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

[The Apostles are imprisoned, and set free by an Angel.]

Fra þan þair flock wex ma and mar, For fast þe folk fell to þair lare, Bot yeit þe Iuen folk felun Did þe apostels in prisun, Line 19290 Thoru consail of a naciun Wald trau na resurrecciun Suld be o man on domes-dai, Bot gain þe apostels said ai nai. Line 19294 þis folk was haten saduceus, þai heild ai wit þe phariseus.

Bot son þer-efter on þe night, Sent þam was an angel bright, Line 19298 þat broght þam thoru þo stedes strang, And badd þam to þe temple gang

[ [[From Heralds' Coll. MS. fo. 112, back.] Soone þei wente wiþ wille glad And dude as þe aungel hem bad] For to spell þe word o lijf, Line 19303 þat all suld here, bath man and wijf. þe prisun dors left als he fand, Noiþer he brak ne barr ne band,— þat was to strenght þair trout in grund, And for þe Iuus mar confund. Line 19308 Quen þai sagh þis, þe Iaileres, Suld bring þam forwit demesters: [folio 109a:1] "Lauerdinges, it es selcuth," coth þai, "We find ur prisuns all a-wai, þe dors sperd, þe walles hale, Line 19313 Als godd us help, soth es þis tale. Ne na takening o suilk find we, Vm-think yow hu þis mai be." Line 19316 ¶ þe maisters yern þam vmbithoght, Wit þis a man tiþand þam broght; "þe men þat yee did in prisun," He said, "in temple þai sermon." To þe temple þan þai yede, Line 19321 þe apostels to þair curt to lede, Bot strengh nan did þai þam till, For þai come wit þaim al wit will. þai durst na uiolence to þam do For þe folk þam helded to; Line 19326 Midward þat curt þar war þai sett, þe biscop wit forbod þam thrett; "We bidd," he said, "and yow for-bede Thoru þe might o biscopp-hede, Line 19330 þat yee in nam o þat iesu, Be noght to preche sa bald fra nu; For lo! nu ierusalem and mare Ha yee fulfild al wit yur lare, Line 19334 Quer yee wil driue on us to blam Of ani wrenkesing [[So in MS.]] o þis nam,

þat we suld haf him slan wit wrang, þar yee prechand sa thrali gang." All als an þai gaf ansuer: Line 19339 Moght nan for oþer þam for-bere, "Mar nede it es, if yee wald tru To godd þan ani man to bu; Vr eldrin godd did iesu rise, Line 19343 Quilk þai hang wit fals a-sise, And has him liftd on his right hand; þis wat we wel, mai nan wit-stand. Ful oft to yow has it ben tald, Line 19347 Wittnes þer-of all ar we bald, Wit haligast he has us sent, And þat truli till him will tent. To yow if yee wil yow repent Line 19351 þis gift o grace þan has he lent."

¶ þan be-gan þai wrenk and wrest, And for tene þair tethe to gnast, For þan wit suepes þai þam suang, And scurged sare, þai let þam gang; And badd þam fle als þai wald ded, [folio 109a:2] To neuen iesus namar þai red. Line 19358 þai went forth ioifuller þan are, Ne noght þam mened o þair sare, Bot loued ai iesu crist nam, Line 19361 þat þai for him war worthi gram. ¶ þe stedfast trout lo her it, lo! Quatkin strenghes it mai do! Line 19364 þat noþer for word ne yeit for dint, Fra stabul trouth moght do þam stint þam thoght na thing sa suete in lijf, Als for iesu to suffer strijf, Line 19368 Ai þe mar men did þam mis, þe sikerer ai þai war o blis. Crist blis þai luued sa wele, þat þai moght o na torfer fele, Line 19372

Line 19372 Als he be-for þam wroght þe wai, Alsua him þan folud þai. Line 19374 He þat þam sua dere had boght Of all þis werld ne gaf þai noght. þe maisters þat com efter-ward þai lerd at þam to suffer herd, Line 19378 þat neuer for na bale ne buud, For cristen trout þat þai in truud.

¶ In þis apostels time it sais Line 19381 þe cristen men wex fast þaa dais, þat þe apostolis had to kepe,— þat hirdes war o crist scepe,— Sua wex þe cristen mens tale, Line 19385 þat þai moght nawight kepe þam hale, þai sett vnder þam for-þi seuen, O quilk i sal þe names neuen. Line 19388 ¶ Steuen, and philipp, and thamor, Thimon, meniam, nichanor, And nicholas þir seuen were Sett be-fore þe aposteles sere. Line 19392 On þaim þai held þair hali hand, And a quil þai war praiand, And athes þai þam made, O þam þar-of þai tok [þe lade,] Line 19396 þe birthin vnder þam [to bere]. O þat folk quen was [mistere,] Godds word wex fast [and gr]eu, And alsua did þe trouth o treu, Line 19400 And o þe preistes was [þar] fele þat left þair last and [worth]ede lele.