Before the famine
came two sons
were born to
Joseph.
And ghe ðer him two childer bar,
Or men wurð of ðat hunger war,
first manaſſen and effraym;
He luueden god, he geld it hem. 2152
The years of
plenty pass
away.
ðe .vii. fulſu_m_ geres faren,
Ioſep cuðe him bi-foren waren;
ðan coren wantede in oðer lond,
ðo ynug [was] vnder his hond. 2156
The famine was
felt in Canaan.
Hvnger wex in lond chanaan,
And his .x. ſunes iacob for-ðan
Jacob sent his
ten sons to Egypt
to buy corn.
Sente in-to egipt to bringen coren;
He bilef at hom ðe was gungeſt boren. 2160
[Fol. 42b.]
ðe .x. comen, for nede ſogt,
To Ioſep, and he ne knewen hi_m_ nogt,
Though they
honoured Joseph,
And ðog he lutten him frigtilike,
Anð ſeiden to him mildelike, 2164
"We ben ſondes for nede driuen
To bigen coren ðor-bi to liuen."
yet he pretended
not to know
them.
(Ioſep hem knew al in his ðhogt,
Alſ he let he knew hem nogt.) 2168
"It ſemet wel ðat ge ſpies ben,
He accused them
of being spies.
And in-to ðiſ lond cumen to ſen,
And cume ge for non oðer ðing,
but for to ſpien ur lord ðe king." 2172
"Nai," he ſeiden eu_er_ilc on,
They declared
that they were
true men, the
sons of one
father.
"Spies were we neu_er_ non,
Oc alle we ben on faderes ſunen,
For hunger doð es[213] hider cumen." 2176
"Oc nu ic wot ge ſpieſ ben,
for bi gure bering men mai it ſen;
"Only kings,"
said Joseph, "had
so many sons."
Hu ſulde oni man[214] poure for-geten,
ſwilke and ſo manige ſunes bigeten? 2180
for ſeldu_m_ bi-tid ſelf ani king
ſwilc men to ſen of hiſe ofſpring."
[213] doðes MS.
[214] MS. Hu suld sulde oninan.