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

[The Jews plot against Christ's life.]

¶ Quen iesus had said tis and mare, He left all his disciplis þar, Line 14777 þai left him þar and went þar wai, Mikel of him can þai missai. For þai him held þair ful fa, Line 14780 "Qua herd euer man," coth þai, "spec sua!" Sum said, "oþer he es prophet, Or crist him-self to man es het; Bot of a thing in weir ar we, Line 14784 We wat þat ioseph sun es he, And þai ar o kind o galilee, Bot crist bes noght o þat contre, Bot of a castell certainli Line 14788 Quar-of was born þe king daui, þat es þe tun of bethleem, þe bok it wittnes for to tem. Line 14791 Soth," said þai, "til oþer þan, [folio 81b:1] þan es noght godd þis ilk man, þat of bethleem kind es noght Line 14794 Bot tan als theif, and to ded brogh[t]. He es wel knaun wit-in his kuith, His fader alsua his moder with O galilee ar born and geten, Line 14798 And als þat mai noght be for-geten,

Hu openli and for-wit all Line 14800 He dos him godd sun to call. þe folk es foles, þat es wel sene, þat rises þus wit him sa clene." Line 14803 Quen seand men him herd and sagh, Of him þam stod selcut gret agh, And said, "fast es he throd and thriuen, And mikel grace ai es him giuen; Salamon in al his blis, Line 14808 Had he na happ al suilk als his, For til him was þe lai bi-taght, þat he him thoru lering laght; Line 14811 Ne prophetes nan sa wiss þat ware, þat þai ne o man had sum-kin lare; Bot þis man, sin he come in werld, O suilk a-noþer man neuer herd, þat neuer o man was lered þe lau, And gain him mai be na gain-sau; In his hert es al puruaid, Line 14818 Quat he wil sai þat thing es said. Leue we him he vs has for-commen, Lang or he for vs be nummen, Line 14821 For þof he riche be noght his frendes, þe fauer all wit him it wendes."

¶ þan come þai to þe phariseus, Of all þai war þe maister schreus, And þai þam asked son in hij, Line 14826 "Quar es he þat godds enemy? Ha yee him þan?" þai said nai. "And quar-for sent we yow," coth þai, "Bot for to tak him if yee moght?" "Bot gains him mai we do noght, He has vs wonnen wit maistri, Line 14832 And we sal sceu yow sckil for-qui, For suilk a man, wit-vten wene, Was neuer in erth ne herd ne sene,

Again his word mai naman strijf, O resun be he neuer sa rijf." Line 14837 "Allas! nu has he yow scent, [folio 81b:2] Queþer ani of vrs be til him went, Quer he haf suiken wit his art, Ani lauerding apon vr part, Line 14841 We sari men, quat mai wee sai, Ne knau we noght þe writen lai, þis ilk man sal do vs scend." þan said an þat was his frend, Line 14845 Hight nichodem, was sent in saand, Ful gern in scil wald he þam fand, "Me think, lauerdinges, þat thoru vr lau þat i for me to warand drau, Line 14849 Wit-vten dome nan aght be slan, Ar he wit plight mai be ouertan. For if þat yee graitli will lok, Line 14852 Yee sal find writen in your boke, If ani man war tan for oght He suld be for iustijs be broght. And if it war sli maner wite, Line 14856 þat he þar-of ne moght him quite, þan his dome men suld him giue, Oiþer for to dei or liue." "Wit him þou halds als we se, Line 14860 For yee bath er born o galilee, Bot we find writen naur-quar þat vr crist suld be born þar, Bot o bethleem, o dauid kind, Line 14864 þis es þe soth þat yee sal find." þai went þam ham, all þat sith, Bath wrath, waful, and vn-blith.

¶ Strangli was þis folk felun, Line 14868 O littel wijt, o pour resun, Bitaght al to þe wiþer-win, Was nedder nan o mar wenim; Line 14871

Line 14871 O wicked wil of iuel mode, Line 14872 A-gain þair aun flesche and blode. Quat he was þai noght vnderstode, þat wijt to men gaf þat war wode, Til all þe nedi did he gode, Line 14876 And to þair folk fand ferli fode; Bot all for noght enent him stode, Til þai at end him did on rode. þai had leuer se find of hell, Line 14880 þan him bituix þam forto duell. Ful mikel [au] þai þat lauerd luue, þat sua wald cum for þair be-houe; He folus þaim and þai him fle, [folio 82a:1] Ne wald þai neuer opon him se, Suetli he wald þam drau him to, And þai ar abute at him for-do. Line 14887 Bot had þai selines on sene, Ful blith of his sight had þai bene, And wirscip him wit hand and fote, þat sua be born wald for þair bote. He luued þaim in his hert rote, Line 14892 Bot o þair luue es noght to mote, . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] And noght for-þi for wel na wa Line 14896 Fra nu wil he noght fle þam fra, Bot stabili bi-tuix þaim lend, Til prophecies war broght til end, Til he was naild on þat tre. Line 14900 We ilk dai of sample se, . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Of his passion þat was sa herd, Line 14904 þat yee sal here fra nu forward. He wil him bandun nu þar-till, Ful freli wit his aun wil, Line 14907

Line 14907 For he þe time sais command nei, þar he for mans kind wil dei, Line 14909 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] He wil him all vnbiden bede, Line 14912 For fast it neghes to þe nede For his to suffur passion. For-þi to spek of þat ranscon Line 14915 þat richer es þan erth and heuen, Or oght þat mans moth mai neuen, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Es resun þat wee vr rime rume, And set fra nu langer bastune. Line 14923 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Crist and his moder do me to spede! þat vn-worthi es for to rede, Line 14927 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þat i it rede wit sli louing I mai it wel to ending bring. Line 14931 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]