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

þe þrid elde of þe werlde; de abram.

Of abraham now wil I. draghe. þat rote was of þe cristen laghe. I say for-þi he was þe rote. for his ospring be-gan our bote.

þat bote þat broȝt vs in-to mirthe thorow þat haly maydenes birthe Line 2320 of him and his kyn sal we rede þat wonderly be-gan to sprede. þat lauedy wex out of his sede Line 2323 we pray hir for hir mayden-hede þat we may so þis story rede hir to menske and vs to mede ¶ abraham þat ȝe here me neyuen. Line 2327 wele was loued wiþ god of heyuen lele he was ay in his lede. ful of trauþ. and halyhede he and his wif þat heȝt sare ful of chastite þai ware. Line 2332 [folio 16a:1] ¶ ij. doghters had aaram his broþer. he spoused þat an. nachor þe toþer. for wiþ laghe. þat he liued in. Line 2335 men sulde noȝt spouse bot þare kin. for he was baþ curtays and hende our lorde helde him til his frende al loued he soþfastenes and riȝt. for-þi til him our lorde hiȝt. Line 2340 a childe sulde brede of his ospringe. þat al of þraldome sulde bringe. and at þer sulde of his sede. þe folk so selcouþ many sprede Line 2344 þat na mon sulde somne ne neyuen na mare þen þe sternys of heyuen. na mare þan þe grauel in þe See. squa vntellande sulde þai be. Line 2348 and for þis hote miȝt be na fabil. he trawed wiþ stedefast hert and stabil and als he trawed riȝt so he fande Line 2351 our lorde him helde ful trew couenand [[from Laud MS. 416]] But long he lad hym with delay To more the mede of his fay] Line 2354

Line 2354 ¶ of sexty ȝere he was and fiue. Line 2355 quen his fader was faren of liue. for him he was mournande in þoȝt. ay til our lorde him conforte broȝt. and saide til him wiþ squilke a sonne. abraham loke þou make þe bonne. þou and þine gode wiþ þi meyne oute of þi kiþ and þis cuntree. Line 2362 ȝe sal wende til a better lande. take lothe þi broþer sone in hande. to chanam ȝe moste ȝou drawe. a lande þe quilk I. sal ȝou shawe. Line 2366 þou leue aram þe lande of ire. of chanaan þou sal be sire. þidder to wende be þou noȝt ferde. for þer sal be þe kindely erde. Line 2370 alle þe folk wonis þer a-boute. to þe þai sal be vnderloute. [[from Laud MS. 416]] There shalle thy name reysid be And alle tho Eiris þat come of the] Line 2374 my folk þou sal rede and wysse and I sal bring ham vn-to blisse. ¶ abraham went forþ and wiþ him lote his þinge. his catel ilka crote. Line 2378 he come and lendid in aralay. vnder-neyþe a faire valay. and þer mony folk þai fande at mykil wasted in þat lande Line 2382 als squyþe als her þai cam. our lorde shewed him til abraham. and saide abraham þis ys þi lande. þer þou and þine sal be dwellande abraham þat was of trauþ ful trew Line 2387 he raysed sone an awter new. he blessed god þat king of blisse and god him blessed and alle his. Line 2390

Line 2390 abraham turned him to þe souþe Line 2391 to se þat lande him was vncouþe. al he wende to haue in walde als our lorde be-fore. him talde. bot sone quen he had seised þe lande þer-in fel an hungre strange. Line 2396 þorow corne wantinge or þorow weer I can noȝt say þe. queþer hit were. ¶ abraham to sawe miȝt finde na sede to egipt wende moste he nede. Line 2400 and sare his wife wiþ him to lede þay ne wiste quar-of ham to fede. als þai ware wyndand þidder-warde he hir bi-soȝt of suche for-warde Line 2404 lemman he saide sare I. me drede þare we wynde our life to lede quen þai se þe for þi fayre hede to reue þe me. þat god for-bede Line 2408 say þou for-þi til ane and oþer. þou art my sister and I. þi broþer and ellis folk quen þai þe se þai wil me sla for loue of þe. Line 2412 ¶ Sir ho saide so sal hit be. wiþ þis þai come in þat cuntre. quen þat proude folk had hir sene. þai spac of hir ho was sa shene. so þai rosed hir to þe kinge. Line 2417 þat he hir dide be-for him bringe. and god hir keppet þat was hir wiþ, and helde so vn-til his griþ. Line 2420 þat muȝt na mon of lecchery. hir body touche wiþ velany. þe kinge was ferde for goddis grame and ȝalde þe wife to sir abraham. Line 2424 qui made þou vs. þus in were and sayde ho was þi sister dere.

take here þi wife and brok hir wele of þine wil I. noȝt haue a dele. Line 2428 ¶ bot leuer ys me of myne þou haue. þe king him golde and siluer gaue. and comanded þorou-out his lande men sulde him mensk and vnderstande [folio 16b:1] and if he walde na mare þer lende Line 2433 þat he most frely ham-warde wende and al his gode wiþ him to lede to reue him any he for-bede

abraham went hame and sare. he loued hir þan wele mare þen are Line 2438 for worshepe þat ho made him win. and ho hir-selfe wiþ-outen synne. In-to bethel þai come a-nane Line 2441 þer he sette first his awter stane. [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] By-twene hym and his nevew lot Bestayle they had y-now y wot] Line 2444 to comune pasture þai made þ^e lande þe quilk next ham lay to hande. bot fra þaire store bi-gan to sprede þaire pasture þan be-gan to brede Line 2448 þat for þaire hirde strife and flitte þaire fee nedegates most þai flitt. fra þat folk þai ware a-mange. Line 2451 þat gretely helde þaire store in þrange þa folk ware fulle of misdede. and maynteined wrang and wikkedhede Line 2454 for þai wiþ ham muȝt haue na rest. þai most ga ellis to do þaire best. ¶ þen saide abraham þat was na sotte Line 2457 formast tille his eme lothe. þis lande ys wide þat we ar in god gif vs grace hit to wynne. Line 2460 of þis cuntre þat ys sa wyde. þou chose to wone in queþer side.

queþer þou choses. to þe to take. I. wil haue queþer; þou wil for-sake. Line 2464 lothe loked towarde flume iordayne a dale he chese vnder a playne. a lufsum and lefe to se þe flume þan þorow sa faire to se Line 2468 þe lande of gomor þer-by lise þat þen was like to paradise ay til þai; con god for-sake Line 2471 quar-fore on ham he to wrake. þat lande to lende; lothe þoȝt beste. and abraham chese him tawarde þe est. hit heȝt sodome of grete fame for hit was in an euel name. Line 2476 þai ware sa proude and cursed to cal. þat goddis malisoun had þai alle. ¶ abraham lendid. him a-nan. be-side þe folk of chanaan. Line 2480 vnder þe fote a mount fande he þer he chese to sette his see. þat ilk stede heȝt ebron. a wonder winsum stede atwone Line 2484 an awter he raised wiþ-out bade and þer-on sacrifise he made. þat ihesu crist miȝt on him Myn Line 2487 and ger him worshepe for to wyn. ¶ þer he sette his tabernacle þer god for him dide sum miracle þer had a were bene in þat lande of lange time I. vnderstande. Line 2492 iiij. kynges wered a-pon fiue. þe .v agayne þe iiij. to stryue. be-tid a time þai samyn smate in a dale hit was I. wate. Line 2496 so lange þai hew on helme and shilde þe iiij. on .v. þai wan þe felde.

þe .v. gaf bac to wyn a-way. and felle in-til a pitte of clay. Line 2500 þai fled a-way vn-tille a scoghe. þaire faes folowed ham and sloghe. siþen þai spred to spoly þe lande al þai toke be-for ham fande. Line 2504 lote þai toke and lad him wiþ was nane þai toke þai granted griþ. þai lete þaires was þe lande. for þai had gyten þe ouerhande Line 2508 ¶ hard þai helde lothe þat day. vn-neþe wan a mon a-way. þat come to abraham for-to telle of lotes chaunce þat him be-felle. Line 2512 abraham was ful mislikande quen he herde of suche tiþande he dide to-gedder samyn his men. Line 2515 iij. hundreþ. viij. seriauntes and ten. and stalworþly he made ham bide til agayne þe euen-tide. and þan he broȝt ham in a plase þat man calde in þat lande themase Line 2520 and þer he delt; his folk in twa. at þai ne sulde escape ham fra. þes kinges had of na mon doute. þaire folk skailed wyde a-boute. Line 2524 abraham þat was in trauþe strange þe hethen men he smate a-mange. deliuered þaire prayes al and lote wiþ alle þe catel ilka grote. Line 2528 slayne ware þe kinges þat ilk niȝt þorou þe grace of goddis miȝt. þe folk of sodome was ful fayne. [folio 17a:1] Line 2531 quen abraham was commyn a-gayne. þai saghe þaire frendes hale and sounde and wiste þaire faes. waren broȝt to gronde

Melchisedeche wiþ-outen bade. Line 2535 offerrande of brede and wyne þai made of ierusalem and alle þat lande was he lorde and king alweldande trew he was wyse and hende. of þaire conquest he toke þe teynde Line 2540 Abraham his benysoun gaf he and bad alle til him entendaunt be. of pray walde abraham na-þing haue bot ilkan he awen gaue Line 2544 Mikel was þe worshipe abraham wan. and alle him loued baþ wyfe and man. and saide shewed was in siȝt. Line 2547 þat in his kyn our lorde walde liȝt.

Abraham went hame and with him led. his folk quen he was laide in bed. slepand herde our lorde of heyuen. soþly til him spac in steyuen. Line 2552 and sayde abram thar þe noȝt drede I. sal þe help in alle þi nede. þat I. haue heȝt þe to þi mede. Line 2555 to wyn þou may be trayste to spede ¶ lorde he saide how may þis be quat ys þi wille to gif to me. þou wate wele childe haue I. nane bot my seruande sone allane. Line 2560 þat seruys me eleaȝar Myne ayre I. walde atte he ware. Syn þou me gaf nane oþer barne nay saide our lorde I. sal him warne þine ayre sal he noȝt be Line 2565 bot oþer sal þat comys of þe. ¶ abram saide he; come now þer-oute. be-halde þou þe lift a-boute Line 2568 þe barnes þat of þe sal brede na mare saltow ham con rede.

þen sternes of heyuen; and sande of see. þat hit sal selcouþe be to se. Line 2572 be-trayste atte na mon; as I. þ^e hiȝt. þe to vndo; ne salle haue miȝt. ¶ abram helde. þis worde in þoȝt Line 2575 and thonked our lorde; I wyte him noȝt. þen made abram his sacrifise. god talde his self; of quatkin wise quen hit was done as was puruayde a voyce þorou a cloude saide. Line 2580 ¶ hit sal be-tide wiþ-in a quyle. In egipte sulde his sede exile. in þraldome iiij. hundreþ ȝere. bot þai sulde by hit siþen dere. Line 2584 þai þat sulde halde ham in þat þrange. wrokyn on ham sulde be þat wrange. þan sal þat ospringe of abraham vn-to þat lande come frely hame. Line 2588 to haue þaire heritage in pays. als hit was heȝt be-for þa days

Sare was childeles ȝet wiþ þis. al if ho ȝorne ofter hit con wys. Line 2592 ho had a seruande a faire womman. þat heȝt agar agapcian. and sayde til abraham preuely Line 2595 na childer bere; ȝe se may .I. and syn .I. may; na childer ber. I. sal agar my mayden ger. to-gedir lye. salle ȝe twa. for I. am baren; þat ys me wa. Line 2600 if any barne of hir ware þine. me walde þink þat hit ware myne. ¶ sare als ho be-fore had sayde. wiþ hir housbande; agar ho layde. Line 2604 agar was made wiþ childe in hye and hethely lete of hir lauedy.

til abram þen dame sare sayde allas I. hir be-side þe laide. Line 2608 for-quy ho ys wiþ barne wiþ þe al in dispite ho letes of me. abram sayde þou vnderstande. chasty hir þou has þe wande. Line 2612 ¶ squa chastid sare hir; fra þat day þat ho was gane to wende away, bot in hir fleynge; þer ho ȝode. an angel hir be-fore stode. Line 2616 In wildernes alle by a welle wiþ hir suche speche con he spel. quidder agar he sayde comys þou. or quidder-warde wil þou ga now. fra my lady ho sayde I. gange for ho me haldis in mykil þrange ¶ þe angel sayde; þou wende agayne þou sal hir serue wiþ mode and mayne wende agayne and boghe for-þi. Line 2625 of þi sede sal ȝet multiply. Mikel folk; and þi warne. [folio 17b:1] þat þou art wiþ an knaue barne. þou calle him ysmael agar. Line 2629 for god sal herkin to þi care. he sal be cruel fers and wraþe agayne alle ledis he salle be braþe Line 2632 agayne him alle; alle halle. a wiȝtter mon sal naure be. ¶ agar hame til hir lauedy went. and serued hir wiþ gode entent. Line 2636 Sone efter þis þat I. here telle. was ho liȝter of ysmael. quen he was borne abram was þan. vj. and iiij. skore ȝere ouergan. Line 2640 and of þis childe he wex so bliþe as his fader ware broȝt to lyue.