Chapter III

[Sidenote: Jonah is shoved from the ship.]
Now is ionas þe Iwe Iugged to[13] drowne;
Of þat schended schyp men schowued hy{m} sone.
[Sidenote: [Fol. 86b.]]
[Sidenote: A wild whale swims by the boat.]
A wylde walt{er}ande whal, as wyrde þe{n} schaped,
Þat watȝ beten fro þe abyme, bi þat bot flotte, 248
& watȝ war of þat wyȝe þat þe wat{er} soȝte,
[Sidenote: He opens his swallow, and seizes the prophet.]
& swyftely swenged hy{m} to swepe & his swolȝ opened;
Þe folk ȝet haldande his fete þe fysch hy{m} tyd hentes,
W{i}t{h}-outen towche of any tothe he tult i{n} his þrote. 252
The{n}ne he swengeȝ & swayues[14] to þe se boþem,
Bi mony rokkeȝ ful roȝe & rydelande strondes,
Wyth þe mo{n} i{n} his mawe, malskred i{n} drede.
[Sidenote: It is not to be wondered at that Jonah suffered woe.]
As lyttel wonder hit watȝ ȝif he wo dreȝed, 256
For nade þe hyȝe heuen ky{n}g, þurȝ his honde myȝt,
Warded þis wrech man i{n} warlowes gutteȝ,
What lede moȝt lyue bi lawe of any kynde,
Þat any lyf myȝt be lent so longe hy{m} w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne? 260
Bot he watȝ sokored by þat syre þat syttes so hiȝe,
[Sidenote: The prophet is without hope.]
Þaȝ were wauleȝ[15] of wele, i{n} wombe of þat fissche,
& also dryuen þurȝ þe depe, & in derk walt{er}eȝ.
[Sidenote: Cold was his comfort.]
Lorde! colde watȝ his cu{m}fort & his care huge, 264
For he knew vche a cace & kark þat hy{m} lymped;
How fro þe bot i{n}-to þe blober watȝ w{i}t{h} a best lachched,
& þrwe[16] i{n} at hit þrote, w{i}t{h}-outen þret more,
[Sidenote: Jonah was only a mote in the whale’s jaws.]
As mote i{n} at a mu{n}ster dor, so mukel wern his chawleȝ, 268
[Sidenote: He entered in by the gills, and by means of one of
the intestines of the fish, came into a space as large as a
hall.]
He glydes i{n} by þe giles, þurȝ glaymande glette,
Relande i{n} by a rop, a rode þat hy{m} þoȝt,
Ay hele ou{er} hed, ho{ur}lande aboute,
Til he blu{n}t i{n} a blok as brod as a halle; 272
[Sidenote: The prophet fixes his feet firmly in the belly of the
whale.]
& þer he festnes þe fete & fathmeȝ aboute,
& stod vp i{n} his stomak, þat stank as þe deuel;
Þ{er} in saym & i{n} sorȝe þat sauo{ur}ed as helle,
Þ{er} watȝ bylded his bour, þat wyl no bale suffer; 276
& þe{n}ne he lurkkes & laytes where watȝ le best,
[Sidenote: He searches into every nook of its navel.]
In vche a nok of his nauel, bot nowhere he fyndeȝ
No rest ne recou{er}er, bot ramelande myre,
In wych gut so eu{er} he gotȝ; bot eu{er} is god swete; 280
[Sidenote: The prophet calls upon God.]
& þer he lenged at þe last & to þe lede called.
“Now prynce, of þy p{ro}phete pité þ{o}u haue!
[Sidenote: [Fol. 87a.]]
Þaȝ I be fol, & fykel, & falce of my hert,
[Sidenote: He cries for mercy.]
De-woyde now þy vengau{n}ce, þurȝ v{er}tu of rauthe; 284
Thaȝ I be gulty of gyle as gaule of p{ro}phet{es},
Þ{o}u art god, & alle gowdeȝ ar grayþely þyn owen;
Haf now m{er}cy of þy man & his mys-dedes,
& preue þe lyȝtly a lorde, i{n} londe & i{n} wat{er}.” 288
[Sidenote: He sits safely in a recess, in a bowel of the beast,
for three days and three nights.]
With þat he hitte to a hyrne & helde hy{m} þ{er}-i{n}ne,
Þ{er} no de-foule of no fylþe watȝ fest hy{m} abute;
Þer he sete also sou{n}de, saf for merk one,
As i{n} þe bulk of þe bote, þer he by-fore sleped. 292
So in a bouel of þat best he bideȝ on lyue,
Þre dayes & þ[r]e nyȝt ay þenkande on dryȝtyn,
His myȝt & his m{er}ci, his mesure þe{n}ne;
Now he knaweȝ hy{m} i{n} care þat couþe not i{n} sele. 296

[Headnote: THE WHALE WANDERS ABOUT.]

[Sidenote: The whale passes through many a rough region.]
Ande eu{er} walt{er}es þis whal bi wyldren depe,
Þurȝ mony a regiou{n} ful roȝe, þurȝ ronk of his wylle,
[Sidenote: Jonah makes the whale feel sick.]
For þat mote i{n} his mawe mad hy{m}, I trowe,
Þaȝ hit lyttel were, hy{m} wyth to wamel at his hert, 300
Ande assayled þe segge; ay sykerly he herde
Þe bygge borne on his bak & bete on his sydes;
[Sidenote: The prophet prays to God in this wise:]
Þen a prayer ful prest þe p{ro}phete þ{er} maked
On þis wyse, as I wene, his wordeȝ were mony: 304

[Sidenote 13: MS. to to.]
[Sidenote 14: _swaynes_ (?).]
[Sidenote 15: _wanleȝ_ (?).]
[Sidenote 16: _þrwen_ (?).]

[Headnote: JONAH PRAYS FOR HIS DELIVERANCE.]