Of the censers
were made crowns
for the altar of
brass.
Of ðo Reklefates for wurðing,
Woren mad, and for muning, 3788
Corunes at ðe alter of bras,
ðe at here tabernacle was.
On the morrow
the people murmured
against
Moses and Aaron,
who fled to the
Tabernacle.
For al ðiſ, oðer day ðor waſ neſt,
Agenes moyſes and iſ prest 3792
Gan al ðiſ folc wið wreðe gon,
And wulden hem werpen ſtones on;
To ðe tabernacle he ben flogen,
ðor [h]aueth a ſkie he_m_ wel bi-togen; 3796
[Fol. 74.]
A fire slew many
of the people.
A fier magti ðat folc feſt on,
And haueð manige ðor for-don.
ðan bad moyſes aaron,
wið hiſe Rekelefat, to ðat fir gon; 3800
And he it dede[360] alſ he hi_m_ b[e]ad,
Aaron stays the
plague.
Ran and ſtod tuen[361] liues and dead,
And ðiſ fier bleſſede and wið-drog,
It [h]adde or ſlagen manige ynog; 3804
Fourteen thousand
and eighty
were thus slain.
.xiiii. ðhusent it haueð ſlagen,
And .iiii. ſcore of liue dragen.
Ðog ðiſ folc miðe a ſtund for-dred,
The Israelites do
not recognise
Aaron's authority,
ðog he ben get i_n_ ſunder red, 3808
Get he aglen on here red(.) and wen
ðat it mai loked betre ben;
ðog ðiſe brende ben for-ſaken,
ðog he wenen ðat god ſal taken 3812
but think that
others are fitted
for the service of
God.
Of ðo .xii. tribuz ſu_m_me mo,
To ben ðor he for-hu-gede ðo,
Or ynog raðe of eu_er_ilc kin,
He wile ðat ſu_m_me ſerue ðor-in. 3816
"Childre," q_u_at moyſes, "gure ſtrif
Moses addresses
the people,
dereð ðe ſowle and greueð ðe lif;
Do we uſ alle in godes red,
and directs each
prince of the
tribes to take a
rod, and to write
every man his
name upon it.
Vs ſal timen ðe betre ſped; 3820
Ilc prince me take hiſe wond,
And do we us here i_n_ godes hond;
[360] MS. ðede.
[361] MS. tiren.