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

[The Betrayal and Last Hours of Christ.]

¶ Vte of vr lauerd hand hali þe morsel laght Iudas, Wit þat ilk morsel he laght, crep in him sathanas. Line 15388 Of all venim and of envi ful kindeld vp he ras, Fra þan he ran him ilk fote, ne yode he noght þe pas Line 15392 Til he come him til þat in, þar wonde sir caiphas, þar he þe Iuus befor him fand, his aun lauerd fas. Line 15396 He þat suilk a lauerd for-sok mai sai ful mani alas!

¶ Quen þis traitur til þam come, in consail he þam fand, Line 15400 Hu þai moght vr lauerd tak, þai wald him haf in hand. þai asked Iudas quat he wald? he said, "to bring tiþand Line 15404 Iesus þe prophet quar to find, þat yee er sua ȝernand. Quar his innes ar to night wel i can yow bring, Line 15408

Line 15408 If yee me oght of yurs giue, [folio 84b:2] þat i wijt for quat thing, In handes yur i sal him teche; Hald yee it na hething." Line 15412 All þai said to sir Iudas, "þou art a dughti dring, And godder-hali [[read hale]] þan sal þou se, For luue o þis techeing." Line 15416 ¶ þis marchandis, lauerdinges leif, Had we of mikel nede, Bot to þaim þat þe cheping did, it fel to mikel vnspede. Line 15420 þai asked Iudas quat he wald ask þam for his mede. And he þat traitur fell, þam said, "bot thritti penis gnede." Line 15424 ¶ "Mak þou us seker of him, her lo! þe penis we þe bede;" "Quat sekernes nu wil yee mare? til him i sal yow lede; Line 15428 Quar abute a-bide yee nu, bot go we better spede," "And yee him sal haf at your will, if i mai right rede." Line 15432

¶ Quen þis wreche Iudas þus receiued had his fang, "Comes forth, god men," he said, "qui duel yee sa lang? Line 15436 þai armed þam þan al priueli, for to ma þam strang, Wit suerd and ax and wapend wel, and als wit staf and stang. Line 15440 ¶ Quen þai war armed in þat curt, Iudas þam stod omang; þe traitur fals þan said to þaim, "wit me nu sal yee gang, Line 15444

Line 15444 þe man þat i youu sal biteche, abute him has gret thrang, A taken þan i sal youu giue, þat yee sal noght ga wrang. Line 15448 ¶ Knau yee þe man þat yee sal tak bi night?" þai said "nai." "Quarwit þat he sal knaun be a taken i sal yow sai. Line 15452 þat ilk man yee se me kis, hand on him yee lai, [folio 85a:1] For þat es he yee ga to seke." Line 15455 "it sal be don," coth þai. "For to hails him fair i sal ga furth wit yow yur wai, And lok yee folu me nere hand." "And sua we sal, parfai!" Line 15460 "þat time þat yee me se him kis, lais hand on him onan, He has wit him sum men, i-wiss, bot armed es þar nan. Line 15464 If þai bigin þam for to werr, yee lok þat all be slan;" Suilk was þe talking o þat traitur, to do his lauerd be tan. Line 15468 Ha! quat þis traitur iudas was vnkind bath and felun, þat þus his suete lauerd soght vn-to dampnacion, Line 15472 Bettur had him ben to ha ben ded, or ben wit batail bun, þan wit a kissing on þis wisse, him haf dun sli tresun. Line 15476 Bot sene es nu he serued ar his moder malisun. Ha! þou Iudas, traitur, thef, felunest in lede! Line 15480

Line 15480 O þi mikel wickednes mai al þis werld nu rede. Line 15482 Hu moght it sco in-to his hert, For to do suilk a dede, Suilk a lauerd al for to sla and þar-for ta þi mede? Line 15486 þou yeild again þat þou has tan, þof þou þar-to þe bede, þou was an es þe traitur mast þat euer was in thede. Line 15490

Leue we nu of iudas here to sai and his tresun. To spek o iesu þar he was herberd in þat tun. Line 15494 Hu sent petre mened him to, and said him þis resun, "þou sal be traijst lauerd, to night, it es noght to mistrun, Line 15498 Elleuen er we yeitt to witstand wit þe, all redi bun. ¶ If þai cum þe for to take, [folio 85a:2] we sal þe werr þam fra, Line 15502 We er herdi men i-nou agains iudas vr fa." "Quat wepens ha yee?" coth iesus, "sir, we haf suerdes tua." Line 15506 þan he bad þam all be still, and said, "i-nou er þaa, ¶ I do yow to wijt, mi breþer leif, þat lang es siþen gan Line 15510 þat ȝerned i haf þis ilk mete, mast at ete of an. Iudas sal now com in hi, for to do me be tan, Line 15514 And yee for soth sal efter me be ful will o wan."

¶ Quen þai vnderstode þis worde, A soruing þai bigan, Line 15518 And vr lauerd cald eft sith petre, and said him þan, "Petre, freind, self sathanas has asked þe to fan, Line 15522 He wil þe sift nu if he mai, as man dos corn or bran. Bot ic haf praid for þi faith þat it stand gain sathan. Line 15526 ¶ Petre, comforth breþer þin quen i am ledd yow fra." "Lauerd," he said, "þou wat þat i þe luue and dred al-sua, Line 15530 I am redi to folu þe bath in wel and wa; Bath to prisun and to ded, for þi luue wil i ga." Line 15534 ¶ þan bi-heild þam lauerd hind apon þat suete meigne, þat ful mikel murning mad, ful soruful on to se. Line 15538 "Ha mi leif fernet," he said, "ful wel yeitt sal yow be, þis ilk night sal be a sculd bituix yow and me. Line 15542 Til vnmesur mismai yow noght, for time sal cum þat yee Sal yur vngladnes þat es nu haf turnd in to gle. Line 15546 ¶ For þof miflex to þam be taght, [folio 85b:1] Als prophetis has sett, þat thoru mi ded a-pon þe rode sal mans bale be bette, Line 15550 I sal rise on þe thrid dai, to lijf wit-vten lett.

And quen we sal in galilee, eft be samen mete, Line 15554 Al þe care yee nu sal haf, clenli yee sal for-gett. ¶ Petre, be þou noght to radd, ma not to mikel care, Line 15558 Yee weind yow in-to galilee, and i sal mete yow þare." "I," he said, "to leue þe þus? þat sal be neuer mare, Line 15562 Bot sal we elles suffre samen, bath soft and sare." "Do wai, leif frend," coth iesus, "þou sal nite me oft are, Line 15566 ¶ þou sal þam se yeitt to night do me ful gret spite, For þat [[read þai]] wald writ on me þou wat al þair aun wijt, Line 15570 Ar þe cock him crau to-night, thris þou sal me nite, And sai þat þou me neuer sagh, bes þar na langer lite. Line 15574 Bot þou sal couer and comforth þam þat þou sees in þair site, And þe and þin, bath of yur care, i sal yow mak all quite." Line 15578 ¶ Alle þe apostels þan bi-gan to fal a-pon a gret; And þan he went als he was wont vn-to mont oliuete, Line 15582 Thre disciplis wit him yede foluand at his fete. "Bides here, and prai," he said, "i sal cum to yow skete." Line 15586 Fra þaim he yode þan allan a stancast wel o strete.

¶ Wit him he thre apostels toke, ar he mad his praier, Line 15590 Petre, Iams, and sant Ion, þer thre him derrest wer. Priueli þam ledd him wit [folio 85b:2] for-qui þai war him dere, Line 15594 And sceud þam a-pon þe mont, his consail for to here. Als dos þe fader to þe sun, he can þam teche and lere, Line 15598 And of angus in his hert til þam al mad he clere.

¶ "Mi saul es sorful to þe ded þat i sal suffer son, Line 15602 To-quils i ga mi praier mak ye bide me here on hone." A stancast þan fra þaim he yode, and þar he made his bone, Line 15606 Til his fader der of heuen þat sittand es in trone. Of his soru mai naman tell þat liues vnder þe mone, Line 15610 ¶ For-þi godmen, i warnis yow to thinc al of his care, And folus him yur fader es to leten on his lare; Line 15614 Awai yee do yur pride o lijf þat yee wit mikel fare, And buxu[m]nes for him yee bere, þat baret for yow bare; Line 15618 For his wa agh yee all to wepe, þat sufferd for us sare, Of all þe sorus þat has ben, suilk herd yee neuer ar. Line 15622 ¶ To-quils he lai in orisun, he wit his fader grett,

For þe mikel drednes o ded, his hali flesche al suett; Line 15626 þat was blod þan of him ran, þe place was þar-wit wett, Strang it was, þat soru, i-wiss, þat in his hert was sett. Line 15630 ¶ "Fader," he said, "þou her þi sun þat nu to þe wil cri, Quer i sal þis calice drinc, or i sal pass þar-bi? Line 15634 Fader," he said, "þou wat it wel, sai it noght-for-þi, All þi wil it sal be dun, þar-til i am redi." Line 15638 Lauerdinges nu, for godds luue, [folio 86a:1] yee herken to mi spell, O suilk a soru so [[altered from sa]] i said ar man herd neuer tell. Line 15642 Wit strang dred he smiton was, Thoru his flesche and fell, Quen suete o blod vte of him brast, þat sua on erth fell. Line 15646 ¶ Quen he was risen vt o þis sture, til his felaus come he, All on-slepe he fand þam fast for soru and for pite. Line 15650 Ful mildli to þam he spak, "breþer, quat nu do yee? Rises vp, and wakes wel, Ar yee tempted be. Line 15654 Petre, wak wit me a quile, þus hight þou not to me?" þair eien war greued sua wit grete, þat soru was to se, Line 15658 ¶ "Rise vp peris, has þou nu al forgeten þat þou hight?

þou said for me if mister war, to ded thole suld þou fight; Line 15662 And nu þou mai noght wak wit me An hore of a night. Bes wakand ai in orisun for him, þe maledight, Line 15666 þof þe spreit ai redi be þe flesche be [[MS. he]] ful [[read fus]] to plight."

¶ Quen he ha þus-gat þam bi-taght, stil he left þam þare, Line 15670 And went him eft vnto þe sted quar he was praiand are. Mikel he dred þat hard ded, þat broght vs vte o care. Line 15674 Ful buxumli he laid him don apon þat erth bare, And til his suete fader of heuen, þan quainid he his sare, Line 15678 Wit wordes þat he forwit said, and noþer less na mar. ¶ "I wat wel þat i sal it drinc þis calice, fader mine, Line 15682 Thoru mi bodi most it pass þe tholing o þis pine. I am þi sun, al redi bun, [folio 86a:2] will to do al þin." Line 15686 Wit þis he ras vp o þe place, þat he honurd him in; Quen he had mad his orisun, vp þeþen he ras ewai, Line 15690 He com til his apostels son slepand þar þai lai. To wacken þam ne wald he noght, þai teind war wit trai. Line 15694 O þam redles him reud sare, mare þan man can sai.

And þan he went þe thrid sith, his fader for to prai. Line 15698

¶ Quen he had þe thrid sith made his orisun, And mening til his fader der made of his passiun, Line 15702 þe strang soru þat he ledd can na man rede in run; þe angel vte of heuen come, On slepe þai lai alle dun. Line 15706 ¶ "Slepes nu, for wel yee mai, mi breþer leif," he said, "For he es cummand negh at hand þe tresun has puruaid, Line 15710 For mi god ded he sal me giue A waful hard braid, Bot mikel wa if he wald wijt þer es him for-wit laid, Line 15714 And pine lastand wit-vten end in hell es for him graid. ¶ He has wroght, if he wald wijt, him-seluen mikel wa. Line 15718 Wit mikel folk nu cumand es he þat es mi fa, Sper and suerd and mace þai bring, And wapens oþer maa; Line 15722 Iudas yonder cums nu lo, þat sekes me to sla." ¶ Ful merred war þai in þair mode, ful merck it was þe night; Line 15726 Als þai on ferr þam lok fra, þai sagh cumand a light. His disciplis wex ful radd Line 15729 quen þai sagh þat sight, [folio 86b:1] A lantern, staf, and suerd, and sper, and mani brandes bright, Line 15732

Line 15732 And Iudas armed to þe fote, al redi for to fight, Line 15734 On him he suld ha foghten fore, Wit resun and wit right,

¶ Iesus went him forþerward, disciplis him foluand, Line 15738 Vn-tilward a littel yard O cedron ouer þe strand. Iudas wel he kneu þe stede quar iesus was hauntand, Line 15742 Wit his fals felauscip þe traitur þar him fand. ¶ Quen Iudas had auised him quilk it was iesu, Line 15746 Son he ran him for to kis, And grett him, herkes hu. ¶ "Hali maister," he said, "þou be!" "Iudas, quat sekes þou?" Line 15750 "Iesus," he said, "o naȝareth." "yee haf him funden nu, ¶ I am he;" quen he sua had said al to þam þan, Line 15754 Iudas and his felauscip All on bak þai ran. þai fell þaim don vn-to þe grund, þar euer-ilk man, Line 15758 Iudas on ilk lim he quok, all vp þai siþen wan. ¶ Yeitt asked iesus "quat þai soght?" þai said, "iesum sek we," Line 15762 "And als i forwit haf yow said, here haf yee funden me." Iudas eft he lepe him to, "Aue rabi," coth he, Line 15766 For to kiss his suet muth he bedd it him ful fre.

"Sin yee me seke, i yow biseke yee lat mi felaus be, Line 15770 Iudas," he said, "þat þou sal do, þar-to nu hij þou þe."

¶ Quen Iudas him bedd to kiss, Iesus it groched noght, Line 15774 "Iùdas, quilum was," he said, "þat mikel o þe i roght, Nu þou has wit felunni [folio 86b:2] and tresun me bisoght, Line 15778 Wit a coss has þou mans sun vn-to þi bandun broght." ¶ Wit þis word þat iesus said, þai stert þam forth ilkan, Line 15782 þai him vn-sett on ilk side þat son þar was he tan. Wit maces and wit neues smert vn-rekenli on him ran, Line 15786 Ilk dint þat þai him gaf, it reked to þe ban. ¶ Petre þan him luued sa wel, he sagh na better wan, Line 15790 O þe forel a suerd he drogh þe ere he smat of an, For had it ben efter his wil he wald him fain ha slan. Line 15794 Iesus þan said, "petre, do wai! dint ne giue þou nan, ¶ In þe forel þou pute þi suerd, I wil noght þat þou smete." Line 15798 On malcus ere his hand he laid, And heild it ful tite; "He þat smitand es wit suerd, o suerd sal ha þe wite, Line 15802 I wil þat nan for mi sak noþer fight ne flite.

Peter freind, i sai to þe, quer þou it has for-gett, Line 15806 If i mi fader wald be-seke, I moght wit-vten lett Haf tuelue thusand legions redi all vmsett. Line 15810 Bot hu suld þan þe prophecies til end cum, þat er sett?" ¶ Petre was in hand nummen Line 15813 for forfait [[MS. sorfait]] he had don. Iesus tok þis malcus ere, And heild it wit-vten hon, "Ga forthe," [he] said, "mi fader has Wroght for þe mi bon." Line 15818 Petre wald a-wai ha bene And þan he scaped son, Quen his lauerd a-wai was ledd Wit him war leift ful fon. Line 15822 [folio 87a:1] ¶ Bi his heued and bi his hare for þai his maister drogh, And rugged him vn-rekenli Line 15825 bath ouer hill and ogh; Wit þair bastons bete þai him, and did him mikel wogh Hu þai him ledd þat ilk time to se was soru i-nogh. Line 15830 ¶ Nu wit bastons þai him beft Ful grimli to þe grund, þai huited on him viliker þan he had ben a hund. Line 15834 His disciplis þat wer feird at fle bigan to fund, And als þai fra þe herth him tite, His bodi was al stund. Line 15838

¶ Quils þai war þus him handland Wilik als þai mogh[t],

"Ha, quat yee godmen nu er man vnseli thoght; Line 15842 Wit staues qui bete yee me sua, quat haf i gain yow wroght? Quar-for haf yee taken me, And als a theif vm-soght Line 15846 Wit lantern a-pon nightertale And i ne fled yow noght? ¶ Forsoth i neuer serued it, in dede ne yeitt in sau, Line 15850 In þe temple was i wont to teche þam ilk dau, þar all þe folk was won to cum Wit maisters o þe lau. Line 15854 Maister was þar nan sa grett þat i dred for þair au, Ne o þe thinges i þam said, mi word wit scil wit-drau. Line 15858 ¶ Nu er yee cummen to tak me, Als in mercknes o night, And nu þan haf yee taken me Wit-vten ani plight. Line 15862 For yee me hate al to þe ded Haf yee nan oþer might, Bot suilk it es yur time," he said, "mirckenes wit-vten light. Line 15866 Ful il-hail þan troud yee Iudas, þat maledight, Mikel pine puruaid es yuu, [folio 87a:2] bot mar til him es hight." Line 15870

His hend þai band and ledd him forth, a-trott and noght þe pas, Vntil þair aun biscop hus, Was hatten caiphas. Line 15874 Mate and weri war þai þan, þai ne wist quar-for it was,

Left þai noght bi-hind þam þan þe fals felun Iudas, Line 15878 þar he liuerd his maister vp þai bunden had wit laȝas, Line 15880 þe feluns logh him til hething on ilk side, allas! Petre he folud him on ferr, For durst he noght in sight, Line 15884 For wonder gladli wald he wite o þe ending if he might. To caiphas hus son he com, And þider in he tight, Line 15888 Nu i hope it halden bes þat crist him forwit hight, He drogh him bak be him þe men Wald he noght cum in light. Line 15892 Quen he was to þe palais cummen, Sperd it was þe yate, A knaun freind he had þare-in, in he did him late Line 15896 Priueli for in his mode, For was he neuer sa mate, Gladli wald he spek and sper Bot at quam he ne wate; Line 15900 Quat thing suld of his maister worth, Wijt wald he ful fain. A quil forward he yode, a quile him drogh a-gain, Line 15904 Quat þai thoght wit his maister do gladlie wald he frain. For sare he dred þat siþen fell o þaim he suld be slain. Line 15908 ¶ A fir was kindeld on þe place, þe night it was ful caald, Mani drou a-bote þat fire For tiþans þat war tald. Line 15912

Line 15912 Petre þidder-ward him drogh, þof he was vn-baald, Line 15914 [folio 87b:1] A sargant þar was war of him, and can him to be-hald. ¶ Quen þis man had auised him, [[MS. hinc]] And þar he sagh him stand, "yon," he said, "es an of his Line 15919 þat wit vs es in hand." "Ful eber thuert nai," coth he, "yee mis nu vnderstand, Line 15922 Ne wist i neuer quat he was sin i was born in land."

¶ Had noght petre bot a-wai vnnethes þeþen gan, Line 15926 Quen a-noþer wit him mete And said, "þis ilk es an Of his felauscep for-soth, yee do þat he be tan." Line 15930 Coth petre, "knaulage of him had i neuer nan," ¶ Wit þis he drou him nere þe ȝate, Fain wald ha ben þer-vte, Line 15934 Bot þar he mett a woman son þat did him mast to dute. Him þis sco said, "for-soth i sagh lang ar wit him in rute, Line 15938 þou sais noght soth 'i knau him noght ne neuer was þar a-bute.' " ¶ "I knau him noght, for-soth," he said, þar-til his ath he suer;— Line 15942 Be þis was þe time o night past midnight and mare. þan bigan þe cok to crau, þe time was cummen þar, Line 15946 Petre þan him bi-thoght, þe word him said was are,

And went him forth vte of þat curt, Wepand full selli sare. Line 15950

¶ Iesus þan turnd him a-bute, on petre his hei he kest, þan wijst he cummen his maister word Wit-vten langar frest. Line 15954 Quen he him-self it vnderstod, Almast his hert can brest. þat night he did him to a roche, þar-vnder for to rest, Line 15958 For he ne wijt quider-ward to weind, ne quat þat him war best.

¶ It es writen o sir Iudas [folio 87b:2] quen he had don þat sin, Line 15962 Wit his penis þat he tok, Went til his moder in. "Moder, i haf mi maister sald, sal he naman bigin, Line 15966 And in mi purs þe pris i bere, sumquat þan get i win." ¶ Iudas was iesu aumnere, bath theif and traitur bald, Line 15970 All þat him was bitaght Ful selden gain he yald. Of his thift and his felunni, His moder al he tald, Line 15974 And hu he to þe Iuus had His aun maister sald. ¶ "Nu has þou þi maister sald?" "moder," said he, "ya." Line 15978 "þou," sco said, "nu sal be scent, i wat þai mon him sla, To ded þou sal him se be don, bot he sal rise þar fra." Line 15982 "Rise," said he, "dame nai, god dote, bes it noght moder sua,

¶ Ne sal he neuer vp-rise eft, [bona fabula de juda traditore & gallo occiso & scaturizato] truli i þe hight, Ar sal þis cok vp-rise Line 15987 was skald yisternight!" Vnnethe had he said þe word, þe cok lepe vp and flight Line 15990 Federd faryer þan be-forn and cru thoru grace o dright; And þan bigan þe traitur fals to dred him of his plight. Line 15994 ¶ þis it was þat ilk cok, þat petre herd him crau, Quen he had nite his lauerd thris he did him-seluen knau. Line 15998 Spek we nu hu þai iesus ledd, þis folk wit-vten au, Bath hidir and þider, bot þai ne wist quider þai wald him drau; Line 16002 þe lath despit þat þai him did, es soru i-wiss to scau. ¶ Al þat night he was in hand a-mang þat cursed lede, Line 16006 Apon þe morn ran þider-ward [folio 88a:1] þe folk, als þai wald wede. þe lauerdinges al war efter sent to be bifore þis dede. Line 16010 Peter, quen he sagh þe dai, til his felaus he yede He went him for to wisit þaim, for þar-of had þai nede, Line 16014 A sorful[er] night moght naman haf, þan he had, als we rede.