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

[God speaks to Cain, and curses him.]

Bot þar-wit com our creature For to spek wit þat traiture. Line 1120 O þat murth and þat treson, He did þat traittur to reson.

"Caym ware es þi broiþer abell?" "I wat neuer," said he, þat fell, Line 1124 "Ask his fader now ware he be, For he was not bi-taght to me." "Bot tell me suith, sir cayn, Wy has þou þi broiþer slain? Line 1128 His blod on erth sced lijs, Efter wrak to me it crijs. It fines not at wrak to cri, For to sceu þe felunny. Line 1132 Thoru þe wark sa ful a plight, erth þou sal be maledight

þat reseued þi broþer blode; Wit pine it sal þe ȝeild þi fode, Line 1136 For þe mikel felunny; þi wete sal bi-com ȝiȝanny. In-sted o þi noþer sede, Line 1139 Ne sal þe groue bot thorne and wede. For þi nedeles wickedhede, þou sal lede euer þi lijf in nede; þi derfli dede has liknes nan, Of all dedes it es vttan. Line 1144 Openlik i tell þe here þou sal it bi ful selcuht dere. For þof i wald for-giue it þe, [folio 8a:2] It es nogtht worþi for-giuen be. Line 1148 To quat contre sum þat þou wend. Sal þou naman find to frend. Bituix quat lede sum þat þou lend, Euer sal þou and þine bi kend. Line 1152 Wit all þou sal bi halden vile, Quar-sa þou wendes in exile. Mi handewark als egges me þat i sal tak wrak on þe. Line 1156 For hou sal ani herthli flesche lende wit þe in sikernese, Quen felauscipe ne broiþerhede Line 1159 Mought te drau fra felon dede?"

¶ Caym sagh his sin was knaud, And wist þat þe erth had scaud, Line 1162 And sagh þat gainsau was þar nan, And answard til ouer lauerd on-nan. "Lauerd," he said, "now see i well Mi sin me has seit in vnsell. I am ouertan wit sli treson þat i agh not to haf pardon. Line 1168 I sal be flemed for mi sin In vncuth land to won ai in.

In vncuth lede sal end mi wa, Line 1171 Quen þai me fin þai wil me sla. Sua ferr i wat i sal be fled God gaue now þat i ware ded!" Line 1174 "Nai," said our louerd, "it beis not sua, All þat þe sees sal þe not sla. Bot i sal seit on þi mi merk, Line 1177 þat al sal see to red als clerk. Sal nan sa bald be þe to sla, Bot þi falshede to were þam fra. Line 1180 In takinning als o þi penance þe sal be send a lang meschance."

Quen adam abel bodi fand Line 1183 For soru on fote moght he noght stand; To beriing þai his bodi bare Adam and eue wit-outen mare. Line 1186 þis es þat man men sais was born Bath his fader and moder be-forn. He had his eldmoder maiden-hede, And at his erthing all lede. Line 1190 A hundrith wintur of his liue Fra þan for-bar adam his viue. for soru of abel þat was slayn, [[MS. slaym]] [folio 8b:1] til comforth was him sent agayn, Wit bod-word, þat was broght fra heuen, Bad him thoru an angel steuen, Line 1196 þat he suld wit his wijf yete mete, For ur lord had aghteld yete A child to rais of his oxspring, þat all suld oute o baret bring: Line 1200 He þat suld sauue al folk of sin: Suld noght be born of kaym kin. ¶ Wit þis was born an hali child, Seth þat meke was and mild; Line 1204 O quil man þat crist him cam Ful fer to tell fro first Adam.

þis child was godds priue frend, Lelli yald he him his teind; Line 1208 He yald him al þat him be-houed; His breþer als him-self he loued. Eue for abel thoght ful fair Line 1211 þat god had sent hir suilk an air For abel, þat sco wist wit wogh þat caym his aghen broþer slogh.

¶ Vs tells of adam his stori; O suns þat he had thirtti, Line 1216 And he had doghtres als fel, Wit outen caym and abel. þe sister giuen was to þe broþer, Line 1219 þe lagh moght certayn be non oþer; Sua wald drightin, and behoued nede To do þair kin al for to sprede.

¶ Vnseli caym þat ai was saked, Line 1223 Wit god and man þan was he hatted, He als-sua wit his oxspring; þai luued our lauerd nan-kin thing, For þai him warryd wit wickud dedis. He þam for-soke in al þer nedis. Line 1228 To wrik þare wik wil þai thoght, Agh of him na stod þam noght. þat boght þai siþen wijf and barn, wit water ware þai all for-farn, Line 1232 Als ȝee sal here how hit bi-fell Quen i of noe flod sal tell; For all war ille and nan war gode, þei drunkend all in þe flode. Line 1236