"It ſal," q_u_að he, "ben ſoð, bi-foren
and told them of
God's promise to
their elders.
ðat god hað ure eldere ſworen;
He ſal gu leden i_n_ hiſ hond
Heðen to ðat hotene lond; 2508
for godeſ luue get bid ic gu,
Leſted it ðanne, hoteð it nu,
He asks them to
bear his bones
with them, when
they leave Egypt.
ðat mine bene ne be for-loren,
wið gu ben mine bones boren." 2512
He it him gatten and wurð he dead,
God do ðe ſoule ſeli red!
The death of Joseph.
Hiſe liche waſ ſpice-like maked,
And longe egipte-like waked, 2516
And ðo biried hem bi-foren,
And ſiðen late of londe boren.
Hiſe oðre breðere, on and on,
Woren ybiried at ebron. 2520
Here endeth the
book called Genesis,
written by
Moses, through
God's counsel.
An her endede to ful, in wiſ,
ðe boc ðe iſ hoten geneſis,
ðe moyſes, ðurg godes red,
Wrot for lefful ſoules ned. 2524
[Fol. 49b.]
God shield his
soul from hell-bale,
who translated
it into
English!
God ſchilde hiſe ſowle fro helle bale,
ðe made it ðus on engel tale!
And he ðat ðiſe lettres wrot,
May God help
and protect him
from hell-pain,
cold and hot!
God him helpe weli mot, 2528
And berge iſ ſowle fro ſorge & grot
Of helle pine, cold & hot!
And alle men, ðe it heren wilen,[236]
And all men who
will hear it, God
grant that they
may dwell in bliss
among angels for
ever!
God leue hem i_n_ hiſ bliſſe ſpilen 2532
Among engeles & ſeli men,
Wiðuten ende in reſte ben,
And luue & pais uſ bi-twen,
And god ſo graunte, amen, ameN! 2536
[236] MS. welin.