wains and fetch
their wives and
children.
And fechen wiues, and childre, and men,
And gaf hem ðor al lond gerſen, 2364
And het hem ðat he ſulden hauen
More and bet ðan he kude crauen.
Joseph gave them
changes of raiment.
Ioſep gaf ilc here twinne ſrud,
Beniamin moſt he[225] made prud; 2368
[Fol. 46b.]
fif weden beſt bar beniamin,
ðre hundred plates of ſilu_er_ fin,
Al-ſo fele oðre ðor-til,
He bad them
take presents for
Jacob,
He bad ben in is faderes wil, 2372
And .x. aſſes wið ſemes feſt;
Of alle egiptes welðhe beſt
Gaf he iſ breðere, wið herte bliðe,
and hasten homeward.
And bad hem rapen hem homward ſwiðe; 2376
And he ſo deden wið herte fagen.
Toward here fader he gunen dragen,
When they came
home, Jacob
scarcely recognized
them.
And q_u_ane he comen him bi-foren,
Ne wiſte he nogt q_u_at he woren. 2380
"Lord Israel,"
they said,
"Joseph liveth
and greeteth thee
well."
"Lou_er_d," he ſeiden, "iſrael,
Ioſep ðin ſune greteð ðe wel,
And ſendeð ðe bode ðat he liueð,
Al egipte in hiſ wil cliueð." 2384
Jacob believed
not till he saw the
presents.
Iacob a-braid, and trewed it nogt,
Til he ſag al ðat welðe brogt.
"Wel me," quað he, "wel iſ me wel,
ðat ic aue abiden ðuſ ſwil[c] ſel! 2388
Then he said, "I
shall go to my son
ere I turn from
the world."
And ic ſal to min ſune fare
And ſen, or ic of werlde chare."
Jacob and his family
left Canaan.
[I]Acob wente ut of lond chanaan,
And of iſ kinde wel manie a man; 2392
Ioſep wel faire him vnder-ſtod,
And pharaon ðogte it ful good;
[Fol. 47.]
for ðat he weren hirde-men,
Pharaoh gives
them the land of
Goshen to live in.
Jacob is brought
before Pharaoh,
He bad hem ben in lond gerſen. 2396
Iacob waſ brogt bi-foren ðe king
for to geuen him hiſ bliſcing.
[225] MS. be.