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

[A Discourse between Christ and Man.]

¶ "Iesus o maria born For sinful man þat was for-lorn, I forsok mi fader blis, Line 17113 And com in-til erth, i-wis.

I lete me tak and herd bind For luue i had to mans kind, Line 17116 I thold pouerd, pine, and scame, Al for sinful mans name. Thinc, ai thinc, ai sinful man, þou thinc on iesu, þi lemman. Line 17120 I stode naked als i was born þe wicked Iuus þaim bi-forn, Bunden til a piler fast, To-quils þe bandes moght last; Line 17124 On mi back i bar þe rode, Quen i vnto mi ded yode, Had neuer man sa mikel scam In erth for nakins blam. Line 17128 þou sinful man þat gas bi me, [folio 95a:1] Duel a quile and þou mai se, Duell a quile and fond to stan, Line 17131 Bi-hald mi fote, bi-hald mi hand! Mi bodi es wit scurges suongen, Brest, and hand, and fote thurgh stungen. I hing apon þis herd rode, For þe i gaf mi hert blode; Line 17136 þe thornnes o mi hede standes, Thirled am i, fete and handes. Bi-hald and se mi blodi side, þat for þi luue es opend wide; Line 17140 Put in and grappe, mi suet freind, Tak ute mi hert bituix þine hend; þan mai þou wit þine eien se Hu treuli man i luued þe. Line 17144 Fra mi crun unto mi ta Ful i am o pine and wa; Bituix tua theifs hing i here Als i theif and traitur wer, Line 17148 Befor mi moder eien, mare, Sufferd i al þis wilani. [[up to p. 981]]

I haf þus mani blodi wondes, Line 17151 And sufferd her þis herd stondes, And ded on þis rode tre, þou sinful man! for luue o þe. Sin i haf þe sua dere boght, Line 17155 Quat ailes þe þou luues me noght? Wit þi sin þou pines me, Als did þe Iuus on rode tre. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þou sinful man! if þou cuth god, Oft bird þe thinc a-pon mi blod Night and dai, and al þe time, Line 17163 Wel bird þe thinc a-pon mi pine. Waila wai! þou sinful man, Ne haf i mad þe mi lemman, Ne haf i gin þe al mi blis, Line 17167 And mi-self þar-wit, i-wiss, If þou neuer sa nobul war; Quat thing moght i giue þe mare? I wat neuer o nakins wise, Line 17171 þan bird þe thinc ai to rise, Suith to rise and faand to blin, And for mi luue for-sak þi sin. Line 17174 For-sak þi sin pur [[read par]] charite, And faand to rise, and com to me! I sal þe hals, i sal þe kiss, [folio 95a:2] And bring þe to mi fader blis." Line 17178 Iesu, for þi hali blod þat þou sced a-pon þe rode, þou send us grace, þou send us might, Euer and ai to luf þe right; Line 17182 And sua ur sinnes for to sake, þat us to ioi wit þe þou take, And night and dai, and all time, Sua to thinc a-pon þi pine, Line 17186

Line 17186 þat we mai, quen we heþen wend, Cum to þi ioi wit-vten end. Amen. ¶ Iesu! ioiful er þin dedes, Line 17189 þat þou wit to luue us ledes, Defend þi folk nu þat þou fedis, And giue þaim might to win þi medis. Quen i þi bodi se þat bledis, Line 17193 Fulsare mi hert mi sinnes dredes, þat vnnethes dar i sceu mi nedes Bot wit þi hend to me þou spredis. þi paine and ioi bath þou me redis, And blith o saghting þou me bedis. ¶ And sais to me, "al thol i þis To bring þe, wreched man, to blis. If þou wil werc als i þe wiss Line 17201 Mi merci sal þou neuer mis." I ask þe grace, þou sais me þis, And kindeli bedis me to kis. Line 17204 ¶ "Man," þou sais, "cum nerr and se, þou wat i thol al þis for þe, þat i am hanged on þis tre; Quat wil þou do þan nu for me? þus am i thrald to ma þe fre, Line 17209 Warr þe þou namar thrald be. ¶ Late noght in þe be tint mi dede, And thral þe na mar wit þe fede, For þat blod þou wist i sced; Line 17213 Be wise and werc efter mi rede. O lastand lijf i giue þe bred, ¶ Ask quat þou will, am i na qued. Ask me þi will, þin es þi nede, Line 17217 For am i noght of giuetes gnede. þou mai be ful trest to spede Wald þou for me do sumkin dede, For-ber þat i þe sal for-bede, Line 17221 Do þat i bide and ha þi mede." [[to p. 983]]

¶ Quin suld i, iesu, do þi will? [folio 95b:1] Al wil tu þat i do bot il, Line 17224 Bot i þat es sa dedli dill, Me spedis ai me-self to spill, Wit mi flexsli lust to fill. Forget i oft þine greues grill. Line 17228 ¶ I mai mi-self sai walwa! þat to mi thrist suld be sa thra, Foluand þat flexs þat es mi fa, Mi wai i wander in-to wa. Line 17232 And ai þow sais "a ha! a ha! Mi leue freind do namar sua; ¶ O þi misgaing þou weind again, And i me-self al sal þe sain Line 17236 Bath to giue þe might and main. If þou wel thinc al o mi pain, I sufferd me for þe be slain, Mi ded mai noght be don in wain. ¶ If þou wil folu me and mine Line 17241 þou most nu thol sum part o pine. For-sak þi serc o silk and line, And temper þe wit alle and wine, þou ful þi flexs þat wiþer-wine, Line 17245 And seke þi saul medicine. ¶ For for to serue lauerds tuin It es vngainand to be-gin, Me to seke in lust o sin, Line 17249 Mi kyngrik sua mai naman win,— Fra blis to blis mai þou noght rin, Ne nan þat es of adam kin." Oft þou beddes me to lete Line 17253 Apon þi lare iesu, sua suete, For al mi mis þou wil me mete, Mine bales ouer es bone to bete. For-þi iesu als þou has hete, Line 17257 þou gif me grace on þe to grete,

¶ To wepe for wrang þat i haf wroght, And euer apon þi ded haf thoght, Hu þou for-bar us first and boght, O þi boghtlinges hu þou boght, Line 17262 Of hell quen þai soruful thoght, For þi wit-stande na mightes moght. ¶ þat ranscuni[n]g wald i of tell, þou spede me, lauerd! for-to spell Hu mighteli þou harud hell, Line 17267 And queld him þat all wald quell. þe iestes o þaa Iuus fell, Wald smor þi mightes þaim emell. [folio 95b:2]