The years of plenty pass away. ðe .vii. fulſu_m_ geres faren, Ioſep cuðe him bi-foren waren; ðan coren wantede in oðer lond, ðo ynug [was] vnder his hond. 2156 The famine was felt in Canaan. Hvnger wex in lond chanaan, And his .x. ſunes iacob for-ðan Jacob sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy corn. Sente in-to egipt to bringen coren; He bilef at hom ðe was gungeſt boren. 2160 [Fol. 42b.] ðe .x. comen, for nede ſogt, To Ioſep, and he ne knewen hi_m_ nogt, Though they honoured Joseph, And ðog he lutten him frigtilike, Anð ſeiden to him mildelike, 2164 "We ben ſondes for nede driuen To bigen coren ðor-bi to liuen." yet he pretended not to know them. (Ioſep hem knew al in his ðhogt, Alſ he let he knew hem nogt.) 2168 "It ſemet wel ðat ge ſpies ben, He accused them of being spies. And in-to ðiſ lond cumen to ſen, And cume ge for non oðer ðing, but for to ſpien ur lord ðe king." 2172 "Nai," he ſeiden eu_er_ilc on, They declared that they were true men, the sons of one father. "Spies were we neu_er_ non, Oc alle we ben on faderes ſunen, For hunger doð es[213] hider cumen." 2176 "Oc nu ic wot ge ſpieſ ben, for bi gure bering men mai it ſen; "Only kings," said Joseph, "had so many sons." Hu ſulde oni man[214] poure for-geten, ſwilke and ſo manige ſunes bigeten? 2180 for ſeldu_m_ bi-tid ſelf ani king ſwilc men to ſen of hiſe ofſpring." [213] doðes MS. [214] MS. Hu suld sulde oninan. JOSEPH'S HARSHNESS TO HIS BRETHREN. "One," the brethren said, "is at home with his father." "A lou_er_d, merci! get iſ ðor on migt he nogt fro his fader gon; 2184 He iſ gungeſt, hoten beniamin, for we ben alle of ebriſſe kin."