And ðe knapes to deade giuen,
And leten ðe mayden childre liuen. | |
Oc he it leten fro godeſ dred;
2576
Get ðo childre wexen in ſped,
And quane he komen to ðe king, | [Fol. 50b.]
The midwives saved the children’s lives, |
He wereden hem wið leſing;
He ſeiden ðe childre weren boren | and lied to the king, saying, |
2580
Or he migten ben hem bi-foren.
God it geald ðeſe wifes wel,
On hom, on hagte, eddi ſel! | that the children were born ere they arrived. |
Ðo bad ðis king al opelike,
2584
In alle burges modilike,
Euerilc knape child of ðat kin
ben a-non don ðe flod wið-in. | Pharaoh then bad that every “knave child” should be drowned. |
BI ðat time waſ moyſes boren,
2588
So het abraham dor bi-foren;
And his moder het Iacabeð,
Ghe was for him dreful and bleð, | By that time was Moses born. |
wel is hire of bird bi-tid.
2592
ðre moneð haueð ghe him hid,
durſte ghe non lengere him for-helen,
Ne ghe ne cuðe ðe wateres ſtelen; | His mother hid him for three months. |
In an fetles, of rigeſſes wrogt,
2596
Terred, ðat water dered it nogt, | Then she made an ark, |
| ðiſ child wunden ghe wulde don, | placed the child in it, |
| And ſetten it ſo ðe water on; | and set it on the water. |
| Ghe adde or hire dowter ſent, | Miriam was sent to watch what became of it. |
2600
To loken quider it ſulde ben went;
Maria dowter ful feren ſtod,
And ghe nam kep to-ward ðiſ flod. | [Fol. 51.] |
Teremuth kinkes dowter ðor cam,
2604
ðor ðis child on ðe water nam;
Ghe bad it ben to hire brogt,
And ſag ðis child wol fair[e] wrogt, | The king’s daughter came and saw the child on the water. |
Ghe wiſte it was of ebrius kin,
2608
And ðog cam hire rewde wið-in; | She wist it was of Hebrew kin, |