CAP. X.

[verse 1] Forsothe*. [And I.] it was doon, whanne sche*. [Judith I.] hadde ceessid to crie to the Lord, sche roos*. [roos up I.] fro the place, in which sche lay bowid doun to the Lord. [verse 2] And sche clepide hir fre hand|maide, and cam*. [Judith cam I.] doun in to hir hows; and sche took awei fro hir*. [hir self IS.] the heire, and*. [and sche IS.] vn|clothide hir silf*. [Om. I.] fro the clothing of hir wi|dewehod. [verse 3] And sche waischide hir bodi, and anoyntide*. [sche anoyntide IS.] hir with beste*. [ful good I.] myrre*. [myrre; that is, oynement maad of myrre for greet part. Lire here. C.], and sche schedide*. [schedde IS. schoddide MX.] the heer of hir heed, and settide*. [sche settide IS.] a mytre*. [mytre, that is, a semely ournement IS.] on*. [upon IS.] hir heed, and sche clothide hir with the clothis of hyr gladnesse, and clothide*. [sche hilide IS.] hir feet with sandalies*. [sandalies, that is, an ournement of feet, which was vsid in the old tyme S.]; and sche took ournementis*. [the ournementis IS.] of the*. [Om. IS.] armes, and lilies, and eeryngis, and ryngis*. [othere ryngis IS.], and ournede*. [sche ournede IS.] hir silf*. [Om. IS.] with alle hir ournementis. [verse 4] To whom also*. [also ouer al this I. also ouer al her owrnement S.] the Lord ȝaf briȝtnesse*. [fairnesse IS.], for al this ourenement*. [ournement, that is, noon of al this ournement S.] hangide*. [Om. I.] not*. [not vpon hir bicause S.] of letcherie, but of*. [bicause of S.] vertu*. [vertu hangide on hir I.]; and*. [Om. S.] therfor*. [therfor in hir IS.] the Lord `made large*. [made large or encresside IS.] this fairnesse on*. [upon IS.] hir, that*. [so that IS.] bi `vncomparable fairnesse*. [fairnesse that myȝte not be comparisound IS.] sche apperide*. [apperide semely IS.] to the iȝen of alle men. [verse 5] Therfor*. [And thanne IS.] sche puttide on*. [upon IS.] hir fre handmaide a botel of wyn*. [wyne to bere with hir S.], and a vessel of oile, and meet maad of meele, and dried*. [of dried IS.] figus, and looues*. [sche toke to hir looues IS.], and cheese, and ȝeden*. [thei ȝeden IS.] forth. [verse 6] And whanne thei weren comen to the ȝate*. [ȝatis IS.] of the citee, thei founden*. [founden there IS.] Ozie and the prestis of the citee abidynge hir*. [Judith IS.]. [verse 7] And whanne thei hadden seyn hir, thei weren astonyed, and wondriden*. [thei wondriden IS.] ful myche on hir fairnesse. [verse 8] Netheles thei axiden hir no thing, and leeten*. [thei leeten hir IS.] passe*. [passe forth IS.], and seiden*. [seiden to hir S.], The*. [Om. I.] God of oure fadris ȝyue grace to thee, and make*. [make he IS.] strong with his vertu al the counsel of thin herte, and Jerusalem haue*. [haue it IS.] glorie on*. [upon IS.]Page  622 thee, and thi name be in the noumbre of hooli and iust men. [verse 9] And alle thei, that weren there, seiden with o vois, Be it doon! be it doon! [verse 10] Therfor*. [Certis IS.] Judith preiede the Lord, and passide*. [sche passide forth IS.] thorouȝ the ȝatis, sche*. [Om. IS.] and hir fre*. [Om. I.] handmayde*. [handmayde with hir IS.]. [verse 11] Forsothe*. [And IS.] it was doon, whanne sche cam doun of the hil aboute the risynge*. [spryngyng IS.] of the dai, the aspieris*. [spieris IS.] of Assiriens*. [the men of Assirie IS.] metten hir, and helden*. [thei helden I.] hir, and seiden, Fro whennus comest thou, ether whidur goist thou? [verse 12] And sche*. [Judith IS.] answeride, Y am a douȝter of Ebreis*. [the men of Ebreis IS.], and therfor Y fledde*. [haue fled IS.] fro the face of hem, for Y knew*. [knowe I.]*. [Y knew; these wordis of Judith, and many mo wordis suynge, ben leesinge, feyned for de|lyueraunce of the puple wor|schipinge God, and for the castinge doun of proude Holo|fernes, purpos|inge to distrie Goddis onour, and siche lees|ing is venyal synne, fro which it nedith not to excuse Judith, sithen the Postlis hadden venyal synne, aftir the resseyuyng of the Holy Goost. Lire here. C.], that it*. [this thing IS.] schal come, that thei schulen be ȝouun to ȝou in to prey, for thei dispisiden*. [han dispisid IS.] ȝou, and nolde*. [for thei wolden not I. for thei nulden S.] bitake*. [take C.] hem silf wilfuli*. [wilfuli to ȝou IS.], that thei schul|den fynde*. [haue founden IS.] grace in ȝoure siȝt. [verse 13] For*. [And for S.] this cause Y thouȝte with*. [with ynne I.] me*. [me in my herte S.], and seide*. [I seide IS.], Y schal go to the face*. [presence IS.] of the prynce Holofernes, for to schewe to hym the pri|uytees of hem*. [the men of Israel IS.], and Y schal schewe to hym, bi what entryng*. [entre X.] he mai gete hem, so that not o man of his oost falle doun*. [doun bi deeth S.]. [verse 14] And whanne tho men hadden herd the wordis of hir*. [Judith IS.], thei bihelden hir face, and wondryng was in her iȝen, for thei won|driden greetli on hir fairnesse. [verse 15] And thei seiden to hir, Thou hast kept thi lijf, for*. [for thi that IS.] thou hast founde sich a counsel, that thou woldist come doun to oure lord. [verse 16] Sotheli*. [And IS.] wite thou this*. [this thing IS.], that, whanne thou `hast stonde*. [stondist I.] in his siȝt, he schal do wel to thee, and thou schalt be moost acceptable in his herte. And thei ledden hir to the taber|nacle of Holofernes, and thei schewiden hir to hym. [verse 17] And whanne sche hadde en|trid bifor his face, anoon Holofernes was takun bi hise iȝen*. [iȝen with lust IS.]. [verse 18] And hise knyȝtis seiden to hym, Who schal dispise*. [dispise to destrie I. dispise or leue to distrie S.] the puple of Jewis, whiche*. [that I.] han so faire wym|men, that we owen not to fiȝte skilfuli Page  623 aȝenus hem for these wymmen? [verse 19] Therfor*. [And IS.] Judith siȝ Holofernes sittynge in*. [withynne IS.] a cur|teyn*. [a curtyn; that is, in a chayer, hilid with siche a curtyn. Lire here. C.], round*. [that was wijd IS.] bynethe and scharp*. [narouȝ IS.] aboue, that*. [the whiche I. which S.] was wouun of*. [with S.] purpur, and gold*. [of gold IS.], and smaragde*. [of smaragde I.], and moost*. [of moost I.] preciouse [verse 20] stoonys*. [stoones weren frette ther vpon S.], and whanne sche hadde lokid in to*. [Om. IS.] his face, sche worschipide hym, and bowide*. [she bowide IS.] doun hir silf on the erthe; and the seruauntis of Holofernes reisiden hir*. [hir up IS.], for her lord comaundide*. [comaundide so IS.].