And geteniſſe men ben i_n_ ebron,
Q_u_ilc men mai get wundren on. 3716
The Israelites
murmur at the
news.
ðiſ folc ðo ſette up grot and gred,
And ſeiden he folwen iuel red;
[Fol. 72b.]
"Betre iſ vs get we wenden agen
And i_n_ egipte ðralles ben, 3720
ðan we wurðen her ſwerdeſ ſlagen,
"A captain,"
said they, "we
will make, and
return into
Egypt."
And ure kin to ſorge dragen;[353]
An loder-man we wilen us ſen,
And wenden i_n_-to egipte agen; 3724
Joshua and Caleb
endeavour to
still them.
Ðo quad Ioſue and calef,
"Leateð ben ſwilc wurdes ref,
And doð nogt god almigten wrong,
Iſ milce iſ mikel, iſ ſtrenge iſ ſtrong." 3728
God threatens
them.
ðor ðrette god hem alle to ſlen,
If moyſes ne wore ðor agen;
For Moses' sake
he spareth them.
Oc for iſ benes and for iſ ſake[n],
get he ſal wið hem milche maken, 3732
The murmurers
are deprived of
entering the land.
Oc alle he ſulen wenden a-gen,
And in ðe deſert longe ben;
And on ðe .xx. winter hold
or mor ut of egipte told, 3736
ðat hauen ðuſ often fand,
Ne ſulden welden ðat leue land,
Joshua and Caleb
are excepted.
Wið-vten Ioſue & calef,
Here rigt-wiſed waſ gode lef. 3740
Much sorrow
came upon the
people.
Moyſes told hem al ðis anſwere,
And he ben ſmiten i_n_ ſorweſ dere;
Yet thirty-seven
years shall they
be in the desert.
Get he ſulen .xxx.vii. ger
In ðe deſert ben vten her. 3744
[Fol. 73.]
Agen he maden here dragt,
Al-ſo ðat ſkie haueð[354] tagt.
Oſwas was moyſes eam,[355]
And chore was iſ bernteam; 3748
Korah, with two
hundred and fifty
princes, rebel
against Moses.
Ille nið iſ herte wexe on
A-gen moyſen and aaron,
[353] MS. ðragen.
[354] MS. haued.
[355] MS. cam.