The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XIX.

[verse 1] Forsothe ire with out merci cam on wickid men til [Om. A sec. m.] in to the laste [to the laste; that is, til to the drenching of hem. Lire here. C.] ; forwhi God bifore knew also the thingis to com|ynge of hem. [verse 2] For whanne thei weren turned, and hadden suffrid, that thei schulden lede out hem [lede out hem; that is, Ebreys that Egipcians wolden sende the sones of Israel out of Egipt. repenting, etc.; that is, Egipcians re|pentide of the sending out of the puple of Israel. Lire here. C.] , and hadden bifor sent hem with greet bysynesse, the dedis of repentyng sueden hem. [verse 3] For thei hau|ynge ȝit morenyng bitwixe the hondis, and thei biwepynge at the sepulcris of deed men, token to hem anothir thouȝt of vnkunnyng [vnkunnyng; that is, of led|ing aȝen of Ebreys. worthi nede; that is, deth, that schulde be ȝouun to hem iustly in the reed see. Lire here. C.] ; and thei pursueden tho Ebreis, as fleeris awei, whiche thei prei|ynge hadden sent forth. [verse 4] For whi worthi nede ledde hem to this ende, and thei losten remembryng of these thingis, that hadden bifeld [bifalle I.] , that punyschyng schulde fille tho thingis, that failiden of tur|mentis, [verse 5] and that sotheli thi puple schulde passe wondurfuli; forsothe that thei schulden fynde a newe deth. [verse 6] For whi ech creature seruynge to thin heestis, was refourmed [was refourm|ed; that is, to obeye to God, of whom ech creature is maad. Lire here. C.] to his kynde at the bigyn|nyng, that thi children schulden be kept vnhirt. [verse 7] For whi a cloude bischadewide the castels of hem, and drie erthe apperide in watir that was bifore; and a weie with out letting apperide in the reed see, and a feeld buriownynge fro ful greet depthe [greet depthe; that is, the botme of the see was dried, at the maner of a feeld buriownynge. Lire here. C.] ; [verse 8] bi which feeld al the nacioun passide, that was hilid with thin hond; forsothe thei sien thi merueilis and wondris. [verse 9] For thei as horsis deuouriden mete [deuouriden mete; that is, token the ar|muris of Egip|cians, whiche thei sien deed on the brinke of the see. Lire here. C.] , and as lam|bren thei maden ful out ioye, magnefiynge thee, Lord, that delyueredist hem. [verse 10] For thei weren myndeful ȝit of tho thingis, that weren don in the dwellyng of hem among Egipcians; hou the lond brouȝte forth flies, for the nacioun of beestis, and the flood brouȝte forth multitude of pad|dokis, for fischis. [verse 11] Forsothe at the last

thei sien a newe creature of briddis, whanne thei weren led bi coueitise, and axiden metis of feeste. [verse 12] For in the spek|ynge to [in the spek|ing to, etc.; that is, at the axing of hem, bi her desir. a curlu; that is, a greet mul|titude of cur|lewis. Lire here. C.] of her desir, a [the I.] curlew stiede to hem fro the see; and diseesis camen on synneris, and not with out preuyngis of tho thingis, that weren don bifor bi the [Om. I.] feersnesse of floodis. For thei suffriden iust|li, [verse 13] bi [aftir I.] her wickidnessis; for thei ordeyneden more abhomynable vnospitalite. Sotheli summe resseyueden not vnknowun come|lyngis; sotheli othere token good men her|borid [verse 14] in to thraldom. And not oneli thei diden these thingis, but sotheli also an|other biholding of hem was, that thei aȝens her wille [aȝenus her wille; that is, with hardnesse of cheer and of wordis. resseyueden straungeris; to herbore, as it bifallith sum|tyme, that thei that ȝyuen almes, seyen so many dis|pisingis to the axeris, that thei sillen to dere to hem. Lire here. C.] resseyueden straungeris. [verse 15] Forsothe thei that vsiden the same or|dynaunces [thei that vsiden the same ordenaunces; that is, Egip|cians, that vsiden orde|naunces aȝenus the good of ospitalite. that resseyu|eden with glad|nesse; that is, Ebreys resseyu|ynge straun|geris gladly. with blynd|nesse; thre dayes in derk|nessis, that myȝten be gropid. as they; that is, Sodomytis. in the ȝatis of the iust man; that is, of Loth. Lire here. C.] , turmentiden with cruelest sorewis hem, that resseyueden with glad|nesse. [verse 16] Forsothe thei weren smytun with blyndnesse, as thei in the ȝatis of the iust man, whanne thei weren hilid with su|deyne derknessis; ech man souȝte the passyng of his dore. [verse 17] Forsothe while ele|mentis ben turned in to hem silf, as the sown of maner is chaungid in orgun, and alle thingis kepen her sown [kepen her sown; that is, bi the disposi|cioun of him that makith melodie, so the doyng of creature was chaungid, in the punysch|yng of Egip|cians, bi dispo|sicioun of the creatour. Lire here. C.] ; wherfor it mai be gessid of that certeyn siȝt. [verse 18] Beestis of the feeld [beestis of the feeld; that is, beestis dwellinge in feeldis, as oxis and werk beestis. weren turned; not bi substaunce, but bi goyng, that is, Ebreys with her beestis ȝeden thorou the depthe of the see, which is the dwelling of fischis. Lire here. C.] weren turned in to beestis of watir; what euer weren swymmynge thingis [swymmynge thingis; as it is opyn of paddokis, entringe in to the housis of Egipcians. fier and water hadden power; in brennyng strongly, aboue his kyndly vertu. flawmes of corruptible beestis; that is, of eddris and draguns, brethinge out fier. disesiden not the fleischis, of the sones of Israel. goynge togidere; bi desert, wher ynne was a serpent brennynge bi blast, in viij. c^o. of Deutronome, that is, many siche serpentis weren there. Lire here. C.] , ȝeden in the lond. [verse 19] Fier in watir hadde power aboue his vertu; and water forȝat the kynde quenchynge. [verse 20] Aȝenward flawmes of corruptible beestis disesiden not the fleischis of Ebreis goynge togi|dere; nethir departiden that good mete, that was departid liȝtly as iys. Forsothe, Lord, thou magnefiedist thi puple in alle thingis, and onouridist; and dispisidist

not, and helpidist hem in ech tyme and in ech place [Here endith the book of Wisdom, and here bigynneth the book of Ecclesiastici. CFHSXa. Here endith the book of Wysdom, and bigynneth a prolog on Ecclesiastici. G. Here endith the book of Wisdom, and bigynneth Ecclesiasticus. HU. Heere endith the book of Wisdom, and bigynnith the book of Ecclesiasticus. INQ. Here endith the booc of Sapiens or Wisdom; se now the prolog of the booc of Ecclesiastici. K. Here endith the book of Wisdom, and here bigynneth the book of Ecclesiastici, that tretith also of wisdom and prudence in many degrees of the world. M. Heere eendith Sapience, and bigynneth the prolog upon the book of Ecclesiastici. R. Here endith Sapiens, and bigyn[neth] the book of Ecclesiasticus. V. No final rubric in AEPY.] .