VIII.

[Sidenote: Abraham is sitting before his house-door under a green oak.] Olde Abraham i{n} erde oneȝ he sytteȝ Euen byfore his ho{us}-dore vnder an oke grene; Bryȝt blykked þe bem of þe brode heuen, I{n} þe hyȝe hete þ{er}-of Abraham bideȝ, 604 He watȝ schu{n}t to þe schadow vnder schyre leueȝ; [Sidenote: He sees three men coming along, and goes toward them.] Þe{n}ne watȝ he war on þe waye of wlonk wyȝeȝ þry{n}ne. If þay wer farande & fre & fayre to beholde, Hit is eþe to leue by þe last ende; 608 For þe lede þat þer laye þe leueȝ an-vnder, When he hade of hem syȝt he hyȝeȝ bylyue, & as to god þe good mon gos hem agayneȝ & haylsed hem i{n} onhede & sayde, “hende lorde 612 [Sidenote: [Fol. 65b.]] Ȝif eu{er} þy mon vpon molde merit disserued, [Sidenote: He entreats them to rest awhile, that he may wash their feet, and bring them a morsel of bread.] Lenge a lyttel with þy lede I loȝly bi-seche; Passe neu{er} fro þi pou{er}e, ȝif I hit pray durst, Er þ{o}u haf biden with þi burne & vnder boȝe restted; 616 & I schal wy{n}ne yow wyȝt of wat{er} a lyttel, & fast aboute schal I fare yo{ur} fette wer waschene; Restteȝ here on þis rote & I schal rachche aft{er} & bry{n}ge a morsel of bred to banne yo{ur} hertte.” 620 “Fare forthe,” q{uod} þe frekeȝ, “& fech as þ{o}u seggeȝ; By bole of þis brode tre we byde þe here.” [Sidenote: Abraham commands Sarah to make some cakes quickly, and tells his servant to seethe a tender kid.] Þe{n}ne orppedly i{n}-to his ho{us} he hyȝed to Saré Comau{n}ded hir to be cof & quyk at þis oneȝ; 624 “Þre metteȝ of mele menge & ma kakeȝ, Vnder askeȝ ful hote happe hem byliue; Quyl I fete su{m}quat fat þ{o}u þe fyr bete, Prestly at þis ilke poynte su{m} polment to make.” 628 He cached to his cobho{us}[30] & a calf bry{n}geȝ Þat watȝ tender & not toȝe; bed tyrne of þe hyde, & sayde to his seruau{n}t þ{a}t he hit seþe faste & he deruely at his dome dyȝt hit bylyue. 632 [Sidenote: Abraham appears bare-headed before his guests.] Þe burne to be bare-heued buskeȝ hy{m} þe{n}ne, [Sidenote: He casts a clean cloth on the green, and sets before them cakes, butter, milk, and pottage.] Clecheȝ to a clene cloþe & kesteȝ on þe grene, Þrwe þryftyly þ{er}-on þo þre þerue kakeȝ, & bry{n}geȝ butt{er} wyth-al, & by þe bred setteȝ 636 Mete; messeȝ of mylke he merkkeȝ bytwene, Syþe{n} potage & polment i{n} plater honest; As sewer i{n} a god assyse he serued hem fayre, Wyth sadde semblau{n}t & swete of such as he hade, 640

[Headnote: GOD DISCLOSES HIS PURPOSE TO ABRAHAM.]

[Sidenote: God praises his friend’s feast, and after the meat is removed, He tells Abraham that Sarah shall bear him a son.] & god as a glad gest mad god chere, Þat watȝ fayn of his frende & his fest praysed. Abraham, al hodleȝ w{i}t{h} armeȝ vp-folden, Mynystred mete byfore þo men þat myȝtes al weldeȝ; 644 Þe{n}ne þay sayden, as þay sete same{n} alle þry{n}ne, When þe mete watȝ remued & þay of mensk speken, “I schal efte here away abram,” þay sayden, “Ȝet er þy lyueȝ lyȝt leþe vpon erþe, 648 [Sidenote: [Fol. 66a.]] & þe{n}ne schal saré consayue & a su{n} bere, Þat schal be abrahameȝ ayre, & aft{er} hy{m} wy{n}ne W{i}t{h} wele & wyth worschyp þe worþely peple Þat schal halde i{n} heritage, þat I haf men ȝark.” 652 [Sidenote: Sarah, who is behind the door, laughs in unbelief.] Þe{n}ne þe burde byhynde þe dor for busmar laȝed; & sayde sothly[31] to hir-self saré þe madde: “May þ{o}u traw for tykle þat þ{o}u to{n}ne moȝteȝ, & I so hyȝe out of age & also my lorde,” 656 For soþely, as says þe wryt, he wern of sadde elde, Boþe þe wyȝe & his wyf, such werk watȝ hem fayled, Fro mony a brod day by-fore ho barayn ay byene,[32] Þat selue saré w{i}t{h}-outen sede i{n}-to þat same tyme. 660 [Sidenote: God tells Abraham that Sarah laughs at His words.] Þe{n}ne sayde oure syre þer he sete “se! so saré laȝes, Not trawande þe tale þat I þe to schewed; Hopeȝ ho oȝt may be harde my hondeȝ to work? & ȝet I a-vow v{er}ayly þe avau{n}t þat I made, 664 I schal ȝeply aȝayn & ȝelde þat I hyȝt, & sothely sende to saré a soñ & an hayre.” [Sidenote: Sarah denies that she laughed.] Þe{n}ne swenged forth saré & swer by hir trawþe, Þat for lot þat þay lansed[33] ho laȝed neu{er}. 668 “Now i{n}nogh{e} hit is not so” þe{n}ne n{ur}ned þe dryȝtyn, “For þ{o}u laȝed aloȝ, bot let we hit one.” [Sidenote: Abraham’s guests set out towards Sodom, two miles from Mamre.] With þat þay ros vp radly as þay rayke schulde, & setten toward sodamas her syȝt alle at-oneȝ; 672 For þat Cite þ{er} bysyde watȝ sette i{n} a vale, No myleȝ fro mambre mo þe{n} tweyne, Where-so wonyed þis ilke wyȝ þat wendeȝ w{i}t{h} oure lorde, For to tent hy{m} w{i}t{h} tale & teche hy{m} þe gate, 676 [Sidenote: The patriarch accompanies them.] Þen glydeȝ forth god, þe godmo{n} hy{m} folȝeȝ. Abraham heldeȝ hem wyth, he{m} to co{n}ueye, I{n} towarde þe Cety of sodamas þat sy{n}ned had þe{n}ne I{n} þe faute of þis fylþe; þe fader hem þretes, 680 & sayde þ{us} to þe segg þat sued hy{m} aft{er}: [Sidenote: God determines to reveal to Abraham his secret purposes.] “How myȝt I hyde myn hert fro habraham þe trwe, Þat I ne dyscou{er}ed to his corse my cou{n}sayl so dere. Syþen he is chosen to be chef chyldryn fader, 684 [Sidenote: [Fol. 66b.]] Þat so folk schal falle fro, to flete alle þe worlde, & vche blod i{n} þat burne blessed schal worþe. Me bos telle to þat tolk þe tene of my wylle & alle myn atly{n}g to abraham vn-haspe bilyue. 688

[Sidenote 30: _cov-hous_ = cow-house (?).] [Sidenote 31: ? _softly_ or _sotly_ = foolishly] [Sidenote 32: ? _bycame_.] [Sidenote 33: _laused_ (?).]

[Headnote: THE FILTHINESS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.]