A cloud went before
them.
Bi-foren he_m_ fleg an ſkige brigt
ðat nigt he_m_ made ðe weige ligt; 3256
Egiptes folc gunnen ðiſ ſen,
Pharaoh pursued
the Israelites,
And wenden ðat he wode ben.
Ðis bode herde king pharaon
And him ðuhte ſellic ðer-on, 3260
Garkede his hird & after nam,
and to the Red
Sea he came.
And to ðe ſe bi nigte he cam;
In went this host
after the king.
In ferde ðiſ hird after ðiſ king,
And ðo ſprong ðe daieni_n_g. 3264
ðhunder, and leuene, and rein ðor-mong
God ſente on ðat hird, ſtið and ſtrong;
Some were for
going back.
ðo quoðen he, "wende we a-gen,
An[d] iſrael folc lete we ben." 3268
ðor-q_u_iles ben ðo kinges[296] cumen
The Israelites
reached the land,
Ou_er_, and hauen ðe londes numen;
Egipcienes woren i_n_ twired wen
q_u_eðer he ſulden folgen or flen; 3272
And moyſes ſtod up-on ðe ſond,
and God bade
Moses stretch his
rod over the sea.
God him bad helden up hiſ hond
to-ward ðiſ water, in a morgen q_u_ile
ðe ſe luked, ſo god it wile,[297] 3276
[Fol. 64.]
The sea covered
the Egyptians,
And on and on, ſwiðe litel ſtund,
Egypcienes fellen to ðe grund;[298]
and not one
remained undrowned
in that
salt spot.
Of hem alle bi-leaf non fot
Vn-drincled i_n_ ðat ſalte ſpot.[299] 3280
Ðvs iſ iſrael of hem wreken,
And here welðe iſ to londe weken,
Wepen, and ſrud, ſiluer, and gold;
wel hem mai ben ðe god beð hold! 3284
Moses made a
new song, and
taught it to the
people.
Moyſes ðor made a newe ſong,
And tag[t]e it al ðat folc a-mong;
Each day for a
week it was sung
over.
And ilke dai ðat ſeuen nigt,
Ones he ðor it ſungen rigt; 3288
[296] kindes?
[297] At the bottom of this page is the catchword—"And on and on."
[298] MS. grunð.
[299] MS. ſwot.