A Hyve Fvll of Hunnye :: :: University of Virginia Library

Three men appere to Abraham
as at his dore he sat
Isacke agayne is promised,
and Sara laughes therat.
Destruction of the Sodomites.
is opened by the way
To Abraham, and he for them
vnto the Lord doth pray.

1

As Abraham was in the Playn,
of Mamre where he dwelt,
And beakt himselfe agaynst the Sunne
whose parching heat he felt:

2

As he yet sate within the dore
of that his House or Tent,
It pleasd god vnto hym t'appere
by number three he sent.

3

And Abraham lift vp his eyes,
and lookt on euery syde:
And lo, by him three men there stode,
whom when he had espide

4

He ranne to mete them from his Tent
and fel vpon the grounde,
And sayd O Lord if in thy sight
I euer fauour found,

5

Goe not (I pray) thy seruaunt from,
let Water fayre and clere
Be fetcht to wash your Feete withall,
vnder this tree that's here.

6

And I wil runne some Bread to fetch
no whit I tary shall,
That you may eate and so refresh,
your harts and Sprites withall

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7

And then you shal when as you please
departe and goe your way.
For therfore are you hether come,
to seruaunt youre this Daye.
Sayd they, go, do as thou hast sayde,
we wil abide and staye.

8

Then Abraham departed thence,
and so apace he wente
Unto his wyfe that Sara was,
abyding in the Tente.

9

He bad she should three peckes of meale
the finest strength to take:
The same wyth spede at once to knede,
and Cakes therof to make.

10

And Abraham vnto the Beastes
did runne a Calfe to fet,
That young and tender was to see,
fyt for the Fyer set.

11

He gaue the same a yong man to,
that then was there with him,
And he the same with hasty spede.
did ready make and trim.

12

When Cakes were bak'te, and ech thing els
in decent order was,
He Butter tooke and Milke also,
and brought the Calfe in place:

13

Where as they were vnder the Tree
and it before them set,
Then Abraham vnder the Tree,
stode by when they did eate.

14

And Abraham demaunded was
by them whom God had sent:
Where Sara was? he answered,
beholde, shee's in the Tent.

15

Sayd he, I wil in my returne
come backe agayne to thee,
Acordinge to the tyme of lyfe,
that shall apparant be.

16

And loe: thy Wyfe shal haue Sonne
such fauour shalt thou fynde:
That Sara heard where as she stode,
The Tent dore there behynde.

17

For Abraham and Sara both,
in yeares were very olde,
T'was not with hir as Women with,
she baren was and colde.

18

Therfore she laughed where she stoode
and to hir selfe did saye,
Now am I oulde, my Lord also,
shal I with lust go playe?

19

But God which heard and saw hir hart,
did Abraham aske, why
That Sara laught within herselfe
and sayd thus secretely,

20

Shal I that Olde and barain am
conceiue and a chyld beare?
Is any thyng to wonderfull
for God to do each where?

21

I saye, accordinge to the time
that I apoynted thee:
I hyther will returne agayne
when time of Life shalbe:
And Sara shall bringe forth a Sonne,
and that thine Eyes shall see.

22

When Sara heard her thought disclos'd
shee was as then afrayde:
And sayd, forsooth I lawghed not:
and so the same denayde.

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It is not so, but thou di'dst Lawghe,
to her agayne he sayd.

33

And so these men stode vp and look'd,
from thence to Sodom warde,
And Abraham, parte of theyr waye
did both them guide, and garde.

34

And as he went, the Lord thus sayd,
shal I from Abram hide
That thinge which now I minde to doe,
where Sodomytes abyde?

35

I know that Abraham shalbe
a people great to see,
And all the Nacions of the Earthe
in hym shall blessed be.

36

Also I knowe hee wyl commaunde
his Children and his flocke
And of his housholde after hym,
that springeth of his stocke,

37

To keepe the way of God theyr Lord,
and do the thing that's right,
With conscience pure, that God may bringe
on Abraham such light
As God before hym promysed,
by Richesse of his might.

38

The Cry of Sodom and Gomorre.
God said, is very greate,
And sure theyr Synne more greeuous is,
then fiers flamyng heate.

39

I will therefore goe downe, sayd he,
the same to viewe and see,
Whether they haue in all so donne,
as Cryeis come to me.

40

And so the men departed thence,
and toward Sodome wente,

But Abraham before the Lorde
yet stode wyth good entent:

41

At last drew neare and said, wilt thou
destroye the righteous all
Wyth wycked menne, that therein be?
perhap it may so fall,

42

Thou mayste amonge the wicked sorte
there fifty righteous see,
Wilt thou (O God) not spare the place
for fifty right that be?

43

Let that be far and far from the,
that thou the Iust should slaye
Together wyth the wicked sorte
that haue despysd thy way.

44

And that the righteous should appeere.
as wycked in thy sighte:
Shall not the Iudge of all the world,
according do to right?

45

If I in Sodome City finde,
fifty that righteous are,
I will (sayd God) for fiftye sake,
both men, and City spare.

46

And Abraham, thus answered,
and sayd (O Lorde) beholde,
I that but Ashes am and Duste,
to speake yet am so holde.

47

It so may chaunce there shal lacke fiue,
of fifty righteous men
Wilt thou the City, and the reste
destroy, for wante of them?

48

God sayd againe, if I may find
but forty there and fiue,
I wyl the City saue from harme,
and all therein alyue.

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49

Sayd Abraham, the Citty (Lorde)
may Forty righteous make:
God sayd, I will it not destroy
for Forty righteous sake.

50

O let my Lorde, not angry bee,
that I replye agayne:
There may be Thirty found therein,
that righteous do remayne.
He sayd, if I but Thirty finde,
I will do no man payne.

51

O see, sayd hee, I haue presum'de
my God to speake to, here:
There may be Twenty yet therein,
that righteous may appeare:
Sayd God, then for those Twenties sake,
the City shalbe cleare.

52

O Lord with me not angry bee,
but let thine anger ceasse:
I will this once, but speake to thee,
and after holde my peace:

53

Perchaunce, there yet may Tenne be there
that do thee loue and serue:
I will sayd God, for those Tenne sake.
the City whole preserue.

54

Thus when that God of Abraham
had heard what hee coulde say:
Almighty God departed thence:
and Abraham that Day
Returned backe vnto hys place,
within his Tent to staye.