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

¶ Ioseph has spused þis leuedi fre, And ledd hir in-to galile, Line 10818

Line 10818 Wit hir ledd sco maidens seuen,— þair names herd i neuer neuen,— þat war all of hir aun kin, Line 10821 All o þat eild þat sco was in, þir seuen þe biscop hir bitaght, Quen þat fra him hir leue sco laght. Wit-in þe land of galile, Line 10825 In nazareth, a fair cite, þar he left maria his spus, To-quils he-self went til his hus. Vn-to bethleem þan went he, Line 10829 To ger his bridal grait[ed] be, He wald haf redi ilkin thing, Ar he his wijf til hus wald bring. Bot ar þat he til hus hir fett Line 10833 Was sco þar-wit an angel gret.

¶ Sent gabriel was sent fra heuen, Hir bodword broght wit suilk a steuen, Line 10836 "Hail maria," said he, "ful o grace, Godd es wit þe in ilk place, Blissed ouer all wimmen þou be, And blisced be þe fruit o þe." Line 10840 ¶ þis leuedi duted noght þe sight O þis angel þat was sa bright, For oft-sith had sco forwit sene Sight of angel als scene, Bot of þis al was sco in were, Line 10845 Qui he hir blisced on sli maner? To-quils þat sco hir vmbi-thoght Quat was þis hailsing he hir broght, Hir hert he sagh, and als hir will, Sant gabriel, and said hir till, Line 10850 "Maria, quarfor es þou madd? Es þe na nede to be radd,

þou be noght menged in þi mode, Bot ai þin hope steddfast and gode, [folio 60b:1] Ne sal þe nawight be wit-losen þe maidenhed þat þou has chosen. O grace o luue in ilka stedd, þou has enent vr lauerd spedd, Line 10858 Vr lauerd has chosen þe his lemman, þou sal haue child and þou maiden, Moder and maiden ai sal þou be, And godds sun bes born o þe. He sal be of fulfarli fame, Line 10863 O kinges kin sal be hir name, Ouer kinges al he sal be king, His might sal last wit-vten ending, His folk al saued þan sal he mak, And clens þam vte o sin and sak." ¶ þis leuedi nathing doted sco Line 10869 þat godd ne moght his will do, Bot wite sco wald on quat maner þat a maiden child moght ber. "Barn," sco said, "hu sal i brede, þat neuer hadd part of flessli dede Of man? bot haf i chosen me Line 10875 Euer to liue in chastite. Womman þat neuer neghed man, Conceiue hu sal sco? sai me þan. I herd it neuer in lijf ne ledd Line 10879 Womman ber barn in maiden-hedd." ¶ Gabriel said, "leuedi nai, Hu þat mai be i sal þe sai, þe haligast in þe sal lend, Line 10883 And godds might in þe descend, For-þi sal þou haf child, and he Sal godds aun sun cald be. Wit-vten sin or sulwines Sal þou be maiden als þou es, Line 10888

Line 10888 Is and was and sal be clene, Maiden als þou has forwit bene. þat þou be noght o þis in weir, Line 10891 Ald elizabeth be þi samplere, Sco þat sua fer was in hir eild Ar godd wald giue hir child to weild; In erth þou-queþer was nathing Line 10895 þat sco had of sua gret ȝerning. Sco had conceiued of hir husband, Sex monet nu wit child gangand, For es nathing in erth mai fall, Line 10899 þat godd ne mai do his will all." þis bodword can þe leuedi tru, [folio 60b:2] To godds sand sco can hir bu, Wit child sco wex in þat siquar, Als neuer did womman forwit ar. To þat angel sco said onan, Line 10905 "I am mi lauerd hand-wimman, Als þou has said nu me be-forn, þe saueour o me be born." þat all wroght and has in hand, Sun and mone, and se and sand, þat ai sal be and euer has ben, Line 10911 Es loken wit-in þat maiden clene. Wat þou quat for soth i tell? þe lauerd es nu bicummen threll, þe doghter moder again al won, þe fader es nu bicummen sun, Line 10916 And he þat first na ded moght drei, Nu es he mad man for to dei. Godd bicom man dedli þus, Noght for þe nede he had of vs, Bot elles wit his grace for-þi, Line 10921 þat he sua suld fra dede vs bi; Fra ded i sai, wit-vten end, And fra þe findes fight defend.

þe dai þat hir was send þis saand, O marz þe fiue and tuentiand, Line 10926 Fra fiue thusand yeir was runnun Efter þis werld it was bigunnen, Neneti and nine and monet sex, þat vr hele in þis maiden wex. Leue we nu o þat leuedi, Line 10931 And speke we nu of [zacha]ri, Hu þe angel com him [to w]arn, He suld haue Ion, þa[t seli b]arn.