49 3if me be dyзt a destyne due to haue,
What dowes me pe dedayn, oper dispit make?
Oper 3if my lege Lorde lyst on lyue me to bidde,
Oper to ryde, oper to renne, to rome in his ernde,
53 What grayped me pe grychchyng bot grame more seche? Much if he me ne made, maugref my chekes,
& penne prat moste I pole, & vnþonk to mede,
pe had bowed to his bode, bongre my hyure.
57 Did not Jonas in Jude suche jape sum-whyle?
To sette hym to sewrte, vnsounde he hym feches.
Wyl 30 tary a lyttel ty[m]e, & tent me a whyle,
I schal wysse yow per-wyth, as holy wryt telles.
IT bi-tydde sum-tyme in pe termes of Jude,
Jonas joyned watz per-inne, jentyle prophete;
Goddes glam to hym glod þat hym vnglad made,
Wyth a roghlych rurd rowned in his ere.
65 Rys radly,' He says, '& rayke forth euen!
Nym þe way to Nynyue, wyth-outen oper speche,
& in pat cete my sazes soghe alle aboute,
pat in pat place at þe poynt I put in pi hert;
69 For i-wysse hit arn so wykke pat in þat won dowellez, & her malys is so much I may not abide,
Bot venge me on her vilanye & venym bilyue.
Now sweze me pider swyftly, & say me pis arende !'
73 When pat steuen watz stynt, pat stowned his mynde,
Al he wrathed in his wyt, & wyperly he post,-
If I bowo to his bode & bryng hem pis tale,
& I be nummen in Nuniue, my nyes begynes.
77 He telles me pose traytoures arn typped schrewes;
I com wyth pose typynges, pay ta me bylyue,
Pynez me in a prysoun, put me in stokkes,
Wrype me in a warlok, wrast out myn yзen.
81 Pis is a meruayl message a man for to preche,
Amonge enmyes so mony & mansed fondes!
Bot if my gaynlych God such gref to me wolde,
Fo[r] desert of sum sako pat I slayn were,
85 At alle peryles,' quop pe prophete, 'I aproche hit no nerre;
I wyl me sum oper waye, pat he no wayte after;
I schal tee in-to Tarce, & tary pere a whyle,
& lystly, when I am lest, he letes me alone.'
89 penne he ryses radly, & raykes bilyue,
Jonas toward port Japh, ay janglande for tene,
Pat he nolde pole for no þyng non of pose pynes,
paz pe fader pat hym formed were fale of his hele.
93 'Oure syre syttes,' he says, 'on sege so hyze,
In his g[lo]wande glorye, & gloumbes ful lyttel,
paz I be nummen in Nuniue & naked dispoyled,
On rode rwly to-rent wyth rybaudes mony."
97 pus he passes to pat port his passage to seche,
Fyndes he a fayr schyp to pe fare redy,
Maches hym wyth pe maryneres, makes her paye,
For to towe hym in-io Tarce, as tyd as pay myзt.
For Then he tron on po tres, & pay her tramme ruchen,
Cachen vp pe crossayl, cables pay fasten,
Wist at þe wyndas wezen her ankres,
Sprude spak to be sprete pe spare bawe-lyne;
105 Gederen to be gyde-ropes,-pe grete clop falles;
pay layden in on ladde-borde, & pe lofe wynnes;
pe blype brepe at her bak pe bosum he fyndes;
He swenges me pys swete schip swefte fro pe hauen.
109 Watz neuer so joyful a Jue as Jonas watz penne, pat pe daunger of Dryztyn so derfly ascaped; He wende wel þat þat wyz pat al pe world planted Had no mazt in pat mere no man for to greue.
113 Lo, pe wytles wrechche, for he wolde not suffer, Now hatz he put hym in plyt of peril wel more! Hit watz a wenyng vn-war þat welt in his mynde, paz he were so3t fro Samarye, pat God sez no fyrre.
117 3ise, he blusched ful brode,-pat burde hym, by sure! pat ofte kyd hym pe carpe pat kyng sayde, Dyngne Dauid on des, pat demed pis speche In a psalme pat he set pe Sauter wyth-inne:
121 O Folez in folk, felez oper whyle,
& vnderstondes vmbe-stounde, pa3 [3]e be stape [in] fole!
Hope 30 pat he heres not, pat eres alle made?
Hit may not be þat he is blynde, pat bigged vche yзe.'
125 Bot he dredes no dynt þat dotes for elde,
For he watz fer in pe flod foundande to Tarce:
Bot, I trow, ful tyd ouer-tan þat he were,
So pat schomely to schort he schote of his ame.
119 For be welder of wyt, þat wot alle pynges, pat ay wakes & waytes, at wylle hatz he slyзtes: He calde on pat ilk crafte he carf wyth his hondes ; pay wakened wel þe wropeloker for wropely he cleped:
133 Ewrus & Aquiloun, pat on est sittes,
Blowes bope at my bode vpon blo watteres.'
Penne watz no tom per bytwene his tale & her dede,
So bayn wer pay bope two his bone for to wyrk.
137 An-cn out of pe norp est pe noys bigynes,
When bope brepes con blowe vpon blo watteres;
Roz rakkes per ros wyth rudnyng an-vnder;
pe see souzed ful sore, gret selly to here;
141 pe wyndes on pe wonne water so wrastel to-geder
pat pe wawes ful wode waltered so hize,
& efte busched to be abyme, pat breed fysches
Durst nowhere for ro3 arest at pe bothem.
145 When pe breth & pe brok & pe bote metten,
Hit watz a joyles gyn þat Jonas watz inne,
For hit reled on roun[d] vpon pe roze ypes:
pe bur ber to hit baft pat brasto alle her gere.
149 pen hurled on a hepe pe helme & pe sterne;
Furst to-murte mony rop & pe mast after;
pe sayl sweyed on pe see; penne suppe bihoued
pe coge of pe colde† water; & penne pe cry ryses.
153 3et coruen pay pe cordes & kest al per-oute;
Mony ladde per forth lep to laue & to kest;
Scopen out pe scapel water pat fayn scape wolde;
For be monnes lode neuer so luper, þe lyf is ay swete.
157 per watz busy ouer-borde bale to kest,
Her bagges & her feper-beddes & her bryst wedes,
Her kysttes & her coferes, her caraldes alle;
& al to lysten pat lome, 3if lepe wolde schape.
161 Bot euer watz ilyche loud pe lot of pe wyndes,
& euer wroper pe water, & wodder pe stremes.
pen po wery for-wrozt wyst no bote,
Bot vchon glewed on his god pat gayned hym beste:
165 Summe to Vernagu þer vouched a-vowes solemne,
Summe to Diana deuout & derf Nepturne,
To Mahoun & to Mergot, pe Mone & pe Sunne,
& vche lede as he loued, & layde had his hert.
169 penne bispeke pe spakest, dispayred wel nere,-
'I leue here be sum losynger, sum lawles wrech,
pat hatz greued his god, & got here amonge vus.
Lo, al synkes in his synne, & for his sake marres!
I lovue þat we lay lotes on ledes vchone,
& who-so lympes pe losse, lay hym per-oute.
& quen þe gulty is gon, what may gome trawe,
Bot he pat rules pe rak may rwe on pose oper?'
177 pis watz sette in asent, & sembled pay were,
Herzed out of vche hyrne to hent þat falles;
A lodes-mon ly3tly lep vnder hachches,
For to layte mo ledes & hem to lote bryng.
181 Bot hym fayled no freke pat he fynde my3t,
Saf Jonas pe Jwe pat jowked in derne;
He watz flowen for ferde of pe flode-lotes
In-to pe bopem of pe bot, & on a brede lyggede,
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