And quuo-ſo wile curſing maken,
Ille curſing ſal him taken; | |
Of ðe ſal riſen ſterre brigt,
4040
And a wond ðe ſal ſmiten rigt
Moab kinges, and under-don
Al ſedes-kin ðiſ werld up-on.” | and prophesies their future happiness and greatness. |
Manie tiding quad balaam ðor,
4044
ðe made balakes herte ſor;
Oc ðan balaam wente a-gen, | Such tidings made Balak’s heart sore. |
Tagte he balaam quat migte ben
ðiſ folc to dere, and gaf him red
4048
ðat brogt iſrael iwel ſped. | Balaam teaches Balak how to injure the Israelites, |
“ðe ginge wimmen of ðin lond,
faiger on ſigte an[d] ſofte on hond,
And brigte on hewe, on ſpeche glad,
4052
Wið ðgere ſal ic ſondes ſad,
ðe ðu ten vt gen ðiſ men, | by sending out young women fair of face and soft of speech, |
ðe cunen brewen herte-bren,
wið win, and wlite, & bodi, & dwale,
4056
Luue[li]ke and wið ſpeche ſmale, | who should “brew heart-burning and love,” |
To wenden hem fro godes age
To ði londe godes and vre lage;
Bute-if ðu migt forðen ðiſ red,
4060
And hem fro godes luue led, | [Fol. 79.]
and so turn the people from God. |
And fonde to wenden ðuſ here ðhogt,
for wi ne wopen ne helpeð nogt.”
forð-nam balaam, ðat ille qu[e]ad
4064
ðe gaf ðiſ read of ſoules dead. | For war nor weapon had no power to harm them. |
| ðuſ it was don, and bi ðat ſel | This counsel was followed, |
In ſichin ſingede iſrael,
And for luue of ðiſ hore-plage
4068
Manie for-leten godes lage,
And wrogten ðor ſwilc ſoules for | and thus it fell that Israel sinned in Shittim, |
ðat he ðor lutten belphegor.
Ðo ſeide god to moyſen,
4072
“ðe me[i]ſtres of ðiſe hore-men, | and worshipped Baal-peor. |
MS. cumen.
MS. helped.