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

Of paradise.

Telle me man þat art of lare quat lande ys paradis and quare Line 1000 syn þou askis me so snelle bleþly sir I wille þe telle. Paradys ys a preuey stede. þer mony mirþes ar and mede. Line 1004 þe louelist place of al landes. in erþ tawart þe est hit standes. lande of life of roo of rest. wit ioy and blis and mirþis best. Line 1008 þer euer ys day and neuer niȝt. and euer vmlaide with leme and liȝt. ¶ of selynes ys hit wele sene þe gresse ys euer i-like grene. Line 1012 wiþ oþer blisse þat þer was elles. wiþ mony floures of squete smellis trees of frute als ys þare sette. þat diuerse vertue has atte ete. Line 1016 þat if man ete in time of an. hungre sulde he neuer haue nane ¶ and if he ete of anoþer tree. sulde he neyuer þristy be. Line 1020 qua-so ete of þe þrid þar ys. sulde he neuer haue werines. [[MS. wermes]] of þe firþ qua ete at þe laste. he sulde in elde ay be stedefaste Line 1024 sekenes sulde he neuer drey ne neuer mare his body dey. ¶ hit ys a ȝarde of delices wiþ al maner of squete spices Line 1028 qua lenges þer. þar him noȝte lange. in-to erþ; to here sanges. for þer ys sonne of santis þat singis and euen a-midwarde a welle þer springis Line 1032

Line 1032 and rynnys forþ wit foure strandis forþ þorou-out þe landes. þes strandes foure at þer be-gynnys þorou mony cuntrays hit rynnys. Line 1036 ¶ þe fyrst hatte. tigre. þe toþer. ganges. þe þrid nilus. þe firþ eufrates. þai bringe of paradys mony a stane so precious ys funden nane. Line 1040 þis paradys ys sette so hey þat muȝt neuer flode come þer ney. for-þi was hit at noes flode fre quen al þe werlde ouer-ȝode. Line 1044