THE BRETHREN ARE ACCUSED OF THEFT. [Fol. 45.] He made his brethren sit before him according to their age. He dede hem waſſen and him bi-foren, And ſette hem aſ he weren boren; 2292 Get he ðhogte of hiſ faderes wunes Hu he ſette at ðe mete hiſe ſunes; Of meat and wine, the best he gave to Benjamin. Of eu_er_ilc ſonde, of eu_er_ilc win, moſt and beſt he gaf beniamin. 2296 In fulſu_m_-hed he wurðen glaðe,[222] Ioſep ne ðoht ðor-of no ſcaðe, Oc it him likede ſwiðe wel, Joseph gave them good counsel, And hem lerede and tagte wel, 2300 And hu he ſulden hem beſt leden, Q_u_ene he comen in vnkinde ðeden; and advised them to act truthfully. "And al ðe bettre ſule ge ſpeden, If ge wilen gu wið treweiðe leden." 2304 On the morrow they depart. Eft on morwen q_u_an it waſ dai, Or or ðe breðere ferden a-wei, Here ſeckes woren alle filt wið coren, And ðe ſilu_er_ ðor-in bi-foren; 2308 Joseph's cup is hid in Benjamin's sack. And ðe ſeck ðat agte beniamin Ioſepes cuppe hid was ðor-in; And q_u_uan he weren ut tune went, Ioſep haueð hem after ſent. 2312 Joseph's messenger overtakes them, ðis ſonde hem ou_er_takeð raðe, And bi-calleð of harme and ſcaðe; and accuses them of theft. "Vn-ſeli men, q_u_at haue ge don? Gret vn-ſelðehe iſ gu cumen on, 2316 [Fol. 45b.] for iſ it nogt min lord for-holen, ða[t] gure on haueð iſ cuppe ſtolen." ð[o] ſeiden ðe breðere ſikerlike, The brethren assert their innocence. "Vp q_u_am ðu it findes witterlike, 2320 He ſlagen and we agen driuen In-to ðraldom, eu_er_mor to liuen." They are ransacked one by one, He gan hem ranſaken on and on, And fond it ðor ſone a-non, 2324 And nam ðo breðere eu_er_ilk on, And ledde hem ſorful a-gon, [222] = glade. JOSEPH MAKES HIMSELF KNOWN TO HIS BRETHREN.