Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 1: Texts
General
Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250. Part 1: Texts
English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500
++Ðo drempte pharaon king a drem. No^t
ðat he stod bi ðe flodes strem. 150
And ðeden ut{}comen .vii. neet.
Eu{er}ilc wel swiðe fet and gret.
And .vii. lene after ðo.
ðe deden ðe .vii. fette wo.
ðe lene hauen ðe fette freten. 155
ðis drem ne mai ðe king for{}geten.
An oðer drem cam hi{m} bi{}foren.
.vii. eares wexen fette of coren.
On an busk ranc and wel tidi.
And .vii. lene rigt ðor{}bi. 160
Welkede and smale ⁊ drugte numen.
ðe ranc he hauen ðo ou{er}{}cumen. |
To{}samen it smiten and on a stund. [f. 41v
ðe fette ðrist hem to ðo grund.
ðe king abraid and woc in ðhogt. 165
ðes dremes swep ne wot he nogt.
Ne was non so wis man i{n} al his lond.
ðe kude vn{}don ðis dremes bond.
ðo him bi{}ðhogte ðat buteler.
Of ðat him drempte in p{ri}sun ðer. 170
And of ioseph in ðe prisun.
And he it tolde ðe king pharaun.
Joseph was sone i{n} prisun ðo {s}ogt.
And shauen ⁊ clad ⁊ to hi{m} brogt.
ðe king hi{m} bad ben hardi ⁊ bold. 175
Jf he can rechen ðis dremes wold.
He told him q{u}at him drempte o nigt.
And iosep rechede his drem wel rigt.
ðis two dremes boðen ben on.
God wile ðe tawnen king pharaon. 180
ðo .vij. ger ben get to cumen.
Jn al fulsum hed sulen it ben numen.
And .vij. oðere sulen after ben.
Sori and nedful men sulen is sen.
Al ðat ðise first .vii. maken. 185
Sulen ðis oðere vii. rospen ⁊ raken.
Jc rede ðe king nu her bi{}foren.
To maken laðes and gadere{n} coren. |
ðat ðin folc ne wurð vnder{}numen. [f. 42r
Q{u}an ðo hungri gere ben forð{}cumen. 190
King pharaon listnede hise red.
ðat wurð him siðen seli sped.
He bi{}tagte iosep his ring.
And his bege of gold for wurðing.
And bad him al his lond bi{}sen. 195
And under him hegest for{}to ben.
And bad him welden in his hond.
His folc and agte ⁊ al his lond.
ðo was vnder him ðanne putifar.
And his wif ðat hem so to{}bar. 200
Josep to wiue his dowter nam.
Oðer is nu {ð}an ear bi{}cam.
And ghe ðer him two childer bar.
Or men wurð of ðat hunger war.
first manassen and effraym. 205
He luueden god he geld it hem.
ðe .vii. fulsu{m} geres faren.
Josep cuðe him bi{}foren waren.
ðan coren wantede in oðer lond.
ðo [was] ynug vnder his hond. 210
[Linenotes:
173. _ðo sogt_] _ðohogt_ MS. || 202. _ðan_] {q}u{an} MS.]
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