VI.

[Sidenote: The dove returns with an olive branch in her beak.] On ark on an euentyde houeȝ þe downe, On stamyn ho stod & stylle hy{m} abydeȝ; What! ho broȝt i{n} hir beke a bronch of olyue, G{ra}cyo{us}ly vmbe-grouen al w{i}t{h} grene leueȝ; 488 [Sidenote: This was a token of peace and reconciliation.] Þat watȝ þe sy{n}gne of sauyté þ{a}t sende he{m} oure lorde, & þe saȝtly{n}g of hy{m}-self w{i}t{h} þo sely besteȝ. [Sidenote: Joy reigns in the ark.] Þe{n} watȝ þer ioy i{n} pat gyn where Iu{m}pred er dryȝed, & much comfort i{n} þat cofer þat watȝ clay-daubed. 492 [Sidenote: The people therein laugh and look thereout.] Myryly on a fayr morn, monyth þe fyrst, Þat falleȝ formast i{n} þe ȝer, & þe fyrst day, Ledeȝ loȝen i{n} þat lome & loked þ{er}-oute, How þat watt{er}eȝ wern woned & þe worlde dryed. 496 Vchon loued oure lorde, bot lenged ay stylle, Tyl þay had tyþy{n}g fro þe tolke þat tyned he{m} þ{er}-i{n}ne; [Sidenote: God permits Noah and his sons to leave the ark.] Þe{n} godeȝ glam to hem glod þat gladed hem alle, Bede hem drawe to þe dor, delyu{er} hem he wolde; 500 Þe{n} went þay to þe wykket, hit walt vpon sone, Boþe þe burne & his barneȝ bowed þ{er}-oute; Her wyueȝ walkeȝ hem wyth & þe wylde aft{er}, Þroly þrublande i{n} þronge, þrowen ful þykke; 504 [Sidenote: [Fol. 64a.]] [Sidenote: Noah offers sacrifice to God.] Bot Noe of vche honest kynde nem out an odde & heuened vp an auter & halȝed hit fayre, & sette a sakerfyse þ{er}-on of vch a ser kynde, Þat watȝ comly & clene, god kepeȝ non oþ{er}. 508 When bremly brened þose besteȝ, & þe breþe rysed, [Sidenote: It is pleasing to Him that “all speeds or spoils.”] Þe sauo{ur} of his sacrafyse soȝt to hym euen Þat al spedeȝ & spylleȝ; he spek{es} w{i}t{h} þat ilke I{n} comly comfort ful clos & cortays wordeȝ: 512 [Sidenote: God declares that He will never destroy the world for the sin of man.] “Now noe no more nel I neu{er} wary, Alle þe mukel mayny [on] molde for no ma{n}neȝ sy{n}neȝ, For I se wel þat hit is sothe, þat alle ma{n}neȝ wytteȝ To vn-þryfte arn alle þrawen w{i}t{h} þoȝt of her hertteȝ, 516 & ay hatȝ ben & wyl be ȝet fro her barnage; Al is þe mynde of þe man to malyce enclyned, For-þy schal I neu{er} schende so schortly at ones, As dysstrye al for maneȝ sy{n}ne [in] dayeȝ of þis erþe. 520 Bot waxeȝ now & wendeȝ forth & worþeȝ to monye, Multyplyeȝ on þis molde & menske yow by-tyde. [Sidenote: That summer and winter shall never cease.] Sesou{n}eȝ schal yow neu{er} sese of sede ne of heruest, Ne hete, ne no harde forst, vmbre ne droȝþe, 524 Ne þe swetnesse of somer, ne þe sadde wynt{er}, [Sidenote: Nor night nor day, nor the new years.] Ne þe nyȝt, ne þe day, ne þe newe ȝereȝ, Bot eu{er} re{n}ne restleȝ rengneȝ ȝe þ{er}-i{n}ne.” [Sidenote: God blesses every beast.] Þ{er}wyth he blesseȝ vch a best, & bytaȝt hem þis erþe. 528

[Headnote: THE BEASTS ARE DISPERSED.]

Þe{n} watȝ a skylly skyualde, quen scaped alle þe wylde; [Sidenote: Each fowl takes its flight.] Vche fowle to þe flyȝt þat fyþereȝ myȝt serue, [Sidenote: Each fish goes to the flood.] Vche fysch to þe flod þat fy{n}ne couþe nayte, [Sidenote: Each beast makes for the plain.] Vche beste to þe bent þat[24] byt{es} on erbeȝ; 532 [Sidenote: Wild worms wriggle to their abodes in the earth.] Wylde wormeȝ to her won wryþeȝ i{n} þe erþe, [Sidenote: The fox goes to the woods.] Þe fox & þe folmarde to þe fryth wyndeȝ, [Sidenote: Harts to the heath, and hares to the gorse.] Hertt{es} to hyȝe heþe, hareȝ to gorsteȝ, [Sidenote: Lions and leopards go to the lakes.] & lyou{n}eȝ & lebardeȝ to þe lake ryft{es}, 536 [Sidenote: Eagles and hawks to the high rocks.] Herneȝ & hauekeȝ to þe hyȝe rocheȝ; Þe hole-foted fowle to þe flod hyȝeȝ, & vche best at a brayde þer hy{m} best lykeȝ; [Sidenote: The four ‘frekes’ take the empire.] Þe fowre frekeȝ of þe folde fongeȝ þe empyre. 540 [Sidenote: [Fol. 64b.]] [Sidenote: Behold what woe God brought on mankind for their hateful deeds!] Lo! suche a wrakful wo for wlatsu{m} dedeȝ Parformed þe hyȝe fader on folke þat he made; Þat he chysly hade cherisched he chastysed ful hardee, I{n} de-voydy{n}ge þe vylanye þ{a}t venkquyst his þeweȝ. 544 For-þy war þe now, wyȝe, þat worschyp desyres, I{n} his comlych co{ur}te þat ky{n}g is of blysse, [Sidenote: Beware of the filth of the flesh.] I{n} þe fylþe of þe flesch þat þ{o}u be fou{n}den neu{er}, Tyl any wat{er} i{n} þe worlde to wasche þe fayly, 548 For is no segge vnder su{n}ne so seme of his crafteȝ, If he be sulped i{n} sy{n}ne, þat [ne] sytteȝ vnclene. [Sidenote: “One speck of a spot” will ruin us in the sight of God.] On spec of a spote may spede to mysse Of þe syȝte of þe sou{er}ayn þat sytteȝ so hyȝe, 552 For þat schewe me schale i{n} þo schyre howseȝ, [Sidenote: The beryl is clean and sound,--it has no seam.] As þe beryl bornyst byhoueȝ be clene, Þat is sou{n}de on vche a syde & no sem habes, W{i}t{h}-outen maskle oþ{er} mote as margerye p{er}le. 556

[Sidenote 24: MS. _þat þat_.]

[Headnote: GOD’S HATRED OF WICKEDNESS.]