Purity, a Middle English poem, ed. with introduction, notes, and glossary by Robert J. Menner.

X. LOT ENTERTAINS THE TWO ANGELS

His sondes into Sodamas watz sende in þat tyme, In þat ilk eventyde, by aungels tweyne, Mevande mekely togeder as myry men ȝonge, [M.S., M. meuand, meuande.] As Loot in a loge-dor lened hym alone, Line 784 In a porche of þat place pyȝt to þe ȝates, [in place the second stroke of the p covers an extra 1.] Þat watz ryal and ryche—so watz þe renkes selven. As he stared into þe strete þer stout men played, He syȝe þer swey in asent swete men tweyne; Line 788 Bolde burnez were þay boþe, wyth berdles chynnez, Royl rollande fax, to raw sylk lyke, Of ble as þe brere-flor where so þe bare schew[e]d; [MS., M. scheweed.] Ful clene watz þe countenaunce of her cler yȝen; Line 792 Wlonk whit watz her wede and wel hit hem semed. [folio 72a] Of alle feturez ful fyn and fautlez boþe, Watz non au[c]ly in ouþer, for aungels hit wern. [MS., M. autly, G. reads MS. aucly (but see note).]

And þat þe ȝep underȝede þat in þe ȝate syttez, Line 796 He ros up ful radly and ran hem to mete, And loȝe he loutez hem to, Loth, to þe grounde, And syþen soberly: 'Syrez, I yow byseche, [M. inserts satȝ (form would probably be saytȝ) after soberly.] Þat ȝe wolde lyȝt at my loge and lenge þerinne; Line 800 Comez to yor knavez kote, I crave at þis onez; [MS. knaueȝ kote; M. ¹ kuchieȝ-kote (which MS. resembles because second stroke of a is high); M. ² knaues kote.]

I schal fette yow a fatte yor fette forto wasche. I norne yow bot for on nyȝt neȝe me to lenge, And in þe myry mornyng ȝe may yor waye take.' Line 804 And þay nay þat þay nolde neȝ no howsez, Bot stylly þer in þe strete as þay stadde wern, Þay wolde lenge þe long naȝt and logge þeroute; Hit watz hous innoȝė to hem þe heven upon lofte. Line 808 Loth laþed so longe wyth luflych wordez Þat pay hym graunted to go, and gruȝt no lenger. Þe bolde to his byggyng bryngez hem bylyve, Þat [watz] ryally arayed, for he watz ryche ever. [MS. þat ryally arayed; M. inserts watz after ryally.] Line 812

Þe wyȝez wern welcom as þe wyf couþe; His two dere doȝterez devoutly hem haylsed, Þat wer maydenez ful meke, maryed not ȝet, And þay wer semly and swete, and swyþe wel arayed. Line 816 Loth þenne ful lyȝtly lokez hym aboute, And his men amonestes mete for to dyȝt: 'Bot þenkkez on hit be þrefte, what þynk so ȝe make, [MS., M. þynk; M. note þyng(?).] For wyth no sour ne no salt servez hym never.' [MS. M., Fi. sour; M. note savour(?).] Line 820 Bot ȝet I wene þat þe wyf hit wroth to dyspyt, [MS., M. wroth; M. note wroȝt(?); Fi. wroȝte.] And sayde softely to hirself: 'Þis un[s]avere hyne [MS. vnfavere; M. corrects to vnsavere.] Lovez no salt in her sauce; ȝet hit no skyl were Þat oþer burne be boute, þaȝ boþe be nyse.' Line 824 Þenne ho saverez wyth salt her seuez uch one, Agayne þe bone of þe burne þat hit forboden hade, And als ho scelt hem in scorne þat wel her skyl knewen. Why watz ho, wrech, so wod? Ho wrathed oure Lorde. Line 828 Þenne seten þay at þe soper, wern served bylyve, [folio 72b] Þe gestes gay and ful glad, of glam debonere, Welawynnely wlonk tyl þay waschen hade,

Þe trestes tylt to þe woȝe and þe table boþe. Line 832

Fro þe seggez haden souped and seten bot a whyle, Er ever þay bosked to bedde, þe borȝ watz al up, Alle þat weppen myȝt welde, þe wakker and þe stronger, To umbelyȝe Lothez hous þe ledez to take. Line 836 In grete flokkez of folk þay fallen to his ȝatez; As a scowte-wach scarred, so þe asscry rysed; Wyth kene clobbez of þat clos þay clatz on þe wowez, And wyth a schrylle scharp schout þay schewe þyse worde: [MS., M. worde; Fi. wordeȝ.] Line 840 'If þou lovyez þy lyf, Loth, in þyse wones, [MS. wones; M. woneȝ.] Ȝete uus out þose ȝong men þat ȝore-whyle here entred, Þat we may lere hym of lof, as oure lyst biddez, [MS., M. hym; M. note hem(?), which Fi. accepts.] As is þe asyse of Sodomas to seggez þat passen.' Line 844 Whatt! þay sputen and speken of so spitous fylþe, What! þay ȝeȝed and ȝolped of ȝestande sorȝe, Þat ȝet þe wynd, and þe weder, and þe worlde stynkes Of þe brych þat upbraydez þose broþelych wordez. Line 848

Þe god man glyfte wyth þat glam and gloped for noyse; So scharpe schame to hym schot, he schrank at þe hert, For he knew þe costoum þat kyþed þose wrechez, He doted never for no doel so depe in his mynde. Line 852 'Allas!' sayd hym þenne Loth, and lyȝtly he rysez, And bowez forth fro þe bench into þe brode ȝates. What! he wonded no woþe of wekked knavez, Þat he ne passed þe port þe p[er]il to abide. [MS. pil; M. peril.] Line 856 He went forthe at þe wyket and waft hit hym after, Þat a clyket hit cleȝt clos hym byhynde. Þenne he meled to þo men mesurable wordez, For harlotez wyth his hendelayk he hoped to chast: Line 860

Line 860 'Oo, my frendez so fre, yor fare is to strange; Dotz away yor derf dyn, and derez never my gestes. Avoy! hit is yor vylaynye, ȝe vylen yorselven; And ȝe ar jolyf gentylmen, yor japez ar ille. [MS. iapeȝ; M. iapes.] Line 864 Bot I schal kenne yow by kynde a crafte þat is better: [folio 73a] I haf a tresor in my telde of tow my fayre deȝter, Þat ar maydenez unmard for alle men ȝette, In Sodamas, þaȝ I hit say, non semloker burdes; Line 868 Hit arn ronk, hit arn rype, and redy to manne; To samen wyth þo semly þe solace is better. I schal biteche yow þo two þat tayt arn and quoynt, And laykez wyth hem as yow lyst, and letez my gestes one.' Line 872

Þenne þe rebaudez so ronk rerd such a noyse, Þat aȝly hurled in his erez her harlotez speche: 'Wost þou not wel þat þou wonez here a wyȝe strange? An outcomlyng, a carle, we kylle of þyn heved! Line 876 Who joyned þe be jostyse oure japez to blame, Þat com a boy to þis borȝ, þaȝ þou be burne ryche?' Þus þay þrobled and þrong and þrwe umbe his erez, And distresed hym wonder strayt wyth strenkþe in þe prece, Line 880 Bot þat þe ȝonge men, so ȝepe, ȝornen þeroute, Wapped upon þe wyket and wonnen hem tylle, And by þe hondez hym hent and horyed hym wythinne, And steken þe ȝates ston-harde wyth stalworth barrez. Line 884 Þay blwe a boffet in blande þat banned peple, Þat þay blustered as blynde as Bayard watz ever; Þay lest of Lotez logging any lysoun to fynde, Bot nyteled þer alle þe nyȝt for noȝt at þe last. Line 888 Þenne uch tolke tyȝt hem þat hade of tayt fayled, And uch on roþeled to þe rest þat he reche moȝt. Bot þay wern wakned al wrank þat þer in won lenged, [MS., M. wrank; M. note wrang(?).] Of on þe uglokest unhap þat ever on erd suffred. Line 892