CAP. XI.

[verse 1] Forsothe*. [And I.] it was doon, whanne the ȝeer turnede aȝen in that tyme wherynne*. [in whiche I.] kyngis ben wont to go forth to batels, Dauid sente*. [sente forth I.] Joab, and with hym hise seruauntis, and al Israel; and thei dis|trieden the sones of Amon, and bisegiden Rabath; forsothe*. [and I.] Dauid dwellide in Jerusalem*. [Dauyth dwell|ide in Jerusa|lem; whanne othere men ȝeden forth to batel, Dauyth dwell|ide as idil in Jerusalem, and therfor he was drawun to do auoutrie; wher|for the poete seith, If thou takist awey idilnessis, the craftis of couei|tise, that is, of leccherie, pe|rischiden; and in xxxiii. c^o. Ec^ci. ydilnesse tauȝte myche malice. C.]. [verse 2] While these thingis weren doon, it befelde, that Dauid roos in a dai fro his bed after mydday, and walkide*. [he walkide I.] in the soler of the kyngis hows; and he siȝ a womman*. [And he siȝ a womman; vnchast siȝt is ful perelouse, for Dauyth that was so hooly and good, was drawun herbi to auow|trie, and aftir|ward to procure mansleyng bi tresoun, and at the laste to par|forme it in werk. Lire here. C.] waischynge hir silf euen aȝens*. [aȝens him I.] on*. [upon I.] hir soler; sotheli*. [and I.] the womman was ful fair. [verse 3] Therfor the kyng sente, and enqueride, what womman it was; and it was teld to hym, that sche was Bersabee, the douȝtir of Heliam, and was*. [sche was I.] the wijf of Vrye Ethei. [verse 4] Therfor*. [Thanne I.] bi messangeris sent Dauid took hir; and whanne sche entride to hym, he slepte with hir, and anoon sche was halewid fro hir vn|clenesse*. [bareyn wymmen weren seid vnclene I. marg.]*. [halewid fro hir vnclennesse; that is, fro flux of vncleene blood that schulde come til to the child bering, for sche conseyuede in that ligging bi, and vncleene blood renneth no more aftir conseyuyng of child, for thilke blood goith in to the formyng and mete of the child. Lire here. C.]. [verse 5] And sche turnede aȝen in to hir hows, with child*. [a child I.] conseyued; and sche sente, and telde*. [schewide I.] to Dauid, and seide, Y haue conseyued. [verse 6] Forsothe*. [And I.] Dauid sente to Joab, and seide, Sende thou Vrye Ethei to me; and Joab sente Vrye to Dauid. [verse 7] And Vrie cam to Dauid; and Dauid axide, hou riȝtfuli Joab dide and the puple, and hou*. [what maner wise I.] the batel was mynystrid*. [serued I.]. [verse 8] And Page  114 Dauid seide to Vrye, Go in to thin hows, and waische thi feet. Vrye ȝede out*. [forth I.] fro the hows of the kyng, and the kyngis mete suede hym. [verse 9] Sotheli*. [And I.] Vrye slepte bifor the ȝate of the kyngis hows with othere seruauntis of his lord, and ȝede*. [he ȝede I.] not doun to his hows. [verse 10] And it was teld to Dauid of men, seiynge, Vrye `ȝede not*. [hath not go I.] to his hows. And Dauid seide to Vrye, Whether*. [For EL.] thou camest not fro the weye? whi ȝedist thou not doun in to thin hows? [verse 11] And Vrie seide to Dauid, The arke of God, Israel*. [of Israel I pr. m. W sup. ras.] and Juda dwellen in tentis, and my lord Joab, and the seruauntis of my lord dwellen on*. [upon I.] the face of erthe*. [the erthe I.], and schal Y go in to myn hows, to ete and drynke, and slepe with my wijf? Bi thin helthe, and bi the helthe of thi soule, Y schal not do this thing. [verse 12] Therfor Dauid seide to Vrye, Dwelle thou here also to dai, and to morewe Y schal delyuere thee. Vrie dwellide in Jerusalem in that day and the tothir. [verse 13] And Dauid clepide hym, that he schulde ete and drynke bifor hym, and Dauid made drunkun Vrye*. [Dauyth made drunkun Vrie; that is, made to ȝyue to him pryuely wyn able to make drunkun, and bileuyde that he schulde herby forȝete the arke and the oost, and that so he schulde be maad hoot of wyn, and schulde slepe with his wiyf; and ȝit netheles Vrie was not dis|seyued. Lire here. C.]; and he ȝede out in the euentid, and slepte in his bed with the seruauntes of his lord; and ȝede*. [he ȝede I.] not doun in to his hows. [verse 14] Therfor*. [Therfor whanne A sec. m. Thanne I.] the morewtid was maad, and*. [Om. A sec. m.] Dauid wroot epistle to Joab, and sente*. [he sente it I.] bi the hond of [verse 15] Vrye, and wroot*. [he wroot I.] in the pistle*. [epistle CE.], Sette*. [Putte I.] ȝe Vrye euene aȝens the batel, where the batel is strongeste, `that is, where the aduersaries ben stronge*. [Om. BCIX.], and forsake*. [leeue I.] ȝe hym, that he be smitun and perische. [verse 16] Therfor whanne Joab bisegide the citee, he settide*. [sette I.] Vrie in the*. [that I.] place where he wiste that strongeste men*. [enmyes I.] weren. [verse 17] And men ȝeden out of the citee, and fouȝten aȝens Joab, and thei killiden of the puple of seruauntis*. [the seruauntis BCIMUç.] of Dauid, and also Vrye Ethei was deed*. [deed there I.]. [verse 18] Therfor*. [And so I.] Joab sente, and [verse 19] telde alle the*. [these I.] wordis of the batel; and he comaundyde to the messanger, and seide, Page  115 Whanne thou hast fillid*. [fulfillid I.] alle wordis*. [the wordis IX sec. m. ç.] of [verse 20] the batel to the kyng, if thou seest, that he is wrooth, and seith, Whi neiȝiden ȝe to the wal to fiȝte? whether ȝe wisten not, that many dartis ben sent*. [sent out I.] `fro aboue fro [verse 21] the wal*. [fro the wal aboue I.]? who smoot Abymelech, sone*. [the sone I.] of Gerobaal? whether not a womman sente*. [lete falle I.] on*. [upon I.] hym a gobet of a mylnestoon fro the*. [a I.] wal*. [wal an hiȝe I.], and killide*. [sche killide I.] hym in Thebes? whi neiȝiden ȝe bisidis the wal? thou schalt seie*. [seie thanne I.], Also thi seruaunt, Vrye Ethei, diede*. [was sleyn I.]. [verse 22] Therfor*. [Thanne I.] the messanger ȝede*. [ȝede forth I.], and telde to Dauid alle thingis whiche Joab hadde comaundid to hym. [verse 23] And the messanger seide to Dauid, `Men hadden*. [Enmyes han had I.] the maistri aȝens us, and thei ȝeden out to vs in to the feeld; sotheli*. [and I.] bi*. [with I.] `fers|nesse maad*. [gret fersnesse I.] we pursueden hem `til to*. [vnto I.] the ȝate of the citee. [verse 24] And archeris*. [scheters I.] senten*. [senten out I.] dartis to thi seruauntis fro the wal aboue, and summe of the `kyngis ser|uauntis*. [seruauntis of the kyng I.] ben deed; forsothe*. [and I.] also thi seruaunt, Vrye Ethei, is deed. [verse 25] And Dauid seide to the messanger, Thou schalt seie these thingis to Joab, This thing breke not thee; for the bifallyng*. [happe I.] of batel is dyuerse, and swerd wastith*. [fordoith I.] now this man, now that man; coumforte thi fiȝteris aȝens the citee, that thou distrye it, and excite*. [stire I.] thou hem*. [hem therto I.]. [verse 26] Forsothe*. [And I.] the wijf of Vrye herde, that Vrye hir hosebond was deed, and sche biweilide hym*. [and sche biweilide him; oneli bi feyn|yng, and bi appering, for sche desiride his deth, that bi this sche schulde ascape stonyng, and be maad the wiyf of the kyng, and for this entent sche procuride Dauyth to hir hosebondis deth. Lire here. C.]. [verse 27] And whanne the morenyng was passid, Dauid sente, and brouȝte hir in to his hows; and sche was maad wijf to hym, and sche childide a sone to hym. And this word which*. [that I.] Dauid hadde do displeside bifor the Lord.