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

[Description of Hell and its Nine Pains.]

And qui it stincand stang es cald, þar es resun, qua sum wil hald; Stang als men sais es vmstund Line 23197 Sua depe þat þar-on es na grund, Alsua þe pine of hell pine It es sua depe, wit-vten fine, Line 23200 þat end ne best þar neuer apon, A stank it calls for-þi sant Iohn. He þat es duked ans dun, Cums neuer mare o þat prisun; þe fire þat þar es for to brin, Line 23205 Neuer mare ne mai it blin. [De penis] viij paines principale es þar, Crist lat us neuer þider far! þe first it es þe fire sa hatte, þat al þe mikel se sa wate, Line 23210 þof þat it casten war þar-in, Suld it neuer þe less brin; Sua þat vr fire ne mai namare Again þat fire þat brin þar, Line 23214 þan painted fire gain vrs moght, þat apon awagh war wroght; Euer it brennes dai and night, Bot neuermare it castes light. Line 23218 ¶ þe toþer paine is tald sa kene, þat mans muth it mai noght mene, þat þof a fern fell war made, [folio 130a:2] And thoru a chance þar-in it gladd,

Quils þou moght turn þi hand abute, It suld worth rose [[MS. indistinct.? Read to yse]] witvten dute. ¶ þe thrid pine es hard to drei, Line 23225 O wormes þat sal neuer dei, Fell dragons and tades bath þat ar apon to lok ful lath, Line 23228 Ful wlatsum on to here or se, Ful wa es þam þat þare sal be; Als we se fixs in water suim, Sua liue þai in þat lou sa dim. Line 23232 ¶ þe ferth paine it es o stinc, þat mai naman sa mikel thinc. ¶ þe fifte es vndemnes dint, Line 23235 þat þai wreches þare sal hint, Als it war dintes on a steþi þat smythes smittes in a smeþey. þaa dintes ar ful fers and fell, Line 23239 Herder þan es here irinn mell. ¶ þe sext paine es noght to scape, Es suilk mercknes men mai it grape, Sua wonder think þar sal it be, Line 23243 þat nan ne mai on oþer se. ¶ þe seuend scenscip al for þair sinn, Ai scam lastand þat neuer sal blin, For þar-till sal ilkan ha sight Line 23247 To se scenscip on oþer plight. ¶ þe aghtand pine it es ful grise, to se þaa warlaus in þat wise, Line 23250 Strang paine es it on þam to loke, And namli laght vntil þair crok; þat dreri din þat balful bere, þat þai wit-vten stint sal here, Line 23254 O þaa wepand in þat waa, þat sal þam last for euer and ai. Firend bandes es þe nind, Als in hali writt we find, Line 23258

Line 23258 þat al þair limes ar bunden wit, Witvten leth of ain lith. Line 23260 Bot a point es þar þam pines mare, þan elles al þair oþer fare, Line 23262 þai wat þair pine sal ha na nend, For þai mai haf na might to mend. And qui þar es þaa paines nene, He[re] nu þe skil of ilk pine; Line 23266 Nine orders of angels þai forsok, [folio 130b:1] Quen þai þaim to þe warlau tok, þar-for sal þai pined be, Line 23269 Wit þaa pines sex and thre. For þat þai war won to brin, In catel wit couetise to win Line 23272 To-quils þai in þis werld war, Ai sal þai brin al þar-for þar. And þaa men þat sa starck war her, Stitli þair wickedhed to ster Line 23276 And brint þar-in sa war þai bald, þai sal haue euer þat water cald. þai þat war fild wit enst and hete, þat iþenli þair hertes ete, Line 23280 þar wormes sal þaim vnder wrote In bale wit-vten hope and bote. And for þai her war wonto li Line 23283 In þair stincand licheri, Ne wald noght here bot þair delices, þat drogh þam vntil oþer vices, Line 23286 þai sal haf iþen stinc i-wiss þat þai sal neuer mar mis. ¶ And for þai wald na disciplin Thole for luue of vr drightin, Line 23290 þai sal be beft wit-vten houe, Ne merci nan to þair behoue. And for þai wald noght þe light, þat gis of sothfastnes þe sight, Line 23294

Line 23294 þat es godd self at vnderstand, Line 23295 þai sal haf mircknes ai lastand; And for þai wald noght scriue þer sake, Ne fore þair ending mendes make, Ilk an sal se wit sight o scam, Line 23299 Quat blenck on oþer es to blam. And þai þat wald na spelling here O godd ne of his laghes lere, Line 23302 For-þi þan sal þai here þe sunes O nedders bath and of draguns, þat reuful bere, þat waful cri, þat wa es þam es sted þar-bi. Line 23306 And for-þi þai gilderd were, Wit-in þis lijf wit lastes sere, þai sal suffer soru ai þar, Line 23309 A-pon þair membres ai quare. Ai wend þai here to liue in sin, þar sal þai dei witvten blin, Line 23312 Deiand ai and neuer ded, [folio 130b:2] For ded sal fle þaim als þair fede. þai sal be sett in þair prisun, Line 23315 Vpward þair fete, þair hefdes dun, þair backes til war[d] oþer bete, Wit pine on ilk side vm-sete. Line 23318 þe rightwismen sal se þaa pines Apon vr lauerd wiþerwines, þat þair blis mai be þe mare, Line 23321 þat þai er scaped o þat care. þe wicked alsua þe gode sal se Wit-in þair gammen stad and gle, þat þai þe sorfuller sal be Line 23325 þat losen folili has þat le; To domes-dai sua sal þai fare, Bot efter domes-dai na mar; For to þam se þaa maledight, Line 23329 Bot þe seli sal o þaim ha sight.

Bot þof þai se þam, wijt you wele, O þaim þai sal noght reu a dele, If fader sagh his sun þare, Line 23333 Or sun his fader in þat care, þe wijf hir man or man his wijf, Or freind he luued als his lijf; Line 23336 For þair misfar suld þai not murn, Ne ans for þair skathes skurn, Bot suld þai haf a gret delite, To se þam setlid [[MS. seclid]] in þair site, Line 23340 Als we haf here on sunni dai To se fixs in a water plai; For qui þe right-wis blith sal be Quen he sal wrak on sinful se. Line 23344 If þai suld for þaa feluns prai, It war gain godd and gret derai, For þai til him sal be sa quem, Line 23347 Al sal þam like þat he sal deme. To deme us mot þat drightin sua þat we come neuer vnto þat wa!