hath said.  Which words when Abraham’s servant had heard, he fell down to the ground and thanked our Lord, and anon took forth silver vessels and of gold and good clothes and gave them to Rebekah for a gift.  And to her brethren and mother he gave also gifts, and anon they made a feast, and ate and were joyful together.  On the morn betimes, the servant of Abraham arose, and desired to depart and take Rebekah with him and go to his lord.  Then the mother and her brethren said:  Let the maid abide with us but only ten days, and then take her and go thy way.  I pray you, said he, retain ne let [hinder] me not, our Lord hath addressed my way and achieved my errand, wherefore let me go to my lord.  And they said:  We shall call the maid and know her will; and when she was demanded if she would go with that man, she said:  Yea, I shall go with him.  Then they let her go, and her nurse with her, and so she departed, and they said to her:  Thou art our sister, we pray God that thou mayst increase into a thousand thousand, and that thy seed may possess the gates of their enemies.  Then Rebekah and her maidens ascended upon the camels, and followed the servant of Abraham which hastily returned unto his lord.

That same time, when they were come, Isaac walked by the way without forth and looked up and saw the camels coming from far.  Rebekah espied him and demanded of the servant who that he was that came in the field against them.  He answered and said:  That is my lord Isaac, and anon she took her pall or mantle and covered her.  The servant anon told unto his lord Isaac all that he had done; which received her and led her into the tabernacle of Sarah his mother and wedded her, and took her in to his wife, and so much loved her, that the love attempered the sorrow that he had for his mother.  Abraham after this wedded another wife, by whom he had divers children.  Abraham gave to Isaac all his possessions, and to his other children he gave movable goods, and departed the sons of his concubines from his son Isaac whilst he yet lived.  And all the days of the life of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, and then died in good mind and age, and Isaac and Ishmael buried him by his wife Sarah in a double spelunke [cave].

HERE BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF ISAAC

WITH THE HISTORY OF ESAU AND OF JACOB

Which is read in the Church the Second Sunday in Lent

Isaac was forty years old when he wedded Rebekah and she bare him no children.  Wherefore he besought our Lord that she might bring forth fruit.  Our Lord heard his prayer, and she had twain sons at once.  The first was rough from the head to the foot, and he was named Esau; and the other was named Jacob.  Isaac the father was sixty years old when these children were born.  And after this, when they were grown to reasonable age, Esau became a ploughman, and a tiller of the earth, and an hunter.  And Jacob was simple and dwelled at home with his mother.  Isaac the father loved well Esau, because he ate oft of the venison that Esau took, and Rebekah the mother loved Jacob.