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

[The people set up a golden calf.]

Quils moyses him was a-wai, þaa fraward folk, wit-vten fai, Line 6488 Said þat moyses was slain, Ne suld he neuer cum again. And oþer-sum said þat he Was liuand, and in liue suld be. Line 6492 þai samed þam and drogh to rede, Mak þam a godd o gold sa rede, And said þaa sottes þam o-mang, "Sua stalworth sal he be and strang þat he sal hald vs hale and fere, Line 6497 And warn vs fra ilkin tor-fere, Quen manna sal vs wan be, He sal quete find vs gret plente." Line 6500 Suilk was þair gile o-mang þair gamen, þair gold in tresur gadrid þai samen, A goldin calf þar-of þai blu, And als a godd honurd it neu. Line 6504 "Vr godd," þai said, "þis ilk es he þat brogh vs thoru þe liuerd se, Fra pharaon and his pouste, [folio 37a:1] þar-for we rede he mensked be." Line 6508 þis moyses was ful dern and dere To drightin, man mai find it here, He taght him tabels o þe lai, Als ye herd me forwit sai. Line 6512 Quen he him taght suilk a relik, "þi folk," he said, "has don a suik,

Sin þat þou com fra þam last, Line 6515 þou sal þam find ful vn-stedfast." Lauerdinges, to þis fait-les lede Manna fel, als yee herd rede, þat fel fra lift sa gret plente, Als a grideld frost to se, Line 6520 Quils moyses him hild awai For to do þam haf þair lai; Bot sum o þaim þis fast forsoke, And þai þis riche manna toke, Line 6524 And vnder erth in hepes it hide, Vt ouer þe forbot sua þai dide. If þai war þat tim sa vn-wise, Yeit er þai noght all skilwise. Line 6528

¶ Moyses com fra þat fell, Son he herd tiþand tell þat his folk had ful il don, þar-of he had takning son. Line 6532 Quen he was cummen in to desert þe calf he sagh þer set apert, He hard þe gret nois was þare Abute þis calf, þat mikel fare; Line 6536 He wex sua menged in his mode, þat he cuth sai ne il ne gode; Ne he ne wist queþer it bettur war To turn or winde him forþar mare. þe tables þat in hand he bare Line 6541 To pees he þam brak right þar And þar-wit for-þer-mar he yede, For to destru þair cursed hede. Line 6544 He sagh þam knele þis calf a-bute, Als godd him seluen leue and lute. "Quat es þis? hugat dele yee now? Es þis your godd þat yee on trow?"

¶ Quen þai war war o moyses Line 6549 þai fled a-wai, als in a res,

Littel and mikel, less and mare, þe calf allan þai left þan þare. Line 6552 þan cald moyses þam to-gedir, [folio 37a:2] "Lauerdinges, i am now cummen hider, I haue a-bute your errand ben, Qui fle yee fra me þus beden? Line 6556 Cums again, wit-vten dute, Haf yee þe dais al fasten vte þat i bad ar i ne [[read me]] went? Or halden els his comament? Line 6560 And qua has made yow þis calf here, þat yee sua mensked and haldes dere? It es o gold, and þat ful fin, I wen yee hald it your drightin. Line 6564 Mikel i haf trauaild for yow þat littel turns yow to prow, þat suilk a godd all honurs now, þat wil yow her-after sare sow. Line 6568

Qua made þis calf, i wald þam kene, Qua held þe fast mang oþer men? Quilk þat heild mi comament, Line 6571 And quilk noght, sin i fra yow went? And quilk for-gat me, and quilk noght, And qua þis gold to-gedir broght? And quilk ar þai it samen bleu, Line 6575 And quilk als for þair godd it kneu?" Ilkan þai said, "haue we na witte," And all þai mad þam seluen quitte.

¶ "Parfai," said moyses, "for noght þe soth algat it sal be soght; Line 6580 I wil mi seluen knau þe fals, And ilkman sal knau þam als. 'Ful iuel hail brak yee þe dai þat i fasted sua,' sal yee sai; Line 6584 Ful ilhail sagh ye þat sith þat, quen i wepe, yee mad yow blith,

And þat yee mad þis gold to tru, To-quils þat i praid for yow. Line 6588 Mikel foli was þat i did þan þat euer to helpe yow i be-gan! Quen þat i ledd yow thoru þe strang Vte o your wiþerwins hand Line 6592 And sithen i asked yow alsua Your fud, and godd yow send manna, þat yee þe erth now has hid vnder. Many man on yow sal wondur, Line 6596 Drightin sal me on yow wrak, To sauue þaa men þat has na sak. [folio 37b:1] All er yee tru, þis es your saghes, Es nan of yow þat þis calf knaues. Yee sai þat yee ne made it noght, Ne neuer come it yow in thoght; Ne yee it honur neuer, yee sai, Line 6603 Bot all þer-wit yee nik me nay. Bot sais me þen quarfor and qui Yee mad yon mikel din and cri, Y yow sagh mak al bidene? Thoru þe water it sal be sene. Line 6608 Sceus me son, it sal be kydd, Quar yee haue þe manna hidd." þaa holes, quen þai þam vndid, Line 6611 þai fand bot wormes creuland emid. Quen þai þis sagh, qua soth wil sai, þat plightful folk thoght þan na plai. þis golden calf he did to brest To pudre, and it in watur kest, Line 6616 And o þis watur he gert ilkan Drinc, quer he wald or [[MS. ar]] nan, And all þaa men þat had þe gilt þai had þair berdes ouer-gilt, Line 6620 Bot þai þat war wit-vten plight And heild his comamentes right,

Ne heildid til na mametri, (Als was þe kinred o sir leui) Line 6624 þe watur proued þam for clene; Was na gold on þair berdes sene. Moises to þair ȝates yode, Line 6627 And þus he said, þar quen he stode, "All þat er o godds pa[r]tie Hider þai cum, and stand me bi." Sua did þai þat on godds half, War þat honur noght þe calf. Line 6632 "Gais," he said, "þat it be sene, Slas vp yon caitefs al bidene!" Ilkan þai went, wit suerd in hand, And slogh þar tuenti thusand. Moises þan can to þam sai, Line 6637 "Wat yee quat yee haue don to dai? Yee haue halud your hend to dright, And slan þaa þat war maledight."

¶ Yeit spak vr lauerd to moysen, "þou do," he said, "als i þe ken, Heu þe [[MS. ke]] suilk tables," he said, Line 6643 "Als i þe forwit had puruaid, þe quilk þou brak, and i sal son [folio 37b:2] Writte þam new." "it sal be don." Apon þe morn, quen it was dai, Went moyses to fot þair lai. Line 6648 He tok þe comamentes ten For to lede wit all his men, Writen wit godds aune hand, He send þam þar a fair presand. Line 6652 Quen moyses had broght þe lagh And his folk in þe face him sagh, þam thoght him hornd apon farr, And duted þam to cum him nerr. Siþen þe lagh he þam vndid, Line 6657 Als vr lauerd can him bidd.

¶ þan of a nark to þam he spak In godd wirscip for to mak, Line 6660 A tabernacle all for to dight, þarof he sceud þam þe slight. þan tok he vp his wandes thrin, Line 6663 And for to kepe did þam þar in, þat þai war born til ilk sted Quider-sum he þat folk ledd. Line 6666