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

[Heaven, and the Seven Gifts of the Blessed.]

Quen þat demester þus has done ihesus crist wiþ-outen hone wiþ his felawshepe sa fre. sal wende un-to his fader cite. þe man of þat cite to neyuen. Line 23355 is þe riche king of heyuen. vn-to þat blis to lenge him wiþ þat euer is fulle of grace & griþ. of al gladnes & of glew. þat is euer ilike new. Line 23360 ¶ þaire blis hit sal be squa perfite. atte þai salle for na þing haue site of al site be quite & care Line 23363 ful weil is him atte wone mai þare

nane eye mai se nan ere mai here Line 23365 ne hert mai þink þa iois sere þat ihesus crist has diȝt til his qua-sim mai entre in-to þat blis. ¶ þa cely þat salle lenge in heiuen Line 23369 in bodi salle haue giftis vij. & .vij. in saule al for þaire medis þat sal be .xiiij. blessed hedis In bodi. squiftnes. & fairehede. Line 23373 fredom & strenght ay life to lede liking als wiþ lastande hele. þe blessed saule al þese sal fele Line 23376 To haue wisdome & frenshepe. concorde pausty & worshepe. sikernes & ioyful ro. quat þer mai mene I. sal vn-do. Line 23380 ¶ In squiftnes þou sal be sa squift. þat als squiþe sim þou mai lift. þine eien vp þi life to se. al squiþe quere þou wilt sal þou be. Line 23384 [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] And also sone as sonne may fest ffro eest hir leme in-to the west Also sone maist þou come theder Alle at thy wille or els wheder] Line 23388 now atte þe erþ now atte þe lift. or how-sim-euer þou wilt þe shift. þat ilk þen mai þe angels do. þat þou salle euening ham be to. Line 23392 ¶ of þi fairehede I. say þe man. þou sal be briȝt as sunne is þan. þat is to say & soþ to trow. vij. siþe sa briȝt as now. Line 23396 þen mai men wite hit bes ful briȝt. squa has our lorde be-fore vs hiȝt þat he sal new our bodis make. or he vs in-to blis take. Line 23400

Line 23400 for-þi hit motes nede atte he. briȝter þen þe sunne to be. Line 23402 for he þat wroȝt al þing in lede. & shroude ham in þaire fairehede. sin þai salle dwelle as hit is saide in his temple for ham puruaide. Line 23406 þen most þai nede be faire I.-wis þat sal wone in þat ioy & blis. ¶ þe fredom sal be at vnderstande þi bodi binde sal na bande. Line 23410 al þat þe wiþ-standande is. þorou sal þou þirle wiþ squiftnes. ne is na creature þat may. Line 23413 lette þe for to wende þi way. als þe graf muȝt noȝt halde our lordis bodi quen he walde rise þat he ne freli ras. Line 23417 & come þer his disciplis was. & did ham sone out of doute. of þaire enemys þat was a-boute. þen sal þi bodi be like til his. Line 23421 A ful grete fredom þen is þis. ¶ þou salle haue strenght for-soþ to tel. wiþ þi fote to ouer-caste a felle. Line 23424 or al þis erþ if þe gode þoȝt. als liȝtli ouer-turne þou moȝt. as þou mai now loke wiþ þi siȝt squa mikil þen sal be þi miȝt Line 23428 [folio 99b:1] ¶ Liking þou salle haue . . ut squike mai liking nane be þar-to like. of welþis mai na man mare telle þen haue wille of welþ þe welle þat is our lorde him-self to say Line 23433 þat þou sal se on euer and ay. for if þou on him euer se. of him sad saltow neuer be Line 23436

Line 23436 ¶ & þer ware shot in-to þi heued. Line 23437 a glowande irin & þer-in leued. & hit passed & squa muȝt falle. glowand þorou þi limis alle. Line 23440 þou sulde haue sorou is þer na doute baþ in þi bodi als wiþ-oute. þat for-soþ muȝt na man mare Line 23443 riȝt squa hit fallis quen þou art þare ¶ þe welþ þat salle þe neuer blin. þou salle haue wiþ-oute & in. Line 23446 to like þe als wele in hert as þe sulde mislike suche vnquert ¶ In þis werlde has men liking. to se of folk grete geddering. Line 23450 & wemmen faire to be-halde in claþing clad of riche falde. to se biggyngis and faire touns of diuerse gle to here þe souns. & here gode talking. for to telle. Line 23455 squete spiceri to tast & smelle. to handil þat is smeþ & soft. fair wemmen men ȝernis oft. ¶ bot a hundre siþe þat sal þou se Line 23459 sal mare blis be in þe. als wele þen saltow se. wincande als wiþ opin eye. þi wittes v. led in wele. Line 23463 & þar-wiþ sal haue lastande hele. hele wiþ-outen seke and sare þer sal be lastande euer-mare ¶ þa þat of caris al ar quite ne mai nane irin on ham bite Line 23468 na mare mai a dint ham dere þen man þe sunne-beme to shere. of lastande life þat is þe lande. & dede fra hit is ay fleand. [[Originally liuande]] Line 23472

Line 23472 of þat hele mai be terme nane. Line 23473 þaire life salle laste euer in an. þer ar þas ilk blessed hedis. þat giuen ar to þe bodi nedis. Line 23476 þe bodi & saule aiþer has seyuen of ham is next for to neyuen.

Þe santis stad vn-to þat cele. þat salle na wanting haue of wele Line 23480 of þe welle of witte þai draw. wisdom þat dos ham al to knaw. þat was & is & ay salle be. þai se hit alle in þat trinite. Line 23484 of alkin þing in heiuen or helle baþ name & dide þai salle con tel. & alle þe didis atte þai did. þai sal be to þe santis kid. Line 23488 ne salle na þing fra ham be hid ¶ þat siȝt of god is euer ham tid. þai salle baþ knaw þe dede & þoȝt bot þer-fore vnderstande þou noȝt þat hit salle turne þe to shame Line 23493 ne namare of blenk ne blame. haue neyuer þi syn sa laiþe bene Line 23495 þat þou was here-of shriuin clene. & drowen þi penaunce here of care for ham ne sal þe shame na mare. þen a man þe talde to day. Line 23499 quat þou did quen þou in cradil lay. ne na mare shame sal þou þink þare Line 23501 þen þou commen of batail ware. wiþ woundis atte þou þer had tane & ware heled of ham ilkan. ¶ for certis our synnys he wil for-giue & we amende vs quilis we liue. Line 23506 for-giuen ar þai & neuer-þo lesse god þat alle wate þat is. Line 23508

Line 23508 is or was or be salle euer. Line 23509 out of his witring be þai neuer. ne sal þou nauþer shame ne sorou. bot þank god atte did þe borou. ¶ Frenshepe þer is wiþ-outen fade. Line 23513 god has his awen childer made. þai wone wiþ him þer he wonis. he louis ham as his awen sonis mare þen ham-seluin þai louin driȝt þe angels ham louis & þat is riȝt ful mikil hit is þaire concorde. Line 23519 for alle is euer atte an accorde þai ar selcouþ sammentale. als an wele þai wille al hale. Line 23522 þat quidder-wart an wil loke. þai loke al-squa sais þe boke. quat an wille all wil als sone. [folio 100a:1] Line 23525 wiþ-outen bade hit salle be done. ¶ ful goderhail quoþ þou mai falle. if þai als I. walde squa þai salle Line 23528 þou sais quen þou vmbeþinkis þe at þou walde like saint peter be if þou wille þou salle be tite. Line 23531 ne sal þer be þer-to na nite [[Originally lite]] like to peter self I. say. bot to be peter þat say I. nay. for if þou ȝernis be peter self. Line 23535 þen ȝernis þou be noȝt þi-self. if þou þi ȝerning noȝt walde be noȝt walde þou þen ware made of þe ¶ bot þer is nane atte ȝernis mare. þen þai in seruise worþi are. Line 23540 bot in þat mikil stabilnes. salle nane ȝerne be bot at he is. for if þai ȝernid suche I.-wis þen ware þai noȝt in fulli blis. Line 23544

Line 23544 bot þaire blis atte þer wonand is. of mirþis nane mai hit mis. Line 23546 ¶ ilk man sal haue til his al þat he wille efter wisse. mikil salle hit be þaire miȝt. Line 23549 þat in þat welþ sal be sa liȝt. squa miȝtli þaire wil to fulfille þat if hit come ham in þaire wille. Line 23552 to make a-noþer erþ & heiuen. þai muȝt hit make & þai wald neiuen. for þai ar airs alle wiþ crist. þa þat ar stad in his be-wist. Line 23556 als god ar þai & goddis aires to do þaire wil þe miȝt is þairis. ¶ ansquare to me þus-gatis may þou a-noþer heiuen & erþ qui make þai noȝt now. & þus-gatis ansquare þe I. salle. Line 23561 for-þi þat god has ay wroȝt alle & his werkis ar squa gode. na man amende ham may in mode for if þai a-noþer heiuen wroȝt. hit ware vnnayte & al for noȝt. Line 23566 mani þingis mai we do. þat litel comis to ani ro. als for to lepe & for to ryn. quen hit ware better for to blin. Line 23570 ¶ quarto þen sulde for-þer strife þen for to liue in santis life. of riȝt-wise alle þe laghes ar slike atte þai salle be til angels like. Line 23574 & noȝt for-þi if þai be alle. in an anlepi fader halle þai salle in woning stedis sere. ilkan haue his lay plenere. Line 23578 ¶ of þaire worshepe quat mai men mene þat crist him kiþis to ham clene.

angels sal þer menske þere dere. & saintis as þai goddis were. to worshepe god atte ham has diȝt þai graiþ ham baþ in mode & miȝt. heiuen & erþ alle creature salle bere ham worshepe & honour. Line 23586 for sunne & mone & water & sterne. þat rynnis now wiþ-in ras sa gerne. in better state þen sal hit stande. fra þan na langer bes stirande. Line 23590 þar-fore sal þai ham worshepe bere þat als mikil as in ham were. wiþ þaire worshepe as þai muȝt best for to bring ham vn-to rest. Line 23594 ¶ Of þat sikernes þe soþ to say. certis is þer nane oþer way. of þe welþ atte þai ar in. is na-þing þat ham mai twin. Line 23598 ne na mischief mai ham be-tide for þai ar traist on ilka side. þat god has giuen ham to þaire mede of þe tining haue þai na drede. Line 23602 þaire ioye þaire gladshepe qua can tel. na man for-soþ in flesshe ne felle. for to be-halde þat trinite how he is anfalde god in þre face wiþ face þat god to se. Line 23607 þat euer was & ay sal be. þai salle haue ioy wiþ-in & oute. & on euerilk side a-boute. ouer & vnder & ay-quare. Line 23611 our lorde gif vs our woning þare. ¶ þer ar þe blissis & manian ellis. god giues til ham þat wiþ him dwellis riȝt as þer goddis frendis salle. Line 23615 worshepe haue a-monge ham alle.

squa salle þe wrecchis for þaire sake be stad in pine wiþ-outen slake. Line 23618 ¶ þe gode sal be faire & semeli baþ. þa oþer blak griseli & laþ. ¶ þe gode liȝt as fowel to fley. [folio 100b:1] þe wikked dille wa to drey. Line 23622 ¶ þe gode selcouþ strange & wiȝt. þe wikked wake wiþ-outen miȝt. ¶ þe gode salle liue in fredom fre. þas oþer in þraldome ay salle be. ¶ þe gode sal liue in ioy & delite. Line 23627 þas oþer sal liue in sorou & site. ¶ þe gode in hele sal liue euer-mare. þas oþer in sekenes & in sare. ¶ þe gode salle be in lastande life. Line 23631 þes oþer & dede salle euer strife. ¶ þe gode sal haue witte & be wise þes oþer in folie sal euer rise. for if þai oȝt mai wite þare hit is bot sorou site & care. Line 23636 ¶ þe gode of frenshepe sal be traiste þai salle of alkin fredom fraiste. ¶ wiþ alkin þing þe gode sal accorde wiþ alkin þing þe wikked discorde Line 23640 ¶ þe gode of welþ salle haue wale þes oþer wiþ vn-welde to be in bale ¶ þe gode salle worshepe al creatour þas oþer salle haue grete dishonour Line 23644 ¶ þe gode ar bliþ & euer-mare glad þas oþer in care & sorou ar sadde. ¶ þe gode in ioyful laghis þai lende. þas oþer wipen wiþ-outen ende. Line 23648 fra þat sorou & fra þat site. ihesu criste he make vs quite. & gif vs grace squa here to do. þat we wiþ his mai rest in ro. Line 23652