Chapter VI

[Sidenote: The dove returns with an olive branch in her beak.]
On ark on an euentyde houeȝ þe downe,
On stamyn ho stod & stylle hy{m} abydeȝ;
What! ho broȝt i{n} hir beke a bronch of olyue,
G{ra}cyo{us}ly vmbe-grouen al w{i}t{h} grene leueȝ; 488
[Sidenote: This was a token of peace and reconciliation.]
Þat watȝ þe sy{n}gne of sauyté þ{a}t sende he{m} oure lorde,
& þe saȝtly{n}g of hy{m}-self w{i}t{h} þo sely besteȝ.
[Sidenote: Joy reigns in the ark.]
Þe{n} watȝ þer ioy i{n} pat gyn where Iu{m}pred er dryȝed,
& much comfort i{n} þat cofer þat watȝ clay-daubed. 492
[Sidenote: The people therein laugh and look thereout.]
Myryly on a fayr morn, monyth þe fyrst,
Þat falleȝ formast i{n} þe ȝer, & þe fyrst day,
Ledeȝ loȝen i{n} þat lome & loked þ{er}-oute,
How þat watt{er}eȝ wern woned & þe worlde dryed. 496
Vchon loued oure lorde, bot lenged ay stylle,
Tyl þay had tyþy{n}g fro þe tolke þat tyned he{m} þ{er}-i{n}ne;
[Sidenote: God permits Noah and his sons to leave the ark.]
Þe{n} godeȝ glam to hem glod þat gladed hem alle,
Bede hem drawe to þe dor, delyu{er} hem he wolde; 500
Þe{n} went þay to þe wykket, hit walt vpon sone,
Boþe þe burne & his barneȝ bowed þ{er}-oute;
Her wyueȝ walkeȝ hem wyth & þe wylde aft{er},
Þroly þrublande i{n} þronge, þrowen ful þykke; 504
[Sidenote: [Fol. 64a.]]
[Sidenote: Noah offers sacrifice to God.]
Bot Noe of vche honest kynde nem out an odde
& heuened vp an auter & halȝed hit fayre,
& sette a sakerfyse þ{er}-on of vch a ser kynde,
Þat watȝ comly & clene, god kepeȝ non oþ{er}. 508
When bremly brened þose besteȝ, & þe breþe rysed,
[Sidenote: It is pleasing to Him that “all speeds or spoils.”]
Þe sauo{ur} of his sacrafyse soȝt to hym euen
Þat al spedeȝ & spylleȝ; he spek{es} w{i}t{h} þat ilke
I{n} comly comfort ful clos & cortays wordeȝ: 512
[Sidenote: God declares that He will never destroy the world for
the sin of man.]
“Now noe no more nel I neu{er} wary,
Alle þe mukel mayny [on] molde for no ma{n}neȝ sy{n}neȝ,
For I se wel þat hit is sothe, þat alle ma{n}neȝ wytteȝ
To vn-þryfte arn alle þrawen w{i}t{h} þoȝt of her hertteȝ, 516
& ay hatȝ ben & wyl be ȝet fro her barnage;
Al is þe mynde of þe man to malyce enclyned,
For-þy schal I neu{er} schende so schortly at ones,
As dysstrye al for maneȝ sy{n}ne [in] dayeȝ of þis erþe. 520
Bot waxeȝ now & wendeȝ forth & worþeȝ to monye,
Multyplyeȝ on þis molde & menske yow by-tyde.
[Sidenote: That summer and winter shall never cease.]
Sesou{n}eȝ schal yow neu{er} sese of sede ne of heruest,
Ne hete, ne no harde forst, vmbre ne droȝþe, 524
Ne þe swetnesse of somer, ne þe sadde wynt{er},
[Sidenote: Nor night nor day, nor the new years.]
Ne þe nyȝt, ne þe day, ne þe newe ȝereȝ,
Bot eu{er} re{n}ne restleȝ rengneȝ ȝe þ{er}-i{n}ne.”
[Sidenote: God blesses every beast.]
Þ{er}wyth he blesseȝ vch a best, & bytaȝt hem þis erþe. 528

[Headnote: THE BEASTS ARE DISPERSED.]

Þe{n} watȝ a skylly skyualde, quen scaped alle þe wylde;
[Sidenote: Each fowl takes its flight.]
Vche fowle to þe flyȝt þat fyþereȝ myȝt serue,
[Sidenote: Each fish goes to the flood.]
Vche fysch to þe flod þat fy{n}ne couþe nayte,
[Sidenote: Each beast makes for the plain.]
Vche beste to þe bent þat[24] byt{es} on erbeȝ; 532
[Sidenote: Wild worms wriggle to their abodes in the earth.]
Wylde wormeȝ to her won wryþeȝ i{n} þe erþe,
[Sidenote: The fox goes to the woods.]
Þe fox & þe folmarde to þe fryth wyndeȝ,
[Sidenote: Harts to the heath, and hares to the gorse.]
Hertt{es} to hyȝe heþe, hareȝ to gorsteȝ,
[Sidenote: Lions and leopards go to the lakes.]
& lyou{n}eȝ & lebardeȝ to þe lake ryft{es}, 536
[Sidenote: Eagles and hawks to the high rocks.]
Herneȝ & hauekeȝ to þe hyȝe rocheȝ;
Þe hole-foted fowle to þe flod hyȝeȝ,
& vche best at a brayde þer hy{m} best lykeȝ;
[Sidenote: The four ‘frekes’ take the empire.]
Þe fowre frekeȝ of þe folde fongeȝ þe empyre. 540
[Sidenote: [Fol. 64b.]]
[Sidenote: Behold what woe God brought on mankind for their
hateful deeds!]
Lo! suche a wrakful wo for wlatsu{m} dedeȝ
Parformed þe hyȝe fader on folke þat he made;
Þat he chysly hade cherisched he chastysed ful hardee,
I{n} de-voydy{n}ge þe vylanye þ{a}t venkquyst his þeweȝ. 544
For-þy war þe now, wyȝe, þat worschyp desyres,
I{n} his comlych co{ur}te þat ky{n}g is of blysse,
[Sidenote: Beware of the filth of the flesh.]
I{n} þe fylþe of þe flesch þat þ{o}u be fou{n}den neu{er},
Tyl any wat{er} i{n} þe worlde to wasche þe fayly, 548
For is no segge vnder su{n}ne so seme of his crafteȝ,
If he be sulped i{n} sy{n}ne, þat [ne] sytteȝ vnclene.
[Sidenote: “One speck of a spot” will ruin us in the sight of
God.]
On spec of a spote may spede to mysse
Of þe syȝte of þe sou{er}ayn þat sytteȝ so hyȝe, 552
For þat schewe me schale i{n} þo schyre howseȝ,
[Sidenote: The beryl is clean and sound,--it has no seam.]
As þe beryl bornyst byhoueȝ be clene,
Þat is sou{n}de on vche a syde & no sem habes,
W{i}t{h}-outen maskle oþ{er} mote as margerye p{er}le. 556

[Sidenote 24: MS. _þat þat_.]

[Headnote: GOD’S HATRED OF WICKEDNESS.]