[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,