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 trinite and makinge of þe werlde.

Of al; mon aȝt þat god drede for mirþ he merkis mon to mede þat euer was and ay sal be. Line 273 wit-outen charge in trinite. þat ilk lorde god and man. al gode of him be-gan. Line 276 if he be-gan al oþer þinge. him-self had neuer be-gynnynge. of him come al. in him ys alle. al haldes he vp. þat walde doun fal. Line 280 he haldes heyuen and erþ stedefast wit-out him may na þinge. last. ¶ þis lorde þat ys so mykil of miȝt. he purueyt al in his for-siȝt. Line 284 and þat he ordenet wit his witte. and multiplis and gouernes hit. þar-fore he ys calde trinite. for he ys anfalde. god in þre. Line 288 and if þou wenys þis may noȝt be. be-halde þe sunne and þou may se. ¶ In þe sunne þat shinis clere. [folio 5b:1] ys a þinge and þre þingys sere. Line 292 a body rouned and het and liȝt. þer þre we finde al at a siȝt. þer þinges þre wit nankyn art. ne may man nane fra oþer part. Line 296 ¶ for if þou take þe liȝt a-way. þe erthe ne has na sunne perfay. ¶ and if þe hete a-way be tane sunne for-soþ ne has þou nane. Line 300 for eueriche wyse mon wate. hit ys þe kynde þe sunne be hate

þe sunne body þat I. neyuen. be-takenes þe fader self of heyuen Line 304 ¶ and bi þe liȝt þat ys lastande. þe sune. ȝou aghe to vnderstande. and by þe hete þou vnder-ta. þe haly gaste come of ham twa. Line 308 fader ys he calde for-þi. for he ys welle þat neyuer ys dry. and for he him-seluen wroȝt. Line 311 alle þinges quen þai were noȝt. h[is] sone ys wisdome wele I. wate for al þinges he haldes in state. [[In þe is crossed and the line is underlined.]] In þe maner he wroȝt ham are. Line 315 . . . . . [no gap] ¶ þe haly gaste ys þat godhede. þat gaf þe life and makis anhede certanly as I. ȝou talde. þe sone ys vnderstandynge calde Line 320 quat euer þe haly gaste wille. þe fader and sone wil tyte fulfil. þis lord þat I. be-fore haue sayde first in his witte he al puruayde. Line 324 his werk as dose þe sotel wriȝt. and siþen rayses hit vp in siȝt. ¶ for-þi ys god as says scripture nane elder þen his creature Line 328 elder of tyme ne ys noȝt he bot ellis wele mare in dignite. þis wriȝt þat I. spak of here. fra al oþer ys sundre and sere. Line 332 for þai most oþer timber take. ¶ and þis wriȝt con timber make. for of him-self he toke his eyuen Line 335 þat wroȝt of baþ erþ and heyuen. bot now þou sal vnder-stande he wroȝt noȝt anly wit his hande

bot sayde wit worde and als sone al his comandement was done. Line 340 squyfter þan any eye may wynke or any monnys hert may þinke. and als clerkis sayne þat ar wyse. Line 343 he wroȝt noȝt al wit partyse. bot he þat maket al of noȝt. [j.] to-geder al þis werlde he wroȝt. ¶ Siþen for to be in lange and brade. þe mater first þar-of he made. Line 348 þat is elementes soþ to say. þat first scaples al sammyn lay. he delt ham siþen in sex dayes In partis als þe scripture sayse. Line 352 þe elementes first in days þrin. þre þinges ar ham wit-In. þes elementes þat al þinge bindes. four þai ar as clerkis findes. Line 356 þe neþermast ys water and erþe. þe þrid ayre ys. and fyre þe ferþe. ¶ or say we þus þat he be-gan. als austyn says þe haly man. Line 360 for als we in his bokis finde first þan wroȝt he angel kynde. þe werlde and tyme þes þinges þre be-for al oþer þing [[MS Þins(?)]] wroȝt he. Line 364 þe werlde I cal wit myne ententes þe mater of þe foure elementes. þat ȝet was of fourme mishapyn. quar-of was sternes siþen makyn. al shaples was hit noȝt for-þi. Line 369 þat hit of shap had party. bot þar-fore shaples hit was I. traw. for hit was nane squylk as now. Line 372 ¶ he wroȝt apon þe toþer day. [ij.] þe firmament þat ys to say.

þe lift wit sternes grete and smale. wit water clere als cristale. Line 376 þat ys aboue vs and al-so vnder craftely wroȝt wit myche wonder ¶ þe þrid day þat driȝtyn dide [iij] þe wateres draw vn-til a stide. Line 380 and bad a dry stede sulde be. þe wateres al he calde þe see. þe dry. þe erþe calde þat kynge Line 383 and bad hit grow and frute forþ bringe. al þinges to grow mony and sere. þat in h[am]self þaire sedynge bere

[folio 6a:1] ¶ þe iiij he bad and hit was done. [iiij.] baþ was made sunne and mone. Line 388 ayþer wit þaire awen liȝt. for til tyne þe day fra niȝt. In takenynge of tides to stande. days and ȝeris baþ dwellande. Line 392 and þe sternys grete and smale. þat we may se wit-outen tale. In þe ouermast element of alle. þer has þe fire set hit stalle. Line 396 ¶ þe v day þat falis noȝt. [v] fowel and fisshe of water he broȝt. þe fisshe to water als we finde. þe fowel be taȝt he to þe wynde Line 400

¶ al gaande bestes. þe sext day. [vj] and adam baþ he made of clay. he was wroȝt last als a lordynge. ouer alkyn oþer þinge. Line 404 In a dale he wroȝt adam. þat ebron hat in ebru name. þe sext day wroȝt he his wille þe vij. day he held him stille. and he gaf vs ensaumple þare þat we sulde halghe hit euer-mare Line 410