Cursor mundi (The cursur o the world). A Northumbrian poem of the XIVth century in four versions. Ed. by the Rev. Richard Morris ...
Of þe xv. signis be-for þe dome.
Herkenis now I wille ȝou telle.
of þe cruel dais & felle.
be-for domis-dai þai salle be sene.
wiþ sorouful signis þai ar fiftene.
22430
if ȝe of ham wille liste a þraw.
þe soþfastnes I wille ȝou shaw.
þat is na man in erþ sa felle.
þat herkin hertli wil þis spel.
of þis wrecched werldis ende.
þat he ne him agh to amende.
Page 1284
22436
¶ grete signis salle our lorde make
22437
for to shew þe wikkid his wrake
als hit is talde of Ieromy.
zorobabel & Isay.
22440
als ierom þat man wele trowes.
tellis he fande in boke of iewes.
[*. [[from Laud MS. 416]] Whether they shulle on row betyde
Or euyr vale bittir hem bide
22444
That vndothe he vs now whore
Yot he was grete clerk of lore
The Iugement A lytill are
That non shulle of the felons spare]
22448
þat our lorde his miȝt wil shaw.
þat man hit salle in erþ knaw.
for-þi I rede ȝe hidder drawe.
alle þat of god standis awe.
22452
& herkenis squa þat I. sal say.
þat ȝe ga noȝt partles a-way.
squa sorouful þing mai na man tel.
bot if hit ware þe pine of helle.
22456
þat salle ȝe here wiþ-outen gile
wiþ-in þe space of a myle.
Þe first dai I salle of rede. [folio 94b:1]
ful mikil hit is for to drede.
22460
for þer salle falle doun fra þe lift
of blode raine a drery drift.
þe erþ salle be alle rede of hew.
ne sagh men neuer suche a dew.
22464
childer in moder wambis þat lye
wiþ-in þaire wambis sal þai cry.
wiþ hey voice & loude steiuen.
22467
haue merci on vs lorde of heiuen.
lete vs neuer borne to be.
þis mikil sorou for to se.
quar-to sulde we be borne to-day.
22471
& se bot sorou & waleway.
Page 1286
wepande þai salle calle on ihesu.
lorde haue merci on vs now.
22474
Þe toþer day to bide I-wis
hit salle be wele werre þen þis.
þe sternis wiþ þaire leme & leyuen.
sal radli falle doun fra heiuen.
is nane sa wele fest of ham alle.
22479
þat hit ne salle doun þat day fall.
& squiþer salle þai ryn on grounde.
þen fire of flint quen hit is stounde
þai salle on erþ rin here & þare.
22483
& wepe as þai men ware.
na worde þe queþer salle þai soun.
til atte þai be alle fallin doun.
vn-to þe erþ wiþ-outen liȝt.
22487
þer þai salle tine þaire miȝt.
& worþ als blak sum ani cole.
lorde how mai we þen þis þole.
þat ar bundin al wiþ syn.
22491
& als we wondin ware þer-in.
Efter þe ij. comis þe þrid
an vncouþ dai þen is hit kid
atte þe mone þat is squa shene.
22495
quen hit is in þe waxande sene.
sal become rede as ani blode
for drede of him was done on rode
on erþ doun hit salle sende.
22499
bot þer hit salle noȝt lange lende.
bot to þe see þen sal hit ryn.
& þer hit salle be hid wiþ-in.
for to flee þe dai of awe.
22503
quen crist wille come him-self to shaw
Þe firþ signe ofter þe þre.
sal be ful grisely on to se.
þe sunne þat is sa faire & briȝt
& seruis alle þis werlde of liȝt.
Page 1288
22508
hit salle be-come þen ful vn-faire
22509
dim & blak riȝt as a hayre.
quen hit is fairest on to loke
atte middai time squa sais þe boke
[*. [[from Laud MS. 416]]Blak it shalbe so by his might
22513
No man ther-of shalle haue no sight]
A lorde ful wa sal be þat man.
þat salle haue na mercy þan.
22516
to ham þat he his wraþ salle kiþe
ne salle þai neuer fra þan be bliþe
Vgli salle be þe fift þat day.
mare þen ani tonge con say.
22520
alle bestis doun vnder þe lift
vp þai salle þaire heuedis lift.
a-pon our lorde for to cry
if þai muȝt speke atte aske mercy.
22524
riȝt to þe haire þen sal þai ryn.
for dredenes þer to hide ham in.
& salle cry þer-wiþ stiþer steiuen.
þen now mai do x. or xj.
22528
alle for drede of his coming.
þat dome salle deme of alle þing.
Þe sext dai is red in roun.
quen þis werlde al baþ dale & doun.
euen ilike hit salle worþ alle
22533
valis vp-rise þe fellis to falle.
alle þe erþ þat is vnder heiuen.
salle be þat day ilike eyuen.
for dredenes of þat demester
22537
þe pes salle alle turne in-to were
þe erþ salle quake neuer are sa fast
toure and toun alle doun to caste.
22540
þat is na were sa strange or walle.
þat hit ne doun þat day sal falle.
wode & walle alle doun sal draw.
of þat demester þat drede ful awe
Page 1290
22544
Sorouful salle be þat*. [[MS. þat þat]] signe seyuend
mare þen ani oþer I. neyuend.
22546
þe trees doun caste salle ham paine
for to riȝt ham vp a-gaine.
doun þe crop vpwarde þe rote
of mirþis nane is þen to mote.
22550
ful sturenli þen sal þai quake.
þat alle þe erþ hit sal to shake.
noȝt a lefe*. [[MS. lofe]] on ham salle last.
quen þe grete in ij. salle braste.
lorde quere salle we þan rest. [folio 95a:1]
22555
quen we mai naure-quere finde a nest
al wanis salle we þat time wane
bot if we haue the grace of ane.
þen be-houis al folk to dey.
22559
þorou soroufulnes at þai sal drey.
Þe aghtande dai hit has na make
of al þer oþer hit is mast of wrake.
on hey for-soþ we see sal rise.
to hide hit bot hit mai na wise.
22564
hit sal baþ brest ouer dale & doun.
alkin þingis for to droun.
þus saide he þat has vs talde
moises þat spak wiþ god in walde
22568
vp to lift rise sal þe see.
þer-wiþ strenght to gete entree.
þe fisshis atte þer-in ar stad
þat we*. [[MS. oft crossed through]] make vs of glad.
22572
doun to þe erþ sal þai flee.
& wene þat god mai ham noȝt se.
þe see a-gaine doun sal hit draw.
vp fra þe lift doun to þe law.
[*. [[from Laud MS. 416]]Vnto her chanell shalle she turne
And tho to heris eche a burne]
22578
Þe nyend sal be cruel & kene
was nane suche be-fore sene.
Page 1292
wiþ speche salle al þing ham mene
als hit wiþ mannis miȝt had bene
I. take witnes of saint austine.
22583
þat tellis how þis werlde sal fine.
þai salle cry til our lorde wiþ riȝt
haue merci of vs for þi miȝt
lorde god þat lastis ay.
22587
þou salle vs do to wite a-way
to turne againe as noȝt ne ware
lorde þou late vs noȝt forfare
22590
Þe tende is outane to neiuen.
þat is naþing vnder. þe heiuen.
& heiuen self hit sal be ferde.
gaine him þat wroȝt þe middelerd
al þis vs tellis saint Ierome.
22595
& gregorie þat was pape of rome.
þe self angels sal quake vn-queme
for doute of him þat alle sal deme
for þan salle quake saint cherubin
& alsqua salle saint seraphin.
22600
na creature sal þen list play.
saint peter sal be doumbe þat day.
þat he a worde dar noȝt speke
for doute of þat sorouful wreke.
22604
for heiuen he salle se part in sundre
& he salle here cry to wondre.
baþ cry & braide for doute & drede.
haue merci lorde for now is nede.
þen salle þai þat in helle ar cropin.
quen liȝt sal shine of heiuenis opin.
þa warlaghis al salle walk þen oute
saint paule sais hit is na doute.
22612
¶ herkenis now quat þai sal say.
for drede þai salle haue of þat day.
Ihesus lorde þat wroȝt vs squa.
22615
in heiuen & siþen hit toke vs fra.
Page 1294
we haue hit tint wiþ grete foly
22617
in þis grete nede to þe we cry.
quy þi wrecched hande-werk in wa.
in þis fire þou suffris squa.
for now our painis ar wele mare
22621
in helle þen þai ware euer are.
þou ȝilde vs againe our ostel now.
þat us is reft & wene wate how.
we walde hit vnder-fange ful faine
22625
if we muȝt haue our erþ againe.
Þe signe of þe day elleft.
hit is noȝt worþi þat hit be left.
sare þai salle do for to grise.
22629
winde on ilk side salle rise.
squa fast on iche side to blaw.
þat is na þing þat hit mai shaw.
þe erþ þen sal hit do to rift.
22633
& vp out of þe stede to lift.
þe deuils out sal be for-driuin.
out of þat erþ þat sal be riuin.
& bere þaire bodis in þat aire
22637
þat siȝt to se hit is vn-faire.
þen salle þe raine-bogh discende.
in hew of galle hit sal lende
wiþ þe windis hit sal melle
22641
& driue ham doun al to helle.
& dompit þe deuils þidder in.
in þaire bale ham to bryn.
22644
& salle ham bid to halde ham þare
a-bouin erþ to come na mare.
þe terme is commin haue ȝe sale.
þe in-come to be in bale.
22648
þen salle þai be-gyn to cry & calle
lorde fader god of alle.
þou late vs vnder erþ be hid.
22651
þat we be here na langer kid.
Page 1296
þe xij. dai is sorou to here [folio 95b:1]
þorou miȝt of him þat al con stere
þat is na man in erþ wroȝt.
22655
þat agh to lete hit out of þoȝt.
& for to amende his life mare.
to ihesu þat our lauedi bare.
heiuin sal be lokin a-gaine.
22659
sal nane be þer at ne þai sal saine.
how-gate here now mai we lende.
quen al þing salle dragh vs tilende.
þe angels þat in heiuen salle be.
22663
sal knele doun be-for cristis kne.
& sal cri merci to þat king.
þat þai se boun til al þing.
for drerines þai salle be drad.
22667
þai se ouer alle þis werlde be stad.
quen angels squa sal drede þaire pas
of sinful quat salle worþ allas.
22670
þe dai xiij. sal be ful felle.
mare þen ani tonge mai telle.
of þat sorouful grisely daw.
þat crist salle til his shaftis shaw.
22674
quen alle þe stanis þat ar made
vnder heiuen in werlde brade.
a-bouin þe erþ & bi-neþin.
22677
riȝt in-to þe erþ fra heiuin.
sal smite to-gedder wiþ suche maȝt.
as þonder dos wiþ fire slaȝt.
wiþ harde dintis þaire miȝt to kiþ.
þat nan has mater to be bliþe.
22682
wiþ casting sal þai sammin þrest.
þat al to-gedder salle þai brest.
þis salle be lastande al a day.
22685
þe signis of þis sorouful play.
þe men atte þat day sal ouer-bide.
vnder a felle þai sal ham hide.
Page 1298
22688
þe dai xiiij. hit salle be il.
til alle þe werlde hit sal be gril.
a stormy day & straite of aw.
22691
baþ of frost & haile and snaw.
þen sal þer come baþ þonder & leiuin.
& droune alle þat is vnder heiuin.
þe cloudis to þe see salle rin.
22695
for to hide ham þer-in.
for to fle þat day sa breme.
þat our lorde come to deme.
Quat sal be þe xv. day.
as I haue fundin I. sal ȝou say.
þat hit salle ending be of alle.
mani sais þat squa mai falle.
þis middellerd ful walelay.
al to noȝt salle bren a-way.
22704
þe see als þat vmlappis þe lande
& waters alle þat rinnis in strande
alle salle turne a-gaine to noȝt.
22707
als þai ware first or þai ware wroȝt
heiuen & erþ to be made new.
þat ay salle laste stabeli & trew.
