Unopened they
brought them to
Jacob and told
him how they
had sped.
Oc alle he weren ou_er_-ðogt,
And hauen it ſo to iacob brogt, 2220
And tolden him ſo of here ſped,
And al he it liſtnede i_n_ frigtihed;
Great was their
fear when they
saw the money
in the sack's
mouth.
And q_u_an men ðo ſeckes ðor un-bond,
And in ðe coren ðo agtes fond, 2224
Alle he woren ðanne[217] ſori ofrigt.
Iacob ðus him bi-meneð o-rigt,
"Much sorrow,"
says Jacob, "is
come upon me,
"Wel michel ſorge is me bi-cumen,
ðat min two childre aren me for-nume_n_; 2228
since my two
children are
taken from me.
Of Ioſep wot ic ending non,
And bondes ben leid on ſymeon;
If ge beniamin fro me don,
Dead and ſorge me ſegeð on; 2232
Benjamin shall
remain with me."
Ai ſal beniamin wið me bi-lewen
ðor q_u_iles ic ſal on werlde liuen."
ðo q_u_að iudas, "us ſal ben hard,
If we no[218] holden him non forward." 2236
The corn is soon
consumed, and
Jacob bids them
go to Egypt for
more.
Wex derke,[219] ðis coren iſ gon,
Iacob eſt[220] bit hem faren agon,
[Fol. 44.]
Oc he ne duren ðe weie cumen in,
"but ge wið uſ ſenden beniamin;" 2240
Jacob is persuaded
to send
Benjamin.
ðo q_u_að he, "q_u_an it iſ ned,
And ne can no bettre red,
He sends back
the silver,
Bereð dat[221] ſilu_er_ hol agon,
ðat hem ðor-of ne wante non, 2244
and other corn-money,
And oðer ſiluer ðor bi-foren,
for to bigen wið oðer coren;
together with a
present of fruit
and spices for
Joseph.
fruit and ſpices of dere priſ,
Bereð ðat man ðat iſ ſo wiſ; 2248
God hunne him eði-modes ben,
And ſende me min childre agen."
The brethren
come again to
Egypt.
ðo nomen he forð weie rigt,
Til he ben cumen i_n_-to egypte ligt; 2252
Joseph treats
them kindly,
And q_u_anne Ioſep hem alle ſag,
Kinde ðogt i_n_ his herte was [ðag].
[217] MS. ðanno
[218] ne?
[219] derðe?
[220] eft?
[221] ðat?