his eyes, he saw three
young men coming to him, and anon as he saw these three standing by him
he ran to them and worshipped one alone; he saw three and worshipped but
one. That betokeneth the Trinity, and prayed them to be harboured with
him, and took water and washed their feet: and prayed them to tarry
under the tree, and he would bring bread to them for to comfort them.
And they bade him do as he had said, he went and bade Sarah to make
three ashy cakes and sent his child for a tender fat calf, which was
sodden and boiled. And he served them with butter and milk, and the
calf, and set it tofore them. He stood by them, and when they had eaten
they demanded him: Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said: Yonder in the
tabernacle. And he said, I shall go and come again, and Sarah thy wife
shall have a child. And she stood behind the door and heard it and
laughed, and said softly to herself: How may it be that I should bear a
child? She thought it impossible. Then said our Lord to Abraham: Why
laugheth Sarah thy wife, saying in scorn, Shall I bear a child? but as I
said to thee before, I shall return and come again, and she shall have a
child in that time. And he asked Sarah why she smiled in scorn, and she
said she smiled ne laughed not, and our Lord said, It is not so, for
thou laughedst.

When they had rested Abraham conveyed them on the way. And our Lord said
to Abraham: I have not hid from thee what I purpose to do. The cry of
Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied and their sin is much grievous. I shall
descend and see if the sin be so great, the stench thereof cometh to
heaven, I shall take vengeance and destroy them. Then Abraham said: I
hope, Lord, thou wilt not destroy the just and righteous man with the
wicked sinner. I beseech thee, Lord, to spare them. Our Lord said: If
there be fifty good and righteous men among them, I shall spare them.
And Abraham said: Good Lord, if there be found forty, I pray thee to
spare them. Our Lord said: If there be forty, I shall spare them, and so
from forty to thirty and from thirty to twenty and from twenty to ten,
and our Lord said: If there be found ten good men among them, I shall
not destroy them. And then our Lord went from Abraham, and he returned
home again. That same eventide came two angels into Sodom, and Lot sat
at his gate, and when he saw them he went and worshipped them and
prayed them to come and rest in his house, and abide there and wash
their feet. And they said: Nay,