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

[The Trial before Caiaphas and Pilate.]

¶ In sir caiphas curt þai heild þan þair gadiring, Line 16018

Line 16018 Again þair lege lauerd, i-wiss, to hefd him or to hing. Line 16020 All þai gadird o þe tun, bath freman and dring, And sent to pilate þair procuratur, And did him þider bring, Line 16024 For he sett vte-ouer þam vnder cesar þe king.

¶ Sir pilate com and asked þam, in hething als it war, Line 16028 "Quar es your king, yee do him bring forth bifor vs here." þai [[MS. þat]] stert þam forth vnsterli, Wit a fulbald bere, Line 16032 "Parfai, pilate, wel þou aght to hald him ful vn-dere, þat king him mas wit-vten leue Ouer cesar þe emperour, Line 16036 Herd þou neuer na selcut slike Als þou of him sal here." Caiphas þair biscop was Ful riche man and rank Line 16040 All þai gedird at his curt, and þai samen sanck. iesus þat in prisun lai, ful herd þai did hanc, Line 16044 And bonden broght him forth as thef, þair will him was ful vlanck.

¶ þai vmbithoght þaim on quat wise þat þai moght him wrei, Line 16048 And wit quat thing þai titest moght do him for to dei. Sir pilate o þaim bi-heild, o skil was sumdel slei, Line 16052 þat [[MS. þai]] kneu sumdel þair feluni, [folio 88a:2] Wist þam was leif to lei;

¶ He beheilde þat bitter bald, Hu þai said þair resun, Line 16056 And vnderstode þat þai him had tene al wit tresun. He luued nawight þat wick folk, for þai war ai felun. Line 16062 Pilat satt, and him a-butte Line 16059 þe burges o þe tun; Line 16060 Bifor þam iesus stode als a lambe, His hefd druppand dun, Line 16064 On þam he loked noght his ei. to lei þai war ai bun, Mani lesing had þai loun again iesu þat dai; Line 16068 Pilat did men here and list Al thing þat þai wald sai. Bot he cuth find na skil quar-for On him men witte suld lai, Line 16072 For in þair aun sagh þai said, oft-sith for-kid þai. ¶ Vp þar stert tua panteners in middes þat consile, Line 16076 And said on hei to sir pilate, "sir, herken vs a quile. He þis es man, and mas him godd, to ger men trou his gile, Line 16080 He es na godd ne godd suns, of him we knau þe stile." ¶ "Godmen," he said, "yeitt es þar mar?" "Herkens we sal yow tell, þat he in þe temple said Line 16085 quar we herd him spell. He bad þat we þe temple suld al to þe grund dun fell, He suld it rais þe thrid dai, Line 16089 na langer terme emell."

¶ Wit þis sir pilate sun vp-rais, Iesum he wit him ledd, Line 16092 And yode in-to þe pretori, þat was a sundri stede. Bituix þam tua he asked him quar-for he was sa medd Line 16096 To þat folk him soght wit scam þat answar nan he bedd? [folio 88b:1] ¶ "Seis þou noght, þat þai þe hate þir Iuus, nathing mare, If þai ha might wit wild ded Line 16101 þai will þe for-fare. Ne heres þou noght on ilk-a side hu þai apon þe rar, Line 16104 Again þair saues þat þai sai, quin giues þou þaim answar? Sin man has said vs þat þou ert A wis man o lare; Line 16108 Sai me iesus, qui dos þou þus? to me na soth þou spare."

¶ At þir wordes come a man rinnand fast in hij, Line 16112 And said þat he wald spek onan wit pilate priueli. A messager him tiþand broght Fra his wijf, his leuedi, Line 16116 Sco grett him wel and tiþand sent þe quilk he had redi. "Mi wijf es sumquat iuel at ess, And þat es for a sight Line 16120 þat sco wit-in hir sleping sau, nu þis ilk night, O iesu, þat þis fals folk Has tan wit-vten plight. Line 16124 Word sco sendes þe for-þi, if ani wai þou might

þat þou thole him noght to dei, for it war gret vn-right." Line 16128 ¶ Quen pilate had þis tiþand herd, And wel it vnderstode, He broght þam iesum þan agayn, And to þe curt he yode. Line 16132 "Godmen," he said, "yee can noght find oght in þis man bot gode, For he es noght worthi to dei, Als me think in mi mode. Line 16136 Bot skurges him and late him ga, quen yee mai see þe blod." ¶ "Do wai," coth þai, "nu sir pilate, quare-for sais þou sua, Line 16140 We wil it graunt on nankin wise þat he suld scap vs fra. He mas him king, and wald be cald, And þou wat wel þat qua Line 16144 Mas him king wit-vten leue, [folio 88b:2] es þe imperours fa. O galilee þan es he born þe folk he dos mis-ga." Line 16148

Quen þat pilat herd þam sai he was o galilee, Thoght he wald ha sauued him, to dred þan can he, Line 16152 For herod was þat ilk siquar keper o þat contre. Iesus bunden als he was, alsua he lete him be, Line 16156 And wit his sergant he him sent til herod for to se. ¶ For to wreth yeit herod mar pilat thoght ful lath, Line 16160 For he and he had samen ben, forwit selcuth wrath,

For to do his breth to bu, of him þat was ful brath. Line 16164 [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] To herowde þo he hym sent euyn the hie gate;] ¶ Herod had yernd him to se, and of his come was fain, Line 16168 Wit his knightes vp he ras, and went him þan again. Of him he wend ha signes sene, For noght, al was in vain, Line 16172 Ne wald he neuer on him bi-hald, for thing þat he moght frain. ¶ Bot yeit þe Iuus fined noght, to seke iesum wit wrake, Line 16176 þai praid herod þat he ne suld na praier for him make, Ne help him, ne he ne did, Al for þe Iuus sake. Line 16180 Yeit I hope þat þai sal bath grisly bi-for him quake.

¶ Quils þat herod wit him spak, And he answerd him noght, Line 16184 For he had gernd him to se þar-for him for-thoght, For had he þan anlepi signe forwit herods wroght, Line 16188 Had noght þe Iuus don him to ded for thing þai cuth or moght. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Cotton & Laud MSS.] ¶ He asked him al priueli, qui þai him sua bi-soght, Line 16196 "Speke wit me, and sai me qui [folio 89a:1] and al sal be for noght."

And iesus held him stil als he Line 16199 noght of him-seluen had roght: A purprin clath þai on him kest, And gain to pilate broght In taken þat he was a fole, þat his wijt littel doght. Line 16204

¶ Apon þan sir herods halue þai gret wel sir pilate, And said, "sir, yee er freindes made, þe soth þar-for yee wate, Line 16208 He has þe sent þis man again right in þat ilk state. A word wit him ne wald he spek, ne ans vp lift his late. Line 16212 ¶ He es þe selcuthest man, þat euer yeit we sei, For he will noiþer change his cher for lau man ne for hei, Line 16216 Noþer ansuar for to giue, ne lift vp ans his hei. Bot herod thankes þe þi sand, for-soth we sal noght lei." Line 16220 ¶ "Godote," said pilate to þam þan, "þat thinc me ful gode, Bot giues me consail if yee can, for menged es mi mode. Line 16224 þis godman es o mikel wijt, qua-sa it vnder-stode, Bot he has wrethed yow, for-qui yee er wit him sa wod. Line 16228 I rede men chasti him for-þi, And bete him to þe blod. Godmen quat es þan your dome sais me certanli," Line 16232 Alle þai said, "þat he be don on rode, and þat in hi."

"Better mote yee sai þan sua," coth pilate, "sua rede i, Line 16236 To varn yur consail better it es þan to do mar foli." ¶ Pilate þan was ful wrath, i-wiss, wit þaim þat ilk dai, Line 16240 "Man," he said, "qui dos þou sua, qui wil þou nathing sai Agains þam þat folus þe, [folio 89a:2] noiþer ya ne nai? Line 16244 For þi stat þou aght to spek, to bring þi self a-wai, And help þe nu als ar has dun, for wel þou can and mai. Line 16248 ¶ Qui es þe nu sa lath to spek? for-ansuer þam, i rede, Ne seis þou noght hu þat þis folk þe beres to þe dede? Line 16252 A freind has þou noght bituix þam, for all er þai þi fede, If þou wil noght help þi-self, men haldes þe for quede. Line 16256 ¶ Sai me son quer þat þou be godd sun or nan, þat i mai wijt it witerli." þan ansuerd he o-nan, Line 16260 "I am his sun als þou has said þat all leis be wan; þat sal be sene quen sothfastnes sal quilum be ouer-tan, Line 16264 ¶ Tru it qua-sum wil it tru, i sal yow scau þe right, For to climbe þe cludes all þe sunn sal haf þe might. Line 16268 And for his freindes efterward dun þan sal he light,

Noght als in priueti i sai, bot in yur aller sight." Line 16272 ¶ Ful wel at þis word was he herd wit þat cursd lede, And vp þai ras and gaf a cri, Als þof þai wald wede. Line 16276 "Quat mister es o wijtnessing again him for to lede? His aun muth nu has him dempt, o wijtnes es na nede. Line 16280 Dos him on rode, þat ranscun non sa bald befor him bede." ¶ Wit þis a sergarnt forth þar stert, þat stode a-mang þam þar, Line 16284 He lift his hand and a buffet He gaf iesu ful sare; Eftersons said he, "spek bot scil and wordes suilk na mare, Line 16288 For þi mi[s]-sau þat all has herd [folio 89b:1] maldathait qua þe spare, And quils þou liues here wit vs þi lengring sal be care." Line 16292 He lift þan vp his face And loked on þat felun, "Freind," he said, "qui smites þou me wit-vten right resun, Line 16296 Ar þat þou mi word had mend, quat es þin a-chesun? þe man es noght ouertan in mote at smit him es tresun." Line 16300 ¶ Pilate him ras, and forth yode vte o þe pretori, þis felun folk iesu þai ledd, foluand him wit cri. Line 16304 Pilate said and badd þai ne suld do him na vilani,

For quat ending þe mote suld take, þai wist noght witerli. Line 16308 ¶ In-til a chamber went pilat þan priueli him an, And iesus thoru his commandment, þar-in wit him es gan. Line 16312 Pilate þan him to resun did wit wordes manian, "Goddman," said he, "sai me nu qui þou ert als prisun tan, Line 16316 ¶ Thoruut þis biscop and his men þat þou ert to be taght? Wel knaus þou þaim, and þai þe þat þe in hand has laght. Line 16320 Ert þou goddsun," he said, "es o sua mikel maght?" "Soth," he said, "qui askes þou, it es þe forthwit taght." Line 16324 ¶ "þe soth þou sai me," coth pilate, "quar-for þai er þi fa, I wat and seis þai wel noght fine, be-tuixand þai þe sla. Line 16328 Ne wat þou þat þe pouste es min to spill or latte ga?" þan said iesus to sir pilate, "me thinc it es noght sua, Line 16332 ¶ For þof þou pouste haf a quil, þou sal noght haf it ai. I haf it o godd and es his sun [folio 89b:2] if i þe soth sal sai." Line 16336 Pilate seis þat wit na word ouercum him he mai, Of his clothes vn-clethes him, And oþer on him did lai. Line 16340 Sua he sent him cled a-gain to þaim þat was his fas,

Apon his heued a cron þai sett, In hething al, allas! Line 16344 Iesus thoght ful mikel scam quen he sua scruded was, For cuth he neuer wit suilk be cledd, for-wit in nankin cas. Line 16348 ¶ Iesus thoght ful mikel scam, and luted dun his cher, "He," þis þai said, "es yur king, lo! him befor yow here." Line 16352 Lude bigan þai for to cri þat moght ouer-here, "Gas nu forth tas him biliue, we wald on rode he were." Line 16356 ¶ All þai cried, als wit a muth, "nail him on rode tre!" "Sais noght sua," coth sir pilate, "þat es noght þe rede o me, Line 16360 He aght noght dei for na resun þat i can in him se." þai said ilkan, "þis ilk man bot if he dampned be, Line 16364 þe frenscip sal þou lese for-soth bi-tuix cesar and þe." ¶ Pilat said, "los, her yur king! bot herk i sal yow sai, Line 16368 To-moru it es your mikel fest þat yee halu in your lai, A prisun ar yee wont at hafe, for resun o þe dai. Line 16372 Ask quilk sum yee will haue, yee sal it haue parfai, Ask þan your king, and i yow sal noght nick wit nai." Line 16376 "Quar-for," coth þai, "qui said þou sua? leif maister, do þou a-wai!

¶ O þis iesu spek þou namar, bot of a-noþer man, Line 16380 þe quilk nu we haf til us taken, [folio 90a:1] his name is baraban." "O yur king þat es in hand, quat aghtel yee do þan?" Line 16384 "Do him on tre;" "sacles es he sa feir se sum i can." Efter þis word ai mar and mar to cri all þai be-gan. Line 16388 "Selcuth vs thinc o þe, pilate wit drightin for to drill, We haf us chosen nu baraban, him haf algat we will." Line 16392 Pilate he thoght þair ȝerning al þat he it wald fulfill, Quen he sagh þat al his soigne þai tok it al to ill, Line 16396 Iesus þat al to-draun was to scruge he taght þam til. ¶ Quen þat pilate sagh na bote gain þaim langer to striue, Line 16400 O iesu dede he thoght þe saght al fra him-seluen driue, Vp he ras midward þe folk and wess his hend bi-liue. Line 16404 "All yee se," he said, "þat i es saccles of his liue." ¶ þai cried all on hei, "pilate bi still, thar þe noght dred, Line 16408 His blod on us be, and on þaim þat of vs sal brede." And sua it es, la god it wijt, sene on al þair sede, Line 16412 For nu þan er þai thralles made vnder al oþer lede.

Pilate stode vp on his fete mid-ward þat gret gadring, Line 16416 "Pes," he said, "lo, here to yow es liuerd vp yur king. And i here yow sai þat yee him will do on rode to hing." Line 16420 "Do wai pilate, til vs," coth þai, "feires noght do sli thing, ¶ He [[so in MS.]] haf vr lagh," coth þai, "þat we liue wit al in land, Efter þe lagh þan sal he dei, Line 16425 þis sal þou vnderstand." [folio 90a:2] Pilate forthoght þaim bath to wrath, bot wald þam hald in hand, To þaa wilful wod he taght Line 16429 þe lauerd es al-weldand. ¶ þan was þat suet sacles fless don to mikel wrang, Line 16432 First þai band him til a tre and scurges him suang Fra þe hefd vnto þe fote, Oueral þe blod vte-wrang. Line 16436 Siþen þai crond him wit thorn, þat thoru his hefd thrang, And bitaght ham at þair will, þair sergantz for to hang. Line 16440 ¶ þe man-slaer, he barabas, es laisd o prisun, And vr lauerd es ledd to sla wit-vten ani chesun. Line 16444 For vte o prisun ha þai don þe thef and þe felun, And on þe rod þai ga to hing þe lauerd and þe barun; Line 16448 þai and alle þe sede of him has godds malesun.

¶ And il chance ha þai þam made, þaa fals felun fede, Line 16452 Quen þai þe fine gold for-soke, and to þam to þe lede. þai ches þaim-self dampnacion thoru þair aun rede, Line 16456 And broght vs til saluacion þaim-self alle to þe dede. ¶ Iudas stode amang þe folk, for to be-hald and se Line 16460 Hu vile þat þai wit him delt, and quat scham he can drei. Quen þat he saght þar was na soigne þat his lauerd ne suld dei, Line 16464 þan him reued of his res, and went him-self wrei. ¶ Quen þat he sagh his maister sua be-casten al to care, Line 16468 Wit his penis forth he lepe he had resaueid are; þan him reud his marchandis, allas! caitiue ful sare. Line 16472 [folio 90b:1] "Quat yee er," he said, "a felun folk! for yee can naman spar, Here i yeld yow yur mone, ges me a-gain mi war. Line 16476 ¶ Ful wrather-hail to min bihoue haf i tan þis mone, For þe sacles blod of him, for rightwis man es he. Line 16480 Allas! he said þat euer i was til him made sua priue, þat euer þe time þat i was made ne had bi-sueld me. Line 16484 Tas," he said, "your penis here a felun folk er yee,"

"Ha we noght þar-of to do," coth þai, "þou sal þi-self it se. Line 16488 ¶ All for noght," coth þai, "iudas þi marchandis es made." He kest þe penis on þe flore, and son a-wai he glad. Line 16492 "þai will," he said, "þe rightwis sla wit-vten ani bade, And sal on me tresun spek oueral þis werld sa brade; Line 16496 ¶ I sal me-seluen on me wreck For þis marchandis wrang, For þis rightwis ful wratherhail, tok i euer þat fang." Line 16500 A rape he gatt [[or gait]] al priueli, þat he wist was strang, And fast he fest abute his hals, þer-wit him-self he hang. Line 16504 He brest in tua his buels all, vte at his wambe þai wrang, þe sari saul vte þar he sent, wit in þat sorful thrang. Line 16508 Vte at his wambe þe saul it brast, at muth had it na wai, þat he kist wit crist muth, als ar yee herd me sai, Line 16512 Quen he come als traitur ful fals His lauerd for to be-trai; Sli dede neuer, als man sais, herd was for-wit þat dai. Line 16516 Ded es caitiue iudas nu, þat traitur has to nam, Of his vgli marchandis [folio 90b:2] has all þis werld þe fame. Line 16520 His knithes mai men call þa þair lauerd dos despite or scham,

To dei als he for þair seruis, and hell haf to þair hame. Line 16524 ¶ Nu es he iudas ded wit scam, Als ye haf herd me tell, And to þe warlau al bi-taght þat hurls herd in hell. Line 16528 "Los! here pris," he said, "þat i can for mi lauerd sell," He kest þaim dun apon þe grund, þe thritti penis þar fell. Line 16532 ¶ Bot þe Iuus, þat wald all haue, þe mone forsok þai noght, Wit pris o þat hali blod a potter place þai boght. Line 16536 To be don in þair corbanan, þai said þat it noght doght, Acheldemach þai cald þis feld, for it wit blod was boght, Line 16540 For to delue in vncuth men þat to þe cite soght. ¶ Ihesus crist, vr sauueur, es demed be dun on dau, Line 16544 For to be hanged on a tre, Als þan was theues lau. For suilk a tre þam wanted all als written es in sau; Line 16548 þai said þai wald þe kinges tre vnto þat mister sau, For it was comun þai it suld vte o þe temple drau. Line 16552 ¶ þai went þaim to þe temple suith, in tua þis tre þai scare, Als mikel als þai sagh to þaim, gainand an mani mar. Line 16556 þai fand it als neu and fress als it on stouen ware.

Al quat þai wald þar-of to scap, fand þai na letting þare, Line 16560 ¶ Wit-vten rott, wit-vten brest, it smeld selcut suete, For to mak þis werk þer-of, wit-vten letting it lete. Line 16564 Bot for to ber it vte o þe kirk [folio 91a:1] þai fand it ful vn-mete, For þeþen moght þai for na might it stere a fote o strete. Line 16568 ¶ Tua hundreth men sent caiphas to fote a-wai þat tre, þai most oþer heu it þare or for to lat it be. Line 16572 þe rode þai scop þan as þai wald, als we þe taken se, O cedre, cipres, and o pine, Als writen es on þat tre. Line 16576 ¶ Apon þe hefd o þis rode, ouer-thwart was don a brede, þar war þe letters written in o mani man war redd. Line 16580 Quen it was wroght þai moght all it ster vte o þe sted, Til ur lauerd iesus crist was þar-to self ledd. Line 16584 ¶ Quen he come to þat suete tre til him þaa feluns said, "Tak it up," coth þai, "þou seis hu it es to þe graid." Line 16588 He luted dun and kist it sun, and at þe first braid, Wit-vten ani help o man apon his bak it laid. Line 16592 ¶ In-to þe tun forth he it bare, be-for þat cursed lede.

þai mete a bisen man i-wiss, him þai can to nede, Line 16596 At tak þe tan end o þe tre to ga þe better spede. Half feirth of eln was þe length, And oþer half þe brede, Line 16600 And þan to mont o caluari all þar-wit þai yede. Apon þe mont of caluarie þai sett þis rode tre, Line 16604 Mani man folud o þe tun, and mani o þe contre, þat sum for god and sum for ill, him come all for to se; Line 16608 Mani þar grett and mani logh, o þat grett assemble. þe riche men bi-scornd him, [folio 91a:2] and did al þat þai moght Line 16612 Hu þai moght do him most despite, on ilk side þai soght. A crun apon his heued þai sett o scarpe [[it looks like scupe in MS.]] tre þai wroght, þat in a hundret stedes, i-wiss, Line 16617 þe rede blod vte broght. ¶ þai clede him wit a mantel rede, tok of his aun wede, Line 16620 And siþen in his hand he sett a mikel staf o rede; And wit him þai plaid sitisott, and badd þat suld rede Line 16624 Quilk o þaim him gaf þe dint; sare aght þam for him dred. ¶ þare þai aght þam for to scon, þe folk þat þar was fell, Line 16628 þe scam þai on þair lauerd soght, ful tor it war to tell!

þai did him sitt als he war king, on knes be-for him fell, Line 16632 "Alhail vr king," suilk was þe hething, þai draue him þan emell. þai spitted on his luueli face, þaa disciplis of hell, Line 16636 þai hailsed him be-for, bi-hind, buffet þai gaf him snell. ¶ Grett it was þat folk to see, þat gadred to þat thrang, Line 16640 Yong and ald, man and wijf, þai weped and handes wrang. "Yee foles mistruand folk," þai said, "qui will yee algat hang Line 16644 þe man þat neuer plight has don? mikel ha yee don wrang." ¶ Als þai quained iesu þus, wimmen o þat cite, Line 16648 Iesus turnd him abute and þus to þaim said he; "Wimmen, wimmen, dos a-wai! wepe yee noght for me, Line 16652 Bot on yur childer and on yow-self, for yeit þe dai sal be þe baraigne blisced sal man call; for soth þis sal men se. Line 16656 [folio 91b:1] ¶ Blisced sal men hald þair wamb þat neuer barnes bare, þe papp þat neuer suken was, for in þat time o care Line 16660 þe felles sal þai bidd on þam fall, sua hidd wald þai þai ware. Quen suilk in grene tre es wroght, in dri sal mikel mare." Line 16664