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

[The people set up a golden calf.]

Quylest moises was a-way. þat fraward folk wiþ-outen fay. Line 6488 þai saide atte moises was slayne ne sulde he neuer come agayne. and oþer sum. saide atte he. was liuande and in life sulde be. Line 6492 þai samened ham and drogh to rede to make a god of golde rede. and þus þai saide ham amange sa stalworþ sal he be and strange þat he salle halde vs hale and fere Line 6497 and kepe vs fra alkin torfere. quen our mete wanand sal be he salle of quete vs finde plente Line 6500 ¶ suche was þaire gile among þair gamme þair golde tresour þai gedderred samme a goldin calf þer-on þai hew. and as a god honoured hit new. Line 6504 our god þai saide þis ilk ys he þat broȝt us þorou þe liuered se. fra pharaon and his pauste þar-fore we rede he mensked be. Line 6508 Þis moises was ful derne and dere to our lorde as ȝe may here. he toke him tables of þe lay. als ȝe me herde be-fore say. Line 6512 he be-toke him þis relike þi folk he saide has done þe squyke

syn atte þou come fra ham laste. [folio 37b:1] Line 6515 þou salle ham finde vnstedefaste. þis mete atte to ham felle hit heȝt manna ȝe herd me telle. hit fel fra þe lift sa grete plente as a griddeled frost to se. Line 6520 ¶ quilest moises him helde a-wai. for til do ham haue þaire lay. bot sum of ham þis faste forsoke and þai þis riȝt manna toke. Line 6524 and vnder erþ in hepis hit hidde. ouer þe forbode squa þai dide [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] Thus they were þat tyme vn-wyse They did ayenst goddis enpryce] Line 6528

Moises come fra þat felle. sone herde he þe tiþande telle. atte his folk had ful il done. þer-of had he takening sone. Line 6532 quen he come in-to desert. þe calf he sagh sette appert. he herde þe grete noyse was þare a-boute þis calf and mykil fare. Line 6536 he wex sa menged in his mode. he cowde sai nauþer euel ne gode. ne he ne wiste queþer better ware. to turne or wende forþer-mare. ¶ þe tables at in hande he bare. Line 6541 in peces he ham brak riȝt þare. and þar-wiþ forþermare he ȝede. for to discriue þaire cursed dede. Line 6544 he sagh ham knele þis calf a-boute als god him-self loue and loute. quat ys þis he saide. how dele ȝe now ys þis ȝoure god atte ȝe on trow.

Quen þai ware warre of moises. Line 6549 þai fled a-way al in a rese.

litel and mykil lasse and mare þe calf allane þai laft riȝt þare Line 6552 ¶ þen calde moises ham to-gedir lordinges I am now commyn hiddir. I haue a-boute ȝour errande bene. quy fle ȝe fra me þus be-dene. Line 6556 Comys a-gayne wiþ-outen doute. haue ȝe þe dayes al fasted oute. þat I bad or I. fra ȝou wente or halden ellis his comaundement Line 6560 ¶ and qua has made þis calf now here atte ȝe squa mensk and haldes dere. hit ys of gold finely diȝt. I. wene ȝe halde hit god of miȝt. Line 6564 [folio 37b:2] trauaile for ȝou walde I noȝt spare . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] and þat ȝe mone rew ful sare. Line 6568

Qua made þis calf I. wald ham ken qua helde þe faste a-mong þer men. quilk þat helde my comandement. Line 6571 and quilk noȝt syn I. fra ȝou went. and quilk for-gate me and quilk noȝt and qua þis golde to-gedir broȝt. and quilk ar þa hit sammyn blew. Line 6575 and quilk ar þa for god hit knew. Ilkane þen saide I. haue na wite. and alle þai made ham-seluen quite.

Parfay saide moises for noȝt. þe soþ al-gatis hit sal be soȝt. Line 6580 I wil knaw my-self þe fals and ilkman salle knaw ham als ful ilhaile brak ȝe day at I. fasted so sal ȝe sai. Line 6584 ful ilhaile sal ȝe se þe siȝt þat quen I. wepped ȝe made ȝou liȝt

and atte ȝe made þis god now. þe quilest atte I. prayed for ȝow. Line 6588 mikil hit was I. dide ȝou þan. to gete ȝow help I. be-gan. ¶ quen þat I. led ȝou ouer þe strande. out of ȝoure wikked enemys hande. Line 6592 and siþen I. asked to ȝou al-squa. ȝour fode and god ȝou sende manna. atte ȝe þe erþ now has hid vnder mony a mon on ȝou sal wonder. Line 6596 my lorde sal me on ȝou wrake and saue ham atte has na sake. alle ar ȝe trew þis is ȝour sawes. is nane of ȝou. ȝone calf knawes. ȝe say atte ȝe made hit noȝt. ne neuer come hit in ȝour þoȝt. ne ȝe honoured hit neuer ȝe say. Line 6603 bot alle nikkis me wiþ nay. bot says me þan quar-fore and quy. ȝe made sa mykil noys and cry. atte I. ȝou sagh make al be-dene now ȝour werkis sal be sene Line 6608 shew me sone hit sal be kidde quere ȝe haue þe manna hidde þe holes quen þai ham vn-didde Line 6611 þai fande bot crawlande wormis amid quen þai þis sagh qua soþ wil say. þa vnresonable folk þuȝt na play. ¶ þis goldyn calf he dide to brest. [folio 38a:1] to pouder and in þe water hit kest. Line 6616 and of þat water he gert ilkane. to drink queþer þai walde or nane. and alle þe men at had þe gilt. þai had þaire berdis ouer-gilt. Line 6620 bot þai þat ware wiþ-out wite. and of suche didis quite.

ne helded to na mawmettry. als dide þe kinrade of sir leuy. Line 6624 þe water proued ham for clene was na golde on þaire berdes sene. ¶ Moises to þaire ȝates ȝode. Line 6627 and þus he saide quen he þer stode. alle þat ar of goddis party. hidder ȝe come and stande me by. squa þai dide on goddis half. þa þat honoured noȝt þe calf. Line 6632 gase he saide þat hit be sene slays vp ȝone caytefs be-dene. ilkane þai went wiþ squorde in hande and slogh þer ma þen .xx. thousande. moises con til ham say. Line 6637 quat ȝe haue done wate ȝe to-day. certes he saide ȝe may be fayne. þes cursed theues walde ȝou haf slaine

Our lorde spac ȝet to moisen. þou do. he saide as I þe ken. hew þe suche tables he saide Line 6643 als I þe be-fore had puruayde. þe quilk þou brak and I sal sone write ham new als hit sal be done atte morne erly quen hit was day. went Moises to fot þaire lay. Line 6648 he toke þe comaundementes ten. for to lede wiþ al his men. writyn wiþ goddis awen hande he sende ham þer a faire presande. Line 6652 ¶ quen moises had broȝt þe lagh. and his folk in face him sagh. ham þuȝt him horned apon ferre and dowted ham to come him nere. siþen þe lagh he ham vndide Line 6657 as our lorde con him bidde.

of an arke to ham he spak In goddis worshepe for to mak. Line 6660 a tabernacle als for to diȝt. þer-of he shewed ham þe siȝt. [folio 38a:2] þen toke he vp þer wandis þrinne Line 6663 and for to kepe he dide ham in. and þai ware borne to ilk stede. quidder-so he þat folk ledde. Line 6666