Under Pharaoh, and the seven kings who succeeded him, Pharao kinges rigte name Vephres, be dede ðe ebriſ frame; 2540 And bi oðere ſeuene kinges ſel, the Israelites increased and prospered. Wexen he ðore & ðogen wel. The eighth king treated them harshly, ðe egtenede king amonaphis, Agenes ðis folc hatel is; 2544 and the Egyptians became jealous of them. And egipte folc adden nið, for ebriſ adden ſeli ſið. Q_u_uað ðis ging[238] wið hem ſtille i_n_ red, "ðis ebris waxen michil ſped, 2548 [Fol. 50.] Bute if we eraflike[239] hem for-don, Ne ſulen he non eige ſen uſ on." They made slaves of them, and set them to build walls. Ðo ſette ſundri hem to waken His tigel and lim, and walles maken, 2552 burges feten; a_n_d rameſen ðurge here ſwinc it walled ben; Some they made to do foul work, Su_m_me he deden in vn-ðewed ſwinc, for it was fugel and ful o ſtinc, 2556 to carry "muck and fen out of the city," Muc and fen ut of burgeſ beren, ðuſ bitterlike he gun he_m_ deren; ðe ðridde ſwinc was eui and ſtron[g], and to creep along dikes. He deden hem crepen dikes long, 2560 And wide a-buten burges gon, The comb of the dike serves them as protection against their enemies. And cumen ðer ear waſ non; And if ðat folc hem wulde deren, ðe dikeſ comb he_m_ ſulde weren. 2564 for al ðat ſwinc heui & ſor, For all that labour, the folk increased and spread. Ay wex ðat kinde, mor & mor, And ðhogen, & ſpredden i_n_ londe ðor, ðat made ðe kinges herte ful ſor. 2568 Then bad Pharaoh, Ðo bad monophis pharaun wimmen ben ſet i_n_ eu_er_ilc tun,