XI. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CITIES
Ruddon of þe day-rawe ros upon uȝten,
When merk of þe mydnyȝt moȝt no more last.
Ful erly þose aungelez þis haþel þay ruþen,
And glopnedly on Godez halve gart hym upryse;
Line 896
Fast þe freke ferkez up ful ferd at his hert,
Þay comaunded hym cof to cach þat he hade,
'Wyth þy wyf and þy wyȝez and þy wlonc deȝtters,
For we laþe þe, Sir Loth, þat þou þy lyf have.
Line 900
Cayre tid of þis kythe er combred þou worþe, [folio 73b]
With alle þi here upon haste, tyl þou a hil fynde;
Foundez faste on yor fete, bifore yor face lokes,
Bot bes never so bolde to blusch yow bihynde,
Line 904
And loke ȝe stemme no stepe, bot strechez on faste,
Til ȝe reche to a reset, rest ȝe never.
For we schal tyne þis toun and trayþely disstrye,
Wyth alle þise wyȝez so wykke wyȝtly devoyde,
Line 908
And alle þe londe wyth þise ledez we losen at onez;
Sodomas schal ful sodenly synk into grounde,
And þe grounde of Gomorre gorde into helle,
And uche a koste of þis kyth clater upon hepes.' [M. 1 kyth, M. 2 kythe (but see Introd., p. x, n. 2, on the flourish after h).]
Line 912
Þen laled Loth: 'Lorde, what is best? [Fi. would insert loȝly after þen.]
If I me fele upon fote þat I fle moȝt,
Hou schulde I huyde me fro hem þat hatz his hate kynned,
In þe brath of his breth þat brennez alle þinkez, [MS., M. þinkeȝ; M. note þingeȝ.]
Line 916
To crepe fro my Creator, and know not wheder,
Ne wheþer his fooschip me folȝez bifore oþer bi|hynde?' [last four letters of fooschip retraced, as also sake (922), (Q) ut of (923), etc. (see Introd., p. ix).]
Þe freke sayde: 'No foschip oure Fader hatz þe schewed,
