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

                                
                                  & þe kinges baxtere iwreyed was ful stronge.
                                
                                  To Iosep hi beþ icast, & þer hi liggeþ longe,
                                
                                  & in þe prison liggeþ mid ful muchel wronge.
                                  Line 250 
                                
                                  Nabbeþ hi none blisse of harpe ne of songe,
                                
                                  Of olde ne of ȝunge, of fremede ne of sibbe,
                                
                                  Leuere hem were to be ded þen so longe to libbe.
                                
                                  Hit fel in one niȝte þe botiler feng to slepe,
                                
                                  A swiþe muri sweuene him þuȝte þat he gan mete,
                                  Line 255 
                                
                                  Þat in þe winȝarde þe kinges coupe he ber,
                                
                                  & wrong hit of þe grapes ful of win cler.
                                
                                  Þe baxtere mette an oþer, nas hit nouȝt so god,
                                
                                  In þe bachuse him þuȝte þat he stod,
                                
                                  Of bred he fulde a basket & to þe halle he wolde hit bere,
                                
                                  Þe foules bi þe lifte hit gonnen al totere.
                                  Line 261 
                                
                                  Amorewen ase þei seten wiþ Iosep atte bord,
                                
                                  Here sweuen hi him tolden word after word.
                                
                                  Iosep here sweuen sone haueþ arouȝt.
                                
                                  'Ȝe ssulen in þis þridde dai of prison ben ibrouȝt.
                                  Line 265 
                                
                                  Þou ssalt, sir baxtere, anhonged be ful heye,
                                
                                  Foules bi þe lifte holen out þin eye.
                                
                                  Þou ssalt, sire botiler, þi mester vnderfonge,
                                
                                  Wiþ alle worssipe mest þe king serue longe.
                                
                                  & wen me serueþ þe king mid harpe & mid songe,
                                  Line 270 
                                
                                  Þench on seli Iosep, þat her liþ mid wronge.' [folio 6a] 
                                
                                  Also ase Iosep seide, also hit bicam:
                                
                                  Þe botiler of Iosep lute ȝeme nam,
                                
                                  Þat in þe prison liþ mid ful muche wronge.
                                
                                  Naþ he none blisse of harpe ne of songe,
                                  Line 275 
                                
                                  Of olde ne of ȝunge, of fremede ne of sibbe,
                                
                                  Leuere him [MS. hem.]  were to be ded þen so longe to libbe.

About this Item

Title: Iacob and Iosep; a middle English poem of the thirteenth century, ed. by Arthur S. Napier.
Canvas: Page 9
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/acb1675.0001.001/45:3

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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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