Chapter VIII

[Sidenote: Abraham is sitting before his house-door under a
green oak.]
Olde Abraham i{n} erde oneȝ he sytteȝ
Euen byfore his ho{us}-dore vnder an oke grene;
Bryȝt blykked þe bem of þe brode heuen,
I{n} þe hyȝe hete þ{er}-of Abraham bideȝ, 604
He watȝ schu{n}t to þe schadow vnder schyre leueȝ;
[Sidenote: He sees three men coming along, and goes toward them.]
Þe{n}ne watȝ he war on þe waye of wlonk wyȝeȝ þry{n}ne.
If þay wer farande & fre & fayre to beholde,
Hit is eþe to leue by þe last ende; 608
For þe lede þat þer laye þe leueȝ an-vnder,
When he hade of hem syȝt he hyȝeȝ bylyue,
& as to god þe good mon gos hem agayneȝ
& haylsed hem i{n} onhede & sayde, “hende lorde 612
[Sidenote: [Fol. 65b.]]
Ȝif eu{er} þy mon vpon molde merit disserued,
[Sidenote: He entreats them to rest awhile, that he may wash
their feet, and bring them a morsel of bread.]
Lenge a lyttel with þy lede I loȝly bi-seche;
Passe neu{er} fro þi pou{er}e, ȝif I hit pray durst,
Er þ{o}u haf biden with þi burne & vnder boȝe restted; 616
& I schal wy{n}ne yow wyȝt of wat{er} a lyttel,
& fast aboute schal I fare yo{ur} fette wer waschene;
Restteȝ here on þis rote & I schal rachche aft{er}
& bry{n}ge a morsel of bred to banne yo{ur} hertte.” 620
“Fare forthe,” q{uod} þe frekeȝ, “& fech as þ{o}u seggeȝ;
By bole of þis brode tre we byde þe here.”
[Sidenote: Abraham commands Sarah to make some cakes quickly,
and tells his servant to seethe a tender kid.]
Þe{n}ne orppedly i{n}-to his ho{us} he hyȝed to Saré
Comau{n}ded hir to be cof & quyk at þis oneȝ; 624
“Þre metteȝ of mele menge & ma kakeȝ,
Vnder askeȝ ful hote happe hem byliue;
Quyl I fete su{m}quat fat þ{o}u þe fyr bete,
Prestly at þis ilke poynte su{m} polment to make.” 628
He cached to his cobho{us}[30] & a calf bry{n}geȝ
Þat watȝ tender & not toȝe; bed tyrne of þe hyde,
& sayde to his seruau{n}t þ{a}t he hit seþe faste
& he deruely at his dome dyȝt hit bylyue. 632
[Sidenote: Abraham appears bare-headed before his guests.]
Þe burne to be bare-heued buskeȝ hy{m} þe{n}ne,
[Sidenote: He casts a clean cloth on the green, and sets before
them cakes, butter, milk, and pottage.]
Clecheȝ to a clene cloþe & kesteȝ on þe grene,
Þrwe þryftyly þ{er}-on þo þre þerue kakeȝ,
& bry{n}geȝ butt{er} wyth-al, & by þe bred setteȝ 636
Mete; messeȝ of mylke he merkkeȝ bytwene,
Syþe{n} potage & polment i{n} plater honest;
As sewer i{n} a god assyse he serued hem fayre,
Wyth sadde semblau{n}t & swete of such as he hade, 640

[Headnote: GOD DISCLOSES HIS PURPOSE TO ABRAHAM.]

[Sidenote: God praises his friend’s feast, and after the meat is
removed, He tells Abraham that Sarah shall bear him a son.]
& god as a glad gest mad god chere,
Þat watȝ fayn of his frende & his fest praysed.
Abraham, al hodleȝ w{i}t{h} armeȝ vp-folden,
Mynystred mete byfore þo men þat myȝtes al weldeȝ; 644
Þe{n}ne þay sayden, as þay sete same{n} alle þry{n}ne,
When þe mete watȝ remued & þay of mensk speken,
“I schal efte here away abram,” þay sayden,
“Ȝet er þy lyueȝ lyȝt leþe vpon erþe, 648
[Sidenote: [Fol. 66a.]]
& þe{n}ne schal saré consayue & a su{n} bere,
Þat schal be abrahameȝ ayre, & aft{er} hy{m} wy{n}ne
W{i}t{h} wele & wyth worschyp þe worþely peple
Þat schal halde i{n} heritage, þat I haf men ȝark.” 652
[Sidenote: Sarah, who is behind the door, laughs in unbelief.]
Þe{n}ne þe burde byhynde þe dor for busmar laȝed;
& sayde sothly[31] to hir-self saré þe madde:
“May þ{o}u traw for tykle þat þ{o}u to{n}ne moȝteȝ,
& I so hyȝe out of age & also my lorde,” 656
For soþely, as says þe wryt, he wern of sadde elde,
Boþe þe wyȝe & his wyf, such werk watȝ hem fayled,
Fro mony a brod day by-fore ho barayn ay byene,[32]
Þat selue saré w{i}t{h}-outen sede i{n}-to þat same tyme. 660
[Sidenote: God tells Abraham that Sarah laughs at His words.]
Þe{n}ne sayde oure syre þer he sete “se! so saré laȝes,
Not trawande þe tale þat I þe to schewed;
Hopeȝ ho oȝt may be harde my hondeȝ to work?
& ȝet I a-vow v{er}ayly þe avau{n}t þat I made, 664
I schal ȝeply aȝayn & ȝelde þat I hyȝt,
& sothely sende to saré a soñ & an hayre.”
[Sidenote: Sarah denies that she laughed.]
Þe{n}ne swenged forth saré & swer by hir trawþe,
Þat for lot þat þay lansed[33] ho laȝed neu{er}. 668
“Now i{n}nogh{e} hit is not so” þe{n}ne n{ur}ned þe dryȝtyn,
“For þ{o}u laȝed aloȝ, bot let we hit one.”
[Sidenote: Abraham’s guests set out towards Sodom, two miles
from Mamre.]
With þat þay ros vp radly as þay rayke schulde,
& setten toward sodamas her syȝt alle at-oneȝ; 672
For þat Cite þ{er} bysyde watȝ sette i{n} a vale,
No myleȝ fro mambre mo þe{n} tweyne,
Where-so wonyed þis ilke wyȝ þat wendeȝ w{i}t{h} oure lorde,
For to tent hy{m} w{i}t{h} tale & teche hy{m} þe gate, 676
[Sidenote: The patriarch accompanies them.]
Þen glydeȝ forth god, þe godmo{n} hy{m} folȝeȝ.
Abraham heldeȝ hem wyth, he{m} to co{n}ueye,
I{n} towarde þe Cety of sodamas þat sy{n}ned had þe{n}ne
I{n} þe faute of þis fylþe; þe fader hem þretes, 680
& sayde þ{us} to þe segg þat sued hy{m} aft{er}:
[Sidenote: God determines to reveal to Abraham his secret
purposes.]
“How myȝt I hyde myn hert fro habraham þe trwe,
Þat I ne dyscou{er}ed to his corse my cou{n}sayl so dere.
Syþen he is chosen to be chef chyldryn fader, 684
[Sidenote: [Fol. 66b.]]
Þat so folk schal falle fro, to flete alle þe worlde,
& vche blod i{n} þat burne blessed schal worþe.
Me bos telle to þat tolk þe tene of my wylle
& alle myn atly{n}g to abraham vn-haspe bilyue. 688

[Sidenote 30: _cov-hous_ = cow-house (?).]
[Sidenote 31: ? _softly_ or _sotly_ = foolishly]
[Sidenote 32: ? _bycame_.]
[Sidenote 33: _laused_ (?).]

[Headnote: THE FILTHINESS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.]