[þe Gest of Syre Jepte, — or the Tale of Jephthah and his Daughter. [narracio D.] ] [[Judges xv. 30-39.]]
Ieptë went onys to batayle
And preyd God [he preyed D.] hys powere shuld nat fayle;—
"Graunte me, Lorde, [O. (not D) inserts 'he seyde.'] þe maystry nowe,
And y shal make to þe a vowe,
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þat þe fyrst þyng [þyng O, þing D, Harl. omits.] þat y mete
Befor me homward yn þe strete,
Þerof shal y make sacryfyse;"
For to sle hyt, was þan þe asyse. [to þe god. with good a-vyce D.]
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whan [qwan D.] he had, þurgh goddys vertu,
Of þe batayle prys and pru,
Homward as syre Ieptë ȝede [folio 19b:2]
he þanked god for [of D.] hys gode dede.
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hys doghtyr was þe fyrstë [ferste D, fyrst HO.] þyng
þat mette hym and made hym [hym, om. D.] welcomyng;
She grette here fadyr fayre with mouþe
And made hym all [hym all, om. D.] þe ioye þat she couþe.
Þan þoght Ieptë on [þouȝtte . . . of D.] hys vow,
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And hadde yn herte [In herte he made D.] sorow ynow.
To hys doghtyr þan seyd he,
"Þou art deseyuyd, and y for þe;
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Y made my [a D.] vow to heuene kyng
Þat y shuld sle þe fyrstë [ferste D, fyrst HO.] þyng
Þat y mette homwarde fro þe batayle; [h. be the way D.]
And my vow y wyl nat fayle." [& myn a-vow me muste holde ay D.]
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Hys doghtyr answered myldly, [myldely D.]
"Fadyr," she seyde, "y am redy
For to take my deþe of [for D.] þe;
But y am glade þat y þe [ȝow D.] se.
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