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

[The Resurrection of Christ.]

While they speke of þis selcowþe A new tydyng hem come to mowþe Line 17366 Oon of the knyghtes that were sent ffor to kepe the monument Told hem that of angils oon Line 17369 had lyft awey the grave-ston That clothid was as snow shir And his semblaunt like to ffyr This angill satte hym on þe stone Line 17373 ffor drede we fille doune dede echon To tho women that Iesu sought he bad they shuld drede nought ye seke the body of Iesu dere Line 17377 Resyn is he/he is not her his wordes wele we vnderstond Iesu that on Crosse did hong is resyn as he by-fore seid Line 17381 lo here the stede he was in leid But to his dissiplis sey ye ffrom dethe to lyff vp-resyn is he Line 17384 Byd hem to Galile go fulle right To se hym ther as he hem hight This knyght seid leve yt wele That I haue told euery dele Line 17388 ¶ Then they bad by-forn hem calle That kept the grave the knyghtes alle what wer tho wymmen that hym sought Line 17391

Line 17391 why ne had ye hem with you brought Line 17392 we knew hem nought þo seid they As we wer dede alle doune we ley when we wer so out of might Line 17395 how shuld they for vs be kyth Then swor þo iewis þat wer wroth By levyng god þat was her oth Beleve you not wete it well Your sawis bene fals eueri dele Line 17400 The knyghtes answerd alle in greve ye ar euyr in mysbyleve When ye hym sie byfor your sight So many mastries made of might Bothe hard and sene of hym now Line 17405 No marvayle though ye vs not trow They seid wele we yt vnderstond The lord levyth ye did on rode Also we haue of men hard seid Line 17409 Ioseph that in tomb hym leid ye diddyn hym vnder lok and sele That he awey shuld not stele But ye hym myssid right sone Line 17413 And non off your dorys vndon Thus if ye rightwysly wille deme Yeldyth Ioseph ye had to yeme And we shulle yeld Iesu sone Line 17417 Into our kepyng that was done The iewis seid Iesus yeld ye And we shulle Iosep ye shulle se We wote where Ioseph is alboun In Aramathy his oune toune Line 17422 The knyghtes seid if Ioseph be In Aramathy his owne Cite Then dar we sey off Iesu þat he is redy now in galile Line 17426

Line 17426 Off this sothe sawe ar we bold Line 17427 The angill so to the woman told Of thise wordes drad the iewis To blake tho bygon her browis To councele sone were they brought Line 17431 Now is vs nede of redy thought [folio 155b:1] But we wythstond be tyme now Iesu shalle make alle to hym bow Line 17434 Yff we let this tydyng sprede Alle be we shent þat may we drede Thise knyghtes anon we yeftes bede That we may stoppe her mowþe with mede A somme of pens gadird they Line 17439 And yaff to knyghtes for to sey To alle that wold hem tydyng frayne To answer hem þus ageyn While we be nyght in slepe lay Iesus meyne come and hym stole away Line 17444 They seid if eny man you wyte This may you save and make quyte Alas that tyme of covetyse So many men yt makyth vnwyse Line 17448 hyt revyth rightwysnes his wey And lettyth men the sothe to sey Right may come to non end Ther covetyse man hath blend Line 17452 When yeftes haue for-done the sight how may men folow þe rule of right But Iesu Cryst that rightwys is And alle hym-self sothefastnes Line 17456 Though yt lette neuer so long Alle-wey to wrecche he doth the wrong And sothefast when fals is fled Holdyth forth his owne stede Line 17460 Then shalle falshed be fallid in feld with alle þo that with hym held

So did thise knyghtes that I of mele Line 17463 Yeftes made hem the soth to hele As mede hem bad so then they did That they hard and sie they hid They seid as hem was bedyn sey That Iesu corse was stolyn a-wey Line 17468 But after that there-with thy wonne Shentship and shame of many a man Men seid hem after muche shame And of her trowthe lost the name Alle fals shulle ffar on that wyse Line 17473 And euyr shalle rightwysnes vp-ryse Wo was hem tho wrecchis wyk When this tydyng by-gon to quyk ¶ In that tyme out of Iude Off walkyng men wer comyn thre Line 17478 To that folk told they alle by-dene That they had with her eien sene Iesus they seid to dethe ye did Syttyng his dissiplis amyd We sey on mount of [[MS. on]] Olyuete Line 17483 he seid to hem brethir swete ye shalle wend ouyr alle þis world And preche that ye haue sene & herd Alle that yt levyth and baptyn take Shulle savid be of alle her sake Line 17488 When he had this tale hem teld To heuyn he stie we alle by-held The prestes and thise oþer old Seid to hem that this tale told Line 17492 Dar ye swer the sothe y-wys That ye hard and sie alle this They seid certeyn the sothe it is We take god fully to wytnes Line 17496 But we sothe seid what shuld we wyn fforsothe no-thyng but opyn synne

with this the mastirs tho vp-stert This world hem satte sore at hert To councele tho iij^e men they led On goddes half they hem for-bed They kuryd hem by goddes aw Thise wordes no more to shaw Line 17504 That nevyr of Iesu mor spokyn be There-for they yaf hem muche mone They yaf hem yeftes grete to spend And thre men they with hem send To her lond home for to lede ffor yt shuld no ferther sprede ¶ The iewis drew to-gedir then And sory sorowyng they be-gon Line 17512 They seid what tokyn may this be In Israell in our contre But Anna and Cayfas thise ij^o That most sought Iesu to slo Line 17516 To comfort hem that were in care Do wey they seid let be your fare We shulle not tho knyghtes trow That kept the grave of Iesu now They vs told of angils oon Line 17521 had lyftyd of his graue the ston his dissipils well may ffall Seid so to tho knyghtes alle [folio 156a:1] And yaf hem yeftes so to sey while they his body bar awey Line 17526 They lied that they say hym ryse ffor-sothe it is non oþer wyse ffor yeftes grete of vs they toke And nought of ouris they for-soke Line 17530 As we hym bad or wille byd Wele ye wote that so they did But rathir shuld they to vs take Then to Iesu for our sake Line 17534

Line 17534 ¶ Then stode vp and seid Nicodeme Good men for goddes love take yeme what ye sey and seith but right Line 17537 And dredyth som-what god alle-might Herd ye not what thise thre men seid And on your law hir hond thei leid They swor that they and oþer fele Line 17541 Say Iesu with his meyne mele And stie vs fro feire and swete ffrom the mount off Olyuete And holy story tellyth and sayes That Ely by old dais Line 17546 was takyn vp as into heuyn Muche haue ye herd ther-of nemyn his sonne men askyd where he was by-com Line 17549 And he hem seid was hym by-nomyn Raft awey forsothe is he how they seid may this be May be sum gost awey hym led And so to wyldyrnes is fled Line 17554 In Israell bene grete fellis There is he sothe and now-wher ellis But chese we dowghty men and lele To seche tho fellis off Israelle Line 17558 They went forth hym to seke his sonne and othir men eke When they iij^e daies had hym sought No tydyng home of hym they brought Therfor seid Nicodeme tho Line 17563 My rede is now yf ye will so ye seke tho fellis alle to-gethir that Iesus be not raveshid thedir Line 17566 And if we fynd hym ther by chaunce we may do for our synne penaunce

alle tho iewis lesse and more Of this councele apaid they wore Line 17570 And chese men þat þo were myȝty and lele to leve ynne fulle truly Bothe sowght they doune and dale But of Iesu herd they no tale wele-awey that they were blynd Line 17575 When they went Iesu so to ffynd hym to ffynd who-so wille hym seke Her mode to hym moste they meke To know hym alle wendond Then may they fynd hym nye at hond Myghtly at alle his nede Line 17581 To suche he wille his body bede ffor though he sytte in heuyn hall yet is he in Erthe ouyr alle Mighty bothe ffarre and nere Line 17585 And nowthir myste in heuyn ne here They that truly in hym lyff his blessyng he wille hem yef Thise caytyf Iewis did not so now Send hym to seche in clyffe & clow To ffynd Iesu yf he were reft Line 17591 With eny goste and there by-left He that alle gostis good and ille Hath to weld at his wille Thus wore tho iewis alle mysled Line 17595 Hir sondes come ayen vnsped That had hym sought vp and doun But Ioseph in his owne toun They seid they sie in Aramathy Line 17599 And ther they left hym sekyrly Prynces and prestes off the lay Off this tydyng wondir thay And thanckyd hir god off Israell That so coude his dedis dele Line 17604

Line 17604 That he shuld be ffoundyn þus Line 17605 That was in preson & not Iesus They made a gaderyng grete & dern And seidyn goodmen loke we yern how we might do that dowghty grome Ioseph of Aramaty to vs to come Line 17610 To telle his state eche grotte [folio 156b:1] And other thyngges that he wele wote Then did they sone to wryte a wrytte This was the tenour of yt Line 17614 Pees it seid Ioseph and grith haue þou and alle that is þe with Welle we wote we haue done mys Ayen the and thy lord that is Line 17618 And god hym-self hath the broght ffor wyckyd wrong we on the sought Hyt shalbe bote to queme Line 17621 lefe frend woldyst þou þe seme To come with vs to speke and mele Pees to make with vs and hele They sendyn vij men full dere That Iosephs most frendes were Line 17626 And bad when they with hym met With pees and loue he shuld be gret Sone in his hond they lettre sette Welle shuld they seid his mysse be bette Ioseph they found the story seis Redy at home in his paleis Line 17632 They heilsed hym with-outyn wyte And raught hym to rede that scryte Sone when he had red that dede Line 17635 Toward heuyn his hede he bede I blesse the lord me kept hast yet And saf vnder thy wyngges set he kyste tho messangers alle Line 17639 And hendely gestynnyd hem in halle

Welle ferd they with hym that nyȝt The morow his asse did he to dight To Ierusalem he toke the strete Line 17643 The iewis hym come for to mete To Ioseph seid they alle to-gedir Pesefull be thy comyng hethir Ioseph sone this answre yaf Goddis pees mote ye haue Line 17648 he kyst hem alle with-outyn blynne With Nicodyme toke he his ynne Welle was he gestid with good feith The todyr morn the story seith Line 17652 Come cayphas Anna nycodemys And Ioseph they askyd thus ¶ Ioseph to grete god of Israell Shryve the and telle vs lele Of thyng that we wylle at þe freyne Line 17657 þe soth we pray the not to leyne Alle we cowde the muche grame ffor þou burydiddyst Iesus licame In an hous therfor we lokkyd þe Line 17661 But when we come the to se No tokyn off the ffond we there Wherfor we for-wondird were And for the dred we alle in care Tylle now þou telle vs off thy fare Line 17666 To god and vs telle now sone What off the then was done ¶ Ioseph seid I shalle you say ye shytte me in oon a friday Line 17670 At Euyn-tide in-to þat stede And as I stode seiyng my bede The saterday sone at mydnyght Line 17673 That I sie this was the sight By nokys iiij^e the hous vp-hong And sone after was yt not long

I sie comyng Iesu so bright Line 17677 As yt were a lemyng light In that hous there I was stad And I felle doune alle for-drad Vp he me toke with-outyn let Line 17681 And with a dew my face he wet Sone wypid he my face And blessid me then with his grace he seid Ioseph be not ferdy By-hold on me this ilk is I Line 17686 I byheld what he then was And callid hym master Elias Elias am I not he seid But Iesus that þou in grave leid he led me to that stede anon Line 17691 There I had hym sperid in a ston his fudary his wyndyng [[MS. wyngd|yng]] cloþe There were they left I sie hem boþe That he was Iesus tho wyst I wele Cowthly by-fore hym gon I knele Line 17696 lord I seid blessid þou be That here is comyn in name of the By the hond tho he me hynt and brought me forth with-outyn stynt Right to myn owne hous at home Line 17701 And to me when I theder come Pees mote þou haue he seid Ioseph Go not out of thy hous a step [folio 157a:1] Tille xl dais be comyn to end Now to my dissipils wille I wend Line 17706 When Iosep had told this tale They fille as they had dronckyn dwale Grovelyng doune on erthe-plat Were they nevir mete or þat Echon to othir þus gon sey Line 17711 What signe wille this be quoþ they

In Ierusalem we her now myn Line 17713 We knew bothe Iesus & his kynne ¶ vp rose tho and stode hem by. A doughty man that hight levy Line 17716 I know he seid of hem bred dowty men that god dred Besyly to god prayond With sacrefice and with offrond Line 17720 When Symeon þe mekyll preste That bare the holy gost in brest Iesus by-twene his armys fong he seid lord levid haue I long Bydyng the the sight of hele Line 17725 That þou hast dight to Israele Now haue I sene yt with myn eie let me in pees thy seruant die That ilke Simeon tho was boun Line 17729 And yaf mary his benesoun To hir he seid I wille þe warn That yet som tyme þis ilk barin Shalbe to som men vprysyng Line 17733 And to some doune-fallyng Many shalle he fynd to hym vnbeyne Many shulle sey hym a-yen The swerd of sorow and of wo Line 17737 Shalle thorogh thyne hert for hym go Of mannys hert the thoughtes hyd Shalle for hym be knowyn and kyd ¶ Then seid the iewis now send we Affter tho ilke prestes iij^e Line 17742 That told they sie Iesus sete On the mount of Olyuete They sent for hem when þis was don And hem thei did to reason sone Line 17746 They answerd by god of might We sie hym ther with opyn sight

We sie hym and herd his stevyn And opynly he stie to hevyn Line 17750 Of you they seid vs thynckyþ wonder And did tho iij^e men in sondre And by hem-self askyd hem sere Line 17753 yf they wold lie for to here yf eny fro oþer wold sey ought But alle her fondyng was for noght Alle seid right as they sey Iesus on height to hevyn stei Line 17758 ¶ Thenne seid Anna & cayfas Oure law wole bothe that is & was That in the mowthe of ij^o or iij^e Shuld alle the sothe stond & be Line 17762 What more shulle we sey you than I trow yt was a rightfulle man And paide so welle god in his state That with his word was he transolate Of the prophete Sir moyses Line 17767 That non wote wher he dolvyn is But Iesus in hond was lawght And to sir pilat sone be-tawght Line 17770 Bothe by scorgid and by spytte ffor he of many gilt was wyte Woundid with spere naylid on tre with thornys Crounyd also was he Line 17774 This menskef ioseph did hym delve In a tombe made to hym-selve And iij^e men als now wytnes her They sie by-fore hir eien cler This ilk Iesus speke with his Line 17779 And sithen stie to hevyn blis.