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

Re-capitulation, of Adam's Fall and the Scheme to save Mankind.

Nnow lordyngges haue ye herd Of þe begynnyng of þis werd Line 9376 how he þat nevir had be-gynnyng Made hevyn erthe & alle thyng Also to alle thyng he yaf her kyndly shappe for to haue Line 9380 Sonne and mone that is so bright had vij-sithe so moche more light Alle thyngges that tho did grow were mightier þen they are now Line 9384 A grete harme be-fille vs thore That alle shuld die bothe lesse & more That of Adam & Eve come But yet was yt rightwis done Line 9388 As ye shulle se by rightfull skylle That here wolle þis story wele When this world to end was wroght Wantyng there-of was noȝt Line 9392 Beste gras frute & tre Alle was as yt shuld be ffoule fyssh grete & smale Adam last was made of alle Line 9396 In Ebrew grew that ilk dale There-ynne he drie after bale Of Erthe god made hym to be After the holy trenyte Line 9400

Line 9400 his owne ymage he made hym þore how might he loue kythe hym more In paradice he made hym rest And slyly slepe on hym he kest Line 9404 he made a felow of his bone To Adam that was first his oone Wytte and skylle he yaf hym tylle Myght feyrehed and fre wille Line 9408 Ouyr alle this world to be keyzar Euyr-lastyng lyf for to bere In paradice as Erytage To lede her lyf with-outyn rage Line 9412 In welthe with-outyn tene or tray By-twene them in a certeyne day That of his owne ospreng myȝt Line 9415 ffulle-ffylle the nombyr hole & riȝt Of that feleship that felle . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 9418 Then shuld they so blessid be [folio 116b:2] That they of deþe shuld never se and so swynkles feyre & bright As that tyme was þe sonne-liȝt As ye herd to-fore neven Than shuld they stie to hevyn Who herd euer of more blis Line 9425 Then ordeynyd was to hym and his lawis ij^o were set on syse To Adam being in paradice Line 9428 As in holy wrytte we fynd The first was the law of kynd That is to sey kyndly to do Alle that hym was bedyn to Line 9432 The oþer law hath posetyve to name That was fully forbodyn Adam Of this frute god hym seid I haue yt in my forebode leid Line 9436

Line 9436 yf þou so bold be yt to byte Thow shalt die in sorow I-hyte yf þou wolle my forebode hold Thow shalt be lord as I þee told Line 9440 Of alle erthe and of paradice with more blisse þan þou can devyse There adam herd alle Alas sone he lete yt falle Line 9444 his grete worshyp þat he had þare And broght vs alle to muche care Assone as he the appyll ete The lawis boþe he gon to lete Line 9448 Bothe naturell & posetyve his wyf made hym to vnthryve When she levyd more the fend Then god that made hir so hend ¶ Thus was Adam for his outrage Line 9453 Drevyn fro his Erytage Out of ioy and out of blis To wo and sorow hym and his By dethe his lyf most he tyne Where he shalle euyr haue medecyne Line 9458 When he had lost there present his Erytage by Iugement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 9463 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 9468 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 9471 . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

Out of the feyrest lond that is he was putte in-to wildernes Line 9474 This foule synne was so vnwrest That of his season yt gon hym cast . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 9478 ¶ Now is man be-gylid alle [folio 117a:1] His owne synne made hym thralle That first was fre as I told Now hath hym satanas to hold Line 9482 To whos service he hym yeld His thralle he was to haue in weld While he his thralle in his service Line 9485 he ne may be fre on no wyse Thralle may be no law in lede ffre Erytage aske of lord-hede Line 9488 Synne he is þus thralle by-comyn his Erytage hym by-nomyn In no court owyþ thralle be herd Ne stond in dome to be answerd Line 9492 But in the lordes that hym ow To deme hym oþer hie or low Then must hem seke anoþer nede To wynne his Erytage to spede ffre-borne to be and not bound Line 9497 That shuld in court shew his erond his Erytage ayen to wynne he must be of his owne kynne So that he sothefast man shuld be Line 9501 And ete not of this foreseid tre he must be borne out of synne And holdyn had thise lawis twyn . . . . . Line 9505 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 9508

Line 9508 he that nevir did synne ne pliȝt What man myȝt se so bryȝt That suche a man coude thynk in þoȝt That do that myracle mowȝt Line 9512 Reste a lytyll while here will y And a sampill telle you here-by In sampill coredyng þat I toke Out of seint robardes boke Line 9516