Before he died
Jacob called his
sons before him,
and "said what
of them should
be."
Or ðan he wiſte off werlde faren,
He bade hiſe kinde to him charen, 2436
And ſeide q_u_at of hem ſulde ben,
Hali gaſt dede it him ſeen;
In clene ending and ali lif,
So he for-let ðis werldes ſtrif. 2440
Joseph caused his
father's body to
be embalmed.
[I]Oſep dede hiſe lich faire geren,
Waſſen, and riche-like ſmeren,
And ſpice-like ſwete ſmaken;
Egypt's folk "bewaked"
Jacob
for forty nights
and forty days.
And egipte folc him bi-waken 2444
xl. nigtes and .xl. daiges,
ſwilc woren egipte lages.
[Fol. 48.]
The first nine
nights they
bathe, anoint,
etc., the body.
first .ix. nigt ðe liches beðen,
And ſmeren, and winden, and bi-q_ue_ðen, 2448
And waken iſ ſiðen .xl. nigt;
ðo men ſo deden ðe adden migt.
The Hebrews had
a different custom;
And ebriſſe folc adden an kire,
Nogt ſone deluen it wið yre, 2452
they wash the
body,
Oc waſſen it and kepen it rigt,
and keep it unanointed
for
seven nights.
Wið-vten ſmerles, ſeuene nigt,
And ſiden[229] ſmered .xxx. daiges.
Criſtene folc haueð oðer laiges, 2456
He ben ſmered ðor q_u_iles he liuen,
Christian folks
are anointed with
chrism and oil in
their life-time.
Wið criſme and olie, in trewðe geuen;
for trewðe and gode dedes mide,
ðon[230] ben ðan al ðat wech-dede; 2460
Su_m_ .on. ſum .ðre. su_m_ .vii. nigt,
Su_m_ .xxx., ſum .xii. moneð rigt;
And ſum eu_er_ilc wurðen ger,
ðor q_u_iles ðat he wunen her, 2464
For the dead they
perform alms-gift
and mass-song.
don for ðe dede chirche-gong,
elmeſſe-gifte, and meſſe-ſong,
And ðat iſ on ðe weches ſtede;
Wel him mai ben dat[231] wel it dede! 2468
Jacob's sons kept
a "wake" of
thirty days.
Egipte folc aueð him waked
xl. nigt, and feſte maked,
[229] ſiðen?
[230] don?
[231] ðat?