Or ðan he wiſte off werlde faren,
2436
He bade hiſe kinde to him charen,
And ſeide quat of hem ſulde ben,
Hali gaſt dede it him ſeen;
In clene ending and ali lif,
2440
So he for-let ðis werldes ſtrif. | Before he died Jacob called his sons before him, and “said what of them should be.” |
[I]Oſep dede hiſe lich faire geren,
Waſſen, and riche-like ſmeren,
And ſpice-like ſwete ſmaken; | Joseph caused his father’s body to be embalmed. |
2444
And egipte folc him bi-waken
xl. nigtes and.xl. daiges,
ſwilc woren egipte lages. | Egypt’s folk “bewaked” Jacob for forty nights and forty days. |
first.ix. nigt ðe liches beðen,
2448
And ſmeren, and winden, and bi-queðen,
And waken iſ ſiðen.xl. nigt;
ðo men ſo deden ðe adden migt. | [Fol. 48.]
The first nine nights they bathe, anoint, etc., the body. |
And ebriſſe folc adden an kire,
2452
Nogt ſone deluen it wið yre, | The Hebrews had a different custom; |
| Oc waſſen it and kepen it rigt, | they wash the body, |
Wið-vten ſmerles, ſeuene nigt,
And ſiden ſmered.xxx. daiges.
2456
Criſtene folc haueð oðer laiges,
He ben ſmered ðor quiles he liuen, | and keep it unanointed for seven nights. |
Wið criſme and olie, in trewðe geuen;
for trewðe and gode dedes mide,
2460
ðon ben ðan al ðat wech-dede;
Sum.on. ſum.ðre. sum.vii. nigt,
Sum.xxx., ſum.xii. moneð rigt;
And ſum euerilc wurðen ger,
2464
ðor quiles ðat he wunen her, | Christian folks are anointed with chrism and oil in their life-time. |
don for ðe dede chirche-gong,
elmeſſe-gifte, and meſſe-ſong,
And ðat iſ on ðe weches ſtede;
2468
Wel him mai ben dat wel it dede! | For the dead they perform alms-gift and mass-song. |
Egipte folc aueð him waked
xl. nigt, and feſte maked, | Jacob’s sons kept a “wake” of thirty days. |