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

how Ihesus was first lad to scole for to lere þai wende.

A maister was þer selcouþ kene atte ihesus had he grete tene. for he spac sa wisely. to him he bare grete enuy. Line 12082 þorou þe bollning of his hert to Ioseph wordes he spac ouer-thwert.

wordes he spac als of dispite as he walde wiþ Ioseph flite. if þou he saide walde loue þi sone to oþer thewes þou sulde him wone. certis þe childe wil be a fole. Line 12089 bot he be taȝt and sette to scole. þat he muȝt lere sum oþer dedis þat ware vsed be alde ledis. Line 12092 bot hit is sene ful wele þar-by. baþ bi þe & al-squa mary þat ȝe loue na landis lagh [folio 55b:1] quen ȝe ȝour childe wille noȝt agh. Line 12096 in þe be-gynnyng ȝe sulde him ken to worshepe prest and elder men. & wiþ childer lete bannyng be. halde stedefast loue and charite. Line 12100 & wiþ ham louesumly to dwelle. þis is our lagh þat I. the telle. ¶ þen saide Ioseph on quat manere muȝt men halde him for to lere. if þou couettis him to lerne. Line 12105 him to teyche I wil noȝt werne. þinge þat fallis to mannys lare. ihesus þe maister gaf ansquare. ¶ þou þat art comaundour of lay. Line 12109 als riȝt now I. herde þe say. certis þou art halden to. suche laghes for to do. ȝe alle may noȝt for-soþ to say. binde me to erþly lay. Line 12114 of ȝour laghes I am out-tane. for erþli fader haue I. nane. þou art vnder laghes bundyn. bot I was or þe lagh was fundyn. and now þou wenis makeles to be þat nane in lare con teyche þe Line 12120

Line 12120 I can ken þe atte þou ne can. þing þat I. neuer lered of man. for þou ne wiste noȝt quen þou was born. and I hit knew ful lange be-forne. Line 12124 and noȝt allane þe time paste. bot ellis how lang þi life sal laste or þou passe out of þis werde. alle wondred on him at him herde.

Loude for-soþ con þai cry. Line 12129 qua herde euer suche ferli. or man ȝonge or alde or couþ qua herd euer mare selcouþ. we wate þi name is ihesu Line 12133 qua herde euer of suche vertu. of þine elde we haue na were. vnneþes artow of vij. ȝere. qua herde euer any barne sa ȝinge. bring forþ ani suche talkinge. Line 12138 ilkan til oþer saide be-liue. we herde neuer suche a barne on liue. ¶ þen gaf Ihesus til ham ansquare. to alle þe iewes atte þer ware. Line 12142 alle he saide þink ȝou selcouþ. to here suche speche of barnes mouþ bot quar-fore wil ȝe noȝt trow soþer þinges þat I. talde ȝou. Line 12146 þe wonder þat I. talde ȝou are of ȝoure teychinge & of ȝoure lare & quen at ȝour moders ȝou bare & ȝet for-soþ I. say ȝou mare Line 12150 of abraham þe quilk ȝe calle. þat he sulde be ȝoure fader alle I him sagh & wiþ him spac als. and ȝet ȝe wene þat I. am fals. ¶ quen Ihesus had þus saide his wil. as a stane þai stode alle stille. Line 12156

Line 12156 þat alle þat þer was alde & ȝonge a worde to speke had þai na tonge ¶ to þat folk spac ihesu now. as a barne I. was wiþ ȝow. Line 12160 and as a barne I. wiþ ȝou spac. to me knawlage walde ȝe nane take wisdomes to ȝou I. spac oft-siþe. bot na-þinge walde ȝe to me kiþe. noȝt ȝe vnder-stode for-þi. Line 12165 lesse I. wate ar ȝe þan I. hit is sene; ȝe ar of litel fay þen be-gan a maister say. þus to Ioseph and to mary. we haue a maister hat leuy. Line 12170 tille him lede ȝe þis barne. him lere on boke wil he noȝt warne ¶ þen went mary & Ioseph al-so. wiþ cherising þai spac him to. to þe scole him for-to tille Line 12175 and squa þai dede wiþ gode wille. bot in þat scole he was sa stille. spak he nauþer gode ne ille. ¶ Maister leui þat alde man taȝt him a letter þan. Line 12180 and bad him þer-to respounde & ihesus helde him stille a stounde. leuy was wraþ a ȝerde vp-hint. and gaf him in þe nek a dint ¶ þen saide ihesus to maister leuy. Line 12185 quar-fore smytis þou me & quy I say for-soþ þou sal me trow þou smytis him con mare þen þou. and þat þou teychis til oþer men. þine aghen worde I. can þe ken. Line 12190 [folio 56a:1] ¶ bot þai ar blinde þat spekis & heris and con noȝt say quar-to hit feris.

I. likkin ham to a brasin belle. Line 12193 þat nauþer con vnderstande ne telle quat be-takenis þaire aghen soun. bot wanis forþ wiþ-out resoun. ¶ and þus-gatis ihesus til him speke. Line 12197 in faire maner his resoun eke. þe letteres fra alpha to taw þai ar ful eth for to knaw. quat is taw say first to me. Line 12201 and I. salle vn-do alpha to þe. for he þat alpha con noȝt se. how sulde he wete quat taw mai be ypocritis for ȝe ar squa. Line 12205 vn-do me quat is alpha. and I. salle traw þe wele I wisse quen þou me tellis quat hit is. Ihesus gaf him þen his taske. Line 12209 of ilk letter he con him aske. resoun of ilkan be name. ¶ quen leui herde him þuȝt shame. and concluded quen he can here. shap of sa many letters sere. Line 12214 and be-gan a cry to giue. þis ilk childe aȝt noȝt to liue. a-boue erþ he liues to lange. he ware worþi on gibet hange. Line 12218 for fire I. wate may him noȝt brin. I. note how best is to be-gyn. I. traw þis ilk ferli fode. Line 12221 was borne be-for noes flode. quat wambe sa him bare or bred. or wiþ quat pappis he was fedde. ¶ Fle for-soþ fra him wil I. Line 12225 his wordes I. may noȝt vnderly. my hert is clumsed for to here is nane þat mai his wordes lere.

bot god him-selfe wiþ him were ellis ne may na man him stere. bot I. caytef now am I. borne. Line 12231 I. wende my make ware vnborne certis I. wende him haue ouer-commyn. bot in his resons now am I. nommyn. Allas he saide quat may I. say. I am ouer-commyn fra now and ay. Line 12236 a barne me has wiþ-outen belde ouer-commyn me wiþ-in myne elde ¶ for certis he arguis suche þing. þat I. ne wate ende of þe be-gynning wiþ-in his witte is he sa balde. Line 12241 þat I. may noȝt on him be-halde. me þink for-soþ wiþ gode resoun. þat he wiþ man has na commoun na-þing can I. him discriue. Line 12245 for sagh I. neuer nane suche on liue. ¶ a tregitour I hope he be. or ellis god him-self is he. Line 12248 or sum angel wiþ him delis and teychis him alle atte he melis. queþen or quat sal he be. I. ne wate so god helpe me. Line 12252 ¶ Ihesus him lete allane þis quile. & þen he saide & be-gan to smyle. A comaundement now make I. here þat ȝe hit alle may se & here. Line 12256 þat baren folk frutis finde. and al to se þat ar blinde. þe pouer to haue of riches bote. Line 12259 and þe croked to ga on fote. þe dede to rise ȝe loke ilkane. vn-to þaire aghen state a-nane. to be lastande in him þat is. bote of life & lastande blis. Line 12264

Line 12264 quen ihesus had him saide squa. Line 12265 alle had coueringe þat was in wa. bot na mare þen onsquared þai. bot stilly stale þai sone a-way. Line 12268