X.

[Sidenote: God’s messengers go to Sodom.] His sondes i{n}-to sodamas watȝ sende i{n} þat tyme, I{n} þat ilk euentyde, by au{n}gels tweyne, Meuand meuande[38] mekely togeder as myry me{n} ȝonge, [Sidenote: Lot is sitting alone at the “door of his lodge.”] As loot i{n} a loge dor lened hy{m} alone, 784 I{n} a porche of þat place pyȝt to þe ȝat{es}, Þat watȝ ryal & ryche, so watȝ þe renk{es} seluen. [Sidenote: Staring into the street he sees two men.] As he stared i{n}-to þe strete þ{er} stout men played He syȝe þer swey i{n} asent swete men tweyne; 788 [Sidenote: Beardless chins they had, and hair like raw silk.] Bolde burneȝ wer þay boþe w{i}t{h} berdles chy{n}neȝ, Royl rollande fax to raw sylk lyke, Of ble as þe brere flo{ur} where-so þe bare scheweed, Ful clene watȝ þe cou{n}tenau{n}ce of her cler yȝen; 792 [Sidenote: [Fol. 68a.]] [Sidenote: Beautifully white were their weeds.] Wlonk whit watȝ her wede & wel hit hem semed. Of alle fetureȝ ful fyn & fautleȝ boþe; Watȝ non autly i{n} ouþ{er}, for aungels hit wern, & þat þe ȝep vnder-ȝede þat i{n} þe ȝate sytteȝ. 796

[Headnote: LOT ENTERTAINS THE MESSENGERS.]

[Sidenote: Lot runs to meet them.] He ros vp ful radly & ran hem to mete & loȝe he louteȝ hem to, loth, to þe grou{n}de, & syþen soberly [satȝ] “syreȝ I yow by-seche, [Sidenote: Invites them to remain awhile in his house, and in the morning they may take their way.] Þat ȝe wolde lyȝt at my loge & lenge þ{er}-i{n}ne, 800 Comeȝ to yo{ur} knaues kote I craue at þis oneȝ; I schal fette yow a fatte yo{ur} fette forto wasche; I norne yow bot for on nyȝt neȝe me to lenge, & i{n} þe myry morny{n}g ȝe may yo{ur} waye take.” 804 & þay nay þat þay nolde neȝ no howseȝ, Bot stylly þer i{n} þe strete as þay stadde wern, Þay wolde lenge þe long naȝt & logge þ{er}-oute; Hit watȝ ho{us} innoȝe to hem þe heuen vpon lofte. 808 [Sidenote: Lot invites them so long that at last they comply.] Loth laþed so longe wyth luflych wordeȝ, Þat þay hy{m} grau{n}ted to go & gruȝt no leng{er}. Þe bolde to his byggy{n}g bryngeȝ hem bylyue, [Sidenote: The wife and daughters of Lot welcome their visitors.] Þat ryally [watȝ] arayed, for he watȝ ryche eu{er}. 812 Þe wyȝeȝ wern welcom as þe wyf couþe, His two dere doȝt{er}eȝ deuoutly he{m} haylsed, Þat wer maydeneȝ ful meke, maryed not ȝet, & þay wer semly & swete, & swyþe wel arayed. 816 [Sidenote: Lot admonishes his men to prepare the meat, and to serve no salt with it.] Loth þe{n}ne ful lyȝtly lokeȝ hy{m} aboute, & his me{n} amonest{es} mete forto dyȝt, Bot þenkkeȝ on hit be þrefte what þynk[39] so ȝe make, For wyth no so{ur}[40] ne no salt serueȝ hy{m} neu{er}. 820 Bot ȝet I wene þat þe wyf hit wroth[41] to dyspyt, & sayde softely to hir self “þis vn-sau{er}e[42] hyne Loueȝ no salt i{n} her sauce ȝet hit no skyl were Þat oþ{er} burne be boute þaȝ boþe be nyse.” 824 [Sidenote: Lot’s wife disregards the injunction.] Þe{n}ne ho sau{er}eȝ w{i}t{h} salt her seueȝ vchone Agayne þe bone of þe burne þat hit forboden hade, & als ho scelt he{m} i{n} scorne þat wel her skyl knewen. Why watȝ ho wrech so wod, ho wrathed oure lorde! 828 [Sidenote: [Fol. 68b.]] [Sidenote: The guests are well entertained.] Þe{n}ne seten þay at þe soper, wern serued by-lyue, Þe gest{es} gay & ful glad, of glam debonere, Welawy{n}nely wlonk tyl þay waschen hade, Þe trest{es} tylt to þe woȝe & þe table boþe. 832

[Headnote: LOT’S HOUSE IS BESET.]

[Sidenote: But before they go to rest the city is up in arms.] Fro þe seggeȝ haden souped & seten bot a whyle, Er eu{er} þay bosked to bedde þe borȝ watȝ al vp; Alle þat weppen myȝt welde, þe wakker & þe stronger, To vmbe-lyȝe lotheȝ ho{us} þe ledeȝ to take, 836 In grete flokkeȝ of folk, þay fallen to his ȝateȝ, As a scowte-wach scarred, so þe asscry rysed; [Sidenote: With “keen clubs” the folk clatter on the walls, and demand that Lot should deliver up his guests.] W{i}t{h} kene clobbeȝ of þat clos þay clatȝ on þe woweȝ, & wyth a schrylle scharp schout þay schewe þyse worde: 840 “If þ{o}u louyeȝ þy lyf loth i{n} þyse woneȝ Ȝete v{us} out þose ȝong men þat ȝore-whyle here entred, Þat we may lere hym[43] of lof, as oure lyst biddeȝ, As is þe asyse of Sodomas to seggeȝ þ{a}t passen.” 844 Whatt! þay sputen & speken of so spito{us} fylþe, What! þay ȝeȝed & ȝolped of ȝestande sorȝe, [Sidenote: The wind yet stinks with their filthy speech.] Þat ȝet þe wynd, & þe weder, & þe worlde stynk{es} Of þe brych þat vp-braydeȝ þose broþelych wordeȝ. 848 Þe god man glyfte w{i}t{h} þ{a}t glam & gloped for noyse, So scharpe schame to hy{m} schot, he schrank at þe hert, For he knew þe costou{m} þat kyþed þose wrecheȝ, He doted neu{er} for no doel so depe i{n} his my{n}de. 852 [Sidenote: Lot is in great trouble.] Allas! sayd hy{m} þe{n}ne loth, & lyȝtly he ryseȝ & boweȝ forth fro þe bench i{n}-to þe brode ȝat{es}. What! he wonded no woþe of wekked knaueȝ, Þat he ne passed þe port þe p{er}il[44] to abide. 856 [Sidenote: He leaves his guests and addresses the Sodomites.] He went forthe at þe wyket & waft hit hy{m} aft{er}, Þat a clyket hit cleȝt clos hy{m} byhynde. Þe{n}ne he meled to þo men mesurable wordeȝ, For harloteȝ w{i}t{h} his hendelayk he hoped to chast; 860 “Oo! my frendeȝ so fre, yo{ur} fare is to strange, Dotȝ away yo{ur} derf dyn & dereȝ neu{er} my gest{es}, Avoy! hit is yo{ur} vylaynye, ȝe vylen yo{ur} seluen; &[45] ȝe ar iolyf gentylmen yo{ur} iapes ar ille. 864 [Sidenote: [Fol. 69a.]] Bot I schal ke{n}ne yow by kynde a crafte þat is bett{er}; [Sidenote: He offers to give up to them his two daughters.] I haf a tresor i{n} my telde of tow my fayre deȝt{er}, Þat ar maydeneȝ vnmard for alle men ȝette; In sodamas, þaȝ I hit say, non semloker burdes, 868 Hit arn ronk, hit arn rype & redy to ma{n}ne; To samen wyth þo semly þe solace is bett{er}, I schal biteche yow þo two þat tayt arn & quoy{n}t, & laykeȝ wyth hem as yow lyst & leteȝ my gest{es} one.” 872 [Sidenote: The rebels raise a great noise, and ask who made him a justice to judge their deeds, who was but a boy when he came to Sodom.] Þe{n}ne þe rebaudeȝ so ronk rerd such a noyse, Þat aȝly hurled i{n} his ereȝ her harloteȝ speche; “Wost þ{o}u not wel þ{a}t þ{o}u woneȝ here a wyȝe strange, An out-comly{n}g, a carle, we kylle of þyn heued. 876 Who Ioyned þe be iostyse oure iapeȝ to blame, Þat com a boy to þis borȝ, þaȝ þ{o}u be burne ryche?” Þ{us} þay þrobled & þrong & þrwe vmbe his ereȝ, & distresed hy{m} wonder strayt, w{i}t{h} strenkþe i{n} þe prece, 880

[Headnote: THE MEN OF SODOM SMITTEN WITH BLINDNESS.]

[Sidenote: The young men bring Lot within doors, and smite those outside with blindness.] Bot þat þe ȝonge me{n}, so ȝepe, ȝornen þ{er}-oute, Wapped vpon þe wyket & wo{n}nen hem tylle, & by þe hondeȝ hy{m} hent & horyed hy{m} w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne, & steken þe ȝat{es} ston-harde wyth stalworth barreȝ. 884 Þay blwe a boffet i{n} blande þat ba{n}ned peple, Þat þay blust{er}ed as blynde as bayard watȝ eu{er}; [Sidenote: In vain they try to find the door of Lot’s house.] Þay lest of loteȝ loggi{n}g any lysou{n} to fynde, Bot nyteled þ{er} alle þe nyȝt for noȝt at þe last; 888 Þe{n}ne vch tolke tyȝt hem þat hade of tayt fayled, & vchon roþeled to þe rest þat he reche moȝt; Bot þay wern wakned al wrank[46] þat þ{er} i{n} won lenged, Of on þe vglokest vnhap þat eu{er} on erd suffred. 892

[Sidenote 38: So in MS.] [Sidenote 39: _þyng_ (?).] [Sidenote 40: savo{ur} (?).] [Sidenote 41: _wroȝt_ (?).] [Sidenote 42: MS. vnfau{er}e.] [Sidenote 43: _hem_ (?).] [Sidenote 44: MS. _pil_.] [Sidenote 45: _And_ = _An_ (?).] [Sidenote 46: _wrang_ (?).]

[Headnote: LOT IS SENT OUT OF THE CITY.]