The people, in
the absence of
Moses, said unto
Aaron,
Swilc wod-hed ðiſ folc[329] cam on,
ðat he ſeiden to aaraon, 3540
"Make us gods
to go before us,"
"Mac vs godes foren us to gon,
of moyſes haue we helpe non."
Aaron and vr ſtoden a-gen,
And boden hem ſwilc ðhowtes leten; 3544
ðat wod folc ðor ur of dage
and compelled
him to make a
molten calf,
Brogten, and deden aaron i_n_ age;
Here faigere ringes he boden taken,
And don in fier, and geten, and maken 3548
An calf of gold, and [an] alter
Made ðat folc, and lutten it ðer,
which they worshipped.
And ðat calf ofrendes deden,
And made gret feſt in ðat ſtede[n]. 3552
Ðo ſeide god to moyſen,
God is angered
thereby.
"Go ðu nu dun ðin folc to ſen,
He hauen ſineged and miſdon,
Let me taken wreche ðer-on." 3556
Moses intreateth
for them.
"LOru_er_d,[330] merci!" q_u_ad moyſes,
"get ne let hem nogt helpe-les;
If he nu her w_u_rðen ſlagen,
Egipte folc ſal ðor-of ben fagen, 3560
And ſeyen ðat he ben bi-ſwiken,
In ðe deſert wel liðerlike;[331]
[Fol. 69b.]
And ðenk, lou_er_d,[330] q_u_at ben bi-foren
Abram, and yſaac, and iacob ſworen." 3564
God listeneth to
Moses, and is
appeased.
God liſtnede wel[332] al ðis anſwere;
ðat he ðis folc al ðer[333] ne dere.
And moyſes gan neðer-ten,
Moses came down
with the tables,
And Ioſu cam him a-gen, 3568
Alſ he was ilc dai wune to don,
q_u_il moyſes ðat munt was on.
Q_u_at Ioſue to moyſi,
"Ic wene he figten dun her-bi," 3572
[329] MS. has "ðiſ folc" twice over.
[330] MS. lou_er_ð.
[331] MS. liderlike.
[332] MS. wel and wel.
[333] MS. alðer.