And secretly he buried him in the sand,
He weened that no Egyptian
Had known it, or should have seen it.
2720 _a sen_ may signify 'have seen.' Northumbrian _ha_, to have; but more
probably we should read _a-sen_, to see, the infinitive being required
after _sulde_, so that _sulde a-sen_ = should see. In the Romans of King
Alysaundre _asen_ occurs as the p.p. of _a-see_, to see. Cf. our modern
words _wake_ and _awake_, _rise_ and _arise_, etc. These double forms were
far more common in O.E. writers than in the modern stage of our language.
2727 And enquired _of_ him what it should mean. 2730 _to rad_, too hasty.
2736 _his weige ðeðen ches_ = chose (took) his way thence.
P. 79. l. 2757 _ðewe and wursipe_, courtesy and honour. 2758 _estdede_,
kindly deed (actions). (See Owl and Nightingale, l. 997.) _Esste mete_
occurs in the Ormulum for delicate meat (food), etc.
"Ac thar lond is bothe _este_ and god."
—(Owl and Nightingale, p. 36, l. 1029.)
2764 To wife in law he her took; _in lage_ = in law, in marriage, is an
early use of a common phrase. 2769 And Moses had gone on a time. 2771 To
look after the condition of the herds. 2775 _brennen_ = _brennende_. See l.
2653. 2776 And nevertheless green and whole remained. 2783 _in min geming_,
under my care (protection). 2788 _milche_, milk; _queðen_, to promise.
P. 80. l. 2789 _an_ = _in_. 2790 _on hond_ = _on-hond_, soon, speedily.
Ger. _in die hand_. (See Laȝ. vol. ii. pp. 96, 106, 251, 264.) 2792 _to
ðan_, to that = for that purpose. 2797 If he refuse it and be there-_to_
contrary. 2803 _to token_, for a token (sign). Cf. _to wedde_, for a
pledge, etc. 2812 _fer_, sound, and hence _unfer_ (l. 2810), diseased. (See
Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight, l. 103; Ormulum, i. 41, 153, 212.) 2815
_get_ = pour (see l. 582). 2817 _wanmol_ = un-eloquent; _wan_ occurs in
O.E. _wan-hope_, despair; _wan-trauthe_, disbelief; _mol_ is the same as
_moal_ (speech) in l. 81, p. 3; _vn-reken_ = un-ready, slow. (See Gloss. to
Allit. Poems, s. v. _reken_.) 2822 Who made the blind, and who the looking
(seeing)? 2824 _fultum_, aid, assistance.
Þa cristine liðen after,
and heom on læide_n_,
& cleopeden Crist, godes sune,
beo_n_ heom a _fultume_.
The Christians pursued after,
and laid on them,
and called Christ, God's Son,
To be to them in aid (to help them).
—(Laȝ. ii. 264.)
P. 81. l. 2828 _vnsteken_, disclose. See Gloss. to Allit. Poems, s. v.
_Steke_. 2830 _Gunc_ = you two. See Orm. i. 301; ii. 98. 2831 _funden_;
O.E. _founde_, to go, occurs in Allit. Poems, p. 63, l. 903. 2834 _of
liues_ = alive. 2838 _is werkes len_, reward of his works. 2845 _feren
swike_, unfaithful companions, that is, his two sons who were
uncircumcised. _he_ = they, refers to Moses and his wife. 2847-50 Zipporah
took this young lad, and made him to have circumcision, and wept, and
turned back frightened, and let Moses forth alone proceed. 2855 _Eyðer
[h]ere_ = each of them. 2856 _haueð is herte vt-dragen_ = hath his heart
out-drawn. Cf. our expression, to unbosom oneself, with the Ger. _sein herz
anschütten_.