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6. Pharaoh









[fol. 21r]

PHARAOH



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[fol. 21v]



SOLDIER 1
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PHARAOH
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SOLDIER 2

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PHARAOH

SOLDIER 1

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PHARAOH


SOLDIER 2

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PHARAOH


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SOLDIER 1


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PHARAOH



[fol. 22r]
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SOLDIER 2

PHARAOH
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SOLDIER 1




MOSES
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GOD




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[fol. 22v]




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MOSES




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GOD


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MOSES



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GOD


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MOSES


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GOD
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MOSES
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GOD


MOSES

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200
BOY 1




BOY 2
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MOSES
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BOY 1
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MOSES
PHARAOH
MOSES
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PHARAOH


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MOSES


PHARAOH
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SOLDIER 1

235

PHARAOH

MOSES
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PHARAOH

MOSES
[fol. 23v]
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250

PHARAOH

MOSES

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PHARAOH


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MOSES


SOLDIER 1
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PHARAOH
SOLDIER 2
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PHARAOH
SOLDIER 1

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PHARAOH
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SOLDIER 2



SOLDIER 1
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SOLDIER 2
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PHARAOH

SOLDIER 1

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MOSES



300

SOLDIER 2

PHARAOH
SOLDIER 1
305


SOLDIER 2

PHARAOH
311

SOLDIER 1


315
PHARAOH



SOLDIER 2
321
MOSES


SOLDIER 1
PHARAOH
SOLDIER 2



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PHARAOH

SOLDIER 1
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PHARAOH

SOLDIER 2

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PHARAOH

SOLDIER 1
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SOLDIER 2
PHARAOH
SOLDIER 1

SOLDIER 2
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SOLDIER 1
PHARAOH
SOLDIER 1
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PHARAOH


SOLDIER 1

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PHARAOH


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SOLDIER 2

MOSES


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BOY 1


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MOSES



BOY 2
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BOY 1


385
MOSES



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BOY 2


SOLDIER 1
PHARAOH
SOLDIER 2
PHARAOH
SOLDIER 1
PHARAOH

400



SOLDIER 2
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SOLDIER 1



PHARAOH
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MOSES
415



BOY 1

420

MOSES


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430


 
Pharaoh
Soldier 1
Soldier 2
Moses
God
Boy 1
Boy 2

Incipit Pharao. 1

Peas! Of payn that no man pas, 2
Bot kepe the course that I commaunde,
And take good hede of hym that has
Youre helth all holy in hys hande.
For Kyng Pharro my fader was,
And led thys lordshyp of thys land.
I am hys hayre, as age wyll asse,
Ever in stede to styr or stand;
All Egypt is myne awne
To leede aftyr my law.
I wold my myght were knawne
And honoryd as hyt awe.

Full low he shall be thrawne
That harkyns not my sawe,
Hanged hy and drawne,
Therfor no boste ye blaw.

Bot as for kyng I commaund peasse
To all the people of thys empyre.
Looke no man put hymself in preasse
Bot that wyll do as I desyre,
And of youre wordys look that ye seasse;
Take tent to me, youre soferand syre,
That may youre comfort most increasse,
And to my lyst bowe lyfe and lyre. 3
My lord, if any here were
That wold not wyrk youre wyll,
If we myght com thaym nere,
Full soyn we shuld theym spyll.

Thrughout my kyngdom wold I ken,
And kun hym thank that wold me tell,
If any were so waryd men
That wold my fors downe fell.
My lord, ye have a maner of men
That make great mastrés us emell:
The Jues that won in Gersen.
Thay ar callyd chyldyr of Israel;
Thay multyplye full fast,
And sothly we suppose
That shall ever last,
Oure lordshyp for to lose.

Why, how have thay sych gawdys begun?
Ar thay of myght to make sych frayes?
Yei, lord, full fell folk ther was fun
In Kyng Pharao youre fader dayes.
Thay cam of Joseph, was Jacob son;
He was a prince worthy to prayse.
And sythen in ryst have thay ay ron. 4
Thus ar thay lyke to lose youre layse;
Thay wyll confound you cleyn
Bot if thay soner sesse. 5
What, devyll, is that thay meyn,
That thay so fast incresse?

How thay incres full well we ken,
As oure faders dyd understand.
Thay were bot sexty and ten
When thay fyrst cam into thys land,
Sythen have sojerned in Gersen
Foure hundreth wynter, I dar warand;
Now ar thay nowmbred of myghty men
Moo then thre hundreth thousand,
Wythouten wyfe and chyld
Or hyrdys that kepe thare fee.
How thus myght we be begyld?
Bot shall it not be,

For wyth quantyse we shall thaym quell
So that thay shall not far sprede.
My lord, we have hard oure faders tell,
And clerkys that well couth rede,
Ther shuld a man walk us amell
That shuld fordo us and oure dede.
Fy, on hym to the devyll of hell!
Sych destyny wyll we not drede.
We shal make mydwyfys to spyll them
Where any Ebrew is borne,
And all menkynde to kyll them;
So shall thay soyn be lorne.

And as for elder have I none awe;
Sych bondage shall I to thaym beyde,
To dyke and delf, bere and draw,
And to do all unhonest deyde,
So shall these laddys be halden law,
In thraldom ever thare lyfe to leyde.
Now, certys, thys was a sotell saw;
Thus shall these folk no farthere sprede.
Now help to hald theym downe;
Look I no fayntnes fynde.
All redy, lord, we shall be bowne
In bondage thaym to bynde.

Tunc intrat Moyses cum virga in manu, etc. 6

Gret God that all thys warld began,
And growndyd it in good degré,
Thou mayde me, Moyses, unto man
And sythen thou savyd me from the se.
Kyng Pharao had commawndyd than
Ther shuld no man chyld savyd be;
Agans hys wyll away I wan.
Thus has God shewed hys myght for me.
Now am I sett to kepe
Under thys montayn syde
Byshope Jettyr shepe,
To better may betyde.

A, Lord, grete is thy myght;
What man may of yond mervell meyn?
Yonder I se a selcowth syght,
Sych on in warld was never seyn:
A bush I se burnand full bryght
And ever elyke the leyfes ar greyn.
If it be wark of warldly wyght
I wyll go wyt, wythoutyn weyn.
Moyses, Moyses!

Hic properat ad rubrum et dicit ei Deus, etc. 7

                             Moyses, com not to nere
Bot styll in that stede thou dwell,
And harkyn unto me here;
Take tent what I thee tell.

Do of thy shoyes in fere
Wyth mowth as I thee mell.
The place thou standys in there
Forsothe is halowd well.

I am thy Lord, wythouten lak,
To lengthe thi lyfe even as I lyst;
I am God that som tyme spake
To thyn elders as thay wyst,
To Abraam and Isaac,
And Jacob I sayde shuld be blyst,
And multytude of them to make
So that thare seyde shuld not be myst,
Bot now thys kyng Pharao
He hurtys my folk so fast,
If that I suffre hym so
Thare seyde shuld soyne be past.

Bot I wyll not so do,
In me if thay wyll trast,
Bondage to bryng thaym fro.
Therfor thou go in hast,

To do my message have in mynde,
To hym that me sych harme mase.
Thou speke to hym wyth wordys heynde
So that he let my people pas,
To wyldernes that thay may weynde,
To worshyp me as I wyll asse.
Agans my wyll if that thay leynd,
Ful soyn hys song shall be “alas.”
A, Lord, pardon me wyth thy leyf.
That lynage luffys me noght;
Gladly thay wold me greyf
If I sych bodworde broght.

Good Lord, lett som othere frast
That has more fors the folke to fere.
Moyses, be thou nott abast.
My bydyng shall thou boldly bere;
If thay with wrong away wold wrast,
Outt of the way I shall thee were.
Good Lord, thay wyll not me trast
For all the othes that I can swere;
To neven sych noytys newe
To folk of wykyd wyll
Wythouten tokyn trew,
Thay wyll not tent thertyll.

If that he wyll not understand,
Thys tokyn trew that I shall sent:
Afore the kyng cast downe thy wand
And it shall turne to a serpent;
Then take the tayll agane in hand,
Boldly up look thou it hent,
And in the state that thou it fand
Then shal it turne by myne intent.
Sythen hald thy hand soyn in thy barme
And as a lepre it shal be lyke,
And hole agane withouten harme.
Lo, my tokyns shal be slyke,

And if he wyll not suffre then
My people for to pas in peasse,
I shall send venyance, neyn or ten,
Shall sowe full sore or I seasse;
Bot the Ebrewes won in Jessen
Shall not be merkyd with that measse;
As long as thay my lawes wyll ken,
Thare comforth shall ever increasse.
A, lord, to luf thee aght us well,
That makys thy folk thus free.
I shall unto thaym tell
As thou has told to me.

Bot to the kyng, Lord, when I com,
If he aske what is thy name
And I stand styll both deyf and dom,
How shuld I skape withoutten blame?
I say thee thus: Ego sum qui sum;
I am he that is the same.
If thou can nother muf nor mom
I shall sheld thee from shame.
I understand full well thys thyng;
I go, Lord, with all the myght in me.
Be bold in my blyssyng;
Thi socoure shall I be.

A, Lord of luf, leyn me thy lare
That I may truly talys tell.
To my freyndys now wyll I fare,
The chosyn childre of Israell,
To tell theym comforth of thare care,
In dawngere ther as thay dwell.
God manteyn you evermare,
And mekyll myrth be you emell.
A, master Moyses dere,
Oure myrth is all mowrnyng;
Full hard halden ar we here
As carls under the kyng.

We may mowrn both more and myn.
Ther is no man that oure myrth mase,
Bot syn we ar all of a kyn
God send us comforth in thys case.
Brethere, of youre mowrnyng blyn;
God wyll delyver you thrugh his grace,
Out of this wo he wyll you wyn
And put you to youre pleassyng place,
For I shall carp unto the kyng
And fownd full soyn to make you free.
God graunt you good weyndyng
And evermore with you be.

Kyng Pharao, to me take tent.
Why, boy, what tythyngys can thou tell?
From God hymself hydder am I sent
To foche the chyldre of Israell;
To wyldernes he wold thay went.
Yei, weynd thee to the devyll of hell.
I gyf no force what he has ment.
In my dangere, herst thou, shall thay dwell
And, fature, for thy sake
Thay shalbe put to pyne.
Then wyll God venyance take
Of thee and of all thyn.

On me? Fy on thee, lad; out of my land!
Wenys thou thus to loyse oure lay?
Say, whence is yond warlow with his wand
That thus wold wyle oure folk away?
Yond is Moyses, I dar warand,
Agans all Egypt has beyn ay.
Greatt defawte with hym youre fader fand;
Now wyll he mar you if he may.
Fy on hym! Nay, nay, that dawnce is done.
Lurdan, thou leryd to late!
God bydys thee graunt my bone
And let me go my gate.

Bydys God me? Fals losell, thou lyse.
What tokyn told he, toke thou tent?
He sayd thou shuld dyspyse
Both me and hys commaundement;
Forthy apon thys wyse
My wand he bad in thi present
I shuld lay downe and thee avyse
How it shuld turne to oone serpent;
And in hys holy name
Here I lay it downe.
Lo, syr, here may thou se the same.
A ha, dog, the devyll thee drowne!

He bad me take it by the tayll
For to prefe hys powere playn;
Then he sayde wythouten fayll
Hyt shuld turne to a wand agayn.
Lo, syr, behold.
                         Wyth yla-hayll,
Certys, this is a sotell swayn.
Bot thyse boyes shall abyde in bayll;
All thi gawdys shall thaym not gayn,
Bot wars both morn and none
Shall thay fare for thi sake.
I pray God, send us venyance sone
And on thi warkys take wrake.

Alas, alas, this land is lorn!
On lyfe we may no longer leynd.
Sych myschefe is fallen syn morn
Ther may no medsyn it amend.
Why cry ye so, laddys, lyst ye skorn?
Syr kyng, sych care was never kend
In no mans tyme that ever was borne.
Tell on, belyfe, and make an end.
Syr, the waters that were ordand
For men and bestys foyde
Thrughoutt all Egypt land
Ar turnyd into reede bloyde;

Full ugly and full yll is hytt
That both fresh and fayre was before.
O ho! this is a wonderfull thyng to wytt,
Of all the warkys that ever wore.
Nay, lord, ther is anothere yit
That sodanly sowys us full sore,
For todys and froskys may no man flyt;
Thay venom us so both les and more.
Greatte mystys, syr, ther is both morn and noyn,
Byte us full bytterly;
We trow that it be doyn
Thrugh Moyses oure greatte enmy.

My lord, bot if this menye may remefe,
Mon never myrth be us amang.
Go say to hym we wyll not grefe,
Bot thay shall never the tytter gang.
Moyses, my lord gyffys leyfe
To leyd thi folk to lykyng land
So that we mend of oure myschefe.
Full well I wote thyse wordys ar wrang,
But hardely all that I heytt
Full sodanly it shall be seyn;
Uncowth mervels shal be meyt
And he of malyce meyn.

A, lord, alas, for doyll we dy.
We dar look oute at no dowre.
What, ragyd the dwyll of hell, alys you so to cry?
For we fare wars then ever we fowre.
Grete loppys over all this land thay fly
And where thay byte thay make grete blowre,
And in every place oure bestys dede ly.
Hors, ox, and asse,
Thay fall downe dede, syr, sodanly.
Wé, lo, ther is no man that has
Half as mych harme as I.

Yis, syr, poore folk have mekyll wo
To se thare catall thus out cast
The Jues in Gessen fayre not so;
Thay have lykyng for to last.
Then shall we gyf theym leyf to go
To tyme this perell be on past;
Bot or thay flytt oght far us fro
We shall them bond twyse as fast.
Moyses, my lord gyffys leyf
Thi meneye to remeve.
Ye mon hafe more myschefe
Bot if thyse talys be trew.

A, lord, we may not leyde thyse lyfys.
What, dwyll, is grevance grofen agayn?
Ye, syr, sich powder apon us dryfys,
Where it abidys it makys a blayn;
Mesell makys it man and wyfe.
Thus ar we hurt with hayll and rayn.
Syr, vynys in montanse may not thryfe;
So has frost and thoner thaym slayn.
Yei, bot how do thay in Gessen,
The Jues, can ye me say?
Of all thyse cares no thyng thay ken;
Thay feyll noght of oure afray.

No, the ragyd dwyll, sytt thay in peasse
And we every day in doute and drede?
My lord, this care wyll ever encrese
To Moyses have his folk to leyd,
Els be we lorn, it is no lesse;
Yit were it better that thai yede.
Thes folk shall flyt no far
If he go welland wode.
Then will it sone be war;
It were better thay yode.

My lord, new harme is comyn in hand.
Yei, dwill, will it no better be?
Wyld wormes ar layd over all this land;
Thai leyf no floure nor leyf on tre.
Agans that storme may no man stand,
And mekyll more mervell, thynk me,
That thise thre dayes has bene durand;
Sich myrk that no man may other se. 8
A, my lord.
                   Hagh!
                             Grete pestilence is comyn;
It is like ful long to last.
Pestilence, in the dwilys name,
Then is oure pride over past.

My lord, this care lastys lang,
And will to Moyses have his bone;
Let hym go, els wyrk we wrang.
It may not help to hover ne hone.
Then will we gif theym leyf to gang,
Syn it must nedys be doyn.
Perchauns we sall thaym fang,
And mar them or to-morn at none. 9
Moyses, my lord he says
Thou shall have passage playn.
Now have we lefe to pas;
My freyndys, now be ye fayn.

Com furth, now sall ye weynd
To land of lykyng you to pay.
Bot Kyng Pharao, that fals feynd,
He will us eft betray;
Full soyn he will shape us to sheynd
And after us send his garray.
Be not abast; God is oure freynd
And all oure foes will slay.
Therfor com on with me;
Have done, and drede you noght.
That Lord, blyst myght he be
That us from bayll has broght.

Sich frenship never we fand,
Bot yit I drede for perels all:
The Reede See is here at hand;
Ther shal we byde to we be thrall.
I shall make way ther with my wand,
As God has sayde to sayf us all;
On ayther syde the see mon stand
To we be gone, right as a wall.
Com on wyth me, leyf none behynde.
Lo, fownd ye now youre God to pleasse.

Hic pertransient mare. 10

O Lord, this way is heynd;
Now weynd we all at easse.

Kyng Pharao, thyse folk ar gone.
Say, ar ther any noyes new?
Thise Ebrews ar gone, lord, everichon.
How says thou that?
                                 Lord, that tayll is trew.
Wé, out! Tyte that they were tayn.
That ryett radly shall thay rew.
We shall not seasse to thay be slayn,
For to the see we shall thaym sew;
So charge youre chariottys swythe
And fersly look ye folow me.
All redy, lord, we ar full blyth
At youre byddyng to be.

Lord, at youre byddyng ar we bowne,
Oure bodys boldly for to beyd;
We shall not seasse, bot dyng all downe
To all be dede, withouten drede.
Heyf up youre hertys unto Mahowne:
He will be nere us in oure nede.
Help, the raggyd dwyll! We drowne!
Now mon we dy for all oure dede.

Tunc merget eos mare. 11

Now ar we won from all oure wo,
And savyd out of the see.
Lovyng gyf we God unto;
Go we to land now merely.

Lofe we may that Lord on hyght,
And ever tell on this mervell.
Drownyd he has Kyng Pharao myght;
Lovyd be that lord Emanuell.
Heven, thou attend, I say in syght,
And erth, my wordys here what I tell:
As rayn or dew on erth doys lyght,
And waters herbys and trees full well,
Gyf lovyng to Goddys magesté.
Hys dedys ar done, hys ways ar trew;
Honowred be he in Trynyté.
To hym be honowre and vertew.
Amen.

Explicit Pharao. 12
 








(t-note)

(see note)


wholly
(see note)

heir; demand; (see note); (t-note)
[this] place
own

known; (t-note)
it ought to be

(see note)
command

boast; (t-note)



(see note)

cease
Pay attention; sovereign lord



work
them
soon; kill

know
offer him thanks
cursed


mischief among us
live; Goshen
children



(see note); (t-note)

tricks
disturbances
very many; found; (see note)



increase; run; (t-note)
laws


mean




sixty

Since; have [they] sojourned
Four hundred; warrant; (t-note)
numbered
More; (t-note)
Not counting
herders; livestock



cunning; subdue

heard
could
among



midwives; kill
Hebrew
to kill all male children
soon; lost


bid
dig; delve; carry; pull
unpleasant deeds
held low
slavery
clever speech


faintness
ready





fixed

afterwards; sea


I got away

tend
mountain
(see note)
Until things are better


understand
wonderful
Such a one
(see note)
alike; leaves
work; earthly creature
find out, without a doubt
(t-note)



too
place; remain
listen
Pay attention to

Take off both your shoes; (see note)
as I tell you

blessed

indeed
lengthen; desire

knew

blessed

seed; lacking


allow
seed; soon

(see note)
trust
from
haste

give
makes
gracious

go
demand
Against; remain
soon
by your leave
lineage

message

try
force; unite
dismayed

turn
protect


mention such new matters


pay attention



Before; staff; (see note)


seize
found

Then; bosom
leper
whole
thus



vengeance; (t-note)
grieve before
who live in Goshen
bothered; affliction
acknowledge







(t-note)
deaf; dumb
escape; (t-note)
I am who I am
(see note)
neither whisper nor mumble



[fol. 23r]
comfort

incline me toward your teaching
tales



danger
(see note)
much joy; among

[turned to] mourning

tenants

mourn; less
makes


Brothers; leave off

deliver

call
start
journey


pay attention

here
fetch

go
do not care
At my mercy
traitor
punishment




Think; destroy our law
from where; warlock
lead

always
default; found
ruin
dance
Lout; learned
request
way

deceitful scoundrel; lie
sign; heed


Therefore; way
presence
advise




(t-note)


prove



With a curse
clever boy
remain; misery
tricks; help
worse; morning and afternoon

soon; (t-note)
vengeance

ruined
Alive; remain; (t-note)
since
medicine
desire
known

at once
ordained; (see note)
nourishment

red blood



see
deeds; were

pains
toads and frogs; flee; (see note)
poison
gnats; (see note); (t-note)
bitterly
done; (t-note)
enemy

unless these people leave
Must; joy
vex
more quickly go
gives leave; [fol. 24r]
promised land; (see note); (t-note)

untrue
promised

Unknown; encountered
intends anything malicious

sorrow
door
ails; (see note)
fare worse; fared
flies; (see note)
blisters
dead; (see note); (t-note)

suddenly
(t-note)


much
cattle

pleasure

Until; peril
But before
bind

people
must have
Unless


grown
drives; (see note)
settles; blisters
Leprous
hail; rain; (see note)
vines; mountains; (t-note)
frost; thunder



fear

(see note); (t-note)


Until; (see note); (t-note)
lost; lie
went

boiling mad
worse; [fol. 24v]
went



(see note)
leave; flower nor leaf

much
during; (see note); (t-note)
darkness; (t-note)


(see note)

(t-note)


long
request

linger nor delay
leave to go
done
Perchance; capture




glad

go
please; (see note)
(see note)
again
soon; contrive; destroy
army
frightened




misery

found
perils

remain; slaves

save
either; must
until
leave; [fol. 25r]
hasten

(see note); (t-note)

pleasant
proceed


new annoyances
every single one

tale
Quickly; caught
revelry promptly; grieve
until
pursue
quickly
fiercely
glad


ready
bodies; obey
strike
Until; doubtless
Lift; (see note)


must; deeds



rescued


merrily

Love; (see note)
of this marvel
[fol. 25v]
(see note)

hear
does alight

praise


virtue