He is so skoymos of þat skaþe, he scarreȝ bylyue, He may not dryȝe to draw allyt, bot drepeȝ i{n} hast & þat watȝ schewed schortly by a scaþe oneȝ. 600 [Sidenote 25: _for-ferde_ (?).] [Sidenote 26: MS. _sele._] [Sidenote 27: MS. _he he._] [Sidenote 28: _þer_ (?).] [Sidenote 29: _rink_ or _renk_ (?).] [Headnote: ABRAHAM RECEIVES THREE GUESTS, AND ENTERTAINS THEM.] 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