Die evangelien-geschichten der homiliensammlung desms. Vernon / ed. Carl Horstmann.

40) Qd alex. inclusit iudeos infra montes capseos.

ÞE kyng of Babiloynes . toun hedde mony Jewes . in his bann don And flemed hem . in to wildernes, ffor heor synnes . and heor wikkednes. And aftur he lette . maken a cri [ 5] þat non of hem were . so hardi To passe out . of þat wildernes— þat fer bi ȝonde . paynym is. þis wildernesses, . as Bok vs telles, Is loken a boute . wiþ heȝe hulles. [ 10] Mony wynter . aftur þis fare þe kyng Alisaundre . com þare, whon he hedde . al þis world con∣quered And al folk was . of him a fered. þis forseide Juwes, . þat wonede þare, [ 15] Glosede þe kyng . wiþ muchel fare þat he wolde . ȝiue hem leue . to gange Out of þat wildurnesse . so strange. he asked, . as þe Bok . vs telles, whi þei weore sperred . in þe hulles. [ 20] A seriaunt . to þe kyng onswered And seide þo Jewes . þere weore isperred, ffor þei so ofte . god for sok And to false Maumetes . tok, "And euere . vn kuynde . þei han bene, [ 25] þat haþ ben ofte . on hem i seene: ffor God haþ don . for hem wel mare þen euer for folk . dude he are, And euere þei don . vuel a geyn And to heore lord . ben vn bayn; [ 30] þerfore wol he, . as good riht is, þat þei wone . in wildernis." whon þe kyng . þes wordus herde, To þe Jewes . he onswerde: siþen ȝe han . oure god forsaken [ 35] And to Maumetes . ȝe han ow taken, I. schal fonde . to sperre ȝow mare Now, ar euere . I. hennes fare. And a non he lette . calle werkmen And maade hem worche . in cleiȝ and fen, [ 40] fforte stoppe alle þe Corneres Bi twene þe valeys and þe hulles. [40, 2 Ms. baūdon st. bann don?] But whon he sauh . þat Monnes tra∣uayle Mihte not . to such werk . auayle, Ne Monnes werk mihte not folfulle [ 45] þe kynges desyres . and his wille: þe kyng him self . knelede þare And preyede God . wiþ louely fare þat he schulde folfille . his longinge And vche hul . to oþur bringe. [ 50] And a non . as he hedde prayed, þe grete hulles, . þat wyde were strayed,

weore so faste . to gedere fest, þat so(u)þ . ne North, . Est . ne west May no þing passe . out of þat lond, [ 55] But hit beo . þe ffoul fleoand. ȝit dwellen . mony Jewes þare, And so schul þei . euer mare Til a ȝeyn . domes day: þen schul þei alle . þeonnes stray, [ 60] In Moni londes . schul þei wende, And Cristendom . schul þei schende, ffor ouer al . þer þei go Cristene folk . schul þei slo; þei schul leue . on Antecrist [ 65] And wene þat he beo Ihū crist. Al þis tale . I. haue ow told To make ow . in oure hertes hold þat al þat Cristene mon . wol craue [69 Ms. men.] In studefast trouþe . he may haue. [ 70] þat may ȝe seo . bi þis kyng þat wiþ goode treuþe . gat his askyng— And ȝit was he heþene mon. And þerbi may we . seon vchon þat cristene mon . ouhte muche more [ 75] Gete, ȝif he in trouþe wore, þen saraȝin . þat trouweþ nouht þat Jhū Crist on Roode . haþ hym bouht.

u. s. w.