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

[folio 16b:1] de addiscione nominis abram

Quen abram was fiuescor and nine til him þan spak our lauer drightin:— "Abram," he said, "for me þou ga I sal ga forwit þe al sua; Line 2646 Multipli þi sede i sall." He luttand thanked him wit-all. Line 2648 þan did our lauerd at ek his name, And said he suld hatte abraham; Abram forwit als he was calld þat nam suld he na langer hald. Line 2652 þis nam sua mikel es to rede Als fader o mani serkyn lede. "And if þou halds mi techeyng; Line 2655 O þe sal com bath prince and king þat sal þou weld and haue þis contre, Als i haue forwit hight to þe; þat þou has had in pelrimage þine sal it haue in heritage, Line 2660 Al þe kyngrike o þis land At haue and hald to þam lastand. Bot now i wil a couenand new, O þe and þine be halden tru; Line 2664 A theuful takynyng for to ken At tuin yow wit fra oþer men. Hald ȝee þe couenand o þis wi[s], Do your knauebarns to circumces þe aghtand dai þat þai are born, Line 2669 þat is to sai þat þai be scorn O þat ilk lime for-with þat þai are kend fra wommen wit; Lok ȝee do þus, als i sai þe, Line 2673 Als ȝee your sauls wil saued be; Qua es not sua þai mai be bald, þai sal not o mi folk be tald; Line 2676

Line 2676 þou and þi childer it sal bigin And þat wons þi house wit in. Lok he fra þe be don a-wai Line 2679 þe man þat wil noght hald þis lai; For-qui þe werk of circumcising Bers in it-self gret for-biseyng. Ne þi wijf, þat now hat sara, [folio 16b:2] Sco sal fra now hat sua na mare, Line 2684 Hir nam it sal be eked sua, þat sco fra now be cald sarra; Suilk a sun sal sco þe bere þat king scal brede and caiser; Line 2688 He sal serue me al to queme, Ful wel þis lagh sal he yeme." þe couenand was wel fest wit þis Line 2691 Our lauerd him went in-til his blis. ¶ Abram tok for[th] his men And did als drightin can him ken; Him self and ismael he scare, Line 2695 And siþen all his þat car-men were. O thritti yeir fra he was born Was ysmael wen he was schorn; His fader nineti and nine þat day þai vnder-fang þis neu lai, Line 2700 Quarbi þai ar all kid and knaun, þe folk þat o þar kind er draun.

Quen it was hate a-pon a tide Abram satt his hus be side, Line 2704 Bi-side þe wale of mont mambre, Loked him far and nere; sagh he Toward him com childir thre, Liknes o god in trinité; Line 2708 Bot an allan he honired o þaa, Als anfald godd and in na ma; þe trinité he sagh bi þat sight, Line 2711 And gestend þam wit him þat night.

First he self þair fete wesse, And siþan þam fedd wit calf flesse, Buttur and brede þai ete alsua; þan asked þai quare was sarra. Line 2716 Abraham said, "yonder wit-in." þa[n] said þat lauerd, "i wil yow min At mi gain-com, if i haue lijf, A sun sal haue sarra þi wijf." Line 2720 Sarra þar-bin quare sco satt Herd þis word and logh þar-at, And said in hething, "quare we sal Cum again to childer tale!" Line 2724 For eild sco wend to bere na barn. "And quat thing es," he said, "may warn þat godd ne may his will of do? Bi i eftsones cum yow to, Line 2728 þou sal haue barn in litel quile, [folio 17a:1] thar þe noght in hethyng smylle." Sco said, "for soth smild i noght," And if sco did it hir for-thoght. Line 2732 quen þai war rest wel vp-ras þai And abraham þam ledd þe wai. þe louerd loked tilward sodoman, And þus he said til abraham:— Line 2736 "Abraham," he said, "fra þe Wil i noght helle mi priueté; þou and þine es me sua dere þat i will ȝee mi consail here; Line 2740 O sodome haue i herd þe cri, þe smike it reches to þe scki; þe word es wers þan man mai neuen, þe reke es raght vn-to þe heuen; To see wil i me-self ga, Line 2745 Als es þe cri, if it be sua þar-of sal i ta wengance strang, Ant þer-to sal it be noght lang." Line 2748

Line 2748 "Lauerd," said abraham, "þi nare Sal þou þine auin sua-gat for-fare? It semes not to be þi will For þe wik þe dughti spill; Line 2752 þi rightwisnes may not thole For þe wike þat þou þe dught cole." Our lauerd said til abraham:— Line 2755 "Wenis þou i wil sua for-do man If þou þar findes fiue sith tene, Fifty or fourte o þi lele men, Tuenti mai fall, or tuis fiue, Line 2759 Ne sal þai alle haue þar for liue?" þus said our lauerd; bot þar was nan Was funden lele, bot loth allan. Line 2762 Our lauerd went forth, and abraham til his huse þan went him ham. ¶ At euentide, in to sodome, Line 2765 To loth huse tua angels come; þai fand loth sitand be þe yate, Gayns þam ras fra þen he sate; Line 2768 He praid þam in gods nam[e] þai wald to gestening com hame, Als for þat night, and þai said nai, Bot in the stret þar duell wald þai: And loth til his huse þam ledd, Line 2773 Wit suilk als he hade þam feedd. Bot ar þai to þeir bedd ware boun [folio 17a:2] þe folk þam gedir o þe tun, þaa foles feluns þat war fuus, Line 2777 All vmlapped loth huse, yong and ald, bath barn and man, All thoght þam late þai þeder wan; On loth þai cried þaa huse a-boute, And bad þat he suld send þam oute þe gestes him com wit nighter tale, For soth, þai said, knau þam we sale.

þat soruful sin on þam þai thoght Wit þaim to haue don, if þat þai moght. Bot loth befor, ar þai war warr, Fast þe dors þan did he sparr; Line 2788 ȝern on þaim he cried merci! þat þai suld lete þair fule foly. "I haue," he said, "doghtres tua, Tas and dos your will wit þaa; Line 2792 Mi gestes late ȝee liue in pees, For scam ne dos þam na males. þe ȝerner þat loth þam be-soght, Line 2795 þe mare on him with strenght þai soght; Bot al his praier had ben als noght If godd self his might had wroght, þat made þat sinful folk sa madd, þat þai ne wist war þai war stad; Line 2800 Our lauerd might þam made sua blind þat dor on huse ne might þai find; þair aune wite þan wist þai noght, Quen þai come ne quar þai thoght. To loth it spak þis angels þan— Line 2805 "Has þou her," þai said, "ani man, Sun or doghter, mik or mau, to þe langand, or hei or lau, þou lede þam suith out o þis tun, Are þat hit be sunken don." Line 2810 Loth went and til his maues spak, þar vte þat suld his doghters take. "Rises vp," he said, "and fle ȝee sone, þis tone to day sal be for-done." Line 2814 Bot al þat loth to þaim can sai þam thoght it was not bot in plai. Bot arli, ar men well moght see, þe angls badd loth do him flee. Line 2818 "Vp loth," þai said, "and þi meyne, þat ȝee ne be tint wit þis cite."

Quen þai sagh loth be to litand, [folio 17b:1] þai tok him-self be þe hand, Hijs wijf and his doghtres tua, Line 2823 þat moght vp lok was þar na ma. Quen þai had led þam fra þe doute þat þai þe time war broght wit-oute, Bi þat began þe light o dai, Line 2827 þai badd þam ai hald forth þar wai, Bot þai ne wild þam self for-fare, to loke bi hind þam neuer mare; "Ne mak ȝee in þe plain na duell, Till ȝee be comme in to þe fell; Line 2832 O-manges þaim ar ȝee be tane And for þair felunne be slaine." "Lauerd," said loth, "wit þe leue o þe, In littel segor wald i be." Line 2836 "Haste," he said, "þan þeder yaar, for i do noght til þou come þar." Bi þat þe sun risen was Strang cri in þaa tuns ras. Line 2840 Our lauerd raind o þam o-nan, Dun o lift, fire and brinstan; Sodome and gomor wit al þe land þat our a-boute þam lai ner hand, Wit all þe woning þat þar was, Line 2845 es noþer leued, ne tre, ne gress, Ne nathing of þat land vn-sonken, Suilk als þai brued now ha þai dronken. Sir loth wijf þis cri sco hard, Line 2849 Hir langed to see how þai fard, For ferli sco was fus to find; Als sco loked hir be hind A stan sco standes be þat way, Line 2853 And sua sal do to domes-day. In a salt stan men seis hir stand þat bestes likes o þat land, Line 2856

Line 2856 þat anes o þe wok day, þan es sco liked al a-way, And þan þai find hir on þe morn, Hale als sco was ar be-forn. Line 2860

¶ þar þaa fiue cites war won to be es noght now bot a stinkand see, þat semes als a lake of hell; Line 2863 Na liuand thing mai þar-in duell, For if ani fische þar-in bigane, Wit leding o þe flum iordane, þe lijf it es for-don wit stink Fra it in to þat watur sink. Line 2868 Men findes lumpes o þe sand, [folio 17b:2] O þer nan finer in þat land, þat standes euer and iþenli A cloyd þar fra vp to þe sky; Line 2872 If þou a brand þar-in wil cast, þe fire it haldes þar stedfast, thoru brennyng of þe brinstane, Quare-of þar es sa mikel wan. Line 2876 þar-bi groues sum apell tre, Wit appuls selcut fair to se, Quen þai ar in hand, als a fise bal, To poudir wit a stink þai fal. Line 2880 ¶ All cristen men, i rede yow take Ensaumple bi þis waful wrake, þat al for licheri was tan, Sua wile was neuer funden nan; Line 2884 þat it was wil it was wel sene, Be þe wrak þat was sa kene. Hate and stikand es þe lake, Line 2887 And fire and brinstan was þe wrak; Oute of kind þe sin was don, For-þi þair kind it was for-don; Fleis þat sin ouer all þis werld, þe wrak þat folus, als ȝee herd, Line 2892

Line 2892 Godd wit schild ȝe do þat sin, þat ȝee in hell fire for-brin; And if ȝee sin algat sal do þe sin o kind ȝee hald yow to, Line 2896 þe kindly sin and wit womman; Bot sibbe ne spused tak yee nan, Sua ferr your lust yee folu noght, þat yee for-gete him þat yow wroght. Mani man, for ouer-wele, Line 2901 þam-self can noþer faand ne feil, Bituixand þai sink in þat wele þar neuer man sank þat was o sele; Sua did þe wreches o sodome. Line 2905 For welth þai duted neuer þe dome, þair welth þam did of all and alle, Als dos man oft in filthes fal, Line 2908 Bot þan com dome, witouten spare, To þaa þat lang was spared are; Sua tin þai þam wit-outen end Line 2911 þat wil noght þam in time mend. Loth, ȝee herd me ar of tell, For dred he drou vnto a fell; In a caue he did him þare Line 2915 Wit hijs doghteres and namare.

[folio 18a:1] ¶ Abraham went him, on þe morn, To þat sted þar he be-forn Had fra our lauerd tane his leue, Line 2919 And sagh þat can him sare greue. Tilward þaa cites loked he, þat sari sight was on to se; He sagh þat cuntre, al bidene, þat sua feir had forwit bene, Line 2924 Wit sparcand reke and couerd abouen, Als it war a brinand ouen; For it was rightwis godds wreke þar again durst he not spek. Line 2928

Line 2928

¶ Bot loth him held þat caue wit-in, He and his doghtres tuin; For þai nan bot þair fader sau Line 2931 þai wend all men ware don o dau, Thoru þat ilk waful wrak. þe elder to þe yonger spak, "Sister, to þe in dern i sai, þou seis þe folk er all a-wai; Line 2936 Bot loth our fader es carman nan, Bot we tua left es na womman; I think man-kind sal perist be, Bot it be stord wit me and þe, Line 2940 þe werld es broght til end, me think; Giue we our fader inogh to drink, And, wen he es drunken witerly, We sal in bedd ga lig him bi, Line 2944 For moght we any barn[e]s brede Me think þe werld þar-of had ned." Als sco for spak, right sua þai wroght, þe fader his auen dede wist noght; He fand noght wen he bi þam lai, Bot bath alson wit child were þai; Amon. and moab. wer geten sua, Tuix fader and doghters tua; Line 2952 O þaim becom sua wiked lede, þat noþer drou to dughti-hede; Til a sted þat hight damas þiderward þair wonnyng was; Line 2956 O mani man, þof þai war gode, þai reft þam aght and spilt þair blode.

¶ Abraham had his hert ful sare, Fra þeþen he tok talent to fare; Line 2960 Til a contre cades he flitt, Abimalech was lauerd of hitt; His sister he cald sarra his wijf, Line 2963 For þare for hir suld rise na strijf.

He dred þe folk was ful o pride, [folio 18a:2] Quils he war lendand þam biside; Bot herd it es to kepe, iwise, Line 2967 þe thing þat ilk man wald war his, And, namlik, i sai it o þat thing þat ȝernd es o gret laueding. Abimalech ne fined noght to þat sarra was to him broht. Line 2972 Bot godd on night com to þe king, In slepe, and said him sli talking— "þou king," he said, "loses þi lijf, þou has anoþer man[ne]s wijf." Line 2976 "Lauerd," he said, "wil þou me sla, I wist not for soth þat it was sua; þai tald bath here, til an and oþer, Sco was his sister and he hir broþer; And alsua, lauerd, wel þou wat Line 2981 þat I. haf halden clene hir stat." "I wat," he said, "þat þou art clene, War it not sua if i ne had bene, Line 2984 Fra toche of hir i saued þe, þat þou suld not sin in me; Yeild hir to hir husband schet, For hir husband es a prophet; Line 2988 And if þou dos anoþer red þou and þine all sal be dede." ¶ Vp ras þe king, on nighter tale, And cald his men be for him hale; O þis warning he þam tald, Line 2993 And þai þam dred both yong and ald. He did to cal habraham son, And said, "qui has þou þusgat don? Quat haue i don, or mi kingrike, Line 2997 þat þou suld þus us be-suik?" "Parfai for i me vm-bithoght Yee war men þat godd duted noght;

Your harm sa wend i best to fle And said mi sister suld sco be." Til abraham þan gaue þe king, In wirscipp, mani riche thing, Line 3004 And him he made þan his priue And taght to weld al þat contre.