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

how man agh to shriue him þre-falde.

QUA riȝtwise penauncewil be-gynne Line 25932 he sal haue þingis wiþ him þrin. reuþ þat is for-þinking sare. & shrift of mouþ to make al bare. & buxum beting of misdide Line 25936 ilkan of þer þre til oþer has nede. & þer is resoun sette for-quy for man him synnis þre-faldeli. Line 25939 þat is in. þoȝt. worde. & werke. als Ierom sais þe gode clerk. & for we synne on maners þre. Line 25942 our shrift agh þrefalde for to be. ¶ þe first synne vs fallis in þoȝt. is quen we þink on iuel oȝt. þe toþer is to helde þer-tille. Line 25946 þat first was þoȝt wiþ iuel il wille. & wiþ folowing to falle in dede þe þrid is wers of alle we rede. to lye & maynteine ay our sake Line 25950 & siþin wil nane amendis make. ¶ þer iij. be-takenis tresoun þat we redande in þe gosspel se. þat crist him raised fra dede to life Line 25954 a-monge his miȝtis þat ware rife a maidin þat dede was in hir bedde als be-fore I. haue ȝou redde & ho be-takenis synne of þoȝt þe toþer was a childe was broȝt. Line 25959 vn-to þe ȝate of þe cite & synne of worde be-takenis h[e?] þe þrid was lazarus þat lay. Line 25962 stincande in graf þe iiij. day. & þat be-takenis al our synne. þat we wiþ custome lien. in. Line 25965

Line 25965

Þeuþ & contricioun al is an. Line 25966 & sorou quen þou þi synne has tan. wiþ gode-wille þi shrift to make. & penaunce for þi synne to take. & þis we finde of comandement. þorou prophecy in þe alde testament. ¶ & þre-falde agh þis sorowing be. for hit is sette in stagis þre. Line 25973 bitter for we haue done amis. againis him þat our lorde is. bitter for we made him wraþ. þat wroȝt vs & our fode baþ. alder bitterest for þat he Line 25978 boȝt vs on þe rode tree. fra miȝtis of our wiþer-wine. fra bitternes of hel pine. Line 25981 ¶ contricion makis iij. þingis. þat til hele of saule man bringis. wiþ þoȝt. & care he first be-gynnis. & shame þat him þink of his synnis alsqua hit makis him vnder-take Line 25986 of domis-day of þat wrake. & to þink of þat lande of blis þat lastis ay wiþ-outen mis. & wraþþing of þat fader dere Line 25990 þat wroȝt vs quen we noȝt were. þe sinful man þat wil haue quert þer sulde make him haue reuþ in hert þis reuþ agh hale & Iþin be. Line 25994 wiþ wille to shriue & mende þe squa sare þi synnis to for-þink þat sorou may þorou þine hert sink Line 25997 atte þou may say wiþ þe prophete. my weping makis mi bed al wete. þat has me bene in stede of fode. Line 26000 my synne has made sorouful mi mode [[MS. has a small r for reuth, but a large red Þ.]]

& þar-bi sais vs saint dauy. Line 26002 lorde he sais I. am redy. for to þole þi chastiment mi sorou is euer me redi ment. Line 26005 ¶ þe werkis of þis ruþe we may. be werkis of hit-seluin say hit is of sinful man a sare Line 26008 he can noȝt wiþ him-seluin spare [folio 112b:1] & hit agh be sa selcouþ wonder. riȝt als his hert brak in sunder for anger & for shame & tene þat he squa wikked man has bene þar-fore agh sinful man & wife Line 26014 on þrin maner þaire hert to rife. & stangin hit if nede to be. wiþ thorne naile & glaiue þat he. in mani place was wiþ stungyn. efter he was wiþ skourgis squongin þis reuþ is like a castande gin Line 26020 scailande a hepe is sammin of synne þat stode bi-twix vs alle a walle. & god þat has wroȝt vs alle hit brekis als þe fendis bande Line 26024 & harlis al sinful of his hande. ¶ of helle hit heries þe harde prisoun. þat þe fende has made to sinful boun & stalworþ hit dos to stint Line 26028 þe fendis miȝt of þat he mynt. als sampsoun þat first tint his hare & of his strenght was made al bare & done in prisoun als we finde. Line 26032 baþ was he gelded & made blinde & quen he couered of his fax. þen be-ganne his strenght to wax. Line 26035 he brake twa postis in þe hal. his faes he slogh him-seluin with-al.

¶ riȝt þus of penaunce is al plaine. Line 26038 quen he his hare had gitin a-gaine. þat is quen he has couered þe vij. giftis of þe gast of heiuen. þe quilk he has be-for tint Line 26042 or he con of his synnis stint. ¶ now þorou ruþe he has of synne may he shake þa postis twin. of luste of flesshe of pride of life Line 26046 þis hous shacande doun dos he drife & scailis squa þat hous of helle. þat most wiþ him-seluin quelle. & slas him-self þat he was are. Line 26050 & be-comis new man forþer-mare. ¶ ruþe clensis saule of pliȝt & sake & shildis man fra wraful wrake. & sundres felawshepe þat was bi-twix þe saule & sathanas. Line 26055 al gladli gode againe hit wynnis þat man be-fore tint for synnis bot shortli he þat was bot tint. Line 26058 if he ne had of his folis stint. ruþe makis him goddis sone. & in heiuen wiþ him to wone. Line 26061

And quat man. hauis ruþe allan & he haue shrift þe queþer nane queþer he sal haue for-gifnes of synnis þat vn-shriuin is. Line 26065 þer is sette againe þis resoun of mani a man opinioun. for sum sais als synne is wroȝt. þrefalde in worde & dide & þoȝt. alsqua has man nede of þrin. Line 26070 maners for to bete his synne & bot if hit be bette iij. falde. al his dede for noȝt is talde. Line 26073

Line 26073 ¶ Sum oþer sais hit is for-giuen. Line 26074 wiþ ruþe allane to man vnshriuen bot þat is atte vnder-stande in dide quen sinful man is stad in nede þat he may nauþer shrift come to Line 26078 ne nane oþer amendis do. bot þou salle noȝt vnder-take þat ruþ allane for-giuis þe sake bot crist him-self þorou ruþe allan. þan in werldeli in hert is tane. Line 26083 for first bi-houis þe grace be sende þat man haue ruþe & wil to mende grace hit is be-fore comande. Line 26086 & siþen him folowes loue next hand for qua þat grace has in him clere louande he is wiþ-outen were Line 26089 & reuþ has he þat louande is & squa he comis to for-giuenes.