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.] VII.