The "breadwright's"
dream.
Quað ðis bred-wrigte, "liðeð nu me,
me drempte ic bar bread-lepes ðre,
And ðor-in bread and oðer meten,
Q_u_ilke ben wune ðe kinges to eten; 2080
Fowls seized on
the baskets of
bread intended
for the king,
And fugeles hauen ðor-on lagt,
ðor-fore ic am i_n_ ſorge and hagt,
[Fol. 41.]
for ic ne migte me nogt weren,
and he could not
keep the meat
from them.
Ne ðat mete fro hem beren." 2084
"Me wore leuere," q_u_ad Ioſeph,
"Of eddi dremes rechen ſwep;
"In three days,"
said Joseph,
"thou shalt be
hanged, and
fowls shall tear
thy flesh in
pieces."
ðu ſalt, after ðe ðridde dei,
ben do on rode, weila-wei! 2088
And fugeles ſulen ði fleis to-teren,
ðat ſal non agte mugen ðe weren."
Soð wurð ſo ioſeph ſeide ðat,
The butler soon
forgat Joseph.
ðis buteler Ioſeph ſone for-gat. 2092
After two years,
Two ger ſiðen was Ioſeph ſperd
ðor in p_ri_ſun wið-uten erd;
Pharaoh dreamt
a dream.
Ðo drempte pharaon king a drem,
He stood by the
river, and there
came seven
"neat" fat and
great, and seven
lean after,
ðat he ſtod bi ðe flodes ſtrem, 2096
And ðeden[212] ut-comen .vii. neet,
Eu_er_ilc wel ſwiðe fet and gret,
And .vii. lene after ðo,
ðe deden ðe .vii. fette wo, 2100
which ate up the
fat ones.
ðe lene hauen ðe fette freten;
ðiſ drem ne mai ðe king for-geten.
An oðer drem cam hi_m_ bi-foren,
Seven full ears of
corn sprang up
"on a rank
bush," and then
came seven
withered ears,
.vii. eares wexen fette of coren, 2104
On an busk ranc and wel tidi,
And .vii. lene rigt ðor-bi,
welkede, and ſmale, and drugte numen,
ðe ranc he hauen ðo ou_er_-cumen, 2108
[Fol. 41b.]
which smote the
others to the
ground.
To-ſamen it ſmiten and, on a ſtund,
ðe fette ðriſt hem to ðo grund.
ðe king abraid and woc in ðhogt,
ðeſ dremes ſwep ne wot he nogt, 2112
[212] ðeðen?