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

[The Jews plot against Christ's life.]

¶ quen þe iewes had saide þis & mare þai left him wiþ his disciplis þare. Line 14777 þai left him þare & went a-way. mykil of him þai con missay. for þai him herde þaire fulfa. Line 14780 qua herd euer man quoþ þai speke squa. for certis he is a wise prophete. he is goddes sone we may wele wete bot of an þing in were ar we. Line 14784 we wate atte Ioseph sone is he. & þai ar of a kinde of galilee. bot criste bes noȝt of þat cuntre. bot of a castel certanly. Line 14788 quar-of was borne king dauy. þat is þe toun of bethleem. þe boke is witnes for to teme. Line 14791 ¶ soþ þai saide til oþer þan. þen is god þis ilk man. nay þai saide hit helpis him noȝt Line 14794 bot to þe dede he sal be broȝt. he is wele knawen wiþ-in his kiþ. his fader alsqua his moder wiþ. of galilee is borne & geten. Line 14798 & þat may noȝt be for-ȝeten.

how openly be-for us alle. Line 14800 he dos him goddes sone to calle. alle þis cuntree þat is wele sene rises wiþ him quite & clene. Line 14803 ¶ quen men ihesu herd & sagh of him ham stode grete agh. & saide þis man is wele þriuen. & mykil grace is him gyuen. salamon in alle his blisse [folio 68b:1] Line 14808 had he na hap as he þis. & ȝet þe lagh til him was taȝt. þat he him-self þorou lerning laȝt. Line 14811 ne þe prophetis sa wise þat ware at ne þai of man had sum lare. bot þis man sin he come in werde of suche a-noþer neuer I. herde þat neuer of man lerede lagh & nane man may him gaine-sagh. in his hert is alle puruayde. Line 14818 quat he wille say. þat þing is saide certanli bot he be dede ouer alle þis lande his lagh wil sprede Line 14821 for if þe riche be noȝt his frendis. þe pouer wiþ wil al wiþ him wendis

Þen come þai to þe pharaseus. in selcouþ maner þen saide he þus. þai ham asked sone in hy. Line 14826 quare is he þat goddis enmy. haue ȝe him tane þai saide nay. & quar-fore sende we ȝou quoþ þai. bot for to take him if we moȝt & agaynis him we may do noȝt. he has wonnin us wiþ maistri. Line 14832 & we salle shew ȝou [[him orig.]] skile for quy. for suche a man wiþ-outen wene was neuer ȝet herde ne sene.

a-gayne his worde may na man striue of resoun be he neuer sa rife Line 14837 allas now has he ȝou shent queþer ani of oures be wiþ him went. queþer he has squikin wiþ his art. any lording of our part. Line 14841 we sary men quat may we say ne knaw ȝe noȝt þe writen lay. ȝus þai saide we salle him shende. & þen saide an þat was his frende. Line 14845 hiȝt Nichodeme was sende wiþ sande ful ȝorne wiþ skile walde he ham fand ¶ me þink lordingus bi ȝour sagh. a feble counsail ȝe do to dragh. Line 14849 wiþ-outen dome may nane be slayne or he wiþ gilt be ouer-tane. for if þat ȝe graydeli wil loke Line 14852 ȝe sal finde writen in ȝour boke. if any man ware tane for oȝt. he sulde be-for Iustice be broȝt. & if hit ware a wrange wite Line 14856 quar-of he muȝt him a-quite. þer his dome men sulde him giue auþer to deye or to liue. ¶ quoþ an þou haldes wiþ him we se. Line 14860 for ȝe ar baþ of galilee. bot we finde writen naure-quare þat our criste sulde be borne þare. bot of bedeleem dauid kinde. Line 14864 þis is þe soþ þat ȝe sal finde. þai went ham hame at þat siþe. baþ wraþ waful & vn-bliþ.

Strangeli was þis folk feloun. Line 14868 of litel witte of pouer resoun. be-taȝt to þe feinde alle & sum. ne nedder nane of mare venum. Line 14871

Line 14871 of wikked wille of euel mode. Line 14872 a-gayne þaire awen flesshe & blode quat he was; noȝt þai vnderstode þat witte to man gaf þat ware gode til alle þe nedy dide he gode. Line 14876 & to his folk sande ferli fode. bot alle for noȝt in-stide him stode. þai ordent him to hange on rode. þai had leyuer se þe fende of helle Line 14880 þan him a-mang ham for to dwelle ¶ ful mikil ham aȝt þat lorde loue þat squa walde come for þaire be-houe he folowes ham & þai him fle. ne walde þai neuer a-pon him se. squeteli walde he ham dragh him to. & þai ar a-boute atte him for-do Line 14887 muȝt þai wiþ grace him haue sene ful bliþ of his siȝt had þai bene. & worshepe him wiþ hand & fote þat squa be borne walde for þaire bote he loued ham as his hert rote. Line 14892 bot of þaire loue is noȝt to mote. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] & noȝt for-þi for wele ne wa. Line 14896 fra now wil he noȝt fle ham fra. bot stabely now among ham lende tille þe prophecy be broȝt til ende. til he was nayled a-pon a tre Line 14900 ilk day ensaumple may we se. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] of his passion þat is sa harde Line 14904 þat ȝe sal here now forþwarde he wil him baundoun now þer-tille hertli wiþ his awen wille. Line 14907

Line 14907 for he þe time sese comande neye [folio 69a:1] þat he for mannis-kinde wille dey. Line 14909 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] he wille him al vnbidden bede Line 14912 for fast hit drawes to þe nede. for his to suffre passioun. for-þi to speke of þat raunsoun. Line 14915 þat riccher is þan erþ & heyuen. or oȝt þat mannis mouþ may neyuen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] for-þi in rime wille we roun. & sette fra now langer bastoun. Line 14923 In worshepe of him þat dyed for mon amende our rime If I. con. criste & his moder lene me spede þat I vn-worþi am to rede Line 14927 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þat I. hit rede wiþ suche louing I. may hit wele til ending bring. Line 14931 to louing of god & hali-kirk. & to mannis note to wirk.