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

Re-capitulation, of Adam's Fall and the Scheme to save Mankind.

For yee haf, lauerdinges, wel herd, O þe begining o þis werld, Line 9376 Hu he þat neuer had biginning Wroght heuen and erth and all thing, And als til alking thing he gafe, þair kind scrud al for to haue. Line 9380 For sun and mone, þat es sua bright, Had seuensith mare þan now o light, And al-king thing was þan to trow Wel pithier þan þai ar now. Line 9384 A! lauerd, gret herming was þar, þat all suld dei, bath less and mare, þat of eua and adam com; Bot þat yon was a rightwis dom, Line 9388 Als yee sal se wit rightwis scill, þat herken o þis stori will. Quen al till end þis werld was wroght, þat wanting was þar-in o noght, Line 9392 Beist and gress, and frut and tre, And al was þat þar-in suld be, Foghul and fiche, grett thing and small, þat adam last was made of all. Line 9396 In ebron greue þat ilk dale, þar he drogh siþen mikel bale, Of erth right þar him maked he, Efter his aun trinite. Line 9400

Line 9400 His aun ymage he wroght him þar, Hu moght he luue haf kyd him mare; In paradis he did him rest, And sleili slepe apon him kest, Line 9404 He wroght a felau of his ban Till adam, þat was first allan. Wijt and skill he gaf þam till, Might, and fairhid, and frewill; Line 9408 Ouer all þis werld king and kaiser, And lastand ai for to bere. In paradis in heritage, To lede þair lijf ai till a stage Line 9412 In welth, wit-vten tene and trei, Bituixand an certain dai, þat þis oxspring war o þat tale Line 9415 þat moght fulfill þe numbre hale, þe felauscipe o þam þat fell Vte of heuen forwit to hell, Line 9418 [folio 52b:2] And siþen þai suld sua blisced be þat þai on ded suld neuer se; Sa suincless and sua fair and bright, Als þat time was the sun o light, Als yee haf herd me forwit neuen, And siþen al suld þai stei til heuen. Qua herd euer spek o mare bliss, Line 9425 þan aghteld was adam and his? Laghes tuin sett thoru a-sis Was till adam in paradis, Line 9428 Als that in hali writ we find, þe first lagh was kald 'o kind,' þat es to sai, kindli to do, Al þat him was biden to; Line 9432 þe toþer has 'positiue' to nam, þe quilk lagh was for-bed adam For to ete þat frut, and said, "þis tre in forbot haf i laid, Line 9436

Line 9436 If þou sa bald be it to bite þou sal be ded in sorou and site; And if þou haldes mi forbot, þou sal be lauerd ouer ilk crot Line 9440 þat es in erth or paradis, Wit mare bliss þan þou can deuis." ¶ O þis had adam seisin al; Allas! ful sun he let it fall, Line 9444 His gret wirscipe þat he had þar, And broght vs in-to mikel care. Sua sun als he þat apel ete, þe laghes bath he þan for-lete, Line 9448 Bath naturel and positif, Thoru his wijf he wex caitiue, Quen sco herd mare his witherwin þan þat hir wroght, þat hij drightin. ¶ Wa was adam for his vtrage, Line 9453 For-driuen vt of his heritage, vte of ioi and vte of blis, In sorou and site til him and his. Thoru ded his lif he most wel tine, Quar sal he euer ha medicine? Line 9458 Quen he sa wrechedli had tint His heritage wit iugement! þat sin, allas! full hard was it þat nan of heft wit-vten smitt, þat euer was vnder heuen born, Line 9463 þe strenght of itt has all for-lorn. [folio 53a:1] Sua hei na-thing was euer wroght, þat thoru it seluen mis ne moght Fald dun in to lagher state, Als all þir clerkes wis wate. Line 9468 Al erthli thing moght haf had right, If it ne war thoru mans plight; A mis it was o mikel sake Line 9471 þat wroght to man sa mikel wrake,

þat vte o þe fairest land þat es, Has put man in-to wildernes: Line 9474 Sli plight was first, sli plight was last, þat of þis seisin can him cast; þis es bot lagh, qua soth wil sai, Vsed in curth þis ilk dai. Line 9478 ¶ Now es man gildred in iuels all, His aun sin has mad him thrall þat first was fre, sum i for-tald; Nu has him sathanas in wald, Line 9482 His thral he was to haue in weild, To wais seruis straitt he him eild; Quils he es thralled in his seruis Line 9485 He ne mai be fre on nakins wis; Ne thral mai wit na lagh o lede Ask heritage or lauerdhede; Line 9488 And siþen þat he es thral becummen His heritage him es be-nummen; Ne in na curt aght thral be herd, Ne stand in dom to be ansuerd. Line 9492 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þan most he sek a-noþer nede, To win his right, if he will spede, þat he wat born o freli strand Line 9497 þat mai in curt sceu his errand, His heritage again to win, þat he be of his aun kin. Sua þat he sothfast man suld be Line 9501 þat ete noght o þis forsaid tre; þat suld be born wit-vten sinn, And helden had þir laghes tuin, þat es þe tuin o paradis; Line 9505 þe thrid es on mont synais, þat giuen was to moyses, þat neuer of oþer helden was. Line 9508

Line 9508 Bot he þat noþer did sin ne plight, And quat man es moght se sa bright, þat suilk a man cuth think in thoght þat mustre þat mercle moght? Line 9512 Rest a littel her will i, [folio 53a:2] A sample for to tell herbi, A sample cordant, þat i tok Vte of sent Robert bok. Line 9516