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

¶ þir are þe barn-hedes þat i tald Dun ar he was tuelue yeir alld; Bot nu o sum þan sal yee here Line 12579 He did quen he was of tuelue yere, Als lucas vs sais þe gospelere, þat wittnes lel es wont at bere. Line 12582 In ierusalem, þat hei cite, At a fest was a gret semble, All þe godmen com þat dai, Maria and iosep war not a-wai, Line 12586 þair frendes wit þam þider soght, And yong iesum wit þaim þai broght. Ai quils þis fest was lastand, In þe tun war þai duelland. Line 12590

Line 12590 Quen it was don, hamward þai went, For-gat iesum wit-vten tent, Line 12592 For at þe vte-cuming o þe yatte He turnd again, þai him for-gat; Vn-to þe Iues scole he yede, And loked on bokes o þair lede, Desputand tuix þaim he satt, Line 12597 And þai him asked mani-quat. All þat in þe scole war stadd, For ferli of his wiit war madd O þis child þat was sa yung, Line 12601 Gain his resun had naman tung. Wit þe gret maisters þer he bade Til maria had hir iorne made, Line 12604 þan at þe first on him thoght sco, Bot sco wist neuer quat for to do. Vnquemli was þai can him quain, Ioseph and maria turnd a-gain Line 12608 To seke him, þare his freindes wit, Ouer all a-bute þan in þar kyth; Sua lang a-bute þan had mari gan þat weri was sco bath lith and ban, And þar-for right na ferli war, Line 12613 þof þat hir hert war gloppend sar. Sco com vn-til a scole gangand, A gret gadiring þar-in sco fand O þe maisters o þe lagh, Line 12617 Wit þaim iesum sco sittand sagh, þe best maisters o þe tun He gaf þaim rede all resun. Line 12620 þan said his moder til him þus, [folio 70a:1] "Leue sun, qui has þou gloppend hus? þi fader and i has mani wais Soght þe abute this thre dais Line 12624 Wit heui hert and druppand chere. Qui did þou þus mi leif and dere?"

"Moder," he said, "qui soght yee me? And quar-for suld yee murnand be? Ne wat ye nedings most i do Line 12629 þe thing þat falles mi fader to." Bot quat he wit þis wordes ment, Graithli wist þai noght þe entent. Fra þan be-gan to spring þe fame O iesu, þan he went him hame, Line 12634 And bar him als a barn in dute, Til fader and moder vnderlute; Quar þai wald ledde him, was fullet. þai went þam þan to nazareth, Line 12638 And þat þai comaund wald or bide Wit-vten ani strijf he dide. In hert his moder stil hild ai Al þat sco herd him do or sai; Line 12642 He wex in wijt als was his will, þat moght naman him find wit ill, For fild he was wit hali gast. In nazareth þai soiurnd mast, Line 12646 Ai to iesu was cummen neir Vn to þe eild of thritte yeir, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þan him thoght þe time þat he On cristen lai suld baptist be, Line 12654 Wit cristen lagh þe trouth suld spred Quar-of hir-efter yee sal here rede. For ar i þar-of tel bigin I sal yow mare tell of his kin, Line 12658