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

[Of Samson and his strength.]

Ofter þis ilk labdon. [of sampsoun & his wife.] come him þen sir sampson. Line 7084 þat was sa balde wiȝt and strange. barneles was his moder lange. and in hir elde þorou god of miȝt. an angel had hir þis childe hiȝt. Line 7088 þorou his hare; his strenght was made atte xx. mens pith he hadde. [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] Vndir philistiens they were That Iewis were holdyn þo there] Line 7092 ¶ Sampson soȝt enchesoun of strife. of philistiens he walde haue wife. a-pon a day he went and sagh. a fayre wommon was of þaire lagh. Line 7096 he talde his frendes sone on-an atte he had chosin suche a lemman. and toke ham wiþ him for to proue. for to gete hir til his be-houe. Line 7100 if hir frendis him walde hir ȝete. als he went walcande be þe gete a lyon quelp ranne ouer-thwert. raumpand to sampson he stert. Line 7104 ¶ Sampson slogh þat lyon kene. goddis spirit in him was sene. quen he had his errand done. agayne hamward he went sone. and bot a litel terme was gane. he ȝode and weddid his lemmon. Line 7110 and als he went þat gate agayne. In a lyoun mouþ he fande was slayne. a bike of bes ys noȝt atte layne. and dede þai ware wiþ-outen mayne. Line 7114

Line 7114 [folio 40b:1] his wiuis fader and moder þar-of ete and he him-self þuȝt hit squete. Line 7116 bot noȝt he dide ham vnderstande howgate he. þat hony fande. ¶ atte þe feste quen þai ware stad. a redil vn-do he ham bad. Line 7120 and heȝt þa men to gif ham mede. if þai cowde þat ridil rede. and certanly þai him hiȝt. to tel him wiþ-in vij. niȝt. Line 7124 ¶ Oute of þe etande mete out-sprang. and þe squete out of þe Strange. In mony maner þai hit soȝt. Line 7127 and stodiet iij. daies for noȝt. þai be-soȝt his wife atte ho. sulde make him til hir hit vn-do. vn-to þat bride was askande balde sampson alle þe soþ he talde. Line 7132 and ho tille alle atte hir was kid. þis ridil preuely ho vndid. and þat was mykil vn-lewte. to telle hir lordes priuate. Line 7136 ¶ Sampson ham calde þe seyuent day con ȝe he saide þe ridil say. ȝe þai saide ellis ware we mad. to sampson þai þe ridil rad. Line 7140 hony is squete wiþ riȝt resoun. and quat is stranger þen a lyoun. ¶ Soþ he saide haue ho maugre. þat has vndone my priuate. ¶ Sampsoun for [[MS. was crossed through.]] wraþ his wif for-soke and ho a-noþer housbande toke. Line 7146 ¶ quen þat sampson had herd say. for-soþ he saide fra þis day. agh I. for to haue na wyte. to do philistiens despite. Line 7150

Line 7150 þre hundre foxis he sammyn knitt I. ne wate noȝt how he ham hit. vn-to þaire tailes fire he bande Line 7153 and sette ham in-to þaire lande. folowand ilk fox a brande. þorou þe felde riȝt squa rynnande Line 7156 þer þai ware ripe he lete ham ren. and squa þaire cornys dide he bren. ¶ þaire alies wiþ þaire vyne-trees þer foxes brende atte a-resse. Line 7160 þe philistiens þen went ham out. and soȝt sampson alle a-boute þe Iewes was þaire vnderloute. þai bande sampson wiþ-oute doute ¶ þe philistiens wiþ-outen les Line 7165 ran on sampson in a res. bot Sampson þat was selcouþ smert out of þaire handes sone he stert. Line 7168 and gaf a braide sa fers and fast þat alle þe bandis of him brast. ¶ þorou chaunce he fande an asse ban. for oþer wepin had he nane. Line 7172 of þat nacioun folk he felled a thousand þat wiþ tale was telled Siþen he went in-to þe toun. to a wife þat was comoun. Line 7176 be-side hir alle þat niȝt he lay. þer philistiens quen þai herde say. þai vmbesette þe toun a-boute. þat if sampsoun went aure quere out Line 7180 on niȝtertale or on mornyng. to deleful dede þai sulde him bringe ¶ bot sampson þat was selcouþ wiȝt vp he ras wiþ hert liȝt. Line 7184 and bare þe ȝates of toun. and laide ham on a hey doun

¶ a wife he chese dalidam ho hiȝt. atte siþen dide him myche vn-riȝt Line 7188 þe philistiens ful of strife þai hiȝt to dalidam his wife giftes grete for to frayne. Line 7191 quere was sampson strenght and mayne so lange ho frayned be þou balde þat suche a gabbing he hir talde Line 7194 wiþ vij. senewes qua sim me bande my strenght ware lost baþ fote and hande ¶ his faes ho bad stilly take kepe and binde him quen he is on slepe. and þen a-pon his faes ho calde Line 7199 to do wiþ him quat þai walde bot sampson wakkened sone againe and al þaire werk was in vayne his bandis al he brest in twa. Line 7203 as þai had bene bot a stra. bot ȝet his wife walde noȝt fine. þorou siching of his witherwine. til ho þe soþ had gert him say. in quat stede his strenght lay. Line 7208 ¶ quare is þi strenght leue sir quare hit is he saide al in my hare. [folio 41a:1] ware myn hare shorne I. ware noȝt þan stranger þen a-noþer man. Line 7212

Now has sampson be-kende his lif in wille to welde of his wife. was neuer sampson half so waþ. his life his deþ now has ho baþ. baþ in hir wille has he done. þat sal on him be sene ful sone. Line 7218 his first wife lered him witte if he cowde haue haldin hit.

þe same wife atte he had now. wille be-giled him as I trow. ¶ Sare men aght to drede þe brande atte brende him has be-fore hande Line 7224 bot harde hit is to stande agayne þe wife þat fines noȝt to frayne. he is a fole auþer for loue or awe þat dos his priuate to shawe. Line 7228 bot drunkynnes so may be-tide dos mon his consaile to vn-hide. and oft certayne men findes squa men priuest ys maste fa. Line 7232 ¶ ne þer nys nane sa grete may grefe as traitour derne and priue thefe. al-squa dide hir dame dalida. of al wiuis þen worþ hir wa. Line 7236 hir lordes consaile al to ȝa. ho talde hit til his mast fa. hir time ho soȝt bad ham be nere and quen he slepped ho toke hir shere Line 7240 his hare ho carfe wa worþ hir hende and til his fas ho him be-kende. al muȝt þai do quat ham mynt for þorou his wife his strenght is tint. þai kid for-soþ atte þai ware wraþ. Line 7245 þai blinded him and prisoned baþ. and quen he was done in prisoun a mon of þat ilk nacioun. Line 7248 dide dalida his wife wedde sampsoun was to þe bridale led. for he was sleye on harping glew Line 7251 be þis his hare was waxin new. ¶ bi a piler was he sette to glew þos gomis at mete Line 7254

Line 7254 quilest þai ware gladdest at feste sampson þat cowde of alle geste. Line 7256 waxen was þen sumdel his hare þe post þat alle þe hous vp-bare wiþ baþ his handis he hit shoke so faste atte alle þe hous quoke. Line 7260 þat hous hit felle wiþ-outen griþ. and slogh his fas him-seluen wiþ.

Ofter sampson alder-neste was hely demster prest. Line 7264 al if his-selfe was clene of synne for lastes of his sones twin. þe quilk he wiste and chasted noȝt. þaire syn a-pon him-self is boȝt. Line 7268 þe quilest he left at hame for elde þai went to fiȝt a-pon þe felde. wiþ oþer men þer ware þai slayne. þaire bodis come neuer agayne Line 7272 wiþ saraȝinis ware þai led a-way. quen hely herde þis tiþande say. ¶ for sorou he toke to hert a-nane he fel doun on þe harde stane. his herne panne he brak with chaunce our lorde him sende hit for veniaunce þai may drede chaunce of vn-sele at chastis noȝt þaire childer wele for oft on þe fader fallis þe wrake Line 7281 þat sende is for þe childe sake. xl. ȝere kepped he israel. [of þe first king. saul.] and ofter him come samuel. he was a selcouþ duȝti þing. [& þen Dauid] Line 7285 þe first atte smerled mon to king