[Sidenote: Jonah delivers his message; “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall come to an end.] & þe{n}ne he cryed so cler, þat ke{n}ne myȝt alle; Þe trwe tenor of his teme he tolde on þis wyse: “Ȝet schal forty dayeȝ fully fare to an ende, & þe{n}ne schal Niniue be nomen & to noȝt worþe; 360 Truly þis ilk tou{n} schal tylte to grou{n}de, [Sidenote: It shall be turned upside down, and swallowed quickly by the black earth.”] Vp-so-dou{n} schal ȝe du{m}pe depe to þe abyme, To be swolȝed swyftly wyth þe swart erþe, & alle þat lyuyes here-i{n}ne lose þe swete.” 364 [Sidenote: This speech spreads throughout the city.] Þis speche sprang i{n} þat space & spradde alle aboute, To borges & to bacheleres, þat i{n} þat burȝ lenged; [Sidenote: Great fear seizes all.] Such a hidor hem bent & a hatel drede, Þat al chau{n}ged her chere & chylled at þe hert. 368 Þe segge sesed not ȝet, bot sayde eu{er} ilyche “Þe verray vengau{n}ce of god schal voyde þis place.” [Sidenote: The people mourn secretly, clothe themselves in sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads.] Þe{n}ne þe peple pitosly pleyned ful stylle, & for þe drede of dryȝtyn doured i{n} hert; 372 Het{er} hayreȝ þay hent þat asperly bited, & þose þay bou{n}den to her bak & to her bare sydeȝ, Dropped dust on her hede & dy{m}ly bisoȝten, Þat þat penau{n}ce plesed hi{m} þ{a}t playneȝ on her wronge. 376 [Sidenote: The message reaches the ears of the king.] & ay he cryes i{n} þ{a}t kyth tyl þe ky{n}g herde; & he radly vp-ros & ran fro his chayer, [Sidenote: He rends his robes, clothes himself in sackloth, and mourns in the dust.] His ryche robe he to-rof of his rigge naked, & of a hep of askes he hitte i{n} þe myddeȝ; 380 He askeȝ heterly a hayre & hasped hy{m} vmbe, Sewed a sekke þer abof, & syked ful colde; Þer he dased i{n} þat duste, w{i}t{h} droppande teres, Wepande ful wonderly alle his wrange dedes. 384 [Sidenote: He issues a decree, that all in the city, men, beasts, women and children, prince, priest, and prelates, should fast for their sins.] Þe{n}ne sayde he to his seriau{n}tes, “samnes yow bilyue, Do dryue out a decre demed of my seluen, Þat alle þe bodyes þat ben w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne þis borȝ quyk, Boþe burnes & bestes, burdeȝ & childer, 388 Vch prynce, vche prest & prelates alle, Alle faste frely for her falce werkes; [Sidenote: [Fol. 88b.]] [Sidenote: Children are to be weaned from the breast.] Seseȝ childer of her sok, sogh{e} hem so neu{er}, Ne best bite on no brom, ne no bent nauþ{er}, 392 Passe to no pasture, ne pike non erbes, [Sidenote: The ox is to have no hay, nor the horse any water.] Ne non oxe to no hay, ne no horse to wat{er};