Bi a lond weige he wente rigt,
And brogte vn-warnede on hem figt;
He hadden don egipte wrong, | to lead the Egyptians against their enemies. |
2684
He bi-loc hem & ſmette a-mong, | He smote and slew them. |
And ſlug ðor manige; oc ſumme flen,
Into ſaba to borgen ben.
Moyſes bi-ſette al ðat burg,
2688
Oc it was riche & ſtrong ut-ðhurg; | Many fled to Sheba. |
Ethiopienes kinges dowter tarbis,
Riche maiden of michel priſ, | The king of Ethiopia’s daughter, for love, |
Gaf ðiſ riche burg moyſi;
2692
Luue-bonde hire ghe it dede for-ði.
ðor iſe fon he leide in bonde, | gave this rich city to Moses, |
And he wurð al-migt-ful in ðat lond;
He bi-lef ðor(.) tarbis him ſcroð, | who waxed mighty in the land. |
2696
ðog was him ðat ſurgerun ful loð;
Mai he no leue at hire taken | His sojourn there was distasteful to him, |
but-if he it mai wið crafte maken:
He waſ of an ſtrong migt wiſ, | but by craft he brought it to an end. |
2700
He carf in two gummes of priſ
Two likeneſſes, ſo grauen & meten, | He carved upon two gems two likenesses; |
ðiſ doð ðenken, & ðoð forgeten;
He feſt is in two ringes of gold, | the one caused remembrance, the other forgetfulness. |
2704
Gaf hire ðe ton, he was hire hold; | Moses gave her the one which caused her to forget her love, |
Ghe it bered and ðiſ luue iſ for-geten,
Moyſes ðus haued him leue bi-geten;
Sone it migte wið leue ben, | [Fol. 53.] |
2708
Into egypte e wente a-gen. | and so he came again to Egypt. |
AN time he for to lond gerſen,
to ſpeken wið hiſe kinnes men;
And ſone he cam in-to ðat lond,
2712
A modi ſtiward he ðor fond,
Betende a man wid hiſe wond;
ðat ðhugte moyſes michel ſond, | On a time he went to Goshen, and found a “moody steward” beating a Hebrew. |
And hente ðe cherl wið hiſe wond,
2716
And he fel dun in dedes bond; | He seized the churl, slew him, and buried him in the sand. |
MS. ewente.