[Fol. 45.]
He made his
brethren sit before
him according
to their age.
He dede hem waſſen and him bi-foren,
And ſette hem aſ he weren boren; 2292
Get he ðhogte of hiſ faderes wunes
Hu he ſette at ðe mete hiſe ſunes;
Of meat and
wine, the best he
gave to Benjamin.
Of eu_er_ilc ſonde, of eu_er_ilc win,
moſt and beſt he gaf beniamin. 2296
In fulſu_m_-hed he wurðen glaðe,[222]
Ioſep ne ðoht ðor-of no ſcaðe,
Oc it him likede ſwiðe wel,
Joseph gave
them good
counsel,
And hem lerede and tagte wel, 2300
And hu he ſulden hem beſt leden,
Q_u_ene he comen in vnkinde ðeden;
and advised them
to act truthfully.
"And al ðe bettre ſule ge ſpeden,
If ge wilen gu wið treweiðe leden." 2304
On the morrow
they depart.
Eft on morwen q_u_an it waſ dai,
Or or ðe breðere ferden a-wei,
Here ſeckes woren alle filt wið coren,
And ðe ſilu_er_ ðor-in bi-foren; 2308
Joseph's cup is
hid in Benjamin's
sack.
And ðe ſeck ðat agte beniamin
Ioſepes cuppe hid was ðor-in;
And q_u_uan he weren ut tune went,
Ioſep haueð hem after ſent. 2312
Joseph's messenger
overtakes
them,
ðis ſonde hem ou_er_takeð raðe,
And bi-calleð of harme and ſcaðe;
and accuses them
of theft.
"Vn-ſeli men, q_u_at haue ge don?
Gret vn-ſelðehe iſ gu cumen on, 2316
[Fol. 45b.]
for iſ it nogt min lord for-holen,
ða[t] gure on haueð iſ cuppe ſtolen."
ð[o] ſeiden ðe breðere ſikerlike,
The brethren assert
their innocence.
"Vp q_u_am ðu it findes witterlike, 2320
He ſlagen and we agen driuen
In-to ðraldom, eu_er_mor to liuen."
They are ransacked
one by
one,
He gan hem ranſaken on and on,
And fond it ðor ſone a-non, 2324
And nam ðo breðere eu_er_ilk on,
And ledde hem ſorful a-gon,
[222] = glade.