Aaron held up
his hand towards
the water, and
up came a host
of frogs.
And aaron held up his hond,
to ðe water and ðe more lond; 2968
ðo cam ðor up ſwilc froſkes here
ðe dede[271] al folc egipte dere;
Some were wild
and some tame.
Su_m_me woren wilde, and ſu_m_me tame,
And ðo hem deden ðe[272] moſte ſame; 2972
Some crept into
houses, drink,
meat, and bed.
In huſe, in drinc, in metes, in bed,
It cropen and maden hem for-dred;
Some died and
stank.
Su_m_me ſtoruen and gouen ſtinc,
And vn-hileden mete and drinc; 2976
Tadpoles, frogs,
and toads afflicted
Egypt's folk.
Polheuedes, and froſkes, & podes ſpile
Bond harde egipte folc [273]in ſile.
ðiſ king bad moyſes and aaron,
ðat he ſulden god bone don; 2980
The frogs died,
And ſone ſo moyſes bad iſ bede,
ðiſ wirmes ſtoruen in ðe ſtede;
but the king forbad
the departure
of the Hebrews.
And q_u_ane ðe king wurð war ðis dead,
Anon ðis folc fore he for-bead. 2984
Ðe ðridde wreche dede aaron
Bi-foren ðe king pharaon;
The third plague
of gnats, small
to look at, but
sharp in biting.
He ſmot wið ðat gerde on ðe lond,
And gnattes hird ðor ðicke up-wond, 2988
ſmale to ſen, and ſarp on bite,
In al egypte fleg ðiſ ſmite.
[Fol. 58b.]
And ðo dede men and herf wo,
Anger and tene, ſorge and wo. 2992
The sorcerers said,
"This is token
of God's ghost,"
Q_u_oðen ðo wiches clerkes(.) "ðiſ
fortoken godeſ gaſtes is."
for they lacked
might to do this.
Her hem wantede migt and ſped,
to ſwilc ðing cuðen he non red; 2996
ðiſ toknes dede aaron.
Pharaoh remained
obstinate,
God ſente ſiðen hem oðere on,
for euere eld ðiſ king on-on,
And wernede ðiſ folc vt to gon. 3000
Ðo ſeide god to moyſen,
"Go ðu gund pharaon agen;
[271] MS. ðede.
[272] MS. de.
[273] ? un-sile.