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

[The Apostles are imprisoned, and set free by an Angel.]

fra þan þaire folk wex mare & mare. & faste þe folk felle to þaire lare bot ȝet þe iewes ful of feloun þai did þe apostles in prisoun. Line 19290 þorou consail of an nacioun. walde traw na resurreccioun. sulde be of man atte domis-day [folio 79a:1] a-gaine þe apostles saide þai nay. Line 19294 þis folk ware calde saduceus. þai helde ay wiþ phariseus

Bot sone þerofter on þe niȝt. sende ham was an angel briȝt. Line 19298 þat broȝt ham of þat prisoun strange & bad ham to þe temple gange

[ [From Laud MS. 416]] Sone they went with wille glad And did as the Angill hem bad] for to spelle þe worde of life Line 19303 þat al sulde here baþ man & wife. þe prisoun dores left as þai ham fande. nauþer brast þai barre ne bande. þat was to strenght þaire trauþ in grounde & þe iewes to confounde. Line 19308 quen þe iailers atte þat assise. ham sulde bring be-for iustice. ¶ lordes hit is selcouþ quoþ þai. we finde our prisouns al a-way þe doris spered & wallis hale Line 19313 als god vs help soþ is þis tale. ne na takening of squike finde we vmbe-þink ȝou how þis may be. Line 19316 þe maistris fast ham vmþoȝt. wiþ þis a man tiþandis he broȝt. þe men þat ȝe did in prisoun. In þe temple I. herde sarmoun. ¶ to þe temple þen þai ȝede. Line 19321 þe apostles to þaire court to lede. bot harme þai did nan ham tille. for þai come wiþ þaire awen wille þai durst na violence ham do. for þe folk ham helded to. Line 19326 a-mid warde þat court ware þai sette. þe bisshop wiþ forbode ham þret ¶ we bidde he saide & we for-bede þorou miȝt of my bisshophede. Line 19330 þat ȝe in name of þat ihesu. þat ȝe preiche noȝt fra now. be-halde ierusalem & mare. al ar turnid to ȝour lare Line 19334 quy do ȝe driue a-pon vs blame of ani wreking on his name.

þat we sulde him slain with wrange þus ȝe say þer ȝe gange. ¶ Alle as an þai gaf ansquere Line 19339 muȝt nane for oþer ham for-bere. Mare nede hit is if ȝe walde trow. to god þen ani man to bowe. for certanli god made him rise. Line 19343 þe quilk ȝe hanged with fals assise. & has him lifted on his riȝt hande. þis wate we wele mai nan with-stande oft to ȝou has hit bene talde. Line 19347 witnes þer-of alle ar we balde wiþ haligast he has vs sent. & þat truli til him we tent. & to ȝou if ȝe wille repent. Line 19351 þis gift of grace þen has he lent.

Þen be-gan þai wrenche & wraist & for tene þaire teþ to gnaiste. for þen alle naked þai ham squang & skourged ham & lete ham gange & bad ham fle as þai ware dede to neyuen ihesu na mare þaire quede Line 19358 ¶ þai went forþ ioifuller þen are & noȝt þai mened of þaire sare. bot loued ay ihesu criste name. Line 19361 atte þai for him muȝt suffre grame þe stidefast trauþ was in ham lo. quatkin strenght hit mai do. Line 19364 þat nauþer for worde ne ȝet for dint. fra stabil trauþ muȝt make ham stint. ham þuȝt na-þing sa squete in life. als for ihesu to suffre strife. Line 19368 ay þe mare men did ham mis. mare sicure þai ware of blis. ¶ cristis blis þai louid sa wele. atte þai muȝt of na torfare fele. Line 19372

Line 19372 als he be-for ham wroȝt þe way. euer-mare ofter folowed þai. Line 19374 for his loue at ham dere had boȝt alle werldly gode þai sette at noȝt. þe maistris atte come efter-warde þai lered ofter to suffre harde Line 19378 þat neuer for na bale was kid. againes crist riȝt noȝt þai did.

In þis apostles time hit sais. Line 19381 þe cristen men wex fast þa days atte þe apostles had to kepe. þat hirdes ware of cristes shepe. squa wex þe cristen mennis tale Line 19385 þai muȝt noȝt be kepped hale. a-mang alle oþer þer was vij. þe quilk I. sal þe namis neyuen. Line 19388 ¶ Steuen & Philip & thamor. Thimon meniam & nichanor. & nicholas þer vij were [folio 79b:1] sette be-for þe apostles sere. Line 19392 on ham þai laide þaire hali hande & a quile ware praiande. & aþis þen þai ham made. of ham þer-of þai toke þe lade. Line 19396 þe birþin vnder ham to bere. quen hit ware time of mistere. goddes folk wex fast & grew. alsqua did þe truþ of trew. Line 19400 & of prestes grete company þat forsoke þaire foly.