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

In his kingscip þe fourte daus, O-mang his folk he sett his laus, Line 8584 And did þam strattli for to yeme, Moght naman rightwisliker deme. Amang his rightwisdomes rijf, [folio 48a:2] Herkens hu he feld a strijf. Line 8588

¶ O mister was þer wimmen tuin, þat ledd þar lijf wit sike and sin, For þai had husing nan to wale, þai lended in a littel scale. Line 8592

Line 8592 On a night bath lighter war þai, At ans bath in gesen lai, Bath war knaues þat þai bar. þair moders selli nede war, Line 8596 þai had na credel ne wit to bij, Bot did þair childer bi þam lij. þair clathes was sa gnede and fa, þat þai moght nan part þam fra, Line 8600 Bot o þis wimmen, alas! þat tan In bedd slepand hir sun has slan, Als wimmen dos ful riueli, Line 8603 þat lais in bedd yong barn þam bi. Quen sco fand hir child was ded, Ne cuth sco find na better red Bot fra hir fere sco stall hir barn, And laid bi hir þat was forfarn; Line 8608 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the Cotton & Laud MSS.] And siþen in bede ful still sco lai, Lett als sco slep bituixand dai.

þe toþer womman, quen sco wok, And sco bigan hir child to lok, Line 8616 And fand it ligand ded hir bi, Sco said, "alas! þat euer liue i, Mi barn es ded, and i ne wat hu, Caald has slan it, i mistru." Line 8620 þe barn to fir in barm sco bar, And wel sco wend to quik it þar, Bot all for noght, þat was for-lain Moght neuer couer þe lijf again. Line 8624 Sua at þe last þat sco parceuid, þat sco was of hir child deceuid, Bot quen sco graitli was on-knaun, þat þat child was noght hir aun, Line 8628

Line 8628 Vntil hir fere sco stert in hij, And þar-wit gaf a mikel cri, "þou wik," sco said, "ai be þe waa, Qui has þou me bi-suiken sua Line 8632 O mi barn þat i self bar? þou yeild it me, wit-vten mar. Yeild me mi child þou fra me stall." "þi child," sco said, "þou lighes all, Bot bar i self it, and es min, [folio 48b:1] þat ded barn þan for-soth es þin, Line 8638 þat in þe-self o liue has sett, Ful wel i haf min aun gett." . . . . . [no gap in the Cotton & Laud MSS.]

"Parfai! þou lighes, wik womman, And þar-wit sal þou be ouer-tan. Line 8644 Mi quik child has þou stoln to þe, And has þi ded barn laid bi me. þou sal it yeild, be mi leute! Quen jugement þar-of sal be." Line 8648 Wit þis þai com be-for þe king, All folud him, bath ald and ying, O þe peple of ilk tun þat o þi dum wald here resun. Line 8652 And son wit salamon þai mett, Vnder þe tre þar he was sett, þar he mast his wittes soght Of all þe thinges þat he wroght. Line 8656 Quen þai war all be-for him þare, First spac sco þat þe quik child bare; "Sauf," sco said, "be king salamon, þat semeli sittand es in tron! Line 8660 Lauerd, þis pouer womman þou here, Men has me dun wrang and torfere. þis womman þat yee se here stand, We war in a hus bath wonnand, Line 8664

Line 8664 At ans bath wit child we war, At ans bath vr barns bar. In wanes war we stad vn-wide, And laid vr barns be vr side. Line 8668 Bot wailawai! it sua bitide, Mi felaw smord hir barn in bedd. And siþen sco laid it priueli, And i slepand in bedd, me bi, Line 8672 And stal mi liuand child a-wai; Bot i kneu wel be light o dai O þis treget sco had me don. I hir answard þan alson, Line 8676 Bot moght i neuer gete hider til, Mi child a-gain, for god or il."

¶ "þou lies," said þat toþer þan, "Ful eberli, als wick womman, Line 8680 Ne thoght i neuer þi child to stelle, Bot i am womman tru and lele, For þis barn in mi hand es min, And þat þou has ded þat es þin. Line 8684 O mi womb þis child was born, [folio 48b:2] And þou wit scam has min for-lorn. þin es þe ded, min es þe quik," Line 8687 Sli wordes spak þat womman wik.

¶ "Allas!" þat toþer said, "sir king," And þar-wit can hir handes wring, "I se mi child es me wit-draun, Line 8691 Quer i sal noght cum to min aun. þou do me bote a-gain þis bald, For al þe soth i haf þe tald."

þe king, þat was sa sli a clerc, Line 8695 Bath warr and wis in all his werc, O þiskin tall him thoght sel-cut, Als of a cas þat was vncuth. "Lauerdinges," he said, "þis womman her Sais yon quik barn sco bere; Line 8700

Line 8700 And þar a-gain þan sais þat toþer, Sco es þe moder and nanoþer. þe barn þat ded es, es noþer o þaim Wil sai þar-til or call or claim. Line 8704 Bot o þis quick þai bath wald be Moder, als yee her and see. Bot moder mai it haue bot an, And proue yee see þat þar es nan. And aiþer wald þai haf it hale, Line 8709 Bot þai mai neuer com to þat gale. þan thinc me wel, wit alkin art, Nede-wais it most tuix þam be part, And sin þai wil þat it be sua, Line 8713 Wit suerd it sal be delt in tua, And aiþer sal haue an half in hand;" Wit þis þai bad an fott a brand.

¶ þe womman þat þe moder was, Line 8717 Sco fel to grund and cried "allas! Lauerd," sco said, "god it wit-schild þat þou britten sua mi child. Yee giue him all til hir allan, Line 8721 Me es it leuer þan he be slan; Of him i giue hir al mi right, Ar þat i se him sua be dight."

þe toþer said, "noþer sal he be Line 8725 Hali giuen to me ne þe, Bot baldli sua nu he be delt Right als þe king has forwit melt." Bot ai þat toþer cald a-gain, Line 8729 "Lauerd! lat not mi child be slain For nathing," sco said, "mai fall." [folio 49a:1] "Lauerdinges," he said, "þis here yee all, Til queþer o þir tua sal i deme, Yit sai me nu quat yow thinc queme." "We," þai said, "sir, be þis dai, Line 8735 Ne wat bituix þam quat to sai."

"Herd yee not," he said, "hu þat tan Wald haf him quic, þat toþer slain? þe tan bad dele þe child euen in tua, þe toþer wald not lat him sla. Line 8740 Quarfor me think sua, if yee rede, þe child be nawight don to ded, Bot he be yoldon to yond wijf, þat wil sua gladli saue his lijf. Line 8744 For sco þat has his lijf sua dere, His moder es, wit-vten were." "þis dome," þai said, "es ful rightwis," All loued þai salamon þe wis; Line 8748 Hir barn sco tok and went hir hame. O þis dome þan spred þe fame, þat all spak o þis king allan, þai said, sua wis was neuer nan; Line 8752 Ne crafteer in werc of hand, Was neuer funden nan in land, Ne neuer nan þat had, i-wis, Sua mikel wel o werlds bliss. Line 8756