IV.

Bot in þe þryd watȝ forþrast al þat þryue schuld, [Sidenote: Malice was merciless.] Þer watȝ malys mercyles & mawgre much scheued, Þat watȝ for fylþe vpon folde þ{a}t þe folk vsed, [Sidenote: A race of men came into the world, the fairest, the merriest, and the strongest that ever were created.] [Þ]at þen wonyed i{n} þe worlde w{i}t{h}-outen any mayst{er}ȝ; 252 [Sidenote: [Fol. 60b.]] Hit wern þe fayrest of forme & of face als, Þe most & þe myriest þat maked wern euer, Þe styfest, þe stalworþest þat stod eu{er} on fete; & lengest lyf i{n} hem lent of ledeȝ alle oþ{er}, 256 For hit was þe forme-foster þat þe folde bred, [Sidenote: They were sons of Adam.] Þe aþel au{n}cetereȝ su{n}eȝ þat ad{a}m watȝ called, To wham god hade geuen alle þat gayn were, Alle þe blysse boute blame þat bodi myȝt haue, 260 & þose lykkest to þe lede þat lyued next aft{er}, For-þy so semly to see syþe{n} wern none. [Sidenote: No law was laid upon them.] Þer watȝ no law to hem layd bot loke to kynde, & kepe to hit, & alle hit cors clanly ful-fylle; 264 [Sidenote: Nevertheless they acted unnaturally.] & þe{n}ne fou{n}den þay fylþe i{n} fleschlych dedeȝ & controeued agayn kynde contraré werkeȝ, & vsed hem vn-þryftyly vchon on oþ{er}, & als with oþ{er}, wylsfully, vpon a wrange wyse. 268 [Sidenote: The “_fiends_” beheld how fair were the daughters of these mighty men, and made fellowship with them and begat a race of giants.] So ferly fowled her flesch þat þe fende loked, How þe deȝt{er} of þe douþe wern dere-lych fayre, & fallen i{n} felaȝschyp w{i}t{h} hem on folken wyse & en-gendered on hem ieau{n}teȝ w{i}t{h} her Iapeȝ ille. 272 Þose wern men meþeleȝ & maȝty on vrþe, Þat for her lodlych laykeȝ alosed þay were. He watȝ famed[15] for fre þat feȝt loued best, [Sidenote: The greatest fighter was reckoned the most famous.] & ay þe bigest i{n} bale þe best watȝ halden; 276 & þe{n}ne eueleȝ on erþe ernestly grewen & multyplyed mony-folde i{n}-mongeȝ mankynde, [Sidenote: The Creater of all becomes exceedingly wroth.] For þat þe maȝty on molde so marre þise oþ{er}. Þat þe wyȝe þat al wroȝt ful wroþly bygy{n}neȝ. 280

[Headnote: GOD DETERMINES TO DESTROY ALL FLESH.]

When he knew vche contre corupte i{n} hit seluen, & vch freke forloyned fro þe ryȝt wayeȝ, [Sidenote: Fell anger touches His heart.] Felle temptande tene towched his hert; As wyȝe, wo hy{m} with-i{n}ne werp to hy{m} seluen: 284 [Sidenote: It repents Him that He has made man.] “Me for-þy{n}keȝ ful much þat eu{er} I mon made, Bot I schal delyu{er} & do away þat doten on þis molde, [Sidenote: He declares that all flesh shall be destroyed, both man and beast.] & fleme out of þe folde al þat flesch wereȝ, Fro þe burne to þe best, fro bryddeȝ to fyscheȝ; 288 [Sidenote: [Fol. 61a.]] Al schal dou{n} & be ded & dryuen out of erþe, Þat eu{er} I sette saule i{n}ne; & sore hit me rweȝ Þat eu{er} I made hem my self; bot if I may her-aft{er}, I schal wayte to be war her wrencheȝ to kepe.” 292 [Sidenote: There was at this time living on the earth a very righteous man: Noah was his name.] Þe{n}ne i{n} worlde watȝ a wyȝe wonyande on lyue, Ful redy & ful ryȝtwys, & rewled hy{m} fayre; In þe drede of dryȝtyn his dayeȝ he vseȝ, & ay glydande wyth his god his g{ra}ce watȝ þe more. 296 Hy{m} watȝ þe nome Noe, as is i{n}noghe knawen, [Sidenote: Three bold sons he had.] He had þre þryuen su{n}eȝ & þay þre wyueȝ; Sem soþly þat on, þat oþ{er} hyȝt cam & þe Iolef Iapheth watȝ gendered þe þryd. 300 [Sidenote: God in great anger speaks to Noah.] Now god i{n} nwy to Noe co{n} speke, Wylde wrakful wordeȝ i{n} his wylle greued: “Þe ende of alle-kyneȝ flesch þat on vrþe meueȝ, Is fallen forþ wyth my face & forþ{er} hit I þenk, 304 W{i}t{h} her vn-worþelych werk me wlateȝ w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne, Þe gore þ{er}-of me hatȝ greued & þe glette nwyed; [Sidenote: Declares that He will destroy all “that life has.”] I schal strenkle my distresse & strye al to-geder, Boþe ledeȝ & londe & alle þat lyf habbeȝ. 308

[Headnote: NOAH IS COMMANDED TO BUILD AN ARK.]

[Sidenote: Commands him to make “a mansion” with dwellings for wild and tame.] Bot make to þe a manciou{n} & þat is my wylle, A cofer closed of tres, clanlych planed; Wyrk woneȝ þ{er}i{n}ne for wylde & for tame, & þe{n}ne cleme hit w{i}t{h} clay comly w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne[16] 312 & alle þe endentur dryuen daube w{i}t{h}-outen. [Sidenote: To let the ark be three hundred cubits in length, and fifty in breadth, and thirty in height, and a window in it a cubit square.] & þ{us} of lenþe & of large þat lome þ{o}u make, Þre hundred of cupydeȝ þ{o}u holde to þe lenþe, Of fyfty fayre ou{er}-þwert forme þe brede; 316 & loke euen þat þyn ark haue of heȝþe þretté, & a wyndow wyd vpon, wroȝt vpon lofte, In þe compas of a cubit kyndely sware, [Sidenote: Also a good shutting door in the side, together with halls, recesses, bushes, and bowers, and well-formed pens.] A wel dutande dor, don on þe syde; 320 Haf halleȝ þer-i{n}ne & halkeȝ ful mony, Boþe boskeȝ & bo{ur}eȝ & wel bou{n}den peneȝ; For I schal waken vp a wat{er} to wasch alle þe worlde, & quelle alle þat is quik w{i}t{h} quauende flodeȝ. 324 [Sidenote: [Fol. 61b.]] [Sidenote: For all flesh shall be destroyed, except Noah and his family.] Alle þat glydeȝ & gotȝ, & gost of lyf habbeȝ, I schal wast with my wrath þat wons vpon vrþe; Bot my forwarde w{i}t{h} þe I festen on þis wyse, For þ{o}u in reysou{n} hatȝ rengned & ryȝtwys ben eu{er}; 328 Þ{o}u schal ent{er} þis ark w{i}t{h} þyn aþel barneȝ & þy wedded wyf; with þe þ{o}u take Þe makeȝ of þy myry su{n}eȝ; þis meyny of aȝte [Sidenote: Noah is told to take into the ark seven pairs of every clean beast, and one of unclean kind, and to furnish the ark with proper food.] I schal saue of mo{n}neȝ sauleȝ, & swelt þose oþ{er}. 332 Of vche best þat bereȝ lyf busk þe a cupple, Of vche clene comly kynde enclose seuen makeȝ, Of vche horwed, i{n} ark halde bot a payre, For to saue me þe sede of alle ser kyndeȝ; 336 & ay þ{o}u meng w{i}t{h} þe maleȝ þe mete ho-besteȝ, Vche payre by payre to plese ayþ{er} oþ{er}; W{i}t{h} alle þe fode þat may be fou{n}de frette þy cofer, For sustnau{n}ce to yow self & also þose oþ{er}.” 340 [Sidenote: Noah fills the ark.] Ful grayþely gotȝ þis god ma{n} & dos godeȝ hestes, In dryȝ dred & dau{n}ger, þat durst do non oþer. Wen hit watȝ fettled & forged & to þe fulle grayþed, Þe{n}n con dryȝttyn hym dele dryȝly þyse wordeȝ: 344

[Sidenote 15: _fained_ (?).] [Sidenote 16: MS. w{i}t{h}i{n}me]

[Headnote: THE RAIN DESCENDS.]