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

[Aaron's rod, and the death of Moses.]

¶ þis moises i red of here Was taght þe folk to lede and lere, þat delt war in kinrede tuelue, Moises þam badd him-selue Line 6884 þat ilk kinrede suld bere a wand; His biding durst þai noght wit-stand, And ilk waand þat þai þere bare He sperd wit-in þer santuare, Line 6888 And wrat þe nam, and sett to sele, þat man suld oþer nan bitele. Quen he þam loked on þe morn, Fand an wit leif and flour born, Line 6892 And it was an almand in wand, þat ilk frut þar-on þai fand. Almandes was groun þar-on, þe wand þat fel to aaron. Line 6896 Til al þe folk was in þat land Moises did þan sceu þat wand, Bot yitt he tald þam noght þat tide, Quat o þis tokening suld be-tide, Line 6900 For frawardnes wit þam, he kneu, And for þai war o truthe vn-tru. þis wand was don vp for to hald, Als þat hali drightin wald, Line 6904

Line 6904 In takning for to tak and tell Again þe folk was sua rebell, At vndirstand þat drightin moght Do al thing þat him god thoght. Line 6908 þis wand bi-takens our leuidi now, þe frut hir sun þat hight iesu; O þair mater be-houis me sese, Yitt for þe loue o moyses. Line 6912

¶ Quen þis ilk hald moyses Hadd ledd þe folk in wildernes Fourti winter, an nales, Ded in þat desert [[MS. inserts wes here]] he es, Line 6916 Al his eild sex scor o yeir; And for he was to drightin dere, He-self has berid him and hidd In a priue sted vn-kydd, Line 6920 For, wist þe Iuus quare he lai, Honur him als godd wald þai.