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IT bifel in israel; by ? e kyngesday, swiche a cas:
? ere was a wise prophete; Elye ycleped he was. 148
In wildernesse he woned; ? e good prophete Elye,
ffor ? e kyng awaited hym to sle; for his prophecie.
A morewen & an euen a Rauen; ? ere com vche a day,
And brou? th ? e prophete mete; in wildernesse ? ere he lay. 152
Si? en as oure lorde hym hete; to a toun he wende,
And sei? a widewe gadre wood; onon to hir he kende.
? ere he woned longe wi? hire; a day ? er fel a cas
? at ? e widewe son died; he was yhote Ionas; 156
Elie arered hym fram de? to lyue; ? orou? goddes sonde;
And si? en he was a prophete; ? e wisest in ? e londe.
ffor wel longe afterward; oure lord bad Ionas gon
To ? e Cite of Niniue; ? at schulde haue ben fordon 160
ffor synne ? at ? ai hadden ydon; Ionas was adradd,
Ac forto prechen ? ider he ? ede; as oure lord hym bad.
// To ? e hil of Oreb; Ely redy wende
? ere Moyses in ? e brennyng ? orne; oure lorde kende: 164
ffourty dayes he was ? iderward; ? at he ne ete ne dronk
As it goddes will was; he had mychel ? onk.
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? ere oure lorde spak wi? hym; & hete hym good lyf lede,
And wende a? ein to israel; & no? ing ne drede. 168
"// A Man ? at hatte Elisee; by ? e waie ? ou schalt fynde;
? ou schalt hym take for? wi? ? e; ? at he ne leue bihynde. "
Elie ? e prophete went for? ; til he in-to desert cam. 171
He fonde Elyse gon on ? e pleyn; with hym for? he hym nam
To ? e londe of israel*. [MS. isrk. ]; ? ai nadden of ? e kyng non eye.
Elise fonde ano? er prophete; & ? ider ? ai wenten beie.
? o lay ? e kyng sore seek; & ? o it was hym ysed,
Elye tolde his messagers; ? at he schulde be ded. 176
He hete his men wende after hym; ? at ? ai sparen ne scholde;
He wende, ? if he mi? th hym haue hadd; ? at he hym hele wolde.
? ei wenten for? & comen to Elye; "goddes man" ? ai seide:
"? e kyng hete ? e come & speke with hym; ? if ? ou cou? est hym rede. " 180
Elie seide "? if ich am goddes man; I. bid god al-one,
? at wilde fire come fram heuen adoun; & brenne ? ou vchone. "
Amyd ? is word onon; fire fram heuen com,
And brent ? ise men al to dust; ? ere was an hard dom. 184
Sore alonged was ? e kyng; after hym ylome;
Tueie he sent of o? er men; ? o ? ai nou? [th] ne come.
? ai seiden as ? e o? er deden; ? o ? ai Elye seie;
And as ? e o? er ? ai weren serued; ibrou? th on li? th leie. 188
? o ? ai ne comen nou? th a? ein; ? e kyng ? ou? th longe,
And lete sende after hym; wise men & stronge.
// ? erne ? ai crieden mercie; ? o ? ai Elye sei? e:
"Haue mercy on ? e kyng; or elles he schal di? e. " 192
? erof seide Elye; "Siker he may be.
Ac, forto paye his corage; ich wil hym ones see. "
Elye went for? to ? e kyng; & seide he schulde be ded;
And sone he died ? erafter-ward; as he had ysed. 196
Elie & Elisee in ? e londe; wide aboute went,
For to tellen of prophecie; as oure lorde hem sent.
As ? ai precheden goddes lawe; from heuen ? ere ali? th
A fyry hors & a cart;--bo? e ? ai weren wel bri? th;--
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200
Elye ? erinne went; ? at hors hym drou? vp on hei? 201
In ? e cart to heuen; ? at men neuer eft hym ne sei? .
// Ri? th to heuen ne segge ich nou? th; ? at he euer come,
For he schal haue fleschlich lyf; forto a? eins ? e day of dome.
We rede nou? th bot of two Men; ? at hennes alyue went, 205
Enok & Elye; as god hem after sent.
Bo? e ? ai wonen in paradys; & bo? e ? ai schullen ali? th
A? eins ? e day of dome; & wi? antecrist fi? th. 208
Anticrist hem schal bo? e sle; & si? ? en ? ai schullen wende
To ? e blisse of heuen; & wonen ? ere wi? outen ende.
? O Ely in ? is fair cart; to heuen was ylad, [folio 70b] *. [Elye]
Elisee his felawe; was sory, & nou? th glad. 212
He ? ede to don his prophecie; in ? e londe of Ierico:
? ere he fonde a li? er welle; ? at many man dude wo,
ffor it wolde wex & sprede; wide & brode ilome,
Ne mi? th ? e er? e bere no fruyt; ? ere ? e water come. 216
?
e prophete blissed salt; & in ? e watere cast;
? e li? erhede ? at ? erinne was; mi? th no lengere last;
It bicom ? e best watere; ? at euer mi? th ben;
Al ? at it come? -nei? ; ? e bettere schal ? een. 220
ffor ? e miracle ? at men ? o say; ? at white salt had ydo,
Whan ? e preest make? haliwater; salt he do? ? erto.
A Womman cried on Elisee; as sche hym mette,*. [Eliseus]
& seide, men took al hir good; for hire hosebonde dette,
& ? at sche nadd nomore good; bot Oile alite. 225
Elisee bad hire take ? erof; & in vche vessel it pite
? at sche had in al hire hous; & ? o sche had ydo ? is,
Euerich vessel was ful; of good oyle Iwis. 228
? is womman had ? er ? orou? ; ynou? of al good
fforto ? elde her dettes; & to hire lyues food.
It bifel ? at men of Babiloyne; weren of li? er bileue:
? ai honoureden a fals god; a morewe & ek an eue. 232
A Wise prophete was in ? at londe; ? at hi? th Danyel. *. [? Danyel. ]
He com & told ? e kyng 'fore; his men bileueden no? t wel.
? iue me power ouer hem; & ich hem wil bringe of dawe. '
? an seide ? e kyng to hym; "? at were no wise lawe. "
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236
? at folk ? o ? ai herden ? is; ? e kyng ? ai comen to:
"? iue vs" ? ai seiden "Danyel; oure will with hym to do,
Oi? er we schullen ? e sle; er we hennes gon. "
? e kyng was of hem sore adrad; & graunted hem onon. 240
Onon ? ai token Danyel ? o; & casten hym in-to a pytte,
? ere seuen hungri lyouns weren; ? ereinne all ydytte,
ffor ? ai hym strangli scholden; ac ? ai deden hym non harme;
Bot whan ? at he was sett adoun; ? ai leneden in-to his barme.
A Man ? ere was ? at hi? th Abacuc; in-to ? e felde he went,*. [? Abacuk. ]
Repmen forto bere mete; sone he hym ? ider sent.
? e Aungel hym bad abide; & to Danyel it bere. 247
Sone he seide 'he nolde'; & ? af hym li? th ansuere.
? e aungel took hym by ? e top; & bare hym for? ? er myde,--
Hym had ben bettere to haue ygo; ? an so fer to haue iryde,--
& so hym he bare to Danyel; & ? o he com hym to, 251
He ? af hym ? e mete ? at he bare; & lete Abacuc go.
? o Danyel had seueni? th; ibe in ? e dep pytt,
? e kyng loked to his lyouns; & lete hem vndytt. 254
? Alyue he fond Danyel; gret wonder he hadde.
Wi? gret ioye he took hym vp; & to his fon hym lad.
? e men ? at brou? tten hym ? ere; he lete nyme fast,
And euerych after o? ere; amonge ? e lyouns cast. 258
Sone hadden ? e Lyouns; forswelewed hem vchone;
And so oure lorde euer among; take? wreche of his fon.
? apostles, forto ? ai weren yslawe; precheden cristendom;
And many man after hem; good prechour bycom. 262
And now ? ise freres don also; prechen aboute ylome,
ffor of prechyng it wor? e nede; er ? e day of dome.
? E first signe ? er a? eins; as oure lord hym-self sede,
Hungere schal on er? e be; treccherie & falshede, 266
Batailes & litel loue; sekenesse & haterede;
& ? e er? e schal quaken; ? at vche man schal drede;
? e mone schal turne to blood; ? e sunne to derkhede;
Antecrist schal on er? e gon; & prechen his li er hede.
He schal go bot in ? e holy londe; ? ere oure lord ? ede,
& his deciples in-to al ? e werlde; his yuel wordes wil bede.
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As ? ai speken, ? ai schullen do; miracles grete & ryue;
Bot we ne fynde nou? th ? ai mowe; arere ? e ded to lyue. 274
Bot in-to cursed gostes; fendes wille? go,
fforto bere hem witnesse; of al ? at he sei? hem to.
? ise grete clerkes & wise; a? ein hym schullen speke,
fforto holden vp cristendom; ? at men it nou? th ne breke. 278
Bot many of ? ise foles siggen; in her hastite,
? at clerkes schullen fordo ? is werld; bot so schal it no? t be,
Bot ? e fals clergie; ? at antecrist schal of preche; 281
& fele ? at in godenesse schulden be; li? er he wil hem teche.
Ac so wys clerk ne wor? ? er non; ? at ne schal haue to don ynou?
fforto disputen a? eins hym; ? ei? he haue ? e wou? .
Many men schullen turne; to yuel, men may drede, 285
ffor on er? e men may se; to li? er, stedfast hede.
Oure lord let hym on er? e gon; for ? at he wil fonde
Whiche men of stedfastnesse be? ; & cristendom vnderstonde.
Tueie men ben in paradys; Enok & Elye; 289
? ai ne suffreden neuer de? ; as we han seid twie.
A? eins ? e day of dome; ? ai schullen on er? e ali? th,
And her ei? er after o? er; a? eins Antecrist fi? th.