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 folk of israel and Moises.

To quiles þer ras an vncouþ kinge. at Ioseph had na knawinge. Line 5496 he lete cry a parlement. godemen he saide takis entent. how þe kinde of israel. ys bred amonge us sa fel. Line 5500 bot we us were fra þat kin. þai wil our kinge-rike win. ¶ Sir kinge þat ys soþ þai saide þai han ȝour landes al ouerlaide Line 5504 Ioseph kin ouer-gas alle þat was wont to be thralle. wiþ our penis boȝt was he. and now he wil disherite þe. Line 5508 sir consaile ȝou and þat ȝare. was neuer nede of consaile mare. ȝou be-houys to wirke ful quaynte and in þaire dedis ham attaynt. Line 5512 halde we ham squa in doute atte þai be ay our vnderloute. for if þai take agayne vs fiȝt and þai ouer vs haue þe miȝt. Line 5516 and so þou may fra þe and þine. for defaute þi landes tyne. haldes ham for-þi in agh. Line 5519 in birþin baþ to bere and dragh. In werkis þat we haue to make we salle finde werkis for þaire sake. A-pon þaire nekkis salle þai bere baþ clay stane and morter. Line 5524

Line 5524 ¶ On ham þe king sette sere stiwarde to halde ham in-to werkis harde. wiþ harde werkis he helde ham in. sone had þai made tounys twyn. Line 5528 rameses and fitoun; heȝt þai. þes goddes folk bare to þe clay. bot ay þe mare þai dide ham wa. bot ay þe mare þai multiplied ma. Line 5532 þe landis folk atte þai wiþ ware grete enuy to ham þai bare. and oft siþe made ham smert. grete bitternes ham sette to hert. Line 5536 [folio 32b:1] ¶ þis kinge atte wex vn-quemely fel. a-gayn þes folk þat I. of telle. he pined ham in euerilk place Line 5539 and walde atte na frute of ham ras wyues atte wiþ barnys ware stad bremly he comaunded and bad. Midwyues of þe same lande. Line 5543 alle þe knaue childer at þai fande. wiþ-outen gift þai sulde ham sla. þe mayden childer þai sulde lete ga. Line 5546 ¶ þes midwimmen for god was rad. & dide noȝt as þe king ham bad. bot saued þai þa [originally þar, but rubbed out.] childer lyues þe king dide calle þa [a letter at the end rubbed out.] mid-wiuis. [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] Of which that ther wer twa Line 5551 phua the toon hight the todir sephora] & asked ham wiþ-out lesing quy þai dide noȝt his bidding. wiþ childer of þe ebru lay. Line 5555 sir for þis resoun saide þai. þer wimman salle ȝe vnderstande ar noȝt like wimmen of þis lande. for ilkan con ham seluen ster. Line 5559 quen þai come to þat mister.

or we to ham; come miȝt. þai ar deliuered be þaire awen sliȝt & for þer wimmen dide sa wele Line 5563 our lorde ham sende baþ hap & sele. ¶ þen comaundet eft king pharaon for he walde þai ware for-done. Line 5566 ouer alle his kingerike here & þare quen any wommon knaue barne bare men sulde hit in þe flume for-fare þat of þe kinde of ebru ware. Line 5570 quat he was breme wiþ-in his breþ of his wikkenes walde he noȝt leþ for noȝt wende he destroy þe sede þat god him-self; of walde brede Line 5574 for may na mon for nankin chaunce for-do þat lordes puruyaunce. of israel sede be-fore he þoȝt. be borne or þis werlde was wroȝt. & of his fe riȝt sum þat was. gyten of lya þat heȝt iudas. Line 5580 þan walde he dragh his manhede of him come kinges of þat lede & of his broþer leui bredde. þe prestes atte þaire lagh ledde. Line 5584 baþ þai come of þis leuy. prest & demestre for-soþ say .I. ¶ Of quilk was moyses formast. as I salle telle ȝou now in hast. Line 5588 how-gates he first come in place & saued was þorou goddis grace fra pharaon þat king feloun. þat bad þe childer for to droun. Line 5592 & siþen ofter sal be red. how þat goddis folk he led. how he x comaundementes toke. I salle rede ȝou in þis boke. Line 5596

Line 5596 ¶ & quen I. se my time þer-to. þe kingis kyn I. sal vn-do. of quam sprange þe sauiour. atte broȝt vs alle to socoure. Line 5600 þe formast broþer heȝt leuy. & aman was of his genelogi. fra him bot þe toþer degree. Line 5603 þat of his wife had childer þre. Moyses & aaron baþ þa twa. & a doȝter heȝt maria. borne in þat tide was moises. quen þe folk was in þat pres. Line 5608 quen he was borne wiþ-outen bide his modir dide him for to hide. ¶ quen ho twa moneþes had him hid nede for-soþ hit mote be kidde. Line 5612 atte ho na langer hide him moȝt. a noble kiste ho made be broȝt. & gert to pik hit oute & in. þat þorou hit muȝt na water wyn Line 5616 in þis kiste þe barne ho did bot quen hit spered was wiþ þe lid noȝt ferre fra þe kyngis hame. ho laide hit on þe wateres fame. Line 5620 a-monge þe risshis in an Ile. ¶ sone ofter wiþ-in a quyle. þe kingis doȝter playande ȝode. & sagh þe childe a-pon þe flode Line 5624 ho comaunded focche hit to þe lande a squeled childe þer-in ho fande. þat was frely for to se. of þat childe hir þuȝt pite. Line 5628 for-soþ ho saide mistraw þer nane of ebru was þis childe neuer nane þis childe sister stode þer-by. Line 5631 wiltow I. ga ho saide leuedy.

to fot a wommon of our lede ȝa I. wil hit do to fede. Line 5634 ho went & fande & sone ho soȝt. [folio 33a:1] þe childes modir wiþ hir ho broȝt þe leuedy taȝt hit for to fede. & for hir seruis heȝt hir mede. ¶ þis wommon bleþely toke þer-to. Line 5639 & fedde hit til hit cowde speke & go quen hit was waxen & sumdel alde. to þe kingis doghter ho hit ȝalde. for hir childe ho þan him chese & gaf him to name moyses. Line 5644 þer-fore was moyses his name. for he was of þe water tane. al þe folk him sagh in his lede had ferli of his fairehede. Line 5648 ¶ be þis was moyses of elde. atte he miȝt him seluen welde. þen he went out on a day to se þe breþer of his lay. Line 5652 to knaw his kyn how þai were carkid in þat lande wiþ care. he segh an egipcian be name. Line 5655 smate a Iew wiþ myche grame. þat braunche of kyn. calde Iewes was þat come of Iacob sone Iudas. ¶ quen moises sagh þer na ma. bot him-seluen and ham twa. Line 5660 to þat egipcian he drogh. & so him smate þat he him slogh. quen he had slayne him with his hande he hiled him sone vnder þe sande a-noþer day went out al-squa. Line 5665 & Iewes fande he feȝtande twa. ¶ he saide tille him atte bare þ^e wite how dar þou squa þi broþer smyte

þen onsquared þat losenger Line 5669 syn quen was þou our maister wil þou sle me as þou has slayne þis enderday þe egipcian. ¶ Moises was þen for þis vpbraide Line 5673 shonande in his hert & saide. þorou quam ys þis how may þis be wa has broȝt vp þis worde of me ¶ þe king herde þis & bad as fa. Line 5677 men sulde seke moises to sla. ¶ Moises sagh na better wane bot flagh him in-to madian. & sette him þare a quyle be-side Line 5681 tiþande for to spere & bide. ¶ þe preste of þis stede I. neyuen. had atte hame doghteres vij. þai come to watter. þer þaire fe. Line 5685 quar-of þaire fader had grete plente þai drogh water & hyed faste. come oþer hirdis away ham caste. Moses sagh þai dide ham wrange & sone he blende ham a-mange. þe hirdes fra þe welle dide he. Line 5691 & made to drink þe maydenes fe. þer wimmen went ham hame agayne & atte ham con þaire fader frayne how had ȝe so squiþe done. Line 5695 atte ȝe ar commyn agayne so sone. ¶ Sir þai saide. þorou a ȝongeman. þat semed be an egipcian. þe soþ sir to ȝou to say. he putte þe hirdes al a-way. Line 5700 & wiþ vs our water drogh. & gaf our bestes drink I-nogh. ¶ quare ys þat man do squiþe him cal. sir gladly þen saide þai alle. Line 5704

Line 5704 þai fot moises I. þe hete & wiþ þe prest raguel he ete. þus þai accorded as I. þe tel. þis ilk moises & raguel. Line 5708 he wedded of his doghters an. Sephoram an hende womman. ij. childer ho con him bere. Gersan and eliezer. Line 5712 ¶ alle þis quyle of israel þe folk was ladde in grete trauaile. þaire sare was sorou on to se. Line 5715 & for to here grete pite. þer ware þai halden harde as þralle to miȝtti god þai con calle. þus wiþ sorou & care þai ferde Line 5719 so lange þai cried atte god ham herd he herde þaire cry & þaire vnquert & he vmbe-þoȝt him in his hert of his hote lange siþen gane made til þaire eldres & abraham. Line 5724 for forward þat he wiþ ham fest his eye of rewþe on ham he keste. baþ he confort ham of wa. Line 5727 & siþen deliuered ham fra þaire fa. moyses had þe lagh to kepe. to his eldefadere shepe. þat was þe prest of madian [folio 38b:1] quase doghter he had him tane. Line 5732 his flok he fedde a-pon a tide. bi a wildernes side. [A miracle.] ¶ als he went bi ham a stunt. [Rubum quem vidat moises. &c] be-side oreb a litil Munt. Line 5736 he sagh a selcouþe þing to se. him þuȝt brinnand was a tree. als hit wiþ logh al ware vmbelaide Line 5739 him þuȝt atte an tille him saide.

to se ȝone tree go we nere Line 5741 þat semis brinande as hit were. ¶ quen he þis buske nerhande had sene wiþ blome & lefe he fande hit grene & þis was for a sh[e]wing sene. of moder baþ & maiden clene. Line 5746 atte siþen ofter wiþ-outen lesse. bare a childe & ho wemlesse. als dide þe tree atte semed to brin. & ȝet was þer na fire þer-in. Line 5750 as moises on ferrum þoȝt þe tree brinnande & brend noȝt. ¶ þen calde on him our lorde driȝt. out of his mikil lemande liȝt. Line 5754 twies moises he calde be name quat wil þou lorde here I am. I am þine eldres god quoþ he for I am led. þai loued me. Line 5758 Mi folk of israel þat ar in wa. þat has bene ledde sa lange squa. I wil now þaire mournyng amende. to pharaon I wil þe sende. Line 5762 & bid him safe as he ys king. out of his lande my folk bring ¶ lorde quat sal I haue þer-to. suche a grete nedis to do. Line 5766 ¶ ga forþ he saide wiþ-outen drede for I. my-self I. salle þe lede. þai sal noȝt say a-gayne my sande. wiþ suche takin þou sal ham fande. Line 5770 quen þou has broȝt ham of þat lande. bid ham riȝt here make me offerande. a-pon þe top riȝt on ȝone hille. Line 5773 lorde he saide say me þi wille. quat salle I. say þi name ys riȝt. þen onsquared þat lorde of miȝt. Line 5776

Line 5776 if þai at þe. my name wil frayne onsquare þou ham þus a-gayne. to ȝou me sendis he þat ys. þis is my name nauþer mare ne les. Line 5780 [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] As he þat is my name þou calle My menyng shalle neuer falle]

Do moyses als I. þe ken. ga gedder samme þine eldrin men Line 5784 of my folk of israel. & say þat I. haue herd ham wele þai ar in wandering & in wa. ful wele I. wate atte hit ys squa. Line 5788 say I. wille ham help & rede. out of þat cuntree þou ham lede. I salle ham bring of þat þraldome. in-til a lande wiþ-outen shome. Line 5792 a lande wiþ baþ hony & milk. in alle þis werld nys nane squilk. ¶ siþen sal þou squiþe haue don wende vn-to þe king pharaon. Line 5796 & bid him lete my folk a-way. þat he has halden to þis day. he has ham done mykil outrage Line 5799 at þai may make me na knawlage. In wildernes wode & in waste I. wille ham help & þat in haste bot wele I. wate he ys ful þra Line 5803 & laþ wil be to lete ham ga. he wil ham dragh a litel of lenght til I. deliuer ham wiþ strenght. ¶ Lorde said moises wele I traw. þat pharaon me salle mistraw. Line 5808 Soþ. quat beris þou in þi hande Lorde he saide I. bere a wande. þou kast hit on þe grisse I. bidde gladly lorde & so he didde.

¶ quen hit was on þe grisse laide. a nedder hit was & he affrayed. for ferde he. to fle be-gan. to moises saide our lorde þan. Line 5816 I. bid þe streke þine hande þe fra & bi þe tayle þou vp hit ta. quen moises had hit in his hande als hit was ere hit wex a wande. Line 5820 ¶ To moises spac our lorde driȝtin þou putte þine hande in bosum þine he putte hit in; faire in hele he drogh hit out hit was mesele. Line 5824 he putte hit eft. in his spaier. & oute he drogh hit hale & fere. ga forþ he saide & if þe king. wil noȝt traw þe first takenyng. Line 5828 qua-sa wil noȝt þe formast trow. [folio 34a:1] to knaw þe toþer hit is þaire prow. ¶ & if þai trow nauþer of þa. þe water of þe flume þou ta. Line 5832 & putte it vp a-pon þe lande. & certanly þou vnderstande. alle atte þou drawes of þat flode. hit salle turne to rede blode. Line 5836 wiþ þe þou sal take aaron. & ȝe sal say to king pharaon. atte he now lete my folk appert come to serue me in dishert. Line 5840 þaire sacrifise to do to me out of his lande wiþ-in dayes þre

Now makis moises him boun. Line 5843 als god [MS. 'god' substituted for 'crist.'] him talde in his lessoun. his broþer aaron sone he mette. als our lorde þaire meting sette. þai went ham forþ to israel. king pharaon onsquare to tel. Line 5848

Line 5848 þai saide atte our lorde ham badde his folk atte vnder him war stad he sulde noȝt warne ham for to wende to serue him þat ys hende. Line 5852 king pharaon gaf ham onsquare quat ys he þat god. or quare. quat trawes he for his sande. þat I. wille lete ham of my lande Line 5856 nauþer I. knaw him atte ȝe say. ne I ne wille lete þe folk a-way. ȝus saide þai þus-gatis wil he. þai be deliuered wiþ-in. dayes þre. Line 5860 In wildernes offerande to make or ellis on þe he wil take wrake ¶ ferly he saide of ȝou me þink. quen ȝe my men take fra þaire squink þai rise & brede ay mare & mare. wele mare þen þai Idel ware. Line 5866 I salle fonde noȝt to spare. to halde ham harder þen .I dide are þai salle for-soþ if atte I. may. Line 5869 wirk .ij. dayes werk a-pon a day. & þer-on sette he men atte aske. of ilk day to ȝelde þaire taske. Line 5872 & saide lete ȝe nane hone. be for his time as þai han done. & qua-so dos noȝt ȝour bidding. wiþ sharp skourges ȝe ham ding quat wene þai wiþ missawe. Line 5877 fra my werk ham to drawe. for to wone in wildernesse wiþ þaire lorde I ne wate quat is. Line 5880 bot als I. euer brok my hande I salle ham teyche to dwelle in lande

Þan spac our lorde al weldande til moises his trew seruande Line 5884

Line 5884 quen pharaon sal aske ȝou. wiþ quat takin he sal traw ȝou. þou bid þi broþer aaron. þi wande caste be-for pharaon. Line 5888 & hit salle til an edder worþ & eft þen þai went forþ. be-for þe king in his halle. þer he sete wiþ his berenes alle. Line 5892 bot of þaire erande noȝt þai herde þen toke aaron his ȝerde. & on þe flore he keste hit doun. & hit be-come a worme feloun. Line 5896 ¶ þen calde þe king his chauntours þe craftest of his iogelours. anoun a wande þai kest ilkane & þai be-come dragownes iche an. Line 5900 bot aaron wande wex sa kene. þas oþer hit bette be-dene. þe kingis hert wex hard as brasse Line 5903 þes folk he saide ȝet sal noȝt passe.

Our lorde spac to moysen. þe hert of pharaon I. ken. for now I. wate atte hit ys mare. hardened for my sande þen are. Line 5908 & for þat he has done here harde on come he sal haue sere baþ on him & his kingerike he sal do mony a mon vnsquyke. Line 5912 & for he wille do na resoun. wiþ-in þe see þan sal he droun. suche wrake I. sal on him sende þat men sal Myn to þe werdis ende Line 5916

þis it was þe first sande. þat alle þe wateres of his lande wex sone in-to blode rede þat alle fisshis þen ware dede Line 5920

Line 5920 for þe rette at þar-on felle baþ in staunke bourne & welle. ne was in hous na vessel fre. þat water helde of stane ne tree. Line 5924 of þis water atte so stank. [folio 34b:1] wa was him at þar-of drank. þe toþer oncome atte him felle Line 5927 was froskis atte na tunge mote tel þat ouer brim & brokis brede & ouer alle egipte þai con sprede atte alle þe erþ þai hiled squa Line 5931 atte mon ne beste mote naure ga. baþ wiþ-in house & wiþ-oute. & alle þe lande ouer alle a-boute. þen bad þe king pharaone calle moises & aaron. Line 5936 ȝe pray ȝour lorde þen saide he. ho do þere froskis a-way fra me. & þai saide sette us terme & quenne we salle pray for þe & þi men. Line 5940 to-morne he saide. & we sal. ful gerne on god be-ganne þai cal. to deliuer þe folk of þat onfalle. Line 5943 & driȝtin squa he dide of alle. þe froskis dyed alle be-dene. þe hepis of ham was grete vnsene atte men geddered on þe grounde Line 5947 quen pharaon segh rest a stounde. his hert wex grete & con to greue þe folk þen walde he giue na leue Line 5950 for to passe of his kingerike þe þrid on sande was sende him slike þat alle þe poudre of his lande. Line 5953 wex hungry fleghes & sare bitande. atte baþ þai clange on mon & best to fleys of hounde ware þai likkest Line 5956

Line 5956 bot al for þis hit was na bote þe folke he lete noȝt passe a fote. ¶ þen sende god on ham a fley. so sharp be-fore neuer þai segh Line 5960 on pharaon & his to dragh þat ouer alle his landis ragh bot in þe lande þat heȝt gessen þer wonande was his awen men. Line 5964 come na-þing of þer fleys þare. ful wele he con his awen spare þai ware amid-warde þe cuntre ful faire he made his awen fre. Line 5968 þen pharaon miȝt vnder-stande þat miȝti was ouer al his lande. ¶ Pharaon þat fals of pes. calde aaron and moises. Line 5972 gase he saide here in my lande & to ȝoure lorde ȝe make offerande quar-to þen sulde ȝe ferrer laite Line 5975 do wai þai saide þou spekis vnnayte our lorde wil take na worshepe wiþ. of mon þat dwellis in cursed kiþ. als ar þe folk of egipte. þat maste to bestes done worshepe. Line 5980 if we do him here to honour. he wille vs sle wiþ-oute socour. ¶ iij. dayes gane nauþer mare ne lesse we moste wende in-to wildernesse Line 5984 to make our lorde worshepe to. he has comaunded vs to do. gas forþ ȝour way syn ȝe wil ga. wele I. wate hit mote be squa. Line 5988 for me ȝe pray & þai saide ȝa. to-morne þe fleys sal be þe fra. so þou be-gyle vs na mare bot lete our folk forþ fare Line 5992

Line 5992 ¶ Moises prayed þe morne day. & alle þe fleys ware a-way. þat alle þe lande wex sa clene atte neuer ane was þer sene Line 5996 ¶ bot ȝet helde pharaon in þrang na folk walde he lete gange. þen sende god a qualme onfalle on bestes in þat kingerike alle. Line 6000 hors. & asse. mule. ox. & catel. doun þai deied alle in vn-hele. his awen folk alle at had beste. ham died noȝt ane of þe leste. Line 6004 ¶ quen pharaon alle þis con se. atte dede & loste was al þaire fe & ȝet was pharaon ay in ane þe folk walde he noȝt lete gane. Line 6008 ¶ þen sende our lorde þe sexte sande þe fals pharaon for to fande. bile & blister bolnande sare Line 6011 on alle his folk lasse & mare. wa was ham done on þaire licame ful sare ham aȝt þaire king to blame þat for naþing þat mon mote say. ne walde he lete þat folk a-way. Line 6016 ¶ þe seuened sande atte siþen fel. was a weder selcouþe suel an þondre wiþ an haile ful kene. Line 6019 þat squilk be-fore was neuer sene. haile & fire was blende samme. [folio 35a:1] qua hit ouer-bade fande þai na gamme for baþ hit slogh fra hit be-gan. Line 6023 þat oute wiþ hous was best & man. þe treis hit brak þe grisse hit brint he blu ful loude & walde noȝt stint. of i[s]rael for þis tempest. Line 6027 nauþer was harmed mon ne best.

¶ þen saide þe king I. haue done wrange atte alle þis wrake is on me lange. Line 6030 Pray for me leue moises. þi lorde to do þis thonder sese for he ys riȝtwis on to leue. þe folk to founde I. sal geue leue. if I. & myne mis haue done. Line 6035 I. wil amende hit smart & sone. ¶ quen pharaon had at he soȝt. langer his forward helde he noȝt. þen sende our lorde a litel bestes. of toþ he ys þe felownestes. Line 6040 hokis hit had in boke I. fande. I traw nane squilk is now in lande þat best gnow vp al be-dene. Line 6043 at thonder left baþ ripe & grene. of ham hit was sa mony brede. ouer alle þe lande con þai sprede. þat men for ham ne muȝt se gresse on erþ ne leue on tree. Line 6048 bot ȝet ys pharaon als he. as bene & ay wille be. ¶ þen dide our lorde with-dragh his liȝt & mirkenes made wele mare þen niȝt squa þik þat nane moȝt oþer se. & þis was lastande dayes þre. Line 6054 na mon him muȝt of stede stere bot ay gessen he made al clere