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 oile of merci.

[[in margin]]

Adam was alde. ix hundre ȝere.na meruayle if he was vnfere.

for wroȝt wiþ his hak and spad of him-self he wex al sadde. Line 1240 he lened him doun a-pon his hake. til seth his sone. þus gates he spake. sone he saide. þou most ga. to paradys þer I. come fra. Line 1244 til cherubin þat ys ȝatewarde. ȝe sir wiste I. quidder-warde. þe contray ys to me ful bare. and I ne was neyuer ȝet þare. Line 1248 ¶ sone he sayde .I. sal þe say. how-gate þou sal take þi way. towarde þe est ende of þis dale. finde a grene gate. þou sale. Line 1252 In þat way sal þou finde for-soþ. þi moders and Myne our baþer sloþ. þe gresse ys falow on þe grene. and euer siþen has hit bene. Line 1256 [folio 10b:1] þer we come gangande als vnwise quen we ware putte of paradise. vn-to þis werlde slade. þer my-selfe was first made. Line 1260 we ȝode apon hit ofter our synne. siþen grew na gresse þer-in. þat gresse sal teyche þe þi gate. riȝt to paradise ȝate. Line 1264 ¶ fader he saide say me þi wille what sal I. say þat angel tille þou sal him tel I. am vn-fere. I. haue lyued so mony a ȝere. Line 1268 ay in strife and sorou stadde þat of my life I. am ful sadde. þou pray þat he me worde sende out of þis werlde quen I. sal wende Line 1272 an oþer erande sal þer be. þat he walde sende me worde with þe.

queþer I. sal haue hit oȝt in hye þe oyle me was heȝt of mercy Line 1276 þe time þat I. left paradise wele I. knaw now my folise. a-gayne goddis wille I. wroȝt. and þat sumdel haue I. now boȝt. my sorou has ay bene siþen new. Line 1281 now ware time of me to rewe. ¶ Seth went forþ wit-outen nay. to paradys þe riȝt way. Line 1284 þe sloþ he fande þat him con wis. vn-to þe yate of paradys. quen he þar-of had a siȝt. he was gloppenet of þat liȝt. þe mykil liȝt þat he saw þare. Line 1289 a brennande fire he wende hit ware and saynet him als his fader bad. forþ he ȝode and was noȝt drad. þis angel at þe ȝate him fande Line 1293 and asked him of his errande. Seth him sette spel on ende and talde quar-fore he was sende and talde him of his fader care Line 1297 als he him taȝt as ȝe herde are. to sende him worde quen he sulde dey for langer liue muȝt he noȝt drey. Line 1300 and quen þat lorde myche of miȝt walde sende him oyel þat he hiȝt. quen cherubin þis missage herde. Mildely he him þan vnsquerede. Line 1304 ga to þe ȝate he sayde and loute þi heued wiþ-in. þi body wiþ-oute and tent to þinges wiþ þi miȝt. þat salle be shewet to þi siȝt. Line 1308 quen seth a quyle had loket in he sagh mykel welþe and wyn.

þat in erþ na tonge may telle. Line 1311 of floures frute and squete smelle of blis and ioy sa mony þinge. In middes þe lande he saw a springe. of a welle wiþ-outen mys. Line 1315 þer-out ran foure stremys fison. gison. tigre. eufrate. þes foure makis al þis erþ wate. out of þat welle loket he. and sawe þer stande. a mykel tre. Line 1320 wiþ branchesse mony. of barke bare was þer na lefe on. lasse ne mare ¶ Seth bi-gan to þink for-quy. at þis tree. bi-come sa dry. Line 1324 of steppis he vmbe-þoȝt him þan. þat falowed for syn of man. þat ilk skyle made him to Myn. þis tree was dry for adam syn. Line 1328 he come to þat angel shene. and shewet him þat he had sene. quen he his siȝt al had him talde. he bad him est ga. and be-halde. Line 1332 he loket in est. and stode þar-oute and saghe þe þing. þat gert him doute þis tree þat I. be-fore haue saide a nedder a-boute hit was layde. Line 1336 ¶ Cherubin þat angel bliþe. radde him ga loke þe þrid sithe. him þoȝt þan at þrid siȝt. Line 1339 þis tree was of sa mykil in siȝt. þat to þe skew. raȝt þe top. a new-borne childe lay in þe crop. bondyn wiþ a squeþel bande. þat him þuȝt hit lai squelande Line 1344 he was agaste quen he þat seye and to þe rote. he keste his eye.

him þuȝt hit raȝt þorou erþ and hel quare vnder he sawe his broþer abel In his saule he saw him þare. Line 1349 þat cayme slowe. ful of care. ¶ he went a-gayne for-to shawe to cherubin þat he sawe. Line 1352 cherubyn wiþ chere sa mylde. [folio 11a:1] be-gan to telle him of þat childe. þis barne he saide þat þou has sene ys goddes sone wiþ-out wene. Line 1356 þi fadres sinne now wepis he. þat he sal clens sum time sal be quen þe plentes sal come of time þis ys þe oyle was heȝt him. Line 1360 til him and til his progeny. wiþ petey he sal shew his mercy. ¶ quen Seth had vnderstanden wele þe angel onsquare ilka dele. Line 1364 his leue he toke at cherubyn. cornys þan he gaf him þrin. þe quilk of þe appeltree he nam þat his fader ete of adam. Line 1368 to þi fader þou sal say. þat he sal deye þe þrid day. efter þou art commyn hame. and als he was. turne in-to lame. Line 1372 bot þou sal take þese cornys þre þat I. toke of þat appeltree. and do ham vnder his tonge rote. þai sal to mony mon be bote. Line 1376 þat sal be cedre cipres and pine. of ham sal man haue medicine. þi fader in cedre sal þou take. a tree of heȝt þat has na make of cipres bi þe squete sauour. Line 1381 hit be-takenys us. our sauiour.

þe mykel squetnes þat ys his sone þe pyne to bere a tree ys wone Line 1384 [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] Thise carnellis lest & most Come from the holy gost] ¶ Seth was of his errande fayne Line 1387 and sone come til his fader a-gayn. ¶ sone he saide as þou sped oȝt or has þou any mercy broȝt. ¶ Sir cherubin þe haly angel. þat porter ys. he gretes þe wel. Line 1392 he says be-for þe werlde ende þat he salle þo oyle sende. þorou birþ of þat blesset childe Line 1395 þat sal fra harme þis werlde shilde of þi dede he bad me say. þat þou sulde deye þis þrid day. ¶ adam was glad for þis tiþande mare þan euer be-for-hande. Line 1400 quen he herde he sulde lyf na mare þen he loghe and neyuer are. and þus on god be-gan to cry. lorde I.-noghe now liued haue .I. þou take my saule out of flesshe Line 1405 and do wiþ hit quat þi wille ys. quat of þis werlde was he ful sad þat neuer a day þar-in was glad Line 1408 he liued ix. hundre ȝere and mare and alle his liue in sorou and care. leuer was him siþen langer in hel þen langer. in þis werlde to dwel. Line 1412

Adam als him was talde be-forne was dede a-pon þe þrid morne. Dolue he was þorou seth his sone. In þe vale þat hat ebron. Line 1416 þe cornys ware done vnder his tonge þere rase of ham þre wandes ȝonge

Sone of an elne heȝt þai ware. Line 1419 þai stode þan stille and wex na mare Mony a ȝere i-like grene. halynes was on ham sene. Stil þai stode þer wandes þre. fra adams time vn-til noe Line 1424 fra noe quen þe flode rase. til abraham þat haly was. and fra abraham stille stode þay. ay til moyses gas þe lay. Line 1428 euer stode þai stille in ane wiþ-outen wax wiþ-outen wane. of þer wandes stynt we now. and forþ my story I. wil tel ȝow. Line 1432