Cursor mundi (The cursur o the world). A Northumbrian poem of the XIVth century in four versions. Ed. by the Rev. Richard Morris ...

[The Obstinacy and Contrariousness of the Jews.]

¶ þir werkes þat he wroght o gode þe Iues menged in þair mode, Line 14385 þar-for þai consail þam omang Oþer him for to hefd or hang. His gode werkes ai to þaim war O soru bot kindling and care, A soruful red fra þan tok þai, Line 14390 Wath it was to do or sai. Ful deueli war þai Iuus thra, þair blisced lauerd for to sla, þair aun lauerd sua ful o blis, Line 14394 And þat sua helpand was til his, Sa mighti meke, sa mild o mode, Sua fre giuer of all-kin gode. Line 14397

¶ It es, lauerdinges, als we wat, Vr for-eldres þe bible wrat, God luued þe Iuus lang beforn þat his suet sun was born, Line 14401 And mikel luue to þaim has don, And liuerd þaim fra pharaon, Fra pharaon þat was sa strang þat þam in seruage held lang. Line 14405

Line 14405 He sent a man þam for to ledd, Line 14406 Fra amang þat cursed ledd, Moyses þe ald it was his nam, He led þaim thoru þe see fame; þis moyses was þair for-leder, Line 14410 And drund þe king, wit all his her. In wildirnes wit-vten suinc Bath he fand þam mete and drinc, þar he þam fedd wit angel mete, [folio 79b:1] And o mani bale þam bete. Line 14415 Mikel luue can he þam scau, Wit moyses he sent þam lau, And liuerd þam o mikel wa, For þai had mani felun faa. Line 14419 And heled þar bath dumb and def, And did þe wand bere flur and lef, þat aaron him-self bar, Als i haf teld yow forwit ar. Line 14423 And openli þaim forwit hete, Thoru þe muth o sere prophete, þat he suld flexs take o þair kin, For to ranscun wit adam sin. Line 14427 And quen þai asked saul to king, He gaf þaim freli þair asking. And siþen king dauid thoro chesing, þat slogh golias wit his sling; Line 14431 And efter him king salamon; And þe land of his promission Hight he þam in to won. And þar a-pon he sent his sun Line 14435 In erth be born, þe soth to tell, To ranscun all þat yode to hell; And troud noght yeit þaa felun þat þam tald rightwis sy[m]eon, Of him þat he in handes bare, Line 14440 Bot euer mistrud mar and mar,

Quen he him-self emang þam kidd, And mani fair meracles did; Line 14443 Als was be-for þe architricline, Quen he þe water turnd in-to wine: And o ten men þat war mesell, Line 14446 þat he gaf til ilkan þair hele; O lazar þat ded was alsua, þat he raisid, and oþer maa; And of a man þat was vnfere Line 14450 Mar forsoth þan thritti yere; And als of oþer mani sere, þe teind i mai not recken here. Ne he þam gaf na noþer task Line 14454 Bot al at haf þat þai wald ask, þe mar to þaim þat he him bedd þe faster ai þai fra him fledd, Line 14457 Bot al þat he wit luue þam soght, Enentis þe Iuus al was for noght. ¶ Ai quar þai war ful enwius, [folio 79b:2] And to þaim-self contraius, Line 14461 And again þair aun writt, þat þai wald noght trou on it. þai said þat crist suld ta manhede Of a maiden and of þair sede, Line 14465 Ne yeitt wald þai not vnderstand Quen him baptis Ion wit his hand, . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Cotton & Laud MSS.] And said "your sauueur es yon." Bot yeit þai troud noght sant Ihon, Ne for noght he cuth do or sai, Line 14472 Moght he þam bring to right way. Ne for na signe þat did ihesu, Moght þam bring right trouth to tru. Bot for his god dedis ilkan, Oft þai on him soght to scam, Line 14477

Line 14477 And namlikest for þat resun Line 14478 þat he vp-raised lazarum. Fra þat time forth þai did þair pain þat he and lazar war bath slain. Him for þe folk þat til him fell, Lazar for he can on him spell. Line 14483

¶ þis cursud folk wit þair mistru Thoght ihesu sla, bot þai ne wist how, Ne þai ne wist how to bi-gin, Line 14486 þai said, "we most now find sum gin, How þat he mai danpned be." Wit þis þai mad a gret semble, Wit-in a hus was in þe tun, Line 14490 Of þair aun dampnaciun, Hu þai might mak þat tresun, For him wald þai tak na ranscun. "He es," þai said, "sa selcut wijs, All þe werld mon wit him rijs. Line 14495 All þis werld til him sal buu, And if he liue in him sal tru; All men o rome sal cum, mai fall, Tak vr folk and sted wit-all, Line 14499 And first fra vs vr lagh vs reue, And siþen in þair seruis bileue." At þis gedring a man þar was, His nam was haten caifas, Line 14503 þair biscop was he þat si-quar; Better had him ben he neuer war. Biscops war þai þan a-bute, Ilkan bot his tueluemoth v[te]. Line 14507 [folio 80a:1] Caiphas þan said, "godmen we wat In gastlines i hald your stat, Trous me and mi consail, Line 14510 I hope þat it sal yow auail; Yee vnderstand noght þat i Wat, als thoru þe propheci, Line 14513

Line 14513 þat a man sal in hand bitan, Line 14514 And dempt for þe folk, and slan. Soth it es þat sua sal be, þis ilk ihesu soth þan es he. Dei allan for-soth he sal, Line 14518 Ar þat þe folk be perist all." . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Cotton & Laud MSS.] To sla iesu ilkan þai hight, Line 14522 And þar-to þair trouthes plight. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Cotton & Laud MSS.]

¶ Cayphas spak þus in his spa, Line 14526 Wordes suilk and oþer maa O þe dede o iesu crist, And said wel sother þan he wist, For he com for to dei wit wil, Line 14530 And sua þe prophecis to fill. Fra þan þai soght, wit-vten auu, Iesum for to bring on dau. Iesus will duell nu na langer Line 14534 þar þai mai him se or here, A quil in effrem dueld he es,— A cite bi a wildernes,— He duelles wit his disciplis þar, Line 14538 He wat þe Iuus wil him for-far, If þai moght hand a-pon him lai, Bot yeit was noght commen þat dai þat he him wald to ded be don, Line 14542 þof it was cummand efter son. þir Iues þat him hild in strijf, þai hatted na man mare on lijf, His disciplis þan war ful waa, Line 14546 þat þair maister was hated sua, Namlik o þaim þat he Suld serued mast and luued be. Line 14549

Line 14549 "I haue," he said, "yow chosen tuelue, þe tuelfd it es þe find him-selfe." þis was bi him he þaim for-tald Line 14552 Thoru quam he wist he suld be sald, þat was sir Iudas scarioth, Of alle him fell þe werst lot.

In effraym dueld he a stunde, Line 14556 And þeþen-ward son can he funde; Lang dueld he noght in þat contre, [folio 80a:2] Bot went him in-to galilee; þe land o Iude he has for-born, Line 14560 For þar þai hafe his ded forsuorn. þan heild þe Iuus in þair cite A fest man clepes cenophe, Disciplis said þan to iesu Line 14564 þir wordes i sal tell yow; "Sir, do þe heþen into Iude, þar men þi werc mai open se; To iurselem rede we þou wende, Line 14568 For þar es communli þi freind, þe freindes þou has our-quar, We wat mast quat er þai þar þair fest es nu, gan we sir þan, Line 14572 For þider gas ful mani man. It es na skil þat þou wit-drau, Bot bedd þe forth þe men to knau, If þou will haf þi werckes kydd, þou agh þe drau þe folk emid, Line 14577 þat þai þe bath mai se and here, And luue þe for þi signes sere. þe man wil luue-word haf in nede Baldli forth he most him bede." Line 14581

¶ Iesus said, "freindes, yee wat it noght, Anoþer thing es in mi thoght, þe werld i wat hates noght yow, It hates me, forsoth, yee tru, Line 14585

Line 14585 Me and alsua mi werckes all, Line 14586 And all þat to mi trouth will fall. It can noght hate yow witerli, Bot me it hates na selli, For it wat neuer quat i am, Line 14590 And of it spec me mikel scam, I of it and it o me, Ne mai na luue bi-tuix vs be. Ga yee to fest, for sua yee do, Line 14594 Haf i na tome at ga þar-to, Haf i na tome þider to fare, For quom me luuand haue i þar."

¶ þai went allan, þai left him þus, And priueli þam folud iesus, Line 14599 He folud þam priueli vn-sene, For wald he noght haf knaun bene Noþer wit þe Iuus ne wit his aun, Wald he noght þat [[MS. fith]] sith be knaun. He wist forwit þe Iues suar [folio 80b:1] þat þai suld him na langar spar, þaa feluns þat wald he war slain ȝern efter iesum can þai frain. Line 14607 Als witteles men sli lare þai lete, "Quar es nu," said þai, "þis prophete? Quider es he cummen, nu, he þat wis, Nu sal he sceu vs his maistris." Line 14611 At þe port o salamon Cum vr lauerd in-to þe tun, þar he fand forwit him bun Mani Iuus þat war felun, Line 14615 Wit þaa vn-meke þar was he mett, And son wit þam he was vmsett, þar bigan þai for to rute Line 14618 And for to gadir him a-bute, Allan iesus þaim stod emid, Keneli to him þai resun did Line 14621

Line 14621 "At þis vr fest," said þai, "er yee Ful mikel asked;" "quar for?" coth he. "For-þi þou art sa dred wit-all, Line 14624 And wis men godd sum þai call. If þou sua be, þe soth þou scau, And to þe folk þe for to knau." "Soth it es i am," said he, Line 14628 "Wit godds aun sun spek yee, Bot wele i wat yee tru it noght, þe werkes þat o me ar wroght, þat ilk dai yee se wit sight, Line 14632 Moght neuer be don wit mans might. ¶ Yee tru me noght, þat wat i wel, Ne yee me luue right neuer a del; And for yur hird hald yee not me, For-þi mi scep mai yee not be, Line 14637 þar yee war yemed haf i ben, þof mi trauail be littel sene. Yee ne wil me luue, ne lete ne here, Bot mi scep þat me haldes dere, O my paradis þe blis Line 14642 Ful wel i sal þam þider wiss. On domes-dai þan sal þai stan[d], Mi blis to haf on mi right hand, In þe lijf sal neuer leue, Line 14646 þis gift sal nan haf might þam reue. Wijt yee þat i youu dred na thing; He þat es fader of heuen king Line 14649 Mi fader es he, yee vnderstand, [folio 80b:2] Him drau i me to mi warand. I am his sun iesus þat sale Bring þis werld all vte o bale; Line 14653 I am þar-in bot littel quil, Fra nu þar-in sal last mi quil. Ne for-þi wel i sal þam kepe Line 14656 þat he me taght, mi fader scepe;

I sal þaim were fra alkins wath, Of hell sal þai neuer ha lath. Line 14659 I ha gret might and sal ha mare, For we er an and sal be euermare. þis es þe soth, mi fader and i We ar all an, yaa witterli, Sua þat we thoru nakin art Line 14664 Mai be made in sundre part."

¶ Quen Iuus þis herd thoght þam not gode, Littel wanted þat þam war wode, þai loked on him lath and grim, And hetli þai bi-hinted him, Line 14669 And said þan tuix þaim in strijf, "Lok he scap noght wit his lijf! It war worthi to stan him sun." Line 14672 Iesus said, "qui? quat haf i dun, Again yow wroght on ani wise?" "For þou art godds sun, þou sais." "I sai yow soth, þat sal yee se, Line 14676 For gode ded wil yee stan me? For quilk o mi gode dedis an Sai yee nu, yee wil me stan? "For þin dedes gode," coth þai, Line 14680 "We wil noght stan þe, parfai! Bot for þine werkes gain þe lau, And for þe luue o þi missau; Line 14683 þou mas þe godd, and þou art man." "Soth it es," coth iesus þan, "Bath i am, qua right wil men, For sundri mai we neuer tuin. Gas lokes þe bokes o your lai, Line 14688 And vnderstandes quat þai sai, In bok þe soth al mai we find, Bot-if yee self willi be blind; Line 14691 Your aun bok yee can noght spell, þat yee wat noght, i will yow tell.

For-þi it prouis yow for felun, Line 14694 And me goddsun all wit resun, For he es wit resun godds sun [folio 81a:1] þat his werc to wirc es won. In þis werld am i cummen and send, þe maless þar-of for to mend. Line 14699 Of his saand am i cummen, i-wiss, And halden he has me for his. þe hali writte lies na wight, Qua can vnderstand þe right. Line 14703 þe werckes þat i werc in his nam, Quat man þan mai wit resun blam. He þat in me wil truli trou, It sal him turn to mikel pru; Line 14707 And qua wil noght tru þat i tell, His herbering sal last in hell. Mi fader es forsoth in me, And i in him sal euer be." Line 14711

Wit wordes suilk war þai binomin, Wit scil concluded and ouercummin, Thoru þe hali writtes lare Line 14714 Was said a thusand yere and mare. þai cuth gain him find resun nan, Als crachuns he þam feld ilkan; Quarfor to sai þai can no mare, Line 14718 Soruful awai þai went and ful o care, Awai þai went wit menged mode, And iesus to þe temple yode; þar he mani chapmen fand Line 14722 Serekin marchandis chepand, . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Cotton & Laud MSS.] þair ox, þair cu, þair scepe þai sald, And moneurs þair mone tald; Line 14727 Als iesus als þof him war tene, þar-vte he kest þam al be-dene, Line 14729

Line 14729 Bath best and bier vte he beft, [[MS. left]] Noght an o þam þar-in he left. Line 14731 þe moneurs for þair misgilt, þair bordes ouerkest, þair penis spilt, þair setles þat þai in can sete, Line 14734 He kest þam dun vnder þair fete. Ne wald he neuer o þaim blin, Till all war vte þat þar was in. Amang þir men þat i of tald, Line 14738 War sume þat duues boght and sald, Gains þam he was ful kene and crus, "Dos yow," he said, "vte of mi hus, Mi hus agh be, right resun, Line 14742 Hus o praier and of orisun, And yee mak it, wit-vten leue, [folio 81a:2] A to-draght o reuer and thefe." Line 14745

¶ Quen þai had þis sene, þe Iuus To blaken þan bigan þair brous, "Maister," said þai, "ferli thinc vs Quarfor þat we þe suffer þus, Line 14749 Quatkin thing can þou sai to Do, quar-for we suld þe bu?" Vr lauerd iesus þam gaf ansuar, Line 14752 Bot þai wist neuer quat thing it bar. "þai feld þis kirc dun to þe grund, I sal it rais in littel stund, I sal it rais, þe soth to sai, Line 14756 Al hale wit-in þe thrid dai." þe Iuus him ansuard þan wit ire, "Nu art þou ai a selcut sire, It es bot foli al þi talking, Line 14760 And als an inpossibile thing; Quen salamon king, mast o blis, Had all þat he wald efter wiche, In all his welth he was to wirc, Fourti yeir abute þis kirc, Line 14765

Line 14765 Til it was made als it es nu; Line 14766 And nu a gret selcut sais þou, Do fell it dun and siþen þou sal In thrin dais rais vp hal! þat ar suld fourti yeir be past, Line 14770 Ar þou had might it dun to cast." Bot þai wist noght iesu entent þat of his aun bodi he ment, To lat þam stru it als þai did, Line 14774 O dais to rais it on þe thrid.