Chapter X

[Sidenote: God’s messengers go to Sodom.]
His sondes i{n}-to sodamas watȝ sende i{n} þat tyme,
I{n} þat ilk euentyde, by au{n}gels tweyne,
Meuand meuande[38] mekely togeder as myry me{n} ȝonge,
[Sidenote: Lot is sitting alone at the “door of his lodge.”]
As loot i{n} a loge dor lened hy{m} alone, 784
I{n} a porche of þat place pyȝt to þe ȝat{es},
Þat watȝ ryal & ryche, so watȝ þe renk{es} seluen.
[Sidenote: Staring into the street he sees two men.]
As he stared i{n}-to þe strete þ{er} stout men played
He syȝe þer swey i{n} asent swete men tweyne; 788
[Sidenote: Beardless chins they had, and hair like raw silk.]
Bolde burneȝ wer þay boþe w{i}t{h} berdles chy{n}neȝ,
Royl rollande fax to raw sylk lyke,
Of ble as þe brere flo{ur} where-so þe bare scheweed,
Ful clene watȝ þe cou{n}tenau{n}ce of her cler yȝen; 792
[Sidenote: [Fol. 68a.]]
[Sidenote: Beautifully white were their weeds.]
Wlonk whit watȝ her wede & wel hit hem semed.
Of alle fetureȝ ful fyn & fautleȝ boþe;
Watȝ non autly i{n} ouþ{er}, for aungels hit wern,
& þat þe ȝep vnder-ȝede þat i{n} þe ȝate sytteȝ. 796

[Headnote: LOT ENTERTAINS THE MESSENGERS.]

[Sidenote: Lot runs to meet them.]
He ros vp ful radly & ran hem to mete
& loȝe he louteȝ hem to, loth, to þe grou{n}de,
& syþen soberly [satȝ] “syreȝ I yow by-seche,
[Sidenote: Invites them to remain awhile in his house, and in
the morning they may take their way.]
Þat ȝe wolde lyȝt at my loge & lenge þ{er}-i{n}ne, 800
Comeȝ to yo{ur} knaues kote I craue at þis oneȝ;
I schal fette yow a fatte yo{ur} fette forto wasche;
I norne yow bot for on nyȝt neȝe me to lenge,
& i{n} þe myry morny{n}g ȝe may yo{ur} waye take.” 804
& þay nay þat þay nolde neȝ no howseȝ,
Bot stylly þer i{n} þe strete as þay stadde wern,
Þay wolde lenge þe long naȝt & logge þ{er}-oute;
Hit watȝ ho{us} innoȝe to hem þe heuen vpon lofte. 808
[Sidenote: Lot invites them so long that at last they comply.]
Loth laþed so longe wyth luflych wordeȝ,
Þat þay hy{m} grau{n}ted to go & gruȝt no leng{er}.
Þe bolde to his byggy{n}g bryngeȝ hem bylyue,
[Sidenote: The wife and daughters of Lot welcome their visitors.]
Þat ryally [watȝ] arayed, for he watȝ ryche eu{er}. 812
Þe wyȝeȝ wern welcom as þe wyf couþe,
His two dere doȝt{er}eȝ deuoutly he{m} haylsed,
Þat wer maydeneȝ ful meke, maryed not ȝet,
& þay wer semly & swete, & swyþe wel arayed. 816
[Sidenote: Lot admonishes his men to prepare the meat, and to
serve no salt with it.]
Loth þe{n}ne ful lyȝtly lokeȝ hy{m} aboute,
& his me{n} amonest{es} mete forto dyȝt,
Bot þenkkeȝ on hit be þrefte what þynk[39] so ȝe make,
For wyth no so{ur}[40] ne no salt serueȝ hy{m} neu{er}. 820
Bot ȝet I wene þat þe wyf hit wroth[41] to dyspyt,
& sayde softely to hir self “þis vn-sau{er}e[42] hyne
Loueȝ no salt i{n} her sauce ȝet hit no skyl were
Þat oþ{er} burne be boute þaȝ boþe be nyse.” 824
[Sidenote: Lot’s wife disregards the injunction.]
Þe{n}ne ho sau{er}eȝ w{i}t{h} salt her seueȝ vchone
Agayne þe bone of þe burne þat hit forboden hade,
& als ho scelt he{m} i{n} scorne þat wel her skyl knewen.
Why watȝ ho wrech so wod, ho wrathed oure lorde! 828
[Sidenote: [Fol. 68b.]]
[Sidenote: The guests are well entertained.]
Þe{n}ne seten þay at þe soper, wern serued by-lyue,
Þe gest{es} gay & ful glad, of glam debonere,
Welawy{n}nely wlonk tyl þay waschen hade,
Þe trest{es} tylt to þe woȝe & þe table boþe. 832

[Headnote: LOT’S HOUSE IS BESET.]

[Sidenote: But before they go to rest the city is up in arms.]
Fro þe seggeȝ haden souped & seten bot a whyle,
Er eu{er} þay bosked to bedde þe borȝ watȝ al vp;
Alle þat weppen myȝt welde, þe wakker & þe stronger,
To vmbe-lyȝe lotheȝ ho{us} þe ledeȝ to take, 836
In grete flokkeȝ of folk, þay fallen to his ȝateȝ,
As a scowte-wach scarred, so þe asscry rysed;
[Sidenote: With “keen clubs” the folk clatter on the walls, and
demand that Lot should deliver up his guests.]
W{i}t{h} kene clobbeȝ of þat clos þay clatȝ on þe woweȝ,
& wyth a schrylle scharp schout þay schewe þyse worde: 840
“If þ{o}u louyeȝ þy lyf loth i{n} þyse woneȝ
Ȝete v{us} out þose ȝong men þat ȝore-whyle here entred,
Þat we may lere hym[43] of lof, as oure lyst biddeȝ,
As is þe asyse of Sodomas to seggeȝ þ{a}t passen.” 844
Whatt! þay sputen & speken of so spito{us} fylþe,
What! þay ȝeȝed & ȝolped of ȝestande sorȝe,
[Sidenote: The wind yet stinks with their filthy speech.]
Þat ȝet þe wynd, & þe weder, & þe worlde stynk{es}
Of þe brych þat vp-braydeȝ þose broþelych wordeȝ. 848
Þe god man glyfte w{i}t{h} þ{a}t glam & gloped for noyse,
So scharpe schame to hy{m} schot, he schrank at þe hert,
For he knew þe costou{m} þat kyþed þose wrecheȝ,
He doted neu{er} for no doel so depe i{n} his my{n}de. 852
[Sidenote: Lot is in great trouble.]
Allas! sayd hy{m} þe{n}ne loth, & lyȝtly he ryseȝ
& boweȝ forth fro þe bench i{n}-to þe brode ȝat{es}.
What! he wonded no woþe of wekked knaueȝ,
Þat he ne passed þe port þe p{er}il[44] to abide. 856
[Sidenote: He leaves his guests and addresses the Sodomites.]
He went forthe at þe wyket & waft hit hy{m} aft{er},
Þat a clyket hit cleȝt clos hy{m} byhynde.
Þe{n}ne he meled to þo men mesurable wordeȝ,
For harloteȝ w{i}t{h} his hendelayk he hoped to chast; 860
“Oo! my frendeȝ so fre, yo{ur} fare is to strange,
Dotȝ away yo{ur} derf dyn & dereȝ neu{er} my gest{es},
Avoy! hit is yo{ur} vylaynye, ȝe vylen yo{ur} seluen;
&[45] ȝe ar iolyf gentylmen yo{ur} iapes ar ille. 864
[Sidenote: [Fol. 69a.]]
Bot I schal ke{n}ne yow by kynde a crafte þat is bett{er};
[Sidenote: He offers to give up to them his two daughters.]
I haf a tresor i{n} my telde of tow my fayre deȝt{er},
Þat ar maydeneȝ vnmard for alle men ȝette;
In sodamas, þaȝ I hit say, non semloker burdes, 868
Hit arn ronk, hit arn rype & redy to ma{n}ne;
To samen wyth þo semly þe solace is bett{er},
I schal biteche yow þo two þat tayt arn & quoy{n}t,
& laykeȝ wyth hem as yow lyst & leteȝ my gest{es} one.” 872
[Sidenote: The rebels raise a great noise, and ask who made him
a justice to judge their deeds, who was but a boy when he came
to Sodom.]
Þe{n}ne þe rebaudeȝ so ronk rerd such a noyse,
Þat aȝly hurled i{n} his ereȝ her harloteȝ speche;
“Wost þ{o}u not wel þ{a}t þ{o}u woneȝ here a wyȝe strange,
An out-comly{n}g, a carle, we kylle of þyn heued. 876
Who Ioyned þe be iostyse oure iapeȝ to blame,
Þat com a boy to þis borȝ, þaȝ þ{o}u be burne ryche?”
Þ{us} þay þrobled & þrong & þrwe vmbe his ereȝ,
& distresed hy{m} wonder strayt, w{i}t{h} strenkþe i{n} þe prece, 880

[Headnote: THE MEN OF SODOM SMITTEN WITH BLINDNESS.]

[Sidenote: The young men bring Lot within doors, and smite those
outside with blindness.]
Bot þat þe ȝonge me{n}, so ȝepe, ȝornen þ{er}-oute,
Wapped vpon þe wyket & wo{n}nen hem tylle,
& by þe hondeȝ hy{m} hent & horyed hy{m} w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne,
& steken þe ȝat{es} ston-harde wyth stalworth barreȝ. 884
Þay blwe a boffet i{n} blande þat ba{n}ned peple,
Þat þay blust{er}ed as blynde as bayard watȝ eu{er};
[Sidenote: In vain they try to find the door of Lot’s house.]
Þay lest of loteȝ loggi{n}g any lysou{n} to fynde,
Bot nyteled þ{er} alle þe nyȝt for noȝt at þe last; 888
Þe{n}ne vch tolke tyȝt hem þat hade of tayt fayled,
& vchon roþeled to þe rest þat he reche moȝt;
Bot þay wern wakned al wrank[46] þat þ{er} i{n} won lenged,
Of on þe vglokest vnhap þat eu{er} on erd suffred. 892

[Sidenote 38: So in MS.]
[Sidenote 39: _þyng_ (?).]
[Sidenote 40: savo{ur} (?).]
[Sidenote 41: _wroȝt_ (?).]
[Sidenote 42: MS. vnfau{er}e.]
[Sidenote 43: _hem_ (?).]
[Sidenote 44: MS. _pil_.]
[Sidenote 45: _And_ = _An_ (?).]
[Sidenote 46: _wrang_ (?).]

[Headnote: LOT IS SENT OUT OF THE CITY.]