Þat shewyd why þey hadde swych chaunce.
Þe folk of Isrel had þoght, and syghte,
For þey were twyys scumfyghte;
Line 4980
Þey ordeyned hem on allë wyse
how þey shulde best to batayle ryse,
Aȝens þe Phylystynes for to go,
And hem dyscumfytë and slo.
Line 4984
þey ordeyned hem for to bere [folio 33b:2]
Goddys arke with hem yn to were. [O. gloss 'bateyle.']
Ely sones were stoute and stark,
And were chose to bere Goddys ark;
Line 4988
For reuerence þey ded hyt, of Ely,
And for þey were of body doghty.
Goddys ark was of swych manere
As men make now shrynës here.
Line 4992
yn þys ark werë þre þynges
Þat men ȝaue to here offrynges;
Þar-yn was Moyses table
whar-on God wrote þe lawë stable;
Line 4996
And Aarons ȝerd, and a potte of golde:
Þese þre relykes þey helde ful holde.
Yn þe pottë was a floure,
whyte, and swete of al sauoure,
Line 5000
Þat floure ys kalled 'aungelys mete'
Þat God ȝafe þe folke to ete
whan þey were yn wyldernes
Forty wyntyr, yn hard stres.
Line 5004
Þese þyngës þan bare Ely sones
yn-to þe batayle þat ȝyt of mones.
Þe phylystyens come hem for [O. omits 'for.'] to assayle,
And slogh Ely sonës [sones boþe.] yn batayle,
Line 5008
And rauysshed Goddys ark þere,
And slogh þe folk þat þer were,
And þe relykys þat þere were [were þer.] ynne:
Alle were lore for þe sonys synne.
Line 5012
whan þe folk to þe batayle fore, [ȝede]
Ely sette hym at þe temple dore
