Moses Slays an Egyptian
| And moyſes drug him to ðe ſtrond, And ſtille256 he dalf him [in] ðe ſond; | |
| wende he ðat non egipcien 2720 ðat hadde it wiſt, ne ſulde a ſen; | He thought that none had wist it. |
| Til after ðiſ on oðer day, He ſag chiden in ðe wey two egypcienis, modi & ſtrong, 2724 ðiſ on wulde don ðe toðer wrong; And moyſes nam ðer-of kep, And to hemward ſwide he lep, And vndernam him ðat it agte awold. | On the second day he saw two men chiding, and reproved them. |
| 2728 And he him anſwerede modi & bold; | The wrong-doer thus answered him, |
| “Meiſter(.) moyſes, quo haueð ðe mad? ðu art of dede and o word to rad. | “Moses, who made thee master? |
| we witen wel quat iſ bi-tid, 2732 Quuow giſter-dai waſ ſlagen and hid; ðe bode iſ cumen to pharaun, | [Fol. 53b.] We know well how yesterday one was slain and hid. |
| Get ſal ðin pride fallen dun.” | Soon shall thy pride fall down.” |
| Ðo bi-thowte him moyſes, 2736 And his weige ðeðen ches; ðurg ðe deſerd a-wei he nam, | Then Moses fled |
| And to burge madian he cam, And ſette hi[m] ðor vten ðe town, | and came to Midian, |
| 2740 Bi a welle ðo ſprong ðor dun. Raguel Ietro ðat riche man, Was wuniende in madian, | where dwelt Jethro, |
| He hadde ſeuene dowtreſ bi-geten; 2744 ðor he comen water to feten, | who had seven daughters. |
| And for to wattren here ſep; (Wimmen ðo nomen of here erf kep, | These maidens took care of cattle. |
| Pride ne cuðe bi ðat dai 2748 Nogt ſo michel ſo it nu mai). Hirdes wulden ðe maidenes deren, | Pride was not so great then as now. |
| Oc moyſes ðor hem gan weren, And wattrede here erue euerilc on, 2752 And dede hem tidelike to tune gon; | Moses helped the maidens to water the flocks. |
ſwiðe?
MS. pharaum.
Notes
256 MS. ſtalle, corrected to ſtille.