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

[Of the nine points of doing alms.]

And we be suilk in stat mai fall, þat þou mai noght help þam all, þan ar þar fiue pointes to se, Line 28892 Hu þu sal sett þi charite, þat þou mai find of efter lare, þat es trout, qui, quen, hu, quare. Weiknes, gentris, blod, and eld, þir agh to do nede beild, Line 28897 Wit þis word, "trout," þe teching giues To loke þe lagh þat men in-liues,

For crist þat þou seis right treu Line 28900 þou helpe for-þi sarȝin or Iuu. þis word [qui] sais þe chesun þou agh for-qui ma þin almus bun, For if þou seis a man in handes, And wit his faas likand in bandes, þou agh first helpe þat lijs in pain To laus him fra his wither-vin. Line 28907 Wit þis word, "quen," vn-do þe tide þe quilk þou agh noght ouerbide, For if a dughti man for dett, Mai fall, be in prisun sett, Line 28911 Or elles be a-noid sare þou agh to do þin almus þare, For sin we reu agh and care Of godd vs agh to reu þe mare. Line 28915 And þis word, "hu," sais þe maner [folio 160a:1] þat þou agh in almus bere, þat is þat þou can mesure þe Quen þat þou giues þi charite, Ne giue þu sua-gat noght til an Line 28920 þat þou mai giue anoþer nan, þat þou giue noght sua farr aday, þat þou a-noþer nick wit nay. þis worde, "quare," þe stede us telles To giue þir we suld noght elles. Line 28925 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] "Weiknes" sal þou lok for mede, For þou man agh all helpe in nede, þe waikest and þe mast vn-fere Agh þou wit þin almus here, Line 28935

Line 28935 Als es to lam, þe defe, þe blind, þat oþer alle be þam be-hind. Line 28937 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] "Gentris," til an dughti-hede þin almus agh þou for to bede, Line 28941 And namli til him þat has bene Hauand, heind, of costes clene, And falles in-to state o nede, Plight-les for his aun dede. Line 28945 Wit þis word, "blod," agh þou to min For to help þin aun kin Titter þan an vncuth man, Line 28948 Bot suilk entent salt þou haue þan, þat þi helping o kind be cummen, And noght it of þe flexs be nummen, þat þou be noght for þi flexs mind Bot for to sustain manes-kind. Line 28953 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Of "eild" sal þou haf als in sight, If þou will do þin almus right, For ai þe forþer mar of eild, Line 28958 þe man agh to do bote and beild. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] And agh þou giuer to be blith Line 28966 Skilwisli to giue and suith, þat þi lefthand wijt noght for roos, þe almus þat þi right hand doos. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 28971

Line 28971 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]