and bids his
steward prepare
a feast for them.
He bad hiſ ſtiward gerken iſ meten,
He ſeide he ſulden wið him alle eten; 2256
He ledde hem alle to Ioſepes biri,
Her non hadden ðo loten miri.
"Lou_er_d," he ſeiden ðo eu_er_ilc on,
They tell Joseph
that they have
brought back the
silver which they
found in their
sacks.
"Gur ſilu_er_ iſ gu brogt a-gon, 2260
It was in ure ſeckes don,
Ne wiſte ur non gilt ðor-on."
"Beð nu ſtille," q_u_ad ſtiward,
"for ic nu haue min forward." 2264
[Fol. 44b.]
Simeon was
brought out unto
them.
ðor cam ðat broðer ſymeon
And kiſte iſ breðere on and on;
Wel fagen he was of here come,
for he was numen ðor to nome. 2268
Joseph came
home about
noon,
It was vndren time or more,
Om cam ðat riche lou_er_d ðore;
And al ðo briðere, of frigti mod,
and the brethren
offered him their
present.
fellen bi-forn ðat lou_er_d-iſ fot, 2272
And bedden him riche p_re_ſent
ðat here fader hi[m] adde ſent;
And he leuelike it under-ſtod,
for alle he weren of kinde blod. 2276
He inquires after
his father.
"LIueð," q_u_ad he, "ðat fader get,
ðat ðus manige ſunes bi-gat?"
They answer that
Jacob is well,
"lou_er_d," he ſeiden, "get he liueð,
Wot ic ðor non ðat he ne biueð; 2280
and that Benjamin
stands before
him.
And ðiſ iſ gunge beniamin,
Hider brogt after bode-word ðin."
ðo Iosep ſag him ðor bi-foren,
Bi fader & moder broðer boren, 2284
Joseph was overcome.
Him ou_er_-wente his herte on-on,
Kinde luue gan hi_m_ ou_er_-gon;
He went out and
wept secretly.
Sone he gede ut and ſtille he gret,
ðat al his wlite wurð teres wet. 2288
After a while he
returned to them
and bade them
eat.
After ðat grot, he weiſ iſ wliten,
And cam ðan in and bad he_m_ eten