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

[The Battle with Amalek.]

¶ In þat si-quare þat i of speck, Was a lauerding hight amalec, Line 6404 þat on þam faght, and þai on him, In a sted hight raphidim. Moyses þan cald sir iosue, Line 6407 And mad him maister o þat semble, "Cheues þe," he said, "wit man an freck And ga fight a-pon amalec, And i sal on yon hill stand, Line 6411 And godds yeird hald in mi hand." To þis fight þai went þam son, Bot moyses, ur, and aaron, Went þan vp a-pon þis hill, [folio 36b:1] In hope allan o godds will. Line 6416

Line 6416 Quils moyses heild vp his hend It was wel in þat bateil kend, Line 6418 For ai to-quils witerli Had godds folk þe hale maistri; Bot if he þam slaked ani sith, Sir amalech wan als suith. Line 6422 Sua lang [[MS. repeats lang.]] he heild þam vp wit þis þat slake most þai, maugre his;— þof he was irk it was na wonder;— þai gedir stans and laid him vnder. Vr held up, and als aaron, Line 6427 His handes to þe fight was don, Vnder aiþer hand was an þat held þam stedfastli als stan, þat be þe sun was at dun heild Wit israel was left þe feild. Line 6432

¶ Ietro, þe prist of madian, þat was moyses kynnes-man, Quen he hard how þai had don Tuix israel and pharaon, Line 6436 To spec wit moyses he cam, And broght him his wijf sephoram, Wit his tua suns þat sco beir, Gersau and eliezer. Line 6440 þis ilk folk was vntelland, þat moyses had vnder hand, þai did him selcuth sore trauail, Til þat ietro gaue him consail Line 6444 Vnder baillis for to sett, Quar thoru in right þai suld be gett, In smale wranges þat þar war; And to þaa þat gret birþin bar, Line 6448 Namli þat fel to gastli-nes, Suld vissed be thoru moyses.

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