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

[What shall happen on Domesday.]

þan sal be herd þe blast o beme, þe demester sal cum to deme Line 22712 þat al thing of standes au; In quatkin forme i sal yow scau. We trou, and all agh for to trou,— Bot it be saraȝin or Iu,— Line 22716 þat efter his resurrecciun, þe hei dai of þe assenciun, Com iesus til his freindes suete þat sett war to þair mete at ete, Line 22720

Line 22720 And þai þat war in dred and dute, þar-of wit trout he broght þam vte, And siþen vp til heuen him stei, Mani man on stad and sei. Line 22724 His disciplis for þis sight, A clude again sagh þai light Mikel he did þair hert to light, And bar him vp, wonder bright; Warrai man and godd warrai, Line 22729 All for to deme on domes-dai. þat ilk forme cum sal he þar, þat he in erth his croice bar, Line 22732 Sua sal he cum, bot wite yee þan, þat sin þe werld it first bigan Was neuer sene sa sorful tide, Als þat dai sal be for to bide. Line 22736 Quen he come first his come to kyeth, Wit mekenes al he can it mithe, þat com was bath dern and hidd And nobot quon men to kidd. Line 22740 His oþer cuming sal be [[read he]] scau Kithli til þis werld at knau, Bath heuen and erth for him sal dred, Als yee forwit has herd me rede. It es na clerc mai write wit inc, Line 22745 Ne muth to mele, na hert to thinc, þe hundret and þe thusand knightes Sal folu þat mikel lord o mightes, Wit him to cum al to þis dai, Allas! quat sal þe sinful sai. Line 22750 Vngainand þan sal be his game[n] [folio 127b:2] Quen he to brin sal se al samen, Bath land and see and all thinges, þat ani werlds hald wit hinges. Line 22754 Sorful bes þan þe sinful chere, Quen all þai sall þaa trumpes here;

Be-for þe face o þat kaiser Line 22757 Angels sal his baner bere, þat es þe rode he was on spredd, þat he wit us to lijf has ledd, Line 22760 Ouercummen þe feind wald al forfar, Es na baner he dredis mare. Was neuer sunn scinand sa clere þe tend part als þat baner! Line 22764 þe brightnes o þat croice sa scene, Ouer al þe werld it sal be sene. þus heili, bot wel heiliker, Sal cum to deme þe demester. Line 22768

At dome he sal not sitt allan, Bot felaus oþer manian; All þaa þat sua þam-seluen buud þat werlds wirscip al forhuud, Line 22772 Siluer and gold and es o lijf, And taght þair flexs for him in strijf, And trauail þam in al wise To pain him wel in his seruis, And folus leli alkin laghes; Line 22777 þir men sal be þan his felaghes, For to deme bath ded and quick, Queder-sum þai be god or wick.

¶ All þat sal be at þat a-sise, Al hale þam-self þai sal vp-rise Line 22782 In bodi and saul, al on neu wise, Al thoru þe strengh o þat iustise. þat ilk flexs þat we ha nu, We sal ber þan sa sal we tru, And oþer nan we writen find; Line 22787 þat oþer trous, o trouth er blind. O þis trout hard es trouth to find, For qui it semis al again kind þan man es molten flexs and banes, Fra time þat þai be roten anes Line 22792

Line 22792 Ha pith and lijf als þai had ar, It semes sua þat neuer ar. Line 22794 Bot mistrou þat, es na nede, Herken qui, i sal þe nu rede. [folio 128a:1] Quen godd will sua, þat vp-bers all, þat mans flexs to mold se fall, Line 22798 Ne moght he not þam al wit his main, O þat ilk erth mak flexs again? He þat it wroght for-dos þe flexs, He mak it eft his will es; Line 22802 He þat dos flexs worth in to lame, O lam mai wirc flessli licam; A bodi he mai son mak of oght, þat al þis werld first mad o noght; For-þi sortli es noght þat he Line 22807 Ne mai his will all do to be. Ne dut right naman in þis dede, For trout sal do man best to spede, Qua dutes he es þe barn mare, Line 22811 O trouth allan þis es þe lare. Al mai he do he þat al weldes, If þou wil wijt hu o þair eildis. þat þai sal in þat dai up-rise, Line 22815 Sant paule vs sais on þiskin wise,— þat littel and mikel, ald and ying, All at þat mikel up-rising Sal be of eld als þai suld here Line 22819 Haf deied in eild o thritte yere, þat eild þat crist had at his ded Quen he us broght al fra vr fed. And if þat ani her liuand Line 22823 Was wemed, or on fote or on hand, Or hefd, or bak, or brest, on side, Als we se chances oft bitide, On muth or nese, or elles-quar, Line 22827 Or bote apon his bodi bar,

Cripel, croked, or turnd o baft, Line 22829 Or limes ma gain kindli craft, Thoru ma or less o lim haf last,— At þis vprising þat sal be last. Line 22832 All þaa þat godd has chosin til his For to be broght into his blis, Quat-sum þai in þis luf has bene, It sal na wem o þam be sene, Line 22836 Ne naking thing bot all fair-hede, Als we in hali scripture rede. All sal haue right limes þar Line 22839 þai aght to haf, ne less ne mar; Bot take tent quat I sai to þe, O fair stature quat it sal be, Line 22842 And o þair eild o þam i mele, [folio 128a:2] þat crist tas for his aun lele. þaas oþer sal ha fairhed nan, Line 22845 For al welth sal þam be wan; O þaim it es to tell na tale þat brues wit-vten bote es bale.

¶ þe childir þat es abortiues, Line 22849 þaa þat er not born o-liues, Sal rise in thritte winter eild, To litel bote to þaim or beild, For þaa war noght baptis iwiss, Line 22853 Ne sal þai haf na part o bliss, þir mikel maisters sais þat þai Mai sauued be on nakin wai, þai sal haf noþer o wel ne wa, Line 22857 Bot in merckenes for euer and a.

¶ þe men þat thoru þair aun gilt wit hefding draght, or hanging spilt, Thoru þair sin and þair feluni, Line 22861 Wit hundes eten þe mast parti. Mani wenes þat er vnwise, Line 22863 þat þat flexs hale suld neuer rise,

And þat to wene es bot sotthede; Nu i sal ye sum resun rede. Line 22866 Vte of all skil it es, and right, For to mistru in godds might; Line 22868 Quat man mai wijt, quat man mai lere? Quat ei mai se, quat ere mai here? Quat man in erth mai thinc in thoght? Hu al þis werld ur lauerd wroght, Heuen and erth al in þair haldes! þat mighti godd þat all waldes, Line 22874 Qua can sai me hu of a side He dos an hundret for to brede? Thoru his mighti will dos þat king Vte of þe herd tre to spring Line 22878 First þe lef and siþen þe flur, And þan þe frut wit his sauur, Ilkin frut in his sesun. Line 22881 Agh we þer-on to seke resun Hu he dos alkin thing to nait, Certes þat war bot surfait; Line 22884 þe mar man suinc him þar abute Fra spede ferrer he sal be vte; A sample sal i sceu yow þar-bi þat i fand, of sant gregori. Line 22888 þar he was in a stede sum-quar, [folio 128b:1] An crafti clerc and wis o lare And asked him a questiun Of a wolf and a leon, Line 22892 And of þe thrid þat was a man, Quer-of þe tale þus bigan;—

"A man welk thoru a woddes wai, þar ner þe stret a wolf him lai, Line 22896 þis wolf it was vnmessur mete, Al þis mans flexs þar he ete. Al suith he sua had don An hungre leon mete he son, Line 22900

Line 22900 Vp and dun his prai sekand; Line 22901 Quen he nan oþer best þar fand þis wolf he feld ant ete him al, Ne left he noiþer gret ne small. þe leon after deied in hij, Line 22905 Ded þar gun his coroigne li, And þar was roten al to noght. Quar nu sal þis man be soght? For i mai tru on nakin wise Line 22909 þat þis man mai to liif vprise, Sin nan es, als i wene, þat can tuin þat erth þat com o man Line 22912 Fra þat erth þat es bredd o best." Sant gregor gaf ansuer honest, And o þat man þat was in were þe soth he sceud him al clere, Line 22916 And prouide him, wit quik resun, þat at þis resurrectioun, Wit all his limes hale and fere Sal cum befor þe demstere. Line 22920 For þof his bodi al war brint, And blaun ouer al þe puder tint, Yett mai godd gedir it al again And neu him at his will wit main, All þe flexs þat was o þe man Line 22925 Sothfast sal be raised þan, It sal be delt in littel weue, þat was o best al sal bileue. þat bath þe tan and þe toþer made, Wel bituix þam can he schade, Line 22930 Sua haali sal þai þan rise þare þam sal noght want a hefd hare, Ne noght a nail o fote ne hand. þof queþer we sal vnderstand Line 22934 þat nail and hare þat has be scorn [folio 128b:1] Bes noght al quar þar war be-forn;

Bot als potter wit pottes dos Line 22937 Quen he his neu wessel fordos, . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] He castes al þan in a ball Line 22941 A better for to mak wit-all, O noght he lokes quilk was quilk, Bot makes a-noþer of þat ilk Line 22944 Wel fairer þan þe first was wroght; Right sua sal crist, ne dut ye noght. He þat es lauerd of erth and heuen Mai o þat ilk seluin euen Line 22948 þat first was molten into lame, Mak a wel fairer licam, And if þar-of was mar or less, To mesur als his will es. Line 22952

¶ On pask dai sai santes sum, þat te dai o dome sal com, þe dai he wald him-self vp-rise He will us rais þat ilk wise; Line 22956 He sal deme at mid-ward þe night, þat ilk time he sent his might, In til egipt þat folk to quell, þat ilk time he harud hell. þat ilk time sal cum þe king Line 22961 His lele vn-to his blis þou bring.

¶ þe stede o dome quar all sal mete, Vs telles Ioel þe prophet, And thoru his muth us sais drightin, "Quen i sal haf merci o min, Line 22966 Sal breke þair bandes and þair lace, I sal þam comforth and solace, In wale o Iosaphat i sal Do to be gederd ledes all, Line 22970 þar sal i giue mi dome o dede;" Bot mani man, þof þai can rede,

Wat noght þis word i for-wit quath, Quat takens vale o iosaphat, Line 22974 A-mang a hundret men o wan Ne vnderstandes it noght an. þai wene þat vr lauerd dright Line 22977 Sal cum vnto þat dale to light, þat iosaphat es cald ai quar, Wenis þe dome it sal be þar, Vnder þe mont of oliue[t], Line 22981 Als it es neuend thoru prophet; [folio 129a:1] þai tent allan bot to þe letter, And littel es þam þar-of þe better. Iosaphat, qua giues entent, Line 22985 Bitakens godds Iugement, Ierom sais o þat propheci, þat Iosaphat mai signifi Line 22988 Vr lauerd dome, qua rightli spelles, þat hers þe word and nathing elles. Bot qua will wijt þe soth and right O sant paule sagh he might, Line 22992 He sais þat vr lauerd sal ligh[t] Dun to þe cludes þat ar on hight, O-loft in þe air he sal him sceu, To do his mightes for to knau. Line 22996 þar sal we mete wit him to lend, For euermar wit-vten end. þe wicked, þat dred noght his au, Here dun þai sal be dempt lau, Line 23000 þai sal na might haf þider to win, Sua heui carked o þair sin; Vp in þe ski þe dome sal be, Sua truus hali kirc and we. Line 23004

Bot es naman sa wis can tell Hu lang at dom þat crist sal duell, Bot þe vprising witvten hon, Ful suith i-wiss it sal be don, Line 23008

Line 23008 Bath sal rise in littel wai, Line 23009 All þat war ded and þat sal dei. Saint austin sais enent þat dai Es nan can godds consail sai. O dome man clepis it þe dai, Line 23013 Quer þar be an or maa or nai, Vnder þe nam o dai men sall, Vnder-stand þe time þat all Line 23016 Sal be dempt at þat dom sa strang, Quer-sum it last scort quil or lang.

þai þat sal brathli dei þat tide, To bete sal þai na space abide, Line 23020 Bot þai þat has bot sinnes light Sal clengid be al for þe sight O feinds sal to þe dai be ledd, For þai for him sal be sa redd, Line 23024 He sal ha dome sa lath to be, þat santes þat on him sal se Bath þai dred him sal and gru, Ne þis ne thar na man mistru, Line 23028 þat þan in sinnes light war þan, [folio 129a:2] And penance þar-of don has nan. For penance sal haue na noþer pine, Bot þat dred o þe wiþer win, Line 23032 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þat drednes sal be sua vn-mete, Line 23035 þat it mai all sli plightes be[te], þat funden ar þan in dedli sin, þai weind to pain wit-vten blin.

¶ At þis dome þat es forwit melt, Sal al lede in four be delt, Line 23040 þe god in tuin on his righthand, þe wick in tuin þe left to stand; þe formast rau sal stan him nere, Als þaa þat er his dughti dere, Line 23044

Line 23044 þat al þis werld welth for-sok, Line 23045 And anerli to godd þam tok. þat sin and sak for him forhuud, And bodi and saul al til him buud; Went þaim in to religiun, Line 23049 And did þair bodis in prisun, And suonken þam bath dai and night, For to beserue vr lauerd dright. Gret lauerscip sal þar be lent, For-qui þai sal onan be dempt, Line 23054 Alle þe hali men sal cum Wit vr lauerd vnto þe dome, Noght to be dempt, wel sal þou wijt, Bot in þair setteles for to sett, Line 23058 For felauscip vr lauerd to bere, Bath als iustis and demester. Iesu crist es lang i wiss, Line 23061 Sin he þis couenand hight til his.

þe toiþer rau biside sal bene, Sal be ful luueli on to sene, þat sal be o god cristen lede, þat did in lijf mani gode dede. Line 23066 þat þof þai riches had i-nogh, þarfor þai to na tresur drogh, Bot suilk als þai had in catel þai did to pouer for to dele, Line 23070 And gaf þair hert for luue o mede þe nede for to cleth and fede; And willi war to do, and gladd, þat men of hali kirc þam badd; Line 23074 And did wel here þair mis to mend, Truli truand at þair end. [folio 129b:1] Suilk men þat sua bar þam here, O dome bot god sal þai noght here, Ful light sal be þair lott to dai, Line 23079 To þaim ful suetli sal he sai;

"Yee blisced folk, bath men and wiues, þat me war seruand in yur liues, In mi greuance yee did me gode, I was hungre, yee gaf me fode; Line 23084 Me thristed sare, drinc yee me broght; Prisund i was, and yee me soght; Quen i in sekenes was sare, Line 23087 Yee com for to comforth mi care; O naked-hed quen i drogh arme, Yee gaf me clething me to warme; Quen i was will and vte o rest, Godli toke yee me to gest. Line 23092 For yee ha serued me sua wele, To mede yee sal haf lastand cele, þe cele þat yee haf soght to win, For euer sal yee leng þar-in." Line 23096 þan sal þire felauscip tua Lede lastand liue for euer and a. þat ihesu crist mot bring vs to! For in þis werld es bot vn-ro, Line 23100 Ful wel es him þat won mai þar, þat kyth was neuer cuth o care.

þar sal stand on þis oþer side, Wreches stad in waful wide, Line 23104 And o þaim sal man se alsua þair parti to be delt in tua. Lath and stincand sal þai be, Sari sorful on to se, Line 23108 þe first range mast stincand, Sal be o wreches mistruand; þat renaid ar traiturs and fals, Murthereres and monsuorn als, Line 23112 þat thoru cursing or oþer plight, O kirc has tint þe hali wit right. Fra commun vte o cristen men þaa care-ful eth sal be to kene, Line 23116

Line 23116 þat in þis liif was wont to lij Line 23117 In hordom and in lecheri, Foluand al þair flexsli will, And mast þam liked dedis ill Line 23120 Wit-vten reuth, or will to mend; Vn-scriuen war þai at þair end, Bot deied in dedli sin o ded, [folio 129b:2] þire to deme sal be na nede, Line 23124 For þai war dempt ar þai com þare, þair dom apoin þam self þai bare.

¶ þe toiþer rau es ill inogh, O cristen fals and ful o wogh, Line 23128 þat mas þam cristen men wit nam, And vnder serues godds gram. Falsli es he cristen calld, Line 23131 þat crist laghes wil noght hald, Fals it es þat luue to knau, þat noþer wil for luue ne au Do þat him suld be to queme, Line 23135 Quar-wit man might him-seluen yeme. Bot in pride and in trecheri, In nith and enst and licheri, And in vntelland sinnes fele, Line 23139 þe hundret part i mai noght mele, þat man right nu his lijf in ledis, Sa duked in þair wicked hedis. On ilk said þan gadrid þai, Line 23143 Bot littel beris þe pouer a-wai, þai er sa gnede þat þai ne mai spare, Noþer to giue þam less and mare. þe couaitise, for-soth to tell, Has mani sauls broght to hell, Line 23148 Bisueled it has þis werld on bred, Vnnethes sal man find an in lede þat wel will scriue þam o þis sake, Ne for na consail mendes mak. Line 23152

Line 23152 Wijt yee for-soth all þat er slik þai sal be dempt al wit þe wick, To mikel soru and sijt to þam, Line 23155 þat al þis we[r]ld þaim mai not raim. Wit mikel wret and auful chere, Vr lauerd sal sai þat þai sal here, "Dos fles heþen, yee maledight! Vn-to mi rike ha yee na right, Line 23160 Oft i was wit malisce mette, Bot for yow was me neuer bett; In hungri and thrist oft sagh yee me, Bot þar-of had yee na pite. Line 23164 Gas to þe deuil, þar sal yee ga, For to well þar-in his wa, Euer wit-in his wa to well, Line 23167 Wit him and his þar-in to dwell." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

[folio 130a:1] A! lauerd, quat he war wijs þat moght Stedfast hald þis dai in thoght! To forget þat dai neuermar To quils þat he liuand war. Line 23178 For þan mund he her make his wai, Fra wrak to were him on þat dai; Fra þat dai forth þou agh to min, Sal neuer fra bodi þi saul tuin, Line 23182 For god and il to-gedir ar, þai wroght ar þai tuined war. To-gedir sal þai tak als-sua, Line 23185 þair worthi mede in wel and wa, Oþer in hell or heuen [[so in MS.]] pine, Wit sathanas, þat wiþerwin, Line 23188

Line 23188 þat fra þe jugement be made Line 23189 Sal casten be, wit-vten bade, In a stincand stang o fire; þar sal be yolden him his hire, Als sais þe bok in priuete, Line 23193 þat to sant Iohn was scaud to se.