðer ger,
If ðu ſalt rachel ſeruen her;
[177] At bottom of Fol. 32b is the catchword—"q_u_at ſo ðu wilt."