and sent to Jacob
at Hebron.
And ſenten it iacob i_n_-to ebron,
And ſhewed it hi_m_, and boden hi_m_ ſen
If hiſ childes wede it migte ben; 1972
Senten him bode he funden it.
ðo iacob ſag dat[206] ſori writ,
"Evil beasts,"
said Jacob, "have
swallowed my
son."
He gret, and ſeide ðat "wilde der
Hauen min ſune ſwolgen her." 1976
Long was his
lamentation and
sorrow.
Hiſ cloðes rent, in haigre ſrid,
Long grot and ſorge is hi_m_ bi-tid.
[Fol. 39.]
His ſunes comen him to ſen,
And hertedin him if it migte ben; 1980
Jacob would not
be comforted for
the loss of
Joseph.
"Nai! nai!" q_u_at he, "helped it nogt,
Mai non herti_n_g on me ben wrogt;
ic ſal ligten til helle dale,
And groten ðor min ſunes bale." 1984
In hell was a
separate abode
where the righteous
rested,
(ðor was in helle a ſundri ſtede,
wor ðe ſeli folc reſte dede;
ðor he ſtunden til helpe cam,
till Christ took
them from
thence.
Til ih_es_u crist fro ðeden[207] he nam.) 1988
ðe chapmen ſkiuden here fare,
The merchants
took their ware
to Egypt.
In-to egipte ledden ðat ware;
wið putifar ðe kinges ſtiward,
He maden ſwiðe bigetel forward, 1992
So michel fe ðor iſ hem told,
He hauen him bogt, he hauen ſold.
Potiphar bought
Joseph.
Putifar waſ wol riche man,
And he bogte ioſeph al forðan 1996
He entertained
impure desires
towards him,
He wulde don iſ lechur-hed
wið ioseph, for hiſe faire-hed,
Oc he wurð ðo ſo kinde cold,
To don ſwilc dede adde he no wold; 2000
but Joseph was
strengthened
from above.
ſwilc ſelðe cam him fro a-buuen,
God dede it al for ioſeph luue[n].
Biſſop in eliopoli[208]
Men ſeið he was ſiðen for-ði, 2004
[206] ðat?
[207] ðeðen?
[208] In [H]Eliopolis; the words are run together.