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

De ysaac filio abrahe [folio 20b:1]

Now es god at vnder tak þe store tell of ysaac:

vr lauerd þat es o bunte bun Til him he gaue his benesun. Line 3412 Wiss he was, drightin he drede, Gladli his biding he didd. Wit-outen child his wijf was lang, And þat thoght ysaac ful strang. Line 3416

Line 3416 He praid til him þat al mai mend þat he wald him sun child send, For his wijf he dred ful sare Sco suld be geld for euer mare. Line 3420 þe gode childer geten o grace Vnnethes cum þai forth in place, Bot quen þai forth cum, well es kend þat þai o godds grace er send. Line 3424 Child vnnethes had dame sarra Rebecca / Rachel / And anna alsua, No yeit þe haly helizabeth, Line 3427 To haf hir hirth come sco not eth, [ [[from Laud MS. 416] That was Iohn the baptyst That to men shewid Cryst] Alsua semis, qua right can deme, Bes o rebecca barn-teme. Line 3432 Sco had þam noght, for-þi i sai, Ar þai war soght so mani dai, Godd hight þam childer no for-þi þat of his sede suld multipli. Line 3436 And said, "ysaac, ai sal i be Als wit þi fader alsua wit þe." Ysaac gaue to godd his tent Line 3439 And praid he suld him childer sent; Sua lang he praid þat his praiyer Wel was herd wit drightin dere. His wijf þat lang had child for-gane Now sco bredes tua for ane, Line 3444 Tuinlinges þat hir thoght na gamen, þat in hir womb oft faght samen. [folio 20b:2] Sua herd wit-in hir wamb þai faght þat sco ne moght rest, dai ne naght; At pray to godd ai was sco prest Line 3449 To rede hir quat þat hir was best, þat hir war best he wald hir rede; Hir lijf was lickest to be ded. Line 3452

Line 3452 Strang weird was giuen to þam o were þat þai moght noght þair strif for-bere, Til þay had o þam seluen might To se quarfor þat þai suld fight. Line 3456 Fra biginning o þe werld O suilk a wer was neuer herd, Ne suilk a strijf o childir tuin þat lai þer moder wamb wit-in; Line 3460 þair strut it was vn-stern stith, Wit wrathli wrestes aiþer writh, Bituix vn-born a batel blind, Suilk an was ferli to find. Line 3464 He þat on þe right side lai þe toþer him wraisted oft away; And he þat lay a-pon þe left þe toþer oft his sted him reft. Line 3468 ¶ þe leuedi was ful ferli drad, Als womman þat ful hard was stad. Bot oure lauerd o suthfastnes Had don hir in to sikernes, Line 3472 Thoru his werrai prophecie, Quat suld be þaa childer vie, O þair weird and o þair lijf, Line 3475 And quat for besening bar þe strijf; For-þe buxsum baret sco bare, And kneu comforth suld com o care; Hir breding was ful selcut sare, Line 3479 Bot hir chiltting was mikel mare. þan wex þe fight mare þan be-forn, Quilk o þir tua suld first be born; Strait es for to stere þe stat þar might o kind es funden mat. Line 3484 O þir tua breþer, þat i mote, þe less þe mare laght be þe fote In trauelling and drogh a gain, Ful herd it was þair moder pain. Line 3488

Line 3488 þe first was born was rogh as hare, þe toþer child was smeth and bare. He þat was rugh was rede wit-al, Esau þai did him call. Line 3492 Iacob hight þe yonger broþer, His moder him luued mare þan þat toþer. [folio 21a:1] For-þi ne was he noþer quar sent Bot to þe huse ai tok he tent, þe hus to kepe and ma þe mett, Line 3497 Mast to þat mister was he sett. þe fader luued esau for fode, For-qui þat he was archer gode, Line 3500 And, quen he wald, ai was he bun To fete his fader venison, And he was als þe for-mast born. He delt als wit tilth o corn, Line 3504 He cuth well als o waith sere, O best o wode, o foghul riuere; His fader þat old was and vnfere Oft he fed wit gode dinere. Line 3508 God was þe werld in þat sesun And mikel it bar o benisun, On god men þat well held þe lai On childer þat he it wald on lai; Line 3512 O blesing mai man bisin take Bi childer of þis ysaac, How yonger o þir tua þe blissing stal his broþer fra; Line 3516 Bot first es gode þat it be tald How esau his forbirth sald.

¶ Esau went for till hunt, A day, sum he was oft wunt, Line 3520 Bath on fer and ner he soght, Bot þat dai wayth þan gatt he noght, For haf man neuer sa gode graith It es noght ilk dai, dai o waith, Line 3524

Line 3524 Bot riueli þat dai þat men failes Abute his waith most trauailles; Quen he al weri was for-gan Ham he tok his wai o-nan; Line 3528 For hauk es eth, als i here say, To reclaym þat has tint his pray. His broþer he fand giueand his tent To grayth a riche pulment; Line 3532 "O þis kin mete now, broþer," he said, "Giue me sum part þat þou has graythid, Mette and drinc þou has to will, Bot lang es siþen I ete my fill." Line 3536 Iacob þan said, "godd wit it, To þe haf noght now graythid it; þe mete mi moder me bi-taght, For þou and i er selden saght, Line 3540 Abute our forbirth er we wrath; Bot þou sal suere me a nath, [folio 21a:2] ¶ þat þou sal neuer forth fra to night In þi forbirth do claim na right." "For-birth," he said, "quat serues me? Broþer, atty will all sal be, Line 3546 For hunger loo i dei right now." þan suer a nath him esau, [hic iurauit] And for his fill o þat potage, Line 3549 Als a wreche, has sald his heritage. He ete and dranc and went his wai And tint his blissing fra þat day; Na bote it was þof him for-thoght, Godd wild it ware his þat it boght.

¶ Sir ysaac þat dughti man, Line 3555 Vnfere and eld a-pon him ran, O bodi failles him þe might, And of his eigen alsua þe sight; þe man þat sua wit eld es dight His dai es turned him to night, Line 3560

Line 3560 And ha men neuer ben sa bald, Quen þat sua bicums ald, His blode þan wexus dri and cald, Til vnwelth windes al his wald; Line 3564 þe heued biginnes for to scak, His hend vnquemli for to quak, It crepes crouland in his bak, And þe banes for to crak, Line 3568 þe freli fax to fal of him, And þe sight to wax well dim; þe front it fronces þat was scene, þe nese it droppes ai bi-tuine, Line 3572 þe teth to rote, þe aand at stinc, Allan to liue trauail him thinc; þan es eth þe fote to spurn, Line 3575 Quen he falles wit his auen turn; He praises al thing þat es gon [[read gan]] O present thing he praisses non; [[read nan]] þan es eth to mak him wrath, To saxtend be es sumdel lath; Line 3580 To wiss man wit his auen witt He haldes nan sa wise als it; Quen all wittes es him wan, Line 3583 And will þat welthes mast of an, And na wil mai hald man in pai, Baldlik þat dar i sai, He þat in suilk stat es stad Es na gli mai mak him glad. Line 3588 Eild es þou a selcut thing, þat al it gerns þat er ying; [folio 21b:1] Quen þai it haue þai are vnfayn, And wald ha youthed þan again; þan wald þai be als þai war ar, Line 3593 Bot sua it mai be neuer mare.

¶ Sua has eild now þis ysaac ledd þat he in langur lijs in bedd; Line 3596

Line 3596 Him wantes sight, als i said yow, And cald on his son esau. "Esau, life son," he said, "Ga lok þi tacle be puruaid, Line 3600 And faand to stalk þe sa nere þat þou mai drep me sum dere; If þou me dere flesse ani gete, Gladli wald .i. þar-of ete; Line 3604 Leue sun þou has hidir-till Gladli don þi fader will, þou ert schotter wit þe beist, Bath in feild and in forest, Line 3608 If þou mai bring me any beist þou graith me ful fair and eist; þar-efter now mi langes sare, Line 3611 þar i lig her now, in bedd o care; Sun," he said, ".i. will not lei, It bes not lang þat i ne dei; Tac, [[read Ga]] bring me now sum venisum, And þou sal haue mi benison." Line 3616 "Sir," he said, "blithlik and son, If godd wil, sal þi will be don." ¶ His moder tok tent to ysaac And herd þe wordes þat he spac. Line 3620 Sco wist o lang liue was he noght, A wyel sco hir vmbithogt. Iacob hir sun cald hir vnto, And þusgat til him þan said sco. Line 3624 "Mi leif sun, i will þe warn, For-qui þou ert mi derest barn; þi fader has bidden þi broþer gang To get him waith and duell not lang, þat, if he ani waith mai gete, Line 3629 He suld him dight þar-of to ete, For war he þar-wit ans fedd, Ar þat he deied in car-ful bedd, Line 3632

Line 3632 His benisun wald he him giue, For lang he wat he mai not liue. Bot life son, ful lath me ware þat he þat blissing fra þe bare, Line 3636 Vnhappi wreche has he ben ai, þi seli he sal noght bere a-wai; Bot þou sal do sun mi consail, [folio 21b:2] Wel i wat it sal þe wail; Line 3640 Now high þe suith þat þou ne blin Ar þat þi broiþer be commen in, O kyddes fatt þou fett me tuin, I sal þe ken ful gode a gin; Line 3644 I sal þam dight til his be-houe, A mete als he was wonto loue; It sal him sauur al to will, Ete he sal þer-of his fill; Line 3648 Quen it es dight þou it him reche, Do now well, als i þe teche; þat he þe mai þe less mistru þou sal sai þou ert esau, Line 3652 Fra þe forest newli comen, Venison þou has him nommen, Wit dainte dight til his be-houe; þou bidd him rise þar-of to proue, þat þou haue, for þis reson, Line 3657 O þe fader his benison." ¶ "Moder," he said, "wis war þi lare, If i ne dred a-noþer fare; Line 3660 þou wat mi hid es smith and bar, And esau es rugh wit har; If mi fader þat es now blind Mai mi fallace oght vnderfind, Line 3664 I dred me sare, for benison He sal me giue his malison." "Do wai, leue son," rebecca said, "þat malison on me be laid; Line 3668

Line 3668 Bot þat i badd þou bring me son." "Moder," he said, "it sal be don." ¶ .Iacob went vn to þe fald Line 3671 And broght þe bestes forwit tald; His moder dughtilik it dight, Als sco him forwit had it hight, And cled him, sum it was mete, Line 3675 Wit his broþer robe þat smelled suete; Wit a rugh skin sco hidd his hals And couerd þar-wit his hands als, þat his fader suld al-gat tru þat he war his sun esau: Line 3680 His moder him þis mete bitaght And he it suith his fader raght. "Fader," he said, "sitt vp and ete, I ha broght þi ȝerning mete." Line 3684 "And quat art þou?" þe fader said, "Sir, i esau, þi met es graithid." [folio 22a:1] "And quat-kin mete?" "sir, venisun, Ete and giue me þi benisun." "How es it þou sped sa son?" Line 3689 "Godd," he said, "has herd mi bon, And send it suyth vnto mi hand, Men aght to thanc him his sand." "Cum nere, leue son, and latte me fele [[MS. file]] If þou be he i luue sa wele." Quen he had feld his fleirand cloth And graped handes and hals both, "þis voice," he said, "þat i here Line 3697 Es o iacob, wit-outen were, Bot hend and hals es als i tru Mi dereli suns child esau; Line 3700 þe odor o þi uestement It smelles als o piement, I sal wend forth, þou duells here, Mi blissing son þan sal þou bere:

þi breþer be þin vnderlute Line 3705 And alle þat wonnes þe a-boute; All þaa þat blisses þe Sal þam-self blessed be, Line 3708 And all þat bedes þe maliscun Sal bere it on þair auin crun." He ete and dranc þat was his will, And sithen his sun he cald him till, His brade blissing he him gaue Line 3713 þe quilk his broþer wend at haue, And mad him lauerd ouer all his kin; Bot þat was wit his moder gin, Line 3716 His moder consail was þar-to, And godd wald þat sco sua suld do. þis iacob went quan sua was don, And esau com efter son. Line 3720 "Fader," he said, "vp in þi bedd, I haue þe broght quar-of be fedd O venisun, .I. here þe bring, Ete and giue me þi blissing." Line 3724 His fader him asked, "quat art þou?" "þi sun," he said, "i esau." "Was þou not at me right now, Line 3727 And fedd me wit þi fang i trau?" "I?" he said, "nai, nai, goddote, Moght i not be sua light o fote." Wit þis gaue ysaac a grane; Line 3731 "Sun," he said, "right nou was an þat first me fedd, and sythen me kist, And me be-suak, þat i ne wist, Line 3734 Mi benisun now has þi broiþer." [folio 22a:2] "And fader," he said, "has þou non oþer?" "Nai sun, als i mot ha mede." "Allas! quat i am broght in nede, A-way he has mi blissing born, Sua did he als þat toþer morn; Line 3740

Line 3740 He has me don oft mikel scham, Right-wisli es iacob his nam, þat es to sai, wit right langage, Supplanter als of heritage; Line 3744 For quen i formast born suld be, Wit strengh a-gain þen drou he me; He has me don oft vn-resun And no me reft mi benisun, Line 3748 Me es sua waa, almast i weede; Fader, þis was na broþer dede, Consail me, fader, how to liue." Line 3751 "Wi, quatkin consail mai i þe giue?" "And es þar nakin blessing left?" "Nai, þi broiþer it has þe reft." "And, fader, es þar na noþer wan?" "Wane," he said, "es þar bot an, In dew and gress sere o þorth Line 3757 Sal be þi blissing fra no forth; Wit erth trauaill, and sua þou do, And prai godd send his dew þer-to." "Lauerd," he said, "wat es me best, Mi hert bes neuer broght in rest, Bituixand þis iacob be slan, Line 3763 If he mai oþer be ouertan." þis esau wit his manace Oute o þe land did iacob chace; Quen þe moder sagh it was sua Line 3767 He soght his broþer for to sla, Sco send him son in-til aran, Til hir broþer þat hight laban, þar-to suiorn for hir sake, Line 3771 Til þat his broþer wreth suld slake. Be night flum iordan he wode And thoru a wildernes he yode, He loked war þat him war best, And be þe wai he tok his rest. Line 3776

Line 3776 He hent a stan he fand him bi, And þar-on laid his hefd to li. In slepe he sagh stand vp a sti, Fra his heued right to þe ski, Line 3780 Apon þe sti þat þar was bun Angls climand vp and dun. [folio 22b:1] Open him thoght þe ȝate of heuen, And herd o drightin suilk a steuen: "Godd and lauerd," he said, "i am Of ysaac and als of abraham:" Line 3786 "Jacob," he said, "þou sal ha tuin Wiues o þi auen kin, Tua doghters o laban, þi nem, þat þou sal haf wit barn-tem; Line 3790 Wit þe i sal be in al þi nede And gar þin oxspring wide spred; I sal be for þin eldres sake With þe, and esau for-sake." Line 3794 Wel was he gladed o þis sight, Fulsotht him thoght he slep þat night. On the morn, wen it was dai, Iacob ras fra þar he lai, Line 3798 And said, "our lauerd, wit-outen were, þat i wist noght es wonnand here; Her es na noþer thing," said he, Line 3801 "Bot godds hus and heuen entre." þe stan his heued lai on þat night, In takning, he it sett vp right, And oyel he yeett apon þat stan And made to godd a voo onan, Line 3806 And said, "if drightin be my freind And lede me in þis wai i wend, And mete me send, and drinc, and clath, And bring me again, wit-outen wath, Vnto mi kyth þat i com fra, If i find he me ledes sua, Line 3812

Line 3812 Mi godd he sal be and mi king; And þis stan stand als in takening, And þis sted fra þan it sal Be cleped godds auen hall; Line 3816 Of all þe god he dos me weild Lelik his tend i sal him yeild." ¶ Iacob went him forth his wai, Line 3819 Faand quare thre floks o beistes lai, Be-side a well, a-pon a feild, And sagh þe well be a doun heild, A mikel stan apon it lai, þis bestes dranc þar-at ilk dai; Line 3824 þe hirdes bi þaim fand he þare, He spird þaim queþen þai ware. þai said, "sir, we ar of aran." Line 3827 "And knau yee oght," he said, "laban?" "Sir ya, he es bath hail and fere, Ya hail and sound, wit-outen were; His doghtur yonder i se, rachell, [folio 22b:2] Bringand his beistes til þe well; Line 3832 For all beistes ar broght hider, Euer ilk dai at drinc to-geder." Wit þis come rachell, þat maiden, And iacob lifted vp þe sten, Line 3836 And spak þan wit þe damisel, And kythed him wit may rachell. "Quat art þou," he said, "lemman?" "Sir, mi fader es cald laban." Line 3840 Abute hir hals þan he hir hent, And thris he kyst hir ar he stent. "I am iacob, þi cosin nere, For þi luue am i commen here." Line 3844 þai mai quen sco can vnderstand þat iacob suld be hir husband, To laban tald sco new tiþand, And he him ledd in be þe hand. Line 3848

Line 3848 þai frannid o þar frendes fare, And þam cald bath less and mare. Laban for fainnes did him call For his neueu his frendes all; Line 3852 And siþen he did him for to sai Quat was þe chesiun of his wai. "Sir, þe soth i wil þe tell, þi doghter for to spus, rachell." Line 3856 "þan sal þou serue me seuen yeir, Ar þou sal haue mi doghter dere." "Blithli, sir, sua sal it be." Fra þan wit laban duelled he, Line 3860 þe eilder sister he for-sok, For sco gleied, als sais þe bok; For to serue for rachel fre He was master hird of his fee; Line 3864 It was ferli in þat siquar How fast þai multiplid þar. Quen þat þe seuen yere war gane Iacob hasked his lemman. Line 3868 Laban said, "frend, ful blethli." Bot þar he did a trecheri, For þan he had may rachell wedd, Lia he stall vn-til his bedd; Line 3872 Bisid lya al night he lai, His vnwitand, til it was dai; Bot quen he wist it o þe morn, Ful wa was him þat he was born; Fra hir he ras and siked sare Line 3877 And asked wa þan broght hir þare. [folio 23a:1] "Laban," sco said, "allas for sinn Qua wend he wald þus me biginn." þan did he laban to resun:— "Qui has þou don me sli tresum?" "Vr lagh," he said, "þat we in liue Wil first our elder doghter giue. Line 3884

Line 3884 Bot, neuou, murn þou na wight, þou sal haue rachell, als i hight; And þat mai be nanoþer wis Bot yeit for-þi seuen wintur seruis, To quils haa lya in þi bedd, Line 3889 For-soth þan sal þou rachel wedd." þis neu forward was festend þan Bituix iacob and sir laban. Line 3892 þis term was passed, and seuen dais, He spused rachell, þe stori sais.

Lya bred child, and hadd a sun Ruben, and siþen symeon, Line 3896 þan leuy, and þan ysacar, Zabulon, iudas, sex breþer war, A doghter sco hadd hight dyna. Bot of oþer wommen tua Line 3900 Had four suns geten him, Dan, gad, asser, neptalim. Rachell bare iacob suns tuin, First ioseph, þan beniamin. Line 3904 He was þe chesun of hir fine, Of him sco deid in gesine. Quat of his wiues tuin in spus, And wat of hand wimmen in hus, Tuelue suns had he o þaa, Line 3909 And a doghter hight dyna.