Iacob and Iosep; a middle English poem of the thirteenth century, ed. by Arthur S. Napier.

                                
                                  Hit were muche reuþe in boc for to rede.
                                
                                  Nou Iacob sit in halle & wringeþ his honde,
                                  Line 185 
                                
                                  We ssule speken of Iosep in Egipte londe.
                                
                                  Nou Putifar ssrudeþ Iosep mid dereworþe ssroud,
                                
                                  & ȝiueþ him Pharaon þe king, mid him he is proud.
                                
                                  Nou is Iosep feir child in Pharaones halle,
                                
                                  Þe pore & þe riche louieþ him alle. [folio 4b] 
                                  Line 190 
                                
                                  Tofore þe king selue he serueþ atte bord,
                                
                                  Of pore & of riche he haþ wel god word.
                                
                                  Hit fel in one daye, þe king was out iwent
                                
                                  To þe wode to ssete mid his bowe ibent.
                                
                                  Þe quene louede Iosep ase hir owe lif,
                                  Line 195 
                                
                                  Heo sente him after sone to speken hire wiþ.
                                
                                  Ac of þisse þinge nuste Iosep riȝt nouȝt:
                                
                                  Aruȝ hit were to knowe alle wimmanes þouȝt.
                                
                                  Ac þer wimman is god, nis non so swete þing,
                                
                                  For al þat euere Eue brac in paradis
                                  Line 200 
                                
                                  Oure leuedi hit bette, þat dereworþest is.
                                
                                  Iosep cam to boure, þat hende was & fre.
                                
                                  'Leuedi,' quod Iosep, 'wat þi wille be?'
                                
                                  'Iosep,' quod þe quene, 'nou þou art welcome,
                                
                                  Nou in mine boure ich þe haue inome.
                                  Line 205 
                                
                                  Ich þe wole tellen one tidinge,
                                
                                  Ich wole þe make richest man after oure kinge.
                                
                                  Þou ssalt habbe þi wil of fer & of gris,
                                
                                  Of gold & of seluer, of al þat feir is.
                                
                                  Þou ssalt haue þi wil of al Egipte londe,
                                  Line 210 
                                
                                  Ssal neuere no man þine heste astonde.
                                
                                  & of one þinge iwis þu miȝt be bliþe,
                                
                                  Þer nis no man me so lef þat euere is aliue.
                                
                                  Ȝif þou canst in boure louie me derne,
                                
                                  Þe prute of Egipte ssal þe nouȝt be werne.'

                                  Line 215

About this Item

Title: Iacob and Iosep; a middle English poem of the thirteenth century, ed. by Arthur S. Napier.
Canvas: Page 7
Publication: Oxford,: Clarendon press,; 1916.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/acb1675.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/acb1675.0001.001/39:3

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Full citation: "Iacob and Iosep; a middle English poem of the thirteenth century, ed. by Arthur S. Napier." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/acb1675.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 30, 2025.

Iacob and Iosep; a middle English poem of the thirteenth century, ed. by Arthur S. Napier.

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