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

[The Crucifixion and Burial.]

¶ þe knightes þat war wit him sent, iesu þan þai vncled, And ledd him þan to þe rode tre, and þar-on þai him spred, Line 16668 þare he gaf his suete flesche for ur ranscun in wedd. Iesus haf merci of us, þat sua sare for us bledd! Line 16672 ¶ þai nail him apon þat tre on mont caluari, And a theif on aiþer side þai hinged þar him bi, Line 16676 þat þai suld all vnderstand þat yede þe wai for-bi, O þir tua theifs als qua sai, "þair maister theif am i." Line 16680 þe chesun of his dede þai wrate a-bouen his hed in hi; ¶ Abouen his hefd, als i yow tell, a bord was festen plate, Line 16684 þar-on was þe titel writen, thoru þe rede o sir pilate "Ihesus nazaren, o Iuus king," þar-on þai wrate, Line 16688 Of hebru, gru, and latine, al for to scend his state. ¶ To-quils þaa godds wyþerwins him naild to þe tre, Line 16692 For þaim þat did him al þat scam, his praier þus mad he, "Fader," he said, "for-giue þou þaim þat þai do gains me, Line 16696 For quat þai do þai er sa blind, þe soth þai can noght se."

¶ A-bute his kirtel drou þai cutt, qua suld it bere a-wai, Line 16700 Til him þai mikel hething draf þat walcand went þat wai. "Aha! þou struier o þe temple, [folio 91b:2] er þou nu þar," coth þai, Line 16704 "þou said þat þou suld cast it dun and ras it þe thrid dai. Hele þou was wont oþer men, þi-self hele if þou mai." Line 16708 ¶ þas [[MS. Ras]] oþer said, "if he be crist, als he did men to tru, He do him-self dun o þe rode and all we sal him bu." Line 16712 Mikel hething þai of him mad, bath sarzin and Iu, þe teind part o þair despitt, i mai noght tell to yow! Line 16716 ¶ þe theif þat biside him hang, þai þan him can vp-braid, "þou sauue nu bath þi-self and us if þou be crist," he said. Line 16720 þe toþer theif him gaf ansuer, and blamed him a-braid, þou dredes littel godd," he said, "þat þis pine es on-laid. Line 16724 ¶ Littel dredes þou drightin, or oght his mikel might; þe dome þat giuen es nu on us, we thole it all wit right, Line 16728 And þis man wat we wel þat he es all wit-vten plight. Haf merci, lauerd! on me quen þou bes in þi rike sa bright!" Line 16732 And him he gaf ful suete ansuer, "for-soth to þe i hight,

þat þou sal be in paradis wit me þis ilk night." Line 16736 þis theif þat hang on his righthand, dismas to name he hight, Gesmas hight þat toþer theif, þat was all maledight. Line 16740 Bi þis was vndren on þe dai, þat mirckend al þe light, ¶ þis apostlis war fledd him fra, durst naman wit him bide, Line 16744 Bot an, his moder and sent Iohn, þat duelled ai bi his side. Foluand him in wele and wa, þat soght þat soruful tide, Line 16748 [[Here begins a different hand. The other 3 MSS. do not correspond with this.]] Be-side þe cros stode his mod[er] [folio 92a:1] þat was ful ful of woo, And þe marie maudlayn, And cleophe als soo. Line 16752 Als he hanged on þe tre His moder þere he seghe, And san Iohn þe euuanglist, þat stode his moder neghe. "Womman," he saide, "loo þer þi son!" And þen he saide to Iohn "Iohn loo þer þi moder! Ful careful is hir mone." Als for his moder Iohn hir keped, And in his ward hir toke, Line 16762 For our louerd loued him most, Line 1 Os we rede in boke. We fynd not þat our leuedi þof all hir hert wore sore, Line 4 Spake no word bot maked doile, Thort no womman more. Hir care passed all other pine, Comforthe wald scho non, Line 8

Line 8 þe swerd of sorow was at hir hert, Als sayde san symeon. ¶ þen spake our lord ful pitus-ly, And saide, "me thristes sore," Line 16767 Vinegre & gall þe jews blend Line 13 And to his mouth put þore, He tast it with tonge, Bot þer-of toke he noght, Line 16 Alas! iesu to all þi woo, Slik drink þai þe broght; When he it feled he wald not drink Bot sayd þis word ful soyn, Line 20 þat all herd þat stode be syde, "Til end þis dede is doyn." þen wex þe day dym & merke, þat men moȝt se no light, Line 24 Thoru-out all þe werd [folio 92a:2] Os it wore merke night. Fro vndre vnto none it last, þe son wex blak & bloo, Line 28 Agayns kynd hit miȝt not schine, And the moyne als-soo. Litel wondre me think it was, þaf þai miȝt not schine, Line 32 When þe lord of son & moyne Tholed in erth slik pyne. þe son withdrogh his light, And non til erthe it sent, Line 36 Apon hom to schine þat his lord so schent. ¶ Mony grete clerkez þat were Far in other land, Line 40 Seghen þe son fare soo And koud not vnderstand, For of our lord noȝt þai knew, Line 43 Bot thoru clergy þai soght, [[up to next col.]] þat wikked men here on erth Godis son to ded hade broght; And vnderstode of mans kynd þat he hade flesche & bone. Line 48 Som of þaim toke cristendam, San dynis he was one, He wond þat time in atens, And godisson knew he noght Line 52 Bot be pure clergy, þis word com in his thoght. He saide þat god tholed Ded in mannes kynd, Line 56 Or vn-kyndly þe werld is tourned, þes word was lang in mynd. ¶ About þe neghent oure of þe day, Our lord loude gon cry, Line 60 And saide, "Eloy Eloy, lamazabatani," [folio 92b:1] þat was to say "my god, my god, Whi has þou forsaken me;" For þe grete thraws of ded, Line 64 These ilk wordez said he. þe Iews when þai herd þis, þai saide, "he calles hely, Lett vus se whether heli com Line 68 To liuer him in hy." Softly spake our lord þen, For ded was neȝe comand, "Fader," he saide, "I here betake Line 72 My saul into þi hand." Right os he saide þat word To-geder fell his eghen, And boghed doun his heued, Line 76 þe gast þen was geen. When him was bed þat bitter drynk Of aysell & of gall, Line 16780 þat blissed saul he gaf for vus, [[up to next col.]]

His hede doun lete he fall. Line 81 þe son wex merke, þe erth quoke, þe stons clef als-soo, Dede men risen out of þer graue, Line 84 þe temple vayl clef in twoo. Syn þe erthe miȝt not thole þi ded, Als we in boke rede, Ful hidously þen con it quake, Line 88 When þou deed for drede. Tres ne stons tholed it noght, For þen brast þai als-soo, þe clothe þat in þe temple was, Line 92 In middes it clef in twoo. Throgh stones in sunder brast, And ded bodyes gon rise, Loke ilk a creature for his ded Line 96 Made doyl on þer wise. Alas! man, whore is þi hert, How may þou here þis? Bot if þou quake for care, Line 100 Grete doyl of þe it is. ¹Al creatures for his ded made doil & pite, [folio 92b:2] And þou þat he deed fore Line 104 cannot sorus be. ¶ A prophet spekez of our lord os we fynd it writen A word of grete doyl, Line 108 os þese clerkez witen, þe fox has his den and ilk foghel is nest, And man son has nothing Line 112 apon his hed to rest; For til our lord in erth so mikel was not leued, Line 115 Whar on þat he miȝt [[up to next col.]] rest on is wery heued. Line 117 Him was not geue so mikel plas, War-on he miȝt dee fayre, Ne a torf of herd erth Line 120 but deed heȝe in þe air [[^1_1 These lines in the MS. are written in 9 long and 2 short lines.]] His sely lyms miȝt he not rest. To put hom to ne fro For non of þam miȝt other helpe, Line 124 How miȝt he haf more woo? His armes wore so streyned oute, His hend nayled so fast þat he miȝt not in all his woo, Line 128 Vntil his hede hom cast, Ne he miȝt not bere vp his hede. Ne nawhar it doun lay, Bot os it til his scholder fell; Line 132 Ful woo was him þat day! Hou miȝt euer ani man More cruel ded see, Bitter strang & pore als so, Line 136 Iesu loued þou bee. No wonder þof þe son wore merk, And þe moyne als-so, Trees & hard stones, Line 140 And clothes brast in two. þe Iews þat him sloghe, When þai saȝe þis cas, Som of þam sayd "for-sothe Line 144 þat he godis son was." Mony þat stode & saȝe þoo mervels doyn in dede, Torned & wore baptized, For þai hade of him drede. Line 149

Line 149 þen com word to sir pilat [folio 93a:1] Of þam þat wore þere stad, Line 16804 Of all thingez þat by-fell, Wharfor he wex radd.

With-outen mete & drink þat day In sorouyng was he sadd; Line 16808 After þe maister Iews he send, þai com as he þam bad, "Haf ȝe þam sene, what say ȝe me Of thingez þat are doyne?" Line 16812 "Oft sithes haf we sene," þai saide, "þe clipes in son & moyne." Line 16814 [[Does not correspond with other MSS.]] ¶ þen was þe laȝe if ani man Line 1 At paschez to ded wore broght, Hit schold be take doun away, And for þe fest lef noght. Line 4 An old knight þat loued our lord, Iosephe of abaramathy, Vnto pilat hertly went And asked his body. Line 8 Pilat him granted his askynge, Agayn euen he ȝode, Nicodemus he toke with him, To take him doun of þe rode. Line 12 Pilat send & told þe Iews He hade geen his body, And bad þat þai suld loke þat he wore ded for-thy. Line 16 þe Iews ȝode by-fore Vnto þe theues twoo, And broken bothe þer thees Or þai parted hom froo. Line 20 Of oure lord brake þai no lym, For he was ded by-fore, Bot calden a blynd knight To wirk after þer lore, Line 24 With a spere in hand And til his hert hit sett, þer-with he thirled h[is] hert, [folio 93a:2] Bothe blode & water oute lett. Line 28

Line 28 By þe spere til his hand Ran doun of his blode, He wipped is egen þer-withe And siȝt he hade ful gode. Line 32 "Mercy," he cried, "oure lord!" And gart cristen him I-wis, Sithen for his luf was slayn And a gode marter is. Line 36 þen miȝt þai in swete iesu More blode fynd none, Bot þat sely drope þat was In his hert allone. Line 40 þat blode wald þai not lef So hade þai tan þer rede, To cleue his hert with spere To loke if he wore dede. Line 44 ¶ A! iesu, mikel was þe luf þat þou kyd vs þore, þat wald clene þat we wore boght þat no defaute wore. Line 48 With þe lest drope of þi blode. þou moght vs all haf boght,

And þou gaf vs ilk-a drope, þat þere leued riȝt noght. Line 52 þe Iews miȝt do no more to þe Of vilany & woo, þen be-twix theues þe hange, And in vile stede als-soo; Line 56 For on þe hil of caluarie When theues taken wore, If þat þai wore dampned þai wore hanged þore, Line 60 Apon arode os þou was, For more vile ded was none þen was on þe rode by-fore. þat þou deed þer apon. Line 64 [folio 93b:1] þe dome was wrang, þe stede was vil, Bot noble was þe tre, þat þou was on to ded broght; Loued mot þou be. Line 68 When þe Iews wist þe sothe þat he was ded þere, His body bode be taken doun, For þe fest, os I saide ere. Line 72

Line 72 [No gap in MS.] [[Here the 1st hand begins again, [folio 93b:1] , 1.9.]] ¶ Ioseph, þat his freind was lel, was of arimathi, He granted neuer wit wil ne werc, to þair gret felunni, Line 16852 He and nichodeme als-sua, als telles vs þe stori. Wit leue o pilate to þe rode þai went þam priueli, Line 16856 þar sorfullest of all þai faand, sent iohn and mari. ¶ þe rode it was wit leif and barc florist ful selcuthli, Line 16860 Fra þe middai to complin, þat mani thoght gret ferli; Bot þof þe Iuus þat it sagh thoght selcut noght for-þi, Line 16864

Line 16864 Noiþer þai gaf man, ne tok emsample gode þar-bi; Bot on þe morn o þat grening, þe tre als ar was dri. Line 16868 ¶ Vte þai drou þaa nails thre, And tok his bodi dun, Wit winding clath and riche smerl, his biriing mad þai bun. Line 16872 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] A stan he til him-self had wroght, Ioseph, þat godd barun, Line 16876 þai delued him, þat derworth, in a yerd be þe tun. ¶ þe murning þat his moder mad mai naman rede in run. Line 16880 Son o þis was tiþand tald vnto þaa Iuus felun, þai com to pilate and þus-gat þai did him to resun. Line 16884 "Sir," þai said, "nu we hus dred men sal us do tresun, ¶ Sir," þai said, "he, yond traitur, yond letter of vr lai, Line 16888 Vs meins quils he was in lijf [folio 93b:2] þat we herd him sai, þat he suld haf might and strength to rise þe thrid dai; Line 16892 For-þi es skil þir dais thre yeming on him yee lai. ¶ If his disciplis cum bi night to stel him son a-wai, Line 16896 And sais til all, he risen es, þar bes an iuel plai; þan sal rise mar þan be-forn errur of vr fai." Line 16900

Line 16900 "Gas," coth pilate, "and dos him kepe þe best wis yee mai." Line 16902 ¶ þe prince o preistes o þair lagh went to þat monument, And sperd it wit a mikel stan, to turn i-nogh had tuent. Line 16906 þai did þair seles þar-apon, ar þai þeþen went, Armed knightes þar þai left þat to þe tumb suld tent; Line 16910 Bot quen þat iesus ras to lijf þaa caitefs war bot scent. ¶ Ioseph wald haf awai þe rode, þe Iuus it him for-bedd, Line 16914 þat ilk night þai feld it did awai for to be ledd; Wit þe theifs croices tuin, quen al war gan to bedd, Line 16918 And grofe þaim thre for cristen men, wit-in a priue sted. For-þi þai bar þe malescun of him þat þaron bled. Line 16922 ¶ Nu is þe croice grauen vnder greit, and iesus vnder stan, And hinges all hope of hali kirc in maria mild allan. Line 16926 Ai til iesus þe thrid dai had fughten gain sathan, And werid him on his aun bit, als hund es on a ban, Line 16930 ¶ And als þe fisch right wit þe bait apon þe hok es tan, For þof he sagh him man als man, his godd-hed sagh he nan. Line 16934 [folio 94a:1] To quils his flesche lai vnder greit, his gast til hell es gan,

þat wit þe might of his godd-hed, he ras him-self o-nan. Line 16938 Thoru a tre, sum yee haf herd, was al mankind mad thrall, And thoru þis hali rode tre, þan war we frehed all. Line 16942 Again þat apell adam ete was gin iesu þe gall, Alle þe pines o þis werld to tell þai war ful small, Line 16946 Ogains leist of his to drei, if i ne lei yow sall; ¶ For he þat neuer sin did, vr sinnes all he bar, Line 16950 And vili for us was ledd, als i haf tald yow ar. For ur sakes þat we haf don he sufferd al þe sar, Line 16954 Noght o lime of his licam he sufferd noght to spar; And siþen his lijf for us he gaf, quat moght he þan do mar. Line 16958 ¶ He þat neuer did vilani, ne neuer þar-to thoght, Vr sinnes and vr wickednes Ful dere on him he boght; Line 16962 Sa wel he luued us at na thing of him-self ne roght, And all the wrak on him he tok, þat oþer men had wroght. Line 16966 ¶ All þe thinges o þis werld cuth noght tell þe teind, Ne all þe hertes cuth noght thinc hu he til us was heind. Line 16970 Es nan þat he ne aght sare to reu þe soru o suilk a freind,

þat sli baret wald on him ber to lede us all to lend. Line 16974 ¶ And thinc yow na selcuth o þis, for yeit i sai yow mar; All þe seknes o þis werld if a man on him bar, Line 16978 And þat man of all oþer men moght suffer all þair sar, Ogain his pine bot of an vure, [folio 94a:2] ful littel or noght it ware. Line 16982 Quar-thoru þat i moght liue in lijf an hundret thusand yere, And moght ans for his luue ilk dai dei sere; Line 16986 And al þat i moght drei to pine, to sare and to torfere, Again þe pine he for me drou, bot als a noght it were. Line 16990 ¶ þan mai men sai wel þat his pine es herder for to drei, þan it war þe pine of hell, in als lang a wai. Line 16994 þa forsoth þat mai men se, þat es a skil oght slei, He was sa mighti in him-self, his kind it was sa hei. Line 16998 ¶ And for þat iesus had in him sua gret might and vertu, þat it was neuer man þat had sua mikel als we tru. Line 17002 þof sumkin scaft moght thole þe pine of hell, als we wat hu, þat es to sai, witvten end, þan semes wel, þat iesu Line 17006 Thold herder pine in als lang, men mai it well a-vou.

¶ Mans saul all thoru kind it luues þe bodi sua, Line 17010 þat it wald neuer if it moght þe bodi self for-ga. Do man it neuer sa mikel pine, ne sua mikel wa, Line 17014 Til bodi haf tint his wittes fiue, þe saul wil noght þar fra. ¶ Hering, sight, smelling and fele, cheuing er wittes five, Line 17018 All sal be tint er saul pas, quen þe hert sal riue. Kynd na saul suffers ar to part wit man o-liue; Line 17022 Bot iesus þat was sua mighti, sufferd herder þis strijf, þan euer ani man was or es, or sal be born o wijf. Line 17026 ¶ For sin þat suet iesus had [folio 94b:1] sua mikel might and main, þan it semes wel to be, and soth it es al plain, Line 17030 þat he has a hundret sith dublid þis ilk pain, And es naman þat es in skil þat agh sai her again. Line 17034 ¶ Quils he hang on þat suet tre als it es for-wit tald, His hali saul to fader his wit uoice ful hei he yald. Line 17038 þar scheud he him for mighti godd, þat al thing has in wald, And sua to mak vs ranscuning, for us him-self he sald. Line 17042 ¶ A ha! þou blisced-est of all, o þe quat mai i sai?

O þi sorus, maria mild, þou had in hert þat dai. Line 17046 þat dai it was þi passiun, mai nan sai þar-wit nai, Quen þai þi suet sun sua sagh be ledd wit tene and trei. Line 17050 ¶ Bot cummen it es þe nu þe suerd þat thoru þi hert stang, þat symeon wit propheci had hight þe forwit lang. Line 17054 Bot o ioi an hundret fald, he dublid þe þi sang, Quen he ras fra ded to life, wit his godd-hed sa strang. Line 17058 ¶ For þe birth and þe passiun o iesu þat us boght, If he ne had risen fra ded to lijf, had ben us all for noght. Line 17062 Nu þou seis all openli, þe fight til end es broght, þe werld succurd, þe feind es feld, þat man wit soru soght. Line 17066 ¶ All ur truth in þe, leuedi, hang, and al ur fai, All men was in dute and wer bot þou, leue hali mai! Line 17070 Til þi suet sun up-ras þi trouth was stabil ai, Hu men aght in ur lauerd to leue, [folio 94b:2] þou lerd us þare þe lai. Line 17074 ¶ Maria meke, þou moder es, o reuth ful and o pite. Mirthful maiden, mild of all! blisced of all bu[n]te. Line 17078 Qua mai tel þe teind part þe blisced-nes o þe!

Vr trouth and hope bath bar þou þan, ur blisced leuedi nu be. Line 17082 And pais us wit þi suet sun þat hang for us on tre, And help us to þat ilk sted þar we him euer se. Line 17086 ¶ Of him i haf þe passiun said, efter mi might, Hu he again ur wyþerwin, ur bateil tok to fight. Line 17090 þof his it war þe paines all, urs it was þe plight, He grant us grace, haf part o blis, þat he til us hight; Line 17094 And send us space al of his grace, ur wranges here to right, þat we mai at vr ending da[i], Line 17097 cum in til heuen light. Amen Site þaim o mang wit angels sang, Al on his hali hand right. Amen [[No gap in the MS.]]