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

þe vij. elde of þe werlde. Of antecrist be-for þe dome.

Sex eldis haue broȝt in place þe vij is calde þe time of grace þat be-gan of crist come. þat lastis vn-to þe day of dome Line 21850 quen hit sal be þat wate na man he salle alle ende þat al be-gan. for quen he first þis werlde wroȝt ay for to stande he made hit noȝt. þe terme is sette to ende hit in. Line 21855 mai hit neuer ouer-ryn. wate na man wiþ in lede. bot his awen lorde-hede. hit be-takenis ferre vndrey. men wate atte hit neys ney. Line 21860 ¶ of þer takenis þat I of say. men mai ham se ilk a day. þat ilk þat ihesus seluin tellis in þe boke of gosspellis. takenis he sais sal men se. Line 21865 in sterne & lande sunne & see.

mikil on erþ sal be þe þrange Line 21867 þat sal be þe men a-mange. for þe see sal rise and route. mani man sal sorou for doute folk þai salle gaine oþer rise Line 21871 to were samin in mani wise ¶ hungre & calde & nede I-nogh. [folio 91b:1] in erþ salle rise for mannis wogh. mikil wa sal ham be-tide. Line 21875 atte þat time is sette to bide. þer signes se we ilk daw. if we walde our-seluen knaw. he sendis vs þis alle in warning to make vs redi againe his coming Line 21880 of our saulis redi be againe þat come sa sturenle. bot ay þe ma takenis we se ay þe werre warnid ar we. Line 21884 ¶ þat we wil noȝt be warnist þer-of menis him ihesu crist. quar-fore þat ilk creature ofter þe state of his nature. Line 21888 agh to knaw his god be skille. þat him made to serue him tille. ¶ for-þi þe wrecche caitif man. allas quat salle he say þan. til him quen he salle be Iustise Line 21893 of our faint & fals seruise. & sa mikil has vs in minde. & na þing louis mare þen our kinde. & giuen vs has he sa mikil our wil. & againe him we were in il. Line 21898 ¶ þe bestis doumbe lions bers. al liuande þing on sere maners. dos þair deuerre & skornis noȝt. þancande þe maker atte ham wroȝt.

heyuen & erþ sunne & mone. Line 21903 & alle þat in þis werlde is done. þai serue him alle on þaire wise. & man wiþ-draghis his seruise. squa filled wiþ couatise is he Line 21907 þat he of god has na pite. ¶ mikil leuer him ware to here. how rauland faȝt & oliuere. or of oþer iapis to roun. þen of our lordis passioun. Line 21912 þat he suffred wiþ grete dispite. fra pine of helle to make vs quite quy ar we þan sa proude & balde crist has til him our dayes talde. Line 21916 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þe daies þat we mai noȝt escape dede sal bring vs til his rape. Line 21920 qua-sim be-fore wil noȝt be-war helpis him nane ofter charre. ¶ wiþ eye. and ere. þe soþ we wate & neuer þe better is our state Line 21924 ful ilhail he gifs vs witte & we do na-þing ofter hit. vnneþ wil an ensaumple take if he se on his felaw wrake. Line 21928 if sum man repent a-quile. hit lastis bot a litel stile. his sorou is bot litel tide vnneþ til none hit wil a-bide. Line 21932 þorou þis wrecche werlde delite þat euer a waywarde se we wite quat bote is vs sa fast to fraiste quen we þer-of mai neuer be traiste if we þer-of haue halde sum-quile. þat is vs giuen bot for to gyle Line 21938

Line 21938 ¶ quen þou best wenis haue alle. Line 21939 þen saltow fra hit tittest falle hit is falland as I haue telde alle-waies til hit be fulli felde þer-of for criste þen peyche I. ȝou. & nameli for our awen prow. Line 21944 þat ȝe þat in ȝoure ricolage lende haue euer mare þoȝt a-pon ȝour ende þe werlde to heyuen þat ȝe noȝt chese & squa þe riȝt heiuen to lese. Line 21948 for auþer of ham we moste for-ga. for mai nane haue heyuenis twa. ¶ qua-sim has here his flesshe wille heiuen blis comis he noȝt tille. Line 21952 better is here wiþ-stande our wil. þat we mai efter-warde hit fulfille. þis life is bot an houre of day againe þat life þat lastis ay. Line 21956 ¶ alle þat I. say is bi resoun. þat we al-ways be redi boun. redi ilk day gaine his coming for quy we se mani takening Line 21960 his first come was soft to telle þe toþer salle be rugh and felle first he come vs al to queme. þe toþer salle be vs al to deme Line 21964 ¶ first quen he come dampned was he þe toþer demer sal he be. of þis come sal be takin sere be-fore comande atte ȝe sal here Line 21968 wiþ-outen þat we se always ay risande mare of grete vnpays for-quy of alle þer an salle rise. [folio 92a:1] þat cristen men mast sal he grise. Line 21972 þat alle þis werlde of lenght & brede salle sende his wikkednes to sprede