And aaron held up his hond,
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to ðe water and ðe more lond;
ðo cam ðor up ſwilc froſkes here
ðe dede al folc egipte dere; | Aaron held up his hand towards the water, and up came a host of frogs. |
Summe woren wilde, and ſumme tame,
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And ðo hem deden ðe moſte ſame; | Some were wild and some tame. |
In huſe, in drinc, in metes, in bed,
It cropen and maden hem for-dred; | Some crept into houses, drink, meat, and bed. |
Summe ſtoruen and gouen ſtinc,
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And vn-hileden mete and drinc; | Some died and stank. |
Polheuedes, and froſkes, & podes ſpile
Bond harde egipte folc in ſile.
ðiſ king bad moyſes and aaron,
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ðat he ſulden god bone don; | Tadpoles, frogs, and toads afflicted Egypt’s folk. |
And ſone ſo moyſes bad iſ bede,
ðiſ wirmes ſtoruen in ðe ſtede; | The frogs died, |
And quane ðe king wurð war ðis dead,
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Anon ðis folc fore he for-bead.
Ðe ðridde wreche dede aaron
Bi-foren ðe king pharaon; | but the king forbad the departure of the Hebrews. |
He ſmot wið ðat gerde on ðe lond,
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And gnattes hird ðor ðicke up-wond,
ſmale to ſen, and ſarp on bite,
In al egypte fleg ðiſ ſmite. | The third plague of gnats, small to look at, but sharp in biting. |
And ðo dede men and herf wo,
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Anger and tene, ſorge and wo. | [Fol. 58b.] |
Quoðen ðo wiches clerkes(.) “ðiſ
fortoken godeſ gaſtes is.” | The sorcerers said, “This is token of God’s ghost,” |
Her hem wantede migt and ſped,
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to ſwilc ðing cuðen he non red;
ðiſ toknes dede aaron. | for they lacked might to do this. |
God ſente ſiðen hem oðere on,
for euere eld ðiſ king on-on,
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And wernede ðiſ folc vt to gon.
Ðo ſeide god to moyſen,
“Go ðu gund pharaon agen; | Pharaoh remained obstinate, |
MS. ðede.
MS. de.
? un-sile.