VIII

Olde Abraham in erde oneȝ he sytteȝ
Euen byfore his hous-dore vnder an oke grene;
Bryȝt blykked þe bem of þe brode heuen,
In þe hyȝe hete þer-of Abraham bideȝ,
He watȝ schunt to þe schadow vnder schyre leueȝ;
Þenne watȝ he war on þe waye of wlonk wyȝeȝ þrynne.
If þay wer farande & fre & fayre to beholde,
Hit is eþe to leue by þe last ende;
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 in onhede & sayde, “hende lorde
Ȝif euer þy mon vpon molde merit disserued,
Lenge a lyttel with þy lede I loȝly bi-seche;
Passe neuer fro þi pouere, ȝif I hit pray durst,
Er þou haf biden with þi burne & vnder boȝe restted;
& I schal wynne yow wyȝt of water a lyttel,
& fast aboute schal I fare your fette wer waschene;
Restteȝ here on þis rote & I schal rachche after
& brynge a morsel of bred to banne your hertte.”
“Fare forthe,” quod þe frekeȝ, “& fech as þou seggeȝ;
By bole of þis brode tre we byde þe here.”
Þenne orppedly in-to his hous he hyȝed to Saré
Comaunded hir to be cof & quyk at þis oneȝ;
“Þre metteȝ of mele menge & ma kakeȝ,
Vnder askeȝ ful hote happe hem byliue;
Quyl I fete sumquat fat þou þe fyr bete,
Prestly at þis ilke poynte sum polment to make.”
He cached to his cobhous & a calf bryngeȝ
Þat watȝ tender & not toȝe; bed tyrne of þe hyde,
& sayde to his seruaunt þat he hit seþe faste
& he deruely at his dome dyȝt hit bylyue.
Þe burne to be bare-heued buskeȝ hym þenne,
Clecheȝ to a clene cloþe & kesteȝ on þe grene,
Þrwe þryftyly þer-on þo þre þerue kakeȝ,
& bryngeȝ butter wyth-al, & by þe bred setteȝ
Mete; messeȝ of mylke he merkkeȝ bytwene,
Syþen potage & polment in plater honest;
As sewer in a god assyse he serued hem fayre,
Wyth sadde semblaunt & swete of such as he hade,
& god as a glad gest mad god chere,
Þat watȝ fayn of his frende & his fest praysed.
Abraham, al hodleȝ with armeȝ vp-folden,
Mynystred mete byfore þo men þat myȝtes al weldeȝ;
Þenne þay sayden, as þay sete samen alle þrynne,
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,
& þenne schal saré consayue & a sun bere,
Þat schal be abrahameȝ ayre, & after hym wynne
With wele & wyth worschyp þe worþely peple
Þat schal halde in heritage, þat I haf men ȝark.”
Þenne þe burde byhynde þe dor for busmar laȝed;
& sayde sothly to hir-self saré þe madde:
“May þou traw for tykle þat þou tonne moȝteȝ,
& I so hyȝe out of age & also my lorde,”
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,
Þat selue saré with-outen sede in-to þat same tyme.
Þenne 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 verayly þe avaunt þat I made,
I schal ȝeply aȝayn & ȝelde þat I hyȝt,
& sothely sende to saré a soñ & an hayre.”
Þenne swenged forth saré & swer by hir trawþe,
Þat for lot þat þay lansed ho laȝed neuer.
“Now innoghe hit is not so” þenne nurned þe dryȝtyn,
“For þou laȝed aloȝ, bot let we hit one.”
With þat þay ros vp radly as þay rayke schulde,
& setten toward sodamas her syȝt alle at-oneȝ;
For þat Cite þer bysyde watȝ sette in a vale,
No myleȝ fro mambre mo þen tweyne,
Where-so wonyed þis ilke wyȝ þat wendeȝ with oure lorde,
For to tent hym with tale & teche hym þe gate,
Þen glydeȝ forth god, þe godmon hym folȝeȝ.
Abraham heldeȝ hem wyth, hem to conueye,
In towarde þe Cety of sodamas þat synned had þenne
In þe faute of þis fylþe; þe fader hem þretes,
& sayde þus to þe segg þat sued hym after:
“How myȝt I hyde myn hert fro habraham þe trwe,
Þat I ne dyscouered to his corse my counsayl so dere.
Syþen he is chosen to be chef chyldryn fader,
Þat so folk schal falle fro, to flete alle þe worlde,
& vche blod in þat burne blessed schal worþe.
Me bos telle to þat tolk þe tene of my wylle
& alle myn atlyng to abraham vn-haspe bilyue.