The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ The deeth of the Egypcyans, and the greate ioye of the Hebrues. The meate that was geuen at the despre of the preople. The elementes serut not onely to the wyll of God / but also to the wyll of man.

CAPI. XIX.

AS FOR the vngodly / the wrathe [unspec A] came vpon them without mercye vn∣to the ende. For he knewe before what shulde happen vnto them: howe that (when they had consented to let them go / and had sente oute with great dylygence) they wolde repente, and folowe vpon them. For when they were yet mournynge and ma∣kynge lamentacyon by the graues of the dead, they deuysed another fooly shenes: so that they persecuted them in theyr flyenge. whom they had cast out afore with prayer. Worthy necessyte also broughte them vnto thys ende, for they had cleane forgotten the thynges that happened vnto them afore. But the thinge that was wantinge of theyr punyshemente / was requysyte so to be ful∣fylled vpon them wyth tormentes / that thy people myghte haue a maruelous pas∣sage thorowe, and that these myght fynde a straunge death.

Thē was euery creature fashioned againe [unspec B] of newe, accordinge to the wyll of theyr ma∣ker / obeyenge thy commaundementes that thy chyldren myght be kept without hurte / For the cloude ouershadowed theyr tentes / and y^e dry earth appeared / where afore was water: so that in y^• reed see there was awaye without unpedimēt, and the great depe be∣came a grene felde: where thorow al the peo¦ple wēte that were defended with thy hand, seing thy wonderous and maruelous wor∣kes. For as the horses, so were they fed, and leapte lyke lambes, praisynge the (O Lord) which haddest deliuered thē. And whyethey were yet myndefull of the thynges / y^t hap∣pened whyle they dwelt in the lāde: how the groūde brought for the flyes in steade of ca∣tell: & howe the ryuer scrauled with the mul¦tytude of frogges in steade of rythes. [unspec C]

But at the last they sawe a new creacion

of byrdes / what tyme as they were dicea∣ued with lust / and desyred delicate meates. For when they were speakynge of theyr ap∣petite, the quailes came vp vnto them from the see / and punyshementes came vpon the synners, not without the tokēs which came to passe afore by the vehemē••ye of the strea∣mes: for they suffred worthely accordyng to theyr wyckednesses / they dealt so abhomy∣nably & churiyshly w^t straūgers. Some re∣ceaued no vnknowne gestes / some brought the straungers into bondage that dyd them good. Besyde all these thynges there were some / that not onely receaued no straūgers with theyr wylles / but persecuted those al∣so / & dyd them much euyll / that receaued them gladly. Therfore were they punished with blyndnesse / lyke as they that were couered w^t sodayne darcknesse at the dores of the ryghteous / so that euery one sought the en••rau••••e of bys dore.

Thus the elementes turned into them [unspec D] selues / lyke as when one tyme is chaunged vpon an instrument of musycke, and yet all the resydue kepe theyr melody: which maye easely be perceaued, by the syght of the thin¦ges that are come to passe. The drye lande was turned into a waterye / and the thynge that afore sw••mme in the water / wēte now vpon the drye ground. The fyre had power in the water (contrary to hys owne vertue) and the water forgace hys owne kynde to quenche. Agayne, the flammes of the noyso¦me beastes hurte not the flesh of them that went with thē / neyther melted they the yse / which els melteth lightely. In al thyn¦ges hast thou promoted thy people (O Lorde) and brough them to honour: thou hast not despy¦sed thē, but alway and i all places hast thou stande by thē.

❧: Here endeth the Booke of wysdome.

Notes

• Exo xiiii a
• Exo. ••vi c. Nam. xi. g
• iii. Iohn. b,
• Gene. xix. c.