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

De etate & fine Sarre vxoris abrahe [folio 19b:1]

¶ Sex scor and seuen yeir liued sarra And deid wit-outen childer ma, þan ysaac nanma sco bar, And abraham can for hir car; Line 3212 In ebron groue hir abraham, þar formast was grauen adam. Abraham wald in his lijf þat ysaac had wedded a wijf, Line 3216 And wald sco war if sua moght be Bath of his kind and his contre; Men suld her seke wit-in þat land þare his frendes were wonand. Line 3220 A sargiant call þan comand he þat mast wist of his priuete, þat had ben als of his fostring, Ai siþen he was a barn ying; Line 3224 Apon his kne he did him suere þat he suld be lel errand berer, And þat he suld giue hal entent For to ful-fil his comament. Line 3228 "Frend," he said, "þou wend in hij vntil mesopotani, þar þou wat our frendes won, To seke a wijf to mi sun; Line 3232 And if sco mai be funden þare þou bring hir ham wit mikel fare; Bot i wil þat þou bring him nan þat es kind of chanaan." Line 3236 ¶ "Sir," said sargant, "quat sal i do, þe mai þat ȝee wald haue, if sco Wil not hider com wit me?" "O þi trout þan mak i þe fre, Line 3240 For ysaac, wit na forward, Wil i þat weind þaderward."

"Blithli, sir, it sal be don." þe sargant made him bun fulsun, Line 3244 Bun was he made til his buskyng, Wit tresur grette and riche ring, Suilk als maiden had of mister, Al þat ten camels moght ber, Line 3248 Ring and broche, war selli prude, Bath gold and stan for maiden scrude, þat qua him sagh moght vnderstand He stird was of a riche land. Line 3252 to mesopotany suith come he, [folio 19b:2] And son he fand þe soght cite. Quen he him fra sagh nere þe tun Biside a well he lighted dun; Line 3256 þar he made his oresun, And þus wit drightin can he run. ¶ "Lauerd," he said, "þat al wel mai þat now lauerd leues night and dai, for quas luue he wild not warn Line 3261 To sacrifise his auen barn, At seke a wijf to wam i fare; Lauerd," he said, "send me squilk a fare, And sua mi seruis sitt at seme, þat to þi wirschippe mai be queme; And suilk a wijf til ysaac Line 3267 þat mai be gainand him to take, Him to ioy and menske to þe; Lauerd þou grant þat it sua be, And do me be þis well here Traist to be o my praiyer; Line 3272 For be þis well sal i habide Quat o mi nerrand mai be tide; Her sal i bide til þat i see þe maydens come fra yon cite, Line 3276 þair watur at þis well to drau, þar sal i mi womman knau;

Sco þat sal bete me my thrist I sal hir hald als for þe best." Line 3280 Had he noght rested bot a thrau, O maidens sagh he cum on raw; þe formast was vnlaghter milde, Hir semed na wight to be wilde, Line 3284 Ne was sco not oletes light; Rebecca was þe nam sco hight, Hir fader was cald batuel. Hir semed all hir werkes wel, Line 3288 Sittandlik hir watur toke. þe sargant yern can on hir loke, þat bath avisi was and wise, And said til hir o þiskin wise;— Line 3292 "Maiden," said he, "þou giue me drinc, For i ha ben sumdel in suinc; I am a man farand þe way, Mi hernes dun heir did i lai, Line 3296 O my passage was i in doute, For naman knau i here aboute; Me war lath if i might me were Line 3299 þat men scath did me on my geyre." [folio 20a:1] "Leue freind," sco said, "þine asking Es noght bot a litell thing, þou sal it haue wit ful god will; Line 3303 And þine camels sal drinc þair fill, For wantes vs here na uessell, Ne mele, ne bucket, ne funell." Sco drogh þam all inogh to drinc, Left sco nawight for na suinc; Line 3308 Bot ai þe quils he ne fan To be-hald þat leue maidan, How all hir dedes can hir seme. þe sargant thoght it selli queme. Line 3312 "Say me now," he said, "be þi hand, Has þou any fader liuand?"

"Sir, ya," sco said, "and moder wit al, Til hous gladly þai wil yow call; Fodder and hai þou sal find bun Line 3317 Na roummer sted in al þe tun."