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

Isaiah's prophecy of Christ.

Crist was talde wiþ prophecy. and þar-of spac seint Isai. to the Iewes sa mistrawande Line 9267 he bad ham here & vnderstande. ¶ Iesse he saide of his roting certanly a wande sulde spring out of þat wande a flour suld brest atte sulde bringe vs alle to rest. Line 9272 þe haly gaste þer-on salle liȝt þorou goddis squete miȝt. þe gaste þat giuys giftis sere Line 9275 bot ȝet þe folk ware in were. and saide lorde quat may þis be. squa wonder mistely spekis he ¶ bot ȝet he lete hit squa be hid & lange þer-ofter til ham vndid. Line 9280 godemen he saide con ȝe noȝt se. for of a man þat hiȝt Iesse. a may sal brede of his ospring. and ho salle haue a sone to king. Line 9284 I. wil noȝt layne for drede of blame emanuel sal be his name. þat is to say in engelis þus our lorde him-self alle wiþ us. Line 9288 hony salle he ete & milke. wele salle he knaw queþer is quilk fra þe wikked þe gode to dele Line 9291 fra him for-soþ sal nane con stele ¶ Sum Iewes saide til oþer þan. qua herde euer telle of siche a man. Line 9294

Line 9294 þat borne sal be sum-þing is þare atte he walde noȝt knawen ware Line 9296 and þen saide Isai parfay I sal ȝou tel openli to say. quy sulde I hit langer wiþ ȝou layne I sal vn-do hit ȝou al plyne. Line 9300 for I haue writen al þis þing þat I salle leue to ȝour ospring þis ilk boke bot sum of thayme agayne my sagh salle sette clayme Line 9304 quen I. am dede & noȝt on liue. agayne þe soþ ȝour ayres sal striue ¶ quar-fore ar ȝe of wil sa wilde a maiden sal us bere a childe. Line 9308 quar-of I talde ȝou here be-forne. til our be-houe sal he be borne. þis childe sal come vs vntil. & he sal regne alle atte his wil. Line 9312 men sal him calle wiþ namis sere Meruelous and conseiler god of strenght & lorde of [dre] [[indistinct in MS.]] of þe werlde be-fore sal be Line 9316 & prince of pees men sal him cal. & neuer-mare his regne to fal. I haue ȝou talde how hit sal be. Line 9319 bot I ne wate neuer-quere ȝet is he. ¶ fful litil se we ȝet quoþ þai. of alle þat euer we here þe say Line 9322 sin we ware borne in Middelerde of suche a wonder neuer we herde [[I ne herde (the catch-words): some leaves wanting here, but supplied from the Laud MS.]] [[Laud MS. 416, [folio 116a:1] ]] [Nor I he seid herd nevir in lond So hard men to vnderstond Line 9326 Saw ye not by goddis dome The erthe bare lyf frute & blome That Erbe tokenyþ a maydyn clene Shalle bere the child þat I of mene

That shalle his folk fro bale by To whom men shulle haue grete envy Line 9332 Ieromy yt seith in boke yf ye his prophesy will loke yet I shalle you sey a thyng But holdyþ yt for no hetyng Line 9336 When that holiest is comyn youre noyntyng shalbe from you nomyn yet I trow ye be so blynd That ye can not my reason fynd Line 9340 kyngges anoynt ye haue to-fore So shulle ye then no more ffro he be noyntyd that I say kyngles shulle ye be fro þat day Line 9344 Of this tellyþ you Ieromy The prophete Ioel and Elie yet is he levyng in hele This Elie that I of mele Line 9348 ffor no thyng to hem told Yt wold not in her hertes hold They mystrowid and þat hem rewis God seid hym-self of þo iewis Line 9352 When he made of his moder myn That was comyn of her kynne he seid my lemman is so Ient Swettyr smellyng than pyment Line 9356 And welle soter her vestment Then eny encense þat is brent ffeyre is the mowþe of þat lady Eche tothe as yvory Line 9360 As dovis eie hir loke is swete Rose on thorne to hir vn-mete By-twene hem feire accord is non Line 9363 Then by-twene her kynne & my lem|man ffor as the rose is bred of thorne So was mary of iewis borne Line 9366

Line 9366 Ar we of Crystes byrþe nevyn Telle we how þe fader of hevyn Dight his dere sonne to send Line 9369 Almost at the worldis end [folio 116b:1] Into erþe oure flesh to take To bryng man-kynd out of wrake Line 9372 how he yaf vs his pardoun Shortly to telle I am boun