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

[ [[from Laud MS. 416]] Off the tre of lyff shalle y telle And of the folk of Israelle]

¶ Quen moyses þe folk had ledd Vte ouer þe see, als drightin bedd, He and his broiþer aaron, Vte of thainhed o pharaon, Line 6304 In sirie apon þe toiþer side þai mad þair longing for to bide. To-quils þai duelled þar to rest, O water had þai ful mikel brest, Line 6308

Line 6308 And þof þai soght it her and þare, Water ne fand þai noþer quare. þis folk þat þar aboute him lai Ilkan can til oþeir sai, Line 6312 "Quer we sal in þis wildernes Dei for thrist thoru moyses! Quat sal we drinc, moyses?" cuth þai. Moyses þat night on-slepe lai, Line 6316 þat night yod moyses to rest. On-slepe he lai in þat forest, Quen he þe morn him loked bi He sagh þat him thoght of selly, Line 6320 At his heued þar sagh he stand [folio 36a:1] Wexen o cipres, a wand; On his left hand loked he, An-oþer he sagh o cedre tre; Line 6324 He loked als on his righthand, O pine tre þe thrid he fand; Bi þe leues þat þai bare Line 6327 þai kyd o quatkin kynd þar ware. Bot moyses, for godds au þaa wandes durst he noght vp-drau. þe toþer dai he went þam eke Watur wit þe folk to seke, Line 6332 þar he sleped þat morntide, He fand þe wandes him biside; þe thrid night alsua he fand, þat did him wel at vnderstand Line 6336 þat sum-kin takening suld þar be Loken in þir wandes thre. "Selcuth thing," he said, "wit-in Suld luken be þaa wandes thrin." þis wandes takens persons thre, Line 6341 And an-fald godd in vnite. þan he drou þam vp at first, Wit-vten ani brek or brist, Line 6344

Line 6344 And quils þai in þat wastin war, þe wandes ai wit him he bare. Siþen þai faand in þat wastin, Water bitter sum ani brin, Line 6348 Als it war brin þan it was bitter, To drinc þan was ham neuer þe better. Bot quen þis was in don þe water was al suete alson, Line 6352 þe water þat sua fuli stanc, Suetter neuer þai siþen drank. þis meracle sagh þai all aperte þat was duelland in þat desert. Line 6356 Fra þan forth heild sir moyses þis wandes bath in pris and pres; Queder-sum he welk her or þare, Line 6359 þis wandes euer he wit him bare, And wen he clamb mont synai þan he hidd þam priueli; To-quils he fasted his lententid In erth he did þam for to hidd. Line 6364 Ne for na drught, ne for na wat, Changed neuer þai þare state, [folio 36a:2] Bot euer þai held bath lefe and flur Smelland wit a suete odur.

¶ O þis moyses, lauerding, Line 6369 þof i tel yow sumkyn thinge, O him i mai yow all noght tell, For it war ouerlang to duell. Line 6372 Bot tel yow of his suinc i sall, He drou þat fraward folk witall. For he þam ledd, and soth it es, Fourti yeir in þat wildernes, Line 6376 And fand þam fode in þair nede, Wit-vten ani sau o sede; For drightin self þam send þair fode, þat fand þai neuer nan sua gode. Line 6380

Line 6380 It sneu to þam als it war flur, Of honi it had likest sauur. þis mete þat þai war fed of þaa, Line 6383 þai cald it in þair langage, manna; It come at morn and euening, Volatil sent þaim þat king:— Line 6386 þat king aght man to leue and lute, Wit al wirscip to mensk and dute!

¶ Want of water was in þat land, Moyses on þe roche kan stand, & smat it wit þis forsaid wand, Line 6391 And vte als burn it brast þe strand; þar had þai water in wildrin land, Plente bath to fote and hand. Bot for all þir dedes gode þat drightin þam did o þair fode, Line 6396 þir Iuus þat o will war wlanck, þai cund him ai ful litell thanck; For if þair tunges spac resun, þair hertes ai war wit tresun. Line 6400