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

[The choice of David's successor.]

þe king þan til his chamber went, And son efter þe quen he sent;— For of his sauues þis was an, Line 8333 þat of his barnage sa bald was nan, Wijf ne man, ne yong ne ald, þat in his chamber was sa bald Line 8336 A fote to set, bot þai war cald, Or quen þe king spek wit þam wald, Ne wijf ware sco neuer sua leue, Line 8339 Ne noght þe quen, wit-vten leue;— For-þi hir enterd bersabe þe quen, his spuse, and his priue, þe thing that he in hert had hid To þe quen he it vndid. Line 8344 Bot ne for-þi ne tald he noght, þe bodword als þat angel broght, Bot elles scilwisli and scort He tald þat him lai apon hert. Line 8348 "Dame, I did þe hider call, Als mi wedded wijf of all, Wit eild i am be-runnun nou, [[MS. neu]] O mi kingrike quat redes þou? Line 8352

Line 8352 Quam sal i giue it for to ledd þat me mai fall, or mensk or mede?" þat lauedi til hir lauerd lute Line 8355 Wit buxum reuerence and dute, [folio 47a:1] Sco kneld don quen sco had stand, þe king hir tok vp be þe hand, Als he þat of hir will wald wit, Line 8359 And did hir heier for to seit; And bad hir sai, and waand noght Quat war to do þat hir god thoght, Of his king-rike, þat es to sai, Line 8363 Qua suld it haue efter his dai.

"Sir," sco said, "sin i sua se, þat þou will consail haue o me, Line 8366 þe best of all, if i cuth it, Ful gladli wald i sceu þe it. þe kingrike, sir kyng, þat es þin, þou wan it soth wit mikel pin, Line 8370 And had þou þar-of gret malees For to stabul it in þin pes. Sir," sco said, "þou has in liues Mani childer wit þi wiues, Line 8374 þat yernand es þaa nu in strijf, At haue þe kingrike in þi lijf. þou freli king, sa ful o bliss, þe best rede me thinc es þis, Line 8378 þou giue it to quam-sum þou will, For mi grant sal þou haf þer-till. I þat es þine hand-womman, For me gain-sagh þar sal be nan, Line 8382 For salamon mi sun es ying; Bot if þou þar-of wil mone, sir king, Will i wat þat þou me hight, Ar þou to spouse me trouth plight, A sun if þou moght get wit me Line 8387 þin air for-soth þan suld it be.

And sin sua es i haue me gett þat neuer oþer es wit me mett, Line 8390 Bot an þe forwit had i noght; For þi luue was i widue wroght, (On quatkin wise wil i noght tell, For well þi-self wat how it fell. Line 8394 Blissed be þe grace o dright For-giuen es þe þar-of þi plight); I sai noght yon, sa godd me rede, For nan vpbraid ne for na nede, Line 8398 Ne for na gerning þat i haue, Ani couenand of þe to craue; Ne noþier i kepe þe gab ne gloþer Bot soth to sai, and for nanoþer. Line 8402 þof salamon mi sun be yong, [folio 47a:2] He es wis and o redi tung, þat neuer serued grefe ne grame, And geten he es o þin licame. Line 8406 He þat better can mend þen pere Best worþi es to be þin air. Ne for-þi quam godd will chesse Kyng efter þe for-soth beess." Line 8410 Sli knot þe quen on skil knyt. þe king ful well he herkend itt, And curtaisli, wit-vten hone, He yatte hir freli al hir bone. Line 8414

¶ "Dame," he said, "to þe i scau, þat salamon son efter mi dau Sal king be of al þat i wan, If drightin seluen will it an. Line 8418 He ne es yitt bot a littel wei, þow do him for to foster slei, To be lered him-self to lede, Wit clerge bath and wit knighthede. Lere o clerge well he sal, Line 8423 þat es o wisdom þe grundwall.

þe child es theud and mild o mode, Lok þat he haf maister god, Line 8426 Bot it be on him-self al lang, He sal be man bath riche and strang. þou hele þis als þin aun lijf, For lath war me to rais strijf Line 8430 Bituix and we se time and dai He sal be king, qua wil or nai; And þat þou be noght in mistru, þar-til mak i þe here a wou." Line 8434