Lot's wife turned back, and "went into a stone." Ðo lotes wif wente hire a-gon, Sone ghe ſtod, wente i_n_ to a ſton; 1120 [Fol. 22b.] Thus is this merry dale turned into a swarthy lake. So iſt nu forwent mirie dale In to dririhed and in to bale, ðe ſwarte flum, ðe dede ſe, Non fiſ, non fuel ðor-inne mai be. 1124 ðat water iſ ſo deades driuen, Nothing may live therein. Non ðing ne mai ðor-inne liuen; [141] ? fren THE BIRTHS OF AMMON AND MOAB. Men ſeið ðe treen ðat ðor henden ben Trees on its banks produce apples, Waxen i_n_ time, and brimen, and ðen, 1128 Oc q_u_ane here apples ripe ben, which contain ashes only. fier-iſles man mai ðor-i_n_ne ſen; ðat erd iſ oten ſaltes dale, Maniman ðor-of holdet litel tale. 1132 Lot soon left Segor. Loth wuned litel in ſegor, for he dredde him for to forfare ðor; Wið hiſe two dowtres ut he teg, For fear he fled to the hills, and dwelt in a cave. And for dred to ðo dunes he fleg; 1136 And ðor he biggede i_n_ a caue[n], ðe waſ ðor i_n_ roche grauen. Lot's daughters thought _all mankind_ had perished, and that, unless they had children, the world would come to an end. ðo meidenes herden q_u_ilu_m_ ſeien, ðat fier ſulde al ðis werld forſweðen, 1140 And wenden wel ðat it were cumen, And fiereſ wreche on werld numen, And ðat man-kinde wore al for-loren but of hem ðre wore man boren. 1144 They consulted as to what was best to be done. ðis maidenes redden ſone[142] on-on Q_u_at hem two wore beſt to don, [Fol. 23.] Hu he migten vnder-gon They made their father drunk so that he wrought the deed, and each begot a child.