IX.

[Sidenote: He informs him of the destruction about to fall upon the cities of the plain, for their great wickedness, in abusing the gifts bestowed upon them.] “The grete sou{n} of sodamas synkkeȝ i{n} my{n} ereȝ, & þe gult of gomorre gareȝ me to wrath; I schal lyȝt i{n}-to þat led & loke my seluen, If[34] þay haf don as þe dyne dryueȝ on-lofte, 692 Þay han lerned a lyst þat lykeȝ me ille, Þat þay han fou{n}den i{n} her flesch of fauteȝ þe werst, Vch male matȝ his mach a man as hy{m} seluen, & fylt{er} folyly i{n} fere, on fe{m}maleȝ wyse. 696 I compast hem a kynde crafte & kende hit hem derne, [Sidenote: The ordinance of marriage had been made for them, but they foully set it at nought.] & amed hit i{n} my{n} ordenau{n}ce oddely dere, & dyȝt drwry þer-i{n}ne, doole alþ{er}-swettest, & þe play of paramoreȝ I portrayed my seluen; 700 & made þer-to a man{er} myriest of oþ{er}, When two true togeder had tyȝed hem seluen, By-twene a male & his make such m{er}þe schulde conne;[35] Wel nyȝe pure paradys moȝt preue no bett{er}, 704 Elleȝ þay moȝt honestly ayþ{er} oþ{er} welde. At a stylle stollen steuen, vnstered wyth syȝt, [Sidenote: The flame of love.] Luf lowe hem bytwene lasched so hote, Þat alle þe meschefeȝ on mold moȝt hit not sleke; 708 Now haf þay skyfted my skyl & scorned natwre, [Sidenote: Therefore shall they be destroyed as an example to all men for ever.] & hentteȝ hem i{n} heþy{n}g an vsage vn-clene; Hem to smyte for þat smod smartly I þenk Þat wyȝeȝ schal be by hem war, worlde w{i}t{h}-outen ende.” 712

[Headnote: ABRAHAM PLEADS FOR THE CITIES.]

[Sidenote: Abraham is full of fear, and asks God whether the “sinful and the sinless” are to suffer together.] Þe{n}ne arȝed abraham & alle his mod chau{n}ge[d], For hope of þe harde hate þat hyȝt hatȝ oure lorde; Al sykande he sayde “s{ir} w{i}t{h} yor leue, Schal synful & sakleȝ suffer al on payne; 716 Weþ{er} eu{er} hit lyke my lorde to lyfte such domeȝ, Þat þe wykked & þe worþy schal on wrake suffer, & weye vpon þe worre half þat wrathed þe neu{er}? Þat watȝ neu{er} þy won þat wroȝteȝ v{us} alle. 720 [Sidenote: [Fol. 67a.]] [Sidenote: Whether he will spare the cities provided fifty righteous are found in them?] Now fyfty fyn frendeȝ wer fou{n}de i{n} ȝonde toune In þe Cety of Sodamas & also gomorré Þat neu{er} lakked þy laue, bot loued ay trauþe, & reȝt-ful wern & resou{n}able & redy þe to serue, 724 Schal þay falle i{n} þe faute þat oþ{er} frekeȝ wroȝt & ioyne to her iuggement her iuise to haue? Þat nas neu{er} þyn note, vnneuened hit worþe, Þat art so gaynly a god & of goste mylde!” 728 [Sidenote: For the sake of fifty the cities shall be spared.] “Nay for fyfty,” q{uod} þe fader, “& þy fayre speche, &[36] þay be fou{n}den i{n} þat folk of her fylþe clene, I schal for-gyue alle þe gylt þurȝ my g{ra}ce one, & let hem smolt al unsmyten smoþely atoneȝ.” 732 [Sidenote: The patriarch beseeches God to spare the city for the sake of forty-five righteous.] “AA! blessed be þow,” q{uod} þe burne, “so boner & þewed, & al haldeȝ i{n} þy honde, þe heuen & þe erþe, Bot for I haf þis talke tatȝ to non ille, Ȝif I mele a lyttel more þat mul am & askeȝ; 736 What if fyue faylen of fyfty þe nou{m}bre, & þe remnau{n}t be reken, how restes þy wylle?” [Sidenote: For the lack of five the cities shall not be destroyed.] “And fyue wont of fyfty,” q{uod} god, “I schal forȝete alle & wyth-halde my honde for horty{n}g on lede.” 740 “& quat if faurty be fre & fauty þyse oþ{er} Schalt þow schortly al schende & schape non oþ{er}.” [Sidenote: For forty the cities shall be spared.] “Nay þaȝ faurty forfete ȝet fryst I a whyle, & voyde away my vengau{n}ce, þaȝ me vyl þynk.” 744 Þe{n} abraham obeched hym & loȝly hi{m} þonkkeȝ, “Now sayned be þou sauio{ur}, so symple i{n} þy wrath! I am bot erþe ful euel & vsle so blake, [Sidenote: Abraham entreats God’s forbearance for his speech.] Forto mele wyth such a mayst{er} as myȝteȝ hatȝ alle, 748 Bot I haue by-go{n}nen wyth my god, & he hit gay{n} þynkeȝ, Ȝif I for-loyne as a fol þy frau{n}chyse may serue; What if þretty þryuande be þrad i{n} ȝon tou{n}eȝ, What schal I leue if my lorde, if he hem leþe wolde?” 752 Þe{n}ne þe godlych god gef hy{m} onsware, [Sidenote: Thirty righteous, found in the cities, shall save them from destruction.] “Ȝet for þretty i{n} þrong I schal my þro steke, & spare spakly of spyt i{n} space of my þeweȝ, & my rankor refrayne fo{ur} þy reken wordeȝ.” 756 [Sidenote: [Fol. 67b.]] “What for twenty,” q{uod} þe tolke, “vntwyneȝ þ{o}u hem þe{n}ne?” “Nay, ȝif þ{o}u ȝerneȝ hit, ȝet ȝark I hem g{ra}ce; [Sidenote: For the sake of twenty guiltless ones God will release the rest.] If þat twenty be trwe I tene hem no more, Bot relece alle þat regiou{n} of her ronk werkkeȝ.” 760 “Now aþel lorde,” q{uod} Abraham, “oneȝ a speche & I schal schape no more þo schalkkeȝ to helpe; If ten trysty i{n} toune be tan i{n} þi werkkeȝ [Sidenote: Or if ten only should be found pure.] Wylt þ{o}u mese þy mode & menddy{n}g abyde?” 764 “I grau{n}t,” q{uod} þe grete god, “grau{n}t mercy,” þ{a}t oþ{er}. & þe{n}ne arest þe renk & raȝt no fyrre; & godde glydeȝ his gate by þose grene wayeȝ & he co{n}ueyen hy{m} con w{i}t{h} cast of his yȝe, 768 [Sidenote: The patriarch intercedes for Lot.] & als he loked along þere as oure lorde passed, Ȝet he cryed hy{m} aft{er} w{i}t{h} careful steuen: “Meke mayst{er} on þy mon to my{n}ne if þe lyked, Loth lengeȝ i{n} ȝon leede þat is my lef broþ{er}, 772 He sytteȝ þer i{n} sodomis, þy seruau{n}t so pou{er}e Among þo mansed men þat han þe much g{r}eued; [Sidenote: Beseeches Him to “temper His ire,” and then departs weeping for sorrow.] Ȝif þ{o}u tyneȝ þat tou{n}, te{m}pre þyn yre As þy mersy may malte þy meke to spare.” 776 Þe{n} he wendeȝ, wendeȝ his way wepande for care To-warde þe mere of mambre wepande for so[rȝe,][37] & þere i{n} longy{n}g al nyȝt he lengeȝ i{n} wones, Whyl þe sou{er}ayn to sodamas sende to spye. 780

[Sidenote 34: MS. i{n}f.] [Sidenote 35: _come_ (?).] [Sidenote 36: _An_ (?).] [Sidenote 37: _sorewe_ is written by a late hand over the original word.]

[Headnote: MESSENGERS ARE SENT TO LOT.]