"One," the
brethren said,
"is at home
with his father."
"A lou_er_d, merci! get iſ ðor on
migt he nogt fro his fader gon; 2184
He iſ gungeſt, hoten beniamin,
for we ben alle of ebriſſe kin."
[Fol. 43.]
Quoth Joseph,
"Ye shall not all
go hence, until
ye bring me
Benjamin."
"Nu, bi ðe feið ic og to king pharaon,
ſule ge nogt alle eðen gon, 2188
Til ge me bringen beniamin,
ða gungeſte broðer of pore[215] kin."
For ðo waſ Ioſep ſore for-dred
ðat he wore oc ðhurg hem for-red; 2192
He dede hem binden, and leden dun,
He kept them in
prison, and on
the third day let
them all go
except Simeon.
And ſperen faſte in his priſun;
ðe ðridde dai he let hem gon,
Al but ðe ton broðer ſymeon; 2196
ðiſ ſymeon bi-lef ðor in bond,
To wedde under Ioſepes hond.
ðes oðere breðere, ſone on-on,
Token leue and wenten hom; 2200
The others bemoaned
their ill-luck.
And ſone he weren ðeden[216] went,
Wel ſore he hauen hem bi-ment,
And ſeiden hem ðan ðor bi-twen,
They thought of
their sin towards
Joseph.
"Wrigtful we in ſorwe ben, 2204
for we ſinigeden q_u_ilu_m_ or
On hure broðer michil mor,
for we werneden him merci,
Nu drege we ſorge al for-ði." 2208
Wende here non it on hiſ mod,
Oc Ioſep al it under-ſtod.
Joseph's men did,
meanwhile, as
they were commanded,
Ioſepes men ðor q_u_iles deden
Al-ſo Ioſep hem adde beden; 2212
[Fol. 43b.]
and filled the
brothers' sacks,
and placed in
them the money
paid for the corn.
ðo breðere ſeckes hauen he filt,
And in eu_er_ilc ðe ſilu_er_ pilt
ðat ðor was paid for ðe coren,
And bunden ðe muðes ðor bi-foren; 2216
Oc ðe breðere ne wiſte_n_ it nogt
Hu ðis dede wurðe wrogt;
[215] gure?
[216] ðeðen?