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

lystyn now to my lesson That wille here of the concepcion

Hheryth now that wille haue mede and I shalle you the story rede of the holy maydins byrth Line 10125 That broght vs alle to ioy and myrþ^e how prophecijs comyn to end Are the Iewis wyst vnhend The yerd that first bare þ^e floure Line 10129 And als the frute of swete sauoure This boke is of no iapery But of god and oure lady Therfore I rede of hem ye here Line 10133 [folio 120b:1] That may you help in your mystere And leve your vntounship a-while That lyf and soule may boþ^e fele Whoso in right trowþ^e be blynde here in sight shalle he fynd Line 10138 ffor yt is vncouþ^e and vn-wone The fadir to by-come þ^e sonne he that by-gon alle thyng Come to take his begynnyng Line 10142

Line 10142 And so for to come to hym We shulle begynne at Ioachym Line 10144 ffadir he was of that mary That yate was of our mercy his wyf hight dame Anna And hir sustir Ismaria Line 10148 Ismaria and Anna were ij^o Sustirs I wene with-outyn mo The formest bare Elizabeth Alle holy lady myld of meth Line 10152 That spousid was to Zacary Iohn the baptyst bare þat lady his modir was she out of drede As furthir in this boke we rede This oþer suster to vndirstond Ioachym had to husbond Line 10158 Of hym we wille our story rede ffor worthyest yt is in-dede Ioachym bryngges of bote he was comyn of dauid rote Born he was in that Cyte Line 10163 Of nazareth in Galile louyd he was in that contre ffor his mekyll humylyte Dame Anna had he to wyf A blessid couple with-outyn stryf Line 10168 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] More love myȝt none be with Than was with hem in her lyf So dowghty was this Ioachym Line 10173 That god hym-self was with hym So holy a lyf they levyd euyr That god wretthyd they nevyr To tylthe he tent and tythe yaf lele In thre his goodes did he dele Line 10178

Line 10178 That god had lent of his lone To poure he yaf a party oone Line 10180 The second party that he walt was among the prestes dalt The thyrd party with hym left ffor hir owne dispence eft Line 10184 Might no man forsoþ^e be Of more loue ne cheryte . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 10188 Sothefast man was he þan Of rote of iesse he cam ffadir of dauid Ientyll kyng Ioachym come of his ospryng Line 10192 This dame Anna his wyf In trowþ^e led she her lyf In goodnes & in good fame So sprong that none coude her blame Line 10196 In almysded hir lyf she led As we fynd in the story red xx^ti yere no child she bare Therfore had she mekyll care Line 10200 Eythir thoght of other shame Thy wyst not whom to blame Therfore to god a vow þey yaf yf they myȝt eny child haf Line 10204 wheþer yt were she or he [[MS. she]] To god offird shuld yt be In the temple to serve thore while yt levid euyr-more Line 10208 Child to haue they praide long And good werkys diddyn among They halowid ay the festes dere That iewis bad in that yere Among which I you telle Line 10213 A grete feste in wynter felle

That iewis held in halowyng Of tempyll Salamon the kyng Line 10216 Echone to the tempill broght dyverce yeftes as they mought Som with lesse som with more Offyrd vp her yeftes thore Line 10220 And echon for dyverce reason Come thedir to make oreson The patryark was not awey But there vndid hem hir lay Line 10224 With moyses tabyls in his hond Tho were men god dredond To this feste come Ioachym And many frendes alle with hym ffor to pray and to honour Line 10229 Alle-myȝty god her creatur Ioachym forth gan stond And made hym redy to offrond The patryark hight Isacar Line 10233 When he of Ioachym was war Toward the auter gan he stryde Ioachym he seid abyde Alle this peple here by-fore Line 10237 I byd you come no furþermore Ioachym here shalle none [folio 121a:1] Offryng of thy hond forþ^e-gone Thow ow not yet in no wyse To make here no sacrafice Line 10242 To make to god þy prayer clene Thyne offeryng may not here be sene Ioachym thoght mekyll shame And seid haue I seruyd suche blame Othir am I so fulle of synne Line 10247 That I no chirche ow come ynne My praiers god to make Sey me sir what is my sake

What haue I done ayen the lay I pray you sir that ye me say Line 10252 Gladly wold I vnderstond Why þou forsakyst myne offrond ¶ Then seid Isacar parfay Ioachym I shalle the say Line 10256 I ne seid yt not for-þy That I haue seyne þy foly Thy synne yet nevir I saw But god hym-self seyþ^e in þ^e law Whoso in Israell hath no sede Line 10261 he is Cursid as we rede This sede frute of child is told And so ow echon yt hold This is the law in our sight he callid that man maladicte Line 10266 That hath no child maide ne knave None sie we þ^e nevir haue Of the law for this reason is fallyn on the the maleson ffor there comyth no child of the Thyn ofspryng mote forsakyn be Line 10272 The tre that no frute beryþ in lond Shuld not among oþer stond When þou hast child maide or sonne Thyne offeryng heþer is welcome Line 10276 When Ioachym thise wordis herd Shame hym thoght and þus answerd That I ne haue child ruyþ me sore If I myght haue levyr me wore That I haue no child heþer-tylle Line 10281 hyt is alle long on goddes wylle Thogh I with-outyn be in-dede When god wille I may haue sede There is no man coude say Line 10285 how he shamyd was þat day

ffor this shame & þis vnbraide That Isacar had to hym saide Line 10288 ffro chirche he went for þat shame ffor shame ne myȝt he go hame But to þ^e herdis of his fe That he had of grete plente Line 10292 In-to wildirnes he went Thare as his fe was present Pagis were his herdes nome Line 10295 But stalworþ^e men were þey echon That myȝt ayen thevis fight And coude ryse at tyme of nyȝt And loke her bestes in tyme of nede Ioachym to hem he yede Line 10300 Among his bestes duelt he thore In praier woke & wepyng sore ffastyng he was in wille to be Line 10303 Tylle god wold tylle hym se ffastyng long had he not bene But god hym sent an angill shene That of the light that come of hym Sore a-ferd was Ioachym Line 10308 ffor that bryghtnes was he drad And stille stode as he were madde But þat angill that by hym stode Broght to hym tydyngges good Ioachym he seid make good chere I am our lordis messangere Line 10314 hethir am I to the send Thy morenyng chere to amend he hath herd thy praiere Now he the sendyth thyne answere Line 10318 ffor the shame and þ^e vnbreid That Isaac þ^e preist the seid They þou no child had hethirto ffor none eville is yt so Line 10322

Line 10322 Thogh god othir-while be stille he may alle worche at his wille with-outyn child oft suffyrth he Line 10325 Man and woman long to be Tylle they be sum-dele in eld Then sent he hem to weld That may men se the child here-by Ys right comyn out of lechery Of abraham hast þou herd sey How long he levid many a day Line 10332 With-outyn child in hope allone Then sent god hym suche oone [folio 121b:1] That in his sede shuld be blessid And mankynd toward god dressid Line 10336 Iacob als and rachel his wyf long leddyn to-gedir her lyf Of hem after Ioseph the good Alle in her eld that blyssid fode That stuard was of Egip[t] contre Line 10341 And had the lond in his pouste Samuel als the full of riȝt And sampson that was so wyȝt Bothe hem bare wemen old That out of child-beryng were told Childryn that of suche are bred Line 10347 Are borne to stond in eche stede And bene dowghty in her dede And oft decervyn muche mede leve thise talis wytterly Thow shalt haue a child in hie Line 10352 a maydyn child not ther-to long Thy wyf of the shalle vnder-fong Maria shalt þou do her calle ffulfillid with goddes grace ovir alle Line 10356 she shalbe alle to god hend To hym presentyd at iij^e yere end

Als þou of hir hast made þy vow She shalbe flour of maydyns now Line 10360 Of maydins alle she shalbe flour And she shalle bere youre sauyoure Ihesu Cryste alle mennys hele Line 10363 And loke þou leve this tale for lele Go now home ayen the gate Thow shalt fynde at þe goldyn yate Of Ierusalem Anna thy wyff Line 10367 That is for the in mochill stryf To seche þe she not wheþer to go Thow shalt fynd her there so Certeynly þen that þou trow Alle that I haue told þ^e now Line 10372 When the angill þus had seid He went ayen at a braide But ar he went he bad hym make Sacrafice for goddes sake

¶ Ioachym tho was glad & blyþ^e Vp he set an auter swyþ^e Line 10378 Sacrafyce he made on þis manere Of x lambis that whyte were That have tokonyng by hem-self Sethyn after of bokys xij And at the last an C shepe Line 10383 how he hem dalt take now kepe To god he lete þ^o lambryn falle To · poure men tho bullis alle The C shepe that I of ment To alle the comyn were y-sent Line 10388 On this maner offyrd he And dalt þus thise thyngges iij^e Thise lambis that I of spak Bytokenyþ Ihesu Cryst with-out lak That was done on þ^e cros for our wyte Line 10393 And for vs suffird grete dispyte

The xij bokys offird also The xij appostils bytokyn tho Line 10396 That tholid for Cryst sorow & care And martyrd for his loue ware Thise hundird shepe that were there And dalt to the comyn were betokenyth tho feleship y-wis Of seintes hie in heuyn blis Line 10402 The tokonyng of an hundird told All fulnes it is to be-hold ffro tho that stad are in that blis No-thyng may hem want nor mys With-outyn seke or eny sore Line 10407 In none nede foundyn þore

Oof Ioachym now be we stille of dame Anna to speke our wille Of her sekyng and her care Line 10411 how she hir for her husbond bare When he hym held from home ffor his dispyte thoght hir shome This lady was of muche price Line 10415 lovid and lernyd ware and wyse When she herd this tydond Of Isacar and her husbond Clothis of dele she did on thore Line 10419 She sperrid her doris and wept sore Mornyng she was nyȝt & day her lyf in langour lastyng ay Gladship had she alther-lest Line 10423 When hyr day was comyn of fest [folio 122a:1] That men shuld holdyn hem to be blyþ^e Eche man goodnes kythe ffeyre clothyng on hem to take ffor hir hie festes sake Line 10428 That sat anna mevyng hir mone Bytwene hir-self and god allone

She had A maydin hight vteyne Line 10431 Was hir prevy chambyrleyne lady she seid for god dere Mende thy mode & chaunge thy chere On thy-self better þou thynke Thow wylt nothir ete ne drynke how long wilt þou be wroth Clothe the with a better cloth Bethynk the now lady lele Thow art of kynd of Israell Line 10440 Wost þou not I trow nay Which an hie fest is to-day Sore yt greviþ me thy fare That I the make suche care Line 10444 I the se wepyng alle-weis When þou shuldist be best at ease Anna lady lef thy bere Clothe the feyre & make good chere Goddis owne day it is Line 10449 Alle shuld be glad more & lesse Thus seid that damyselle þere Anna yaf hir this answere She seid why seist þou to me so Be stille or els go me fro Line 10454 Thow me blamyst for my dole Wenyst þou I be a fole Where-of shuld I haue ioy or blis When I my weddid lord mys Line 10458 Shuld I be mery or in solas But I hym sie to-fore my fas To myrthe me dare the not wene Vtayne there-with gan to tene Line 10462 And of bollyng of hir hart She kyst her wordes ouyrt[h]wart lady she seid for what thyng Wytyst þou me þy mysselykyng Line 10466

Line 10466 Thogh þou may no child brede Line 10467 Whom wytyst þou thyne vnspede Dame Anna was sory tho Whan Vntayne had hir grevid so Vp she rose and went away Line 10471 fforth she went in tene & tray In-to hir Ortyerd she yede anon To wepe by hir-self allone There she might sorow her fille By hir one at hir wille When she was comyn in-to þat place Line 10477 Awey was alle hir solace She hafe hir hondes vp to þ^e skie And to pray by-gan on hie lord þou here myne oresoun And blesse me with thy benesoun Dere god here praier myne Line 10483 As þou diddist dame Sarra somtyme That suche a worþy sonne hir yaue As she desirid for to haue When she had endid hir praiere She playnyd eft on this manere Line 10488 Oft she seid alas alas That evir I born or getyn was Whethyn haue I þis malison That I out of chirch & comon I am don and for cursid hold Why was I born of moder bold Line 10494 ¶ While she menid þus hir mone With wepyng sorowis many oone She say the angill to-fore hir stond That had ben at hir husbond She seid Anna hard is thy bone Thow shalt haue a child full sone This tydyng made hir light She seid to that angill bright

Whethir so yt be maide or knave God hym-self shalle yt haue ffor to serve hym nyght and day he wote I haue þis ernyd ay Line 10506 Anna he seid make good chere What-so-euyr þou se or here I am goddes owne angill Trew tythyng the to telle The grete almysdede of the is present by-fore goddes kne Line 10512 Thy desire and thy praiere is comyn to goddes ere full dere Blisfull may þou be weld drede the noght for none eld ffoure score yere had dame sare When she hir sonne Isaac bare Rachell that was Iacobis wif Line 10519 lad long with-outyn child her lyf After she bare a frely fode A grete lordyng Ioseph the good That stuard was and welle with-stode The honggir that egipt ovir-yode A dowghter shall þou haue in hie Line 10525 Thow shalt calle hir name marye [folio 122b:1] Alle shulle hir worship with reason Ouyr alle women to bere croun ffilde with grace shalle she be And fostird litill child with the ffro thre yere to þe tempill to go Line 10531 xiiij yere to duelle there so There to serve day and nyght To god as ye to-fore hym hight Shalle no man by no reson Ayen hir haue no wyk cheson Line 10536 Was nevir yet none forsoþ^e to say So blessid born as that may

This ilk maydyn good & myld Modir shalle bene of a child Line 10540 Of hir shalle come mannys savere [[sauyoure is crossed through and savere written above.]] The doughter shalle the fader bere Of alle this shalt þou leve me When þou art comyn to þ^e Cyte Of Ierusalem at the gyldyn yate Line 10545 An entre is there that so hate Thow shalt fynd thy husbond thore That þou hast longid after sore Thow shalt se sone that I the told Line 10549 Of blessid byrth þou maist be bold ¶ When the angill awey was quyte ij^o men there come clad in whyte Anna they seid make the blythe Thy lord is comyng also swythe Line 10554 hym to me þou þ^e spede Anna buskyd hir & yede duellid she no lengger there But as the angill bad hir ere To Ierusalem she is gon Line 10559 With Ioachym she met a-non The same stede that hem was set At the gildyn yate they met When they bothe met samen Line 10563 They grete with gladnes of gamen ffor to aske there no man yf they were glad & ioyfull þan When they had made hir oreson They went then in-to the toun Line 10568 Syttyn they abode and thought Of that þe angill bodeword broght Sone after to-gethir they lay Anna with child was with a may Line 10572 Of decembre the viij^e day Was she gotyn that I of say