V.

[Sidenote: God asks Noah whether all is ready.] “Now Noe,” q{uod} oure lorde, “art þ{o}u al redy? Hatȝ þ{o}u closed þy kyst w{i}t{h} clay alle aboute?” [Sidenote: Noah replies that all is fully prepared.] “Ȝe lorde w{i}t{h} þy leue,” sayde þe lede þe{n}ne, “Al is wroȝt at þi worde, as þ{o}u me wyt lanteȝ.” 348 [Sidenote: He is commanded to enter the ark, for God tells him that he will send a rain to destroy all flesh.] “Enter in þe{n}n,” q{uod} he, “& haf þi wyf w{i}t{h} þe, Þy þre su{n}eȝ w{i}t{h}-outen þrep & her þre wyueȝ; Besteȝ, as I bedene haue, bosk þ{er}-i{n}ne als, & when ȝe arn staued, styfly stekeȝ yow þ{er}i{n}ne; 352 Fro seuen dayeȝ ben seyed I sende out by-lyue, Such a rowtande ryge þat rayne schal swyþe, Þat schal wasch alle þe worlde of werkeȝ of fylþe; Schal no flesch vpon folde by fonden onlyue; 356 [Sidenote: Noah stows all safely in the ark.] Out-taken yow aȝt i{n} þis ark staued, & sed þat I wyl saue of þyse ser besteȝ.” Now Noe neu{er} stysteȝ[17] (þat niyȝ[t] he bygy{n}neȝ), Er al wer stawed & stoken, as þe steuen wolde. 360 [Sidenote: [Fol. 62a.]] [Sidenote: Seven days are passed.] The{n}ne sone com þe seuenþe day, when samned wern alle, & alle woned i{n} þe whichche þe wylde & þe tame. [Sidenote: The deep begins to swell, banks are broken down, and the clouds burst.] Þe{n} bolned þe abyme & bonkeȝ con ryse, Walt{es} out vch walle-heued, i{n} ful wode stremeȝ, 364 Watȝ no bry{m}me þat abod vnbrosten bylyue, Þe mukel lauande logh{e} to þe lyfte rered. Mony clust{er}ed clowde clef alle i{n} clowteȝ, To-rent vch a rayn-ryfte & rusched to þe vrþe; 368 [Sidenote: It rains for forty days, and the flood rises, and flows over the woods and fields.] Fon neu{er} i{n} forty dayeȝ, & þe{n} þe flod ryses, Ou{er}-walteȝ vche a wod & þe wyde feldeȝ; For when þe wat{er} of þe welkyn w{i}t{h} þe worlde mette, Alle þat deth moȝt dryȝe drowned þer-i{n}ne; 372 Þer watȝ moon forto make when meschef was cnowen, [Sidenote: All must drown.] Þat noȝt dowed bot þe deth in þe depe stremeȝ. Wat{er} wylger ay wax, woneȝ þat stryede, Hurled i{n}-to vch ho{us}, hent þat þer dowelled. 376 [Sidenote: The water enters the houses.] Fyrst feng to þe flyȝt alle þat fle myȝt, Vuche burde w{i}t{h} her barne þe byggy{n}g þay leueȝ, [Sidenote: Each woman with her bairns flees to the hills.] & bowed to þe hyȝ bonk þer brentest hit wern, & het{er}ly to þe hyȝe hylleȝ þay [h]aled on faste; 380 [Sidenote: The rain never ceases.] Bot al watȝ nedleȝ her note, for neu{er} cowþe stynt Þe roȝe raynande ryg [&] þe raykande waweȝ, [Sidenote: The valleys are filled.] Er vch boþom watȝ brurd-ful to þe bonkeȝ eggeȝ, & vche a dale so depe þat de{m}med at þe brynkeȝ. 384 Þe moste mou{n}tay{n}eȝ on mor þe{n}ne watȝ no more dryȝe, [Sidenote: People flock to the mountains.] & þ{er}-on flokked þe folke, for ferde of þe wrake, Syþen þe wylde of þe wode on þe wat{er} flette; [Sidenote: Some swim for their lives.] Su{m}me swy{m}med þ{er}-on þat saue hemself trawed, 388 Su{m}me styȝe to a stud & stared to þe heuen, [Sidenote: Others roar for fear.] Rwly wyth a loud rurd rored for drede. [Sidenote: Animals of all kinds run to the hills.] Hareȝ, hertteȝ also, to þe hyȝe ru{n}nen, Bukkeȝ, bauseneȝ & buleȝ to þe bonkkeȝ hyȝed, 392 [Sidenote: All pray for mercy.] & alle cryed for care to þe ky{n}g of heuen, Re-cou{er}er of þe creator, þay cryed vchone, [Sidenote: God’s mercy is passed from them.] Þat amou{n}ted þe masse, þe mase his mercy watȝ passed, & alle his pyte departed fro peple þat he hated. 396 [Sidenote: [Fol. 62b.]] Bi þat þe flod to her fete floȝed & waxed, [Sidenote: Each sees that he must sink.] Þen vche a segge seȝ wel þat synk hy{m} byhoued; Frendeȝ fellen i{n} fere & faþmed togeder To dryȝ her delful deystyné & dyȝen alle samen; 400 [Sidenote: Friends take leave of one another.] Luf lokeȝ to luf & his leue takeȝ, For to ende alle at oneȝ & for eu{er} twy{n}ne. [Sidenote: Forty days have gone by, and all are destroyed.] By forty dayeȝ wern faren, on folde no flesch styryed, Þat þe flod nade al freten w{i}t{h} feȝtande waȝeȝ[18], 404 For hit clam vche a clyffe cubit{es} fyftene, Ou{er} þe hyȝest hylle þat hurkled on erþe.

[Headnote: ALL ROT IN THE MUD.]

[Sidenote: All rot in the mud, except Noah and his family, who are safe in the ark.] Þe{n}ne mo{ur}kne i{n} þe mudde most ful nede Alle þat spyrakle i{n}-spranc,[19] no sprawly{n}g awayled, 408 Saue þe haþel vnder hach & his here strau{n}ge, Noe þat ofte neuened þe name of oure lorde, Hy{m} aȝt-su{m} i{n} þat ark as aþel god lyked, Þer alle ledeȝ i{n} lome lenged druye, 412 [Sidenote: The ark is lifted as high as the clouds, and is driven about, without mast, bowline, cables, anchors, or sail to guide its course.] Þe arc houen watȝ on hyȝe w{i}t{h} hurlande goteȝ, Kest to kytheȝ vncouþe þe clowdeȝ ful nere. Hit walt{er}ed on þe wylde flod, went as hit lyste, Drof vpon þe depe dam, i{n} dau{n}g{er} hit semed, 416 With-oute{n} mast, oþ{er} myke, oþ{er} myry bawelyne, Kable, oþ{er} capstan to clyppe to he{r} ankreȝ, Hurrok, oþ{er} hande-helme hasped on roþ{er}, Oþ{er} any sweande sayl to seche aft{er} hauen, 420 [Sidenote: At the mercy of the winds.] Bot flote forthe w{i}t{h} þe flyt of þe felle wyndeȝ; Wheder-warde so þe wat{er} wafte, hit rebou{n}de. [Sidenote: Oft it rolled around and reared on end.] Ofte hit roled on-rou{n}de & rered on ende, Nyf oure lorde hade ben her lodeȝ-mon he{m} had lu{m}pen harde. 424 [Sidenote: The age of the patriarch Noah.] Of þe lenþe of noe lyf to lay a lel date, Þe sex hundreth of his age & none odde ȝereȝ, Of seco{n}de monyth, þe seue{n}þe day ryȝteȝ, [Sidenote: Duration of the flood.] To-walten alle þyse welle-hedeȝ & þe wat{er} flowed, 428 & þryeȝ fyfty þe flod of folwande dayeȝ, Vche hille watȝ þer hidde w{i}t{h} yreȝ[20] ful graye; [Sidenote: The completeness of the destruction.] Al watȝ wasted þat þer wonyed þe worlde w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne, Þer eu{er} flote, oþ{er} flwe, oþ{er} on fote ȝede, 432 [Sidenote: [Fol. 63a.]] That roȝly watȝ þe remnau{n}t þat þe rac dryueȝ, Þat alle gendreȝ so ioyst wern ioyned wyth-i{n}ne. [Sidenote: God remembers those in the ark.] Bot quen þe lorde of þe lyfte lyked hymseluen For to my{n}ne on his mon his meth þat abydeȝ, 436 [Sidenote: He causes a wind to blow, and closes the lakes and wells, and the great deep.] Þe{n} he wakened a wynde on watt{er}eȝ to blowe; Þe{n}ne lasned þe llak[21] þat large watȝ are, Þen he stac vp þe stangeȝ, stoped þo welleȝ, Bed bly{n}ne of þe rayn, hit batede as fast, 440 Þe{n}ne lasned þe loȝ lowkande to-geder. Aft{er} harde dayeȝ wern out an hundreth & fyfté, As þat lyftande lome luged aboute, Where þe wynde & þe weder warpen hit wolde, 444 Hit saȝtled on a softe day synkande to grou{n}de.

[Headnote: THE ARK RESTS ON MOUNT ARARAT.]

[Sidenote: The ark settles on Mount Ararat.] On a rasse of a rok, hit rest at þe laste, On þe mou{n}te of mararach of armene hilles, Þat oþ{er}-wayeȝ on ebrv hit hat þe thanes. 448 Bot þaȝ þe kyste in þe crageȝ wern closed to byde, Ȝet fyned not þe flod ne fel to þe boþemeȝ, [Sidenote: Noah beholds the bare earth.] Bot þe hyȝest of þe eggeȝ vnhuled wern a lyttel, Þat þe burne by{n}ne borde byhelde þe bare erþe; 452 [Sidenote: He opens his window and sends out the raven to seek dry land.] Þe{n}ne wafte he vpon his wyndowe, & wysed þ{er}-oute A message fro þat meyny hem moldeȝ to seche, Þat watȝ þe rauen so ronk þat rebel watȝ eu{er}; He watȝ colored as þe cole, corbyal vn-trwe. 456 & he fongeȝ to þe flyȝt, & fa{n}neȝ on þe wyndeȝ, Houeȝ hyȝe upon hyȝt to herken tyþy{n}ges. [Sidenote: The raven “croaks for comfort” on finding carrion.] He croukeȝ for comfort when carayne he fyndeȝ; Kast vp on a clyffe þer costese lay drye, 460 He hade þe smelle of þe smach & smolt{es} þeder sone, [Sidenote: He fills his belly with the foul flesh.] Falleȝ on þe foule flesch & fylleȝ his wombe, & sone ȝederly for-ȝete ȝister-day steuen, How þe cheuetayn hy{m} charged þ{a}t þe kyst ȝemed. 464 Þe rauen raykeȝ hy{m} forth þat reches ful lyttel How alle fodeȝ þer fare, elleȝ he fynde mete;

[Headnote: NOAH SENDS FORTH A DOVE.]

[Sidenote: The lord of the ark curses the raven, and sends out the dove.] Bot þe burne by{n}ne borde[22] þat bod to hys come, Ba{n}ned hy{m} ful bytt{er}ly w{i}t{h} best{es} alle samen, 468 [Sidenote: [Fol. 63b.]] He secheȝ an oþ{er} sondeȝmon & setteȝ on þe dou{n}e;[23] Bry{n}geȝ þat bryȝt vpon borde blessed & sayde, “Wende worþelych wyȝt v{us} woneȝ to seche, Dryf ou{er} þis dy{m}me wat{er}; if þ{o}u druye fyndeȝ 472 Bry{n}g bodworde to bot blysse to v{us} alle; Þaȝ þat fowle be false, fre be þ{o}u euer.” [Sidenote: The bird wanders about the whole day.] Ho wyrl{e} out on þe weder o{n} wy{n}geȝ ful scharpe, Dreȝly alle a longe day þ{a}t dorst neu{er} lyȝt; 476 [Sidenote: Finding no rest, she returns about eventide to Noah.] & when ho fyndeȝ no folde her fote on to pyche, Ho vmbe-kesteȝ þe coste & þe kyst secheȝ, Ho hitteȝ on þe euentyde & on þe ark sitteȝ; Noe ny{m}mes hir anon & naytly hir staueȝ. 480 [Sidenote: Noah again sends out the dove.] Noe on anoþ{er} day ny{m}meȝ efte þe dovene, & byddeȝ hir bowe ou{er} þe borne efte bonkeȝ to seche; & ho skyrmeȝ vnder skwe & skowteȝ aboute, Tyl hit watȝ nyȝe at þe naȝt & noe þe{n} secheȝ. 484

[Sidenote 17: _stynteȝ_ (?).] [Sidenote 18: _waweȝ_ (?).] [Sidenote 19: _in-sprang_ (?).] [Sidenote 20: _yþeȝ_ (?).] [Sidenote 21: So in MS.] [Sidenote 22: MS. _lorde_.] [Sidenote 23: _douue_ or _douene_ (?).]

[Headnote: NOAH LEAVES THE ARK.]