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

[Samuel anoints Saul and David.]

¶ Prophet he was, sir samuel, Line 7287 Wel luued wit godd, for he was lel.

þe Iuus, wit þair mikel pride, Line 7289 Efter him þai sent þat tide, "Lauerdinges," he said, "sais me quartill Haf yee me fott? quat es your will?" "Gett vs a king." "quat, er yee wodde! Ha yee noght now a king ful gode, þat fra your faas thoru see yow ledd, And siþen wit riche manna yow fedd, And mani werkes for yow wroght?" "Sir," þai said, "þou sais for noght, Gett vs a king þat vs mai ledd, Line 7299 Als we se haf all oþer thedd."

"Parfai," þan answard samuel, "Yee ar to fraward wit to dele, For noiþer [ar ȝe] war ne wise, Bot for your riches ouer [nise.] [[nise is in late hand]] Line 7304 Nu ar yee bath in rest and pees, [folio 41a:2] Yow langes certes haf malees, For-soth i sai, and sal a-wou, Ful sare yee sal repent yow. Line 7308 Noght yow allan, bot your oxspring, Sal reu ful sare your will ȝerning, For it es wel worthye þat qua Line 7311 Mai bere no wel ne thole na wa."

¶ Sare weped samuel wit þis, Til him com drightin, lauerd o blis, And thris he cald on samuel, Line 7315 "Lauerd," he said, "i here þe wel." "Mi folk," said drightin, "ful fraward þai seke þam-self o a gret ougard, þai ask now oþer king þan me, Ful ilhail sal þai it se; Line 7320 þat þai desire, þai sal it haue, To þair aun heued a staue. Omang þir puple sal þou latt A stalworth man þat saul haitt, Line 7324

Line 7324 Wit hei schuldres bath thik and brade, Of him þan sal þair king be made, Sin þai ha þus forsaked me, Line 7327 He sal be [enoynted [[later hand: smerld has been erased.]] ] þair king to be."

¶ Son þai did saul be soght, Funden and forth was he broght, He was hegher þan ani man Line 7331 Bi þe schuldres þat was funden þan. þis saul haue þai mad þair king, Wit smerl and als wit coruning. [[The pen has been struck through the words "smerl" and "als;" and "cyntment" written over "smerl."]] Ful wreþer hail to þair be-houe Line 7335 And sun on þam sa gun it proue, For was þar þan na langer bide, Men werraid þam on ilka side, þat þai wit-in a tuel-moth stage, War put vte o þair heritage. Line 7340 þan bigan þai cal and cri, þat godd o þam suld ha merci;

And samuel, þat wist þair wa, Cald on godd for þaim al-sua. Line 7344 Drightin said, "þou fill þi horn Wit oile, and weind þe forth to morn, Vntil a man þat hatt iesse, In bethleem sal he funden be. Line 7348 þou sal him find in bethleem, Seuen suns he has to barntem, On o þaim þou sal ma king, [folio 41b:1] For saul dredes me na thing:— Line 7352 For-þi wit caitiuete and care He sal vte o þis werld fare, For ar þat he be slain in wer þe find he sal in bodi ber, Line 7356 þat him sal trauail dai and night, And laithli sal his licam dight."

¶ "Parfai, lauerd," said samuel, "Ic herd noght o þat iesse tel, Line 7360

Line 7360 Ne his suns ne him i knau, þat childs nam yee will me scau." "Yijs," he said, "i sal þe ken To knau him a-mang oþer men, Line 7364 In visage es he bright and clere, In red of heu, o laghand chere; His fader in all has suns seuen, þe yongest es he þat i þe neuen, Line 7368 Bath wis and hend, and o god fame." "Quat hatt he?" "dauid es his name. And for þat he es warr and wis, I haue him chosen to þis seruis; Line 7372 His sede and his barntem Ouer al men i sal maintein, His faas sal noght a-gain him wail, For him ne his sal i noght fail. Line 7376 Vn-to king þou sal him smer [[This line has been altered by a later hand to Vn-to king oynt þou him þer.]] Mi beniscun þan sal he ber."

¶ Samuel went secand þe land Til he þe hus o iesse faand, Line 7380 Iesse him vnderfang ful fair, And samuel him tald his air. "Cummen i am," he said, "iesse, An o þi suns for to se." Line 7384 "Sir," he said, "and þat mai yee, Your word es commament to me." His suns sex þat war at hame, Line 7387 All he did þam call be nam [[MS. man]] Bot þe yongest þat was a-wai, "Sir," he said, "sir iesse, sai Quar es þin alþer-yongest son?" Line 7391 "He es," he said, "þar he es won, Wit our scep apon þe lau." "Do fott me him, him wald i knau." þai did him fott, and he come skete, And hailsed hendli þat prophete. Line 7396

Line 7396 He kneu him quen he him beheild, [folio 41b:2] Bi takens was him forwit teld. Line 7398 [Enoynted] he was wit-vten bade, And king vte-ouer þe Iuus made. Bot þof he þar was [sm]erld king, O þe kingrike al gouerning He entir-mett him in na dede, Bot til his schepe again he yede. Line 7404 Godds gast in him was sent Fra þan it was fra saul went; Dauid cuth on sere-kin note Bath he cuth on harpe and rote, Line 7408 Quen he wit his gleu [[MS. corrected to wit gleu wald]] him gammen, His scepe þam-self war sembel samen Of his suete gleuing for to here, Line 7411 þe men was won to drau ham nere.

¶ Saul was yeitt in sted o king, Bot he moght do na gouerning, þe find was in his licam fest, Line 7415 He thold him to haue na rest. þan said þai all, "quat sal we do Wit vr king, mai haf na ro, He es ai vte o wite als wode. Line 7419 Hu sal we meke his menged mode? He es sua ful o wickedhede, Ful waful lijf we wit him lede." þan spak a godman on þat throm, "Bot do we littel dauid cum, Line 7424 Wit his harp, be-for þe king; We sal him do bath gleu and sing þat quils he til him tas kepe þe king he sal do fall on-slepe." Line 7428

Forth þan did þai dauid bring, Gleuand he sang be-for þe king, And gert him wit his melodi Fal on-slepe, þat was weri. Line 7432

Line 7432 Quil wit gleu, and quil wit sang, And þus he serued saul lang, þat ai quen he was trauaild mast Thoru a wreche vn-roful gast, Line 7436 And he bigan to gleu or sing, Of his vn-ro he tok lething.