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

[Pride.]

. . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] And for pride es þe formast sin, [folio 153a:1] Of him to spek I wil begin. Line 27551 And þar es namli tuin thinges Þat riuelist pride of springes. Pride es a lust, i sal noght lei, Line 27554 His aun stat þat man wald hei; And rises it, qua soth mai se Riuelist o thinges thre, Line 27557 O warlds happe, o grace and kind, Efter þat we in writtes find; Werlds happe, and clath, and fode, Hus or rent or oþer gode, Line 27561 Mensk, riches, and priuete, Welth, or lauerdscipp, or pouste. Grace, and vertu, and god fame, Lare and of god loueword nam, Line 27565 For steuen suet, for rede tung, For lauerds loue, for maidens yong. O kind cums for craf, gentris, O bodi fairhede, o wiit ha pris. Line 27569 And oft bitides þat man es Bicummen prode for halines, And lates oft lightly o þaa Men þat er noght funden sua; Line 27573 O þam we ne agh lightli to late Bot agh wel þair pride to hate, And agh we to thinc euer ilike; Al-be-it þai be semand ilike; Line 27577 Þai haf in þaim sum hidd bunte Þat better mai þain ors be; We may se bitide and of-sise Line 27580 Þe standand fall, the falland rise,

For-þi agh we to be dutand Line 27582 For to fall þat es standand; And we agh ilk man upraise, And in vr hert vrself dispraise. Pride es, if þou euer it wend Line 27586 Þi-self was noght o grace þe send, Bot ar þan wenis þou þat it Es cummen all o þin aun wiit, Or wenis for þi wirscip wel, Line 27590 Þat þe is graunted all þi sele; Or quen þat þou þe roses oght O thing þou has, or had it noght. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] O pride becums als wainglory, Line 27596 Þat es to be o roos gredi; Ypocrisi, vte-wit to seme [folio 153a:2] Dughti man tofor to deme, Bot he es noght al in-wit sua; Line 27600 Inow no mai man find o þaa Þat neuer es in hale ne hold, And vte-wit es ouergilt wit gold. O pride bicumis strif and discord, Þat es quen man will noght acord Till oþer men, ne be vnknaun, Line 27606 And nathing will prais bot his aun. O pride bicums throues o thrett, Hething, threp, and athes grett, Als sum þat think na better gleu Þan ilk day find athes neu; Line 27611 Þai þat sua vgli athes suers, Wonder es hou þis erth þam bers, For þai for-sak not crist allan, Bot missais bath him, lith and ban. O pride bicums vnbuxumnes, Line 27616 Strif, and strutt, and frawardnes.

O hand, fole talking vmquille, Line 27618 And for to hald the pouer wile. O pride es iangling o foly, And namliest of licheri; O manikin vnnait oþer thing, Line 27622 Als sang or truful and lesing. All men wald ai pride for-sak, Bot he wald na man ware his mak; Forþi sais ysodri o þis sin:— Line 27626 "If þou be gentil thank þi kin; If þou be riche, þou thanc fortune; . . . . . If þou be fair, it passes sone; Line 27630 . . . . . If þou be heind als curtais, Nu art þou at first to prais. Þe angel þat so fair and bright Line 27634 Was, and bare his nam o light, Quen he wex prud he moght not duell, Bot vte of heuen he fell til hell." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Þou man þat es in erth stad Line 27646 Þat es noght bot an erthin gadd, Wit prid hu sal þou þider wine, Þar he fell fra, for suilk sine.

Again þis sin es medecin gode, Line 27650 For to be mek and mild o mode, To knau men self of alkyn thing Anentis biginyng and endyng. Line 27653

[[No gap in these MSS.]] Line 27653