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

The Betrayal and Last Hours of Christ.

[V]te of vr lauerd hali hand þe morsel laght iudas, wid þat ilk snade he laght, croupe in him sathanas. Line 15388 Of all venime and eneui ful kindeld vp he ras, Fra þan he ran him ilk fote, ne ȝede he noght a pas Line 15392 Till he come to þat in þar woned in sir caiphas, þar he þe iuus forwid fand, his auen lauerd fas. Line 15396 He þat suilk a lauerd forsok Mai sai mani allas! [Q]uen þis traitur to þaim come, in consail he þaim fand, Line 15400 Hu þai might vr lauerd take, þai wald him haue in hand. þai askid iudas quat he wald? he said, "to bring tiþand Line 15404 Iesu þe prophete quare to find, ȝe er sua nu grenand. [Q]uar his innes es to night ful wele i can ȝu bring, Line 15408

Line 15408 If ȝe me oght of ȝures giue, yt i wit for quat þing, Line 15410 In ȝur handis i sal him teche; hald ȝe it na heting." All þai said to sir iudas, "þu ert a dughti dring, Line 15414 And goderhale nu sal þu se, for luue of þis chiþing. [[first, thing; then altered]] " [þ]is marchandis, lauerdinges leue, had we of mekil nede, Line 15418 Bot to þaim þat þe cheping did, it fell to mekil vnnsp[e]de. þai askid iudas quat he wald aske þaim for his mede. Line 15422 And he, þat traitur fell, þaim said, "bot thritti penis gnede." [folio 104a:1] "Make þu vs sikir of him, lo! here þe penis we þe bede;" Line 15426 "Quat sekernes nu will ȝe mare? till him i sal ȝu lede; Quar abute a-bide ȝe nu, bot go we better spede." Line 15430 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

[Q]uen þis wreche iudas þus rescaiued had his fang, Line 15434 "Comes forth god men," he said, "nu, qui duell ȝe sua lang?" þai armid þaim all priueli, all for to make þaim strang, Line 15438 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Quen þai war armed in þat curt, iudas þaim stod amang; Line 15442 þe traitur fals þan said to þaim, "wid me þan sal ȝe gang,

þe man þat i sal ȝu bitheche, a-bute him has grete thrang, þar-for a takeining i ȝu giue, þat ȝe ga noght wrang. Line 15448 [K]nau ȝe þe man þat ȝe sal take bi night?" þai said "nay." "Quar-wid ȝe sal him knau, a taken i sal ȝu say. Line 15452 þat ilk man ȝe se me kiss, ȝur handes on him ȝe lay, For þat es he owe go to take." "it sal be done," said þay. Line 15456 "For to hals him faire i sal ga forwid ȝu þe way, And loke ȝe folud me nerehand." "And sua we sal, parfay!" Line 15460 "[T]o-quilis ȝe se me him kis, lais handis on him on-ane, He has wid him sum men, i-wis, bot armed es þar nane. Line 15464 If þai bigin þaim forto were, loke þai all be slaine;" Suilk takening was of þat traitur, to do his lauerd be tane. Line 15468 [H]a! quat þis traytur iudas was vnkind and felun! þat þus his suete lauerd soght vnto dampnaciun, Line 15472 Better him hade ben to bene dede, or bene wid bataile bune, þan wid a kissing on þis wise, him haue done sli tresune. Line 15476 Bot sene es nu he serued are his modir malisune. [H]a! þu iudas, traitur, thef, felunest in lede! Line 15480

Line 15480 Of þi mekil wickidnes mai all þis world nu drede. Line 15482 Hu might it schope into þi hert, to do suilk a dede, Suilk a lauerd for to sla and þarfor take þi mede? Line 15486 þu ȝeilde again þat þu has tane, þu þarto þe bede, þu was and es þe traitur mast þat euere was in thede. Line 15490

[L]eue we nu iudas of here to sai of his tresun, To speke of iesu þar he was herberd in þe tun. Line 15494 Hu saint petir menid him to, and said him þis resun, "þu sal be traijst lauerd, to-night, it es noght mistrun, Line 15498 Elleuen er we ȝeit to stand vid þe, all redi bun. [I]f ani come þe forto take, we sal þe were þaim fra, Line 15502 we er hardi men enogh, a-gain iudas vr fa." [folio 104b:1] "Quat wapins haue ȝe?" said iesus, "sir, we haue suerdis tua." Line 15506 þan he bad þaim all be stille, and said, "enou er þa, [I] do ȝu witt, mi breþer dere, þat lang es siþen gane Line 15510 þat grened i haue þis ilk mete, mast at ete of ane. Iudas sal nu cum in hij, forto do me be tane, Line 15514 And ȝe forsoth sal efter me be left ful will of wane."

[Q]uen þai vnderstod þis word, a-soruing þan bigan, Line 15518 And vr lauerd cald eft sith petir, and said him þan, "Petir freind, self sathanas has askid þe to fan, Line 15522 He will þe siften if he mai, als men dos corn in barn. Bot i haue praid for þe faith þat it stand gain sathan. Line 15526 [P]etre, cumfort breþer þine quen i am ledd ȝu fra." "Lauerd," he said, "þu wat þat i þe luue and drede alsua, Line 15530 I am redi þe to folu bath in we[l] and wa; Bath to presun and to dede, for þi luue will i ga." Line 15534 [þ]an bihelde þat lauerd heind apon þat suete meygne, þat þar mekil murning made, ful sorful on þaim to se. Line 15538 "Ha mi leue farnet," he said, "ful wele þan sal ȝu be, þis ilke night sal be a skaile bi-tuix ȝu and me. Line 15542 Till vnmesure mismay ȝu noght for time sal cum þat ȝe Sal ȝur soru þat es nu haue turned in-to gle. Line 15546 [F]or þogh mi fless to þaim be taght, als propheci has sett, þat thoru mi dede apon þe rode sal mannes bale be bett, Line 15550 I sal rise on þe thridd dai, to liue widvten lett.

And quen we sall in galile, eft be samen mett, Line 15554 All þe care ȝe nu sal haue, ful clene ȝe sal forgett. [P]etre, be þu noght to rad, make noght to mekil care, Line 15558 ȝe weind ȝu in-to galile, and i sal mete ȝu þare." "I," he said, "to leue þe þus þat sal be neuer mare, Line 15562 Bot sal we ellis suffir samen, bath soft and sare." "Do wai, leue freind," said iesus þan, "þu sal me nickin are, Line 15566 [þ]u sal þe þaim ȝeit to night þo me ful gret dispite, For þai wald writh on me þu wate all þair auen wite, Line 15570 Ar þe koc him crau to-night, thries þu sal me nite, And sai þat þu me neuer sau, bes þar no langer lite. Line 15574 Bot þu sal couer and cumfort þaim þat þu seis in þair site, And þe and þaim, bath of ȝur [care], i sal ȝu make ful quite." Line 15578 [A]ll þe apostlis þan bigan to fall apon þe ground; [folio 105a:1] And he him went als he was wont vnto þe mont oliuete, Thre disciplis wid him ȝode Line 15583 foluand at his fete. "Abides here, and praies," he said, "i sal cum to ȝu skete." Line 15586 Fra þaim he ȝode, þan him allane wele a stan cast of strete.

[W]id him he thre apostlis toke, are he made his praiere, Line 15590 Petir, iam, and als saint iohn, þir thre him derrest were. Priueli þaim ledd him wid for þai war him dere, Line 15594 And scheud þaim apon þe mount, his consaile forto here. Als dughti fadir dos to sun, he gun þaim teche and lere, Line 15598 And his angus in his herte to þaim þus made he clere.

"[M]i saule es sorful to þe dede þat sal i suffer sone, Line 15602 Quilis i ga mi praier to make, ȝe bide me here and hone." A stancast þan fra þaim he ȝode, and þar he made his bone, Line 15606 Till his fadir dere of heuen þat sittand es in throne. His soruying mai na man telle þat liues vndermone, Line 15610 [F]orþi god men, i warn ȝu to thinc apon his care, Aud folus him ȝur fader es to leten on his lare; Line 15614 Awai ȝe do ȝur prid of lijf þat ȝe wid mekil fare, And buxumnes for him ȝe bere, þat sua grete for ȝu bare; Line 15618 For his wa agh we all to wepe, he suffer for vr sare, Of all þe sorus þat has bene, suilk herd ȝe neuer are. Line 15622 [F]or quilis he lai in orisun, he wid his fadir grett,

For þe mekil drede of dede, his hali self all suett; Line 15626 þat was blod þat of him ran, þe erd was þar-wid wett, Hard it was, þat soru, i-wis, þ[a]t in his hert was sett. Line 15630 "[F]adir," he said, "þu here þi sun þat nu to þe will cri, Queþer i sal nu þis chalis drinc, or i sal passe þar bij? Line 15634 Fadir," he said, "þu wat it wele, i sai it noght-for-þi, All þi will it sal be done, þare-tille i am redi." Line 15638 Lauerdinges nu, for goddes luue, ȝe herkin nu to mi spell, Of suilk a soru sum i sai er men herd neuer of tell. Line 15642 wid strand [[so in MS.]] drede he smiten was, thoru his fless and felle, Quen suete of blod vte of him brast, þat sua on erd fell. Line 15646 [Q]uen he was resin vte of his stoure, till his felaus come he, All on slepe he fand þaim fast for soru and pite. Line 15650 Ful suetli to þaim he spack, "breþer, quat nu do ȝe? Rises vp, and wakes wele, ar þat ȝe tempid be. Petre, wake wid me aquile, Line 15655 þus hight þu noght to me?" [folio 105b:1] þair eien was greued sua wid grete, þat soru it was [to] se, "[R]ise vp peris, has þu nu forgetin þat þu me hight? Line 15660

Line 15660 þu said for me if mistir war, to dede thole suld þu fight; Line 15662 And nu þu mai noght wake wid me ane vre of a night. Bes wacand ay in orisun for him, þe maledight, Line 15666 þogh þe spirite ai redi be þe fless es fuss to plight."

[Q]uen he þus had þaim taght, still he left þaim þare, Line 15670 And went him eft into þe stede quar he praid are. Mekil he dred þat hard dede, þat broght vs vte of care. Line 15674 Ful buxumli he laid him dune apon þe erd bare, And till his suete fadir of heuen, quained his sare, Line 15678 wid wordes þat he forwid said, and nouþer less ne mare. "[I] wate wele þat i sal it drinck þis chalice, fadir mine, Line 15682 Thoru mi bodi most it passe, þe tholing of þis pine. I am þi sun, all redi bune, will to do all þine." Line 15686 wid þis he ras vte of þe plasse, þat him anurd in; [Q]uen he had mad his orisun, vp sone he ras a-wai, Line 15690 And come till his apostlis, slepand all þai lai. To waken þaim ȝeit wold he noght, þat tened war wid trai, Line 15694 Of þaim redeles he reud sare, more þan man couth sai.

And þan he went þe thrid siþe, his fadir for to prai. Line 15698

[Q]uen he had þe thrid siþ mad his orisun, And mening till his fadir dere mad of his passiun, Line 15702 þe strang soru þat he lede can na man rede in roun; þe angelis vte of heuen come, on slepe þai lai all dun. Line 15706 "[S]lepis nu, for wele ȝe mai, mi breþer leue," he said, "For he es comand nere at hand, þe tresun has puruaid, Line 15710 For nu goddote! he sal me giue a sorful hard braid, Bot mekil wa if he wald witt þar es him forwith laid, Line 15714 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [H]e has wroght, if he walld it witt, him-self mekil wa. Line 15718 wid mekil folk nu comand es he þat es mi mast fa, Spere, surd, and mace, þai bring and wapins oþer ma; Line 15722 Iudas nu yonder comes þat sekes me to sla." [F]ul marrid war war þai in þair mode, ful mirk it was þe night, Line 15726 Als þai on ferr þaim lokid fra, þai sau comand a light. His disciplis wex ful radd quen þai sau þat sight, Line 15730 Of lantern, staf, suord, and spere, and mani brandes bright,

And iudas armed to þe fote, all redi for to fight, Line 15734 On him þat he suld fight fore, [folio 106a:1] wid resun and wid right,

Iesus went him forþer-ward, disciplis him foluand, Line 15738 Tillward a littel ȝard of cedron ouer þe strand. Iudas wele he kneu þe stede þar iesus was hauntand, Line 15742 wid his fals felaschip þe traitur þar him fand. [Q]uen iudas had a-visid him, quilk it was iesu, Line 15746 Sone he ran him forto kis, and gret him, haikens [[read harkens]] hu. "Haile, maistir," he said, "þu be!" "iudas, quat sekes þu?" Line 15750 "Iesus," he said, "of nazareth." "ȝe haue him funden nu, [I] am he;" quen he had sua said all to þaim þan, Line 15754 Iudas and his felauschip all on-back þai ran. þai fell dune sone to þe grund, euer-ilk a man, Line 15758 Iudas ilk lim he quoke, all vp þai siþen wan. [ȝ]eit ansuerd iesus, "quat þai soght?" þai said, "iesus seke we," Line 15762 "And als i haue ȝu forwid said here haue ȝe funden me." Iudas lepe eft up him to, "aue rabi," said he, Line 15766 For to kisse his suete muth he bedd it him ful fre.

"Siþen ȝe me seke, i ȝu biseke ȝe late mi felaus be, Line 15770 Iudas," he said, "þat þu sal do, þar-to nu hij þu þe."

[Q]uen iudas bed iesus to kisse, forsoth he groched noght, Line 15774 "Iudas," he said, "quilum was þat mekil of þe i roght; Nu þu has wid feluni and tresun me bi-soght, Line 15778 wid a kiss has þu mannes sune vnto þi bandun broght." [w]id þis word þat iesus said, þai stirt þaim forth ilkane, Line 15782 þai him vmsett on ilk side þat sone þan was he tane. wid macis and wid neuis smart vnrekinli on him þai rane, Line 15786 Ilk dint þat þai him gaue, it reked to þe bane. Petre þat him luued sua wele, he sau na beter wane, Line 15790 Of þe forel his suord he drogh and smat þe ere of ane, For had it bene eftir his will he wald him fain haue slane. Iesus said þan "petre, do wai! Line 15795 þat dint giue þu nane, [I]n þi forel þu put þi suord, i will noght þat þu smitte." On malkus ere hes hand he laid, and he led him ful tite; Line 15800 "He þat smitand es wid suord, of suord sal haue þe wite, I will þat nane for mi sake nouþer fight ne flite. Line 15804

Line 15804 [L]eue petir, i sai to þe queþer þu it has fo[r]gett, Line 15806 If i mi faþir wald biseke, i moght widvten lett Haue tuelue thousand legiuns red[i] wid me vmsett. Line 15810 Bot hu suld þan þe prophecis [folio 106b:1] till end cum þat er sett?" Petre was in handis nomin for fight þat he had done. Line 15814 Iesus him toke þan malcus ere, it helid widvten hone, "Ga forth," he said, "mi fadir has wroght for þe mi bone." Line 15818 Petre wald a-wai haue bene and þan he eschaped sone, Quen his lauerd awai was ledd, wid him wa left ful fone. Line 15822 [B]i his heued and bi his har forth þai his maistir droght, And rugged him vnrekinli bath ouer hil and hogh; Line 15826 wid þair bastunes bet him sua, þai did him mekil wogh, Hu þai him ledd þat ilk time to se was soru inogh. Line 15830 [H]u wid bastuns þai him beft ful brimeli to þe grund, þai huitid on him viliker þan he had bene a hund. Line 15834 His disciplis þat war ferd at fle bigan to fund, And als þai fre [[read fra]] þe erd him titt, his bodi was all stund. Line 15838

[Q]uilis þai him war þus handland wikidli als þai moght,

"Ha men," he said, "quat ȝe er of ane vnseli toght, Line 15842 wid staues qui bete ȝe me sua? quat haf i again ȝu wroght? Quarfor haue ȝe taken me, and als a thef vmsoght Line 15846 wid lantern apon nightertale, and i ne fled ȝu noght? [F]orsoth i neuer se[r]ued it, in dede ne ȝeit in sau, Line 15850 In þe temple was i wont to teche men ilk dau, Quar all þe folk was wont to cum wid maistris of þe lau. Line 15854 Maistir was þar nane sua gret þat i dred for þair au, Ne of þe thinges þat i said, mi word wid skil wid-drau. Line 15858 [N]u er ȝe comen me to take, all in mirknes of night, And nu haue ȝe here tane me widvten ani plight. Line 15862 For ȝe me hate all to dede, haue ȝe nanoþer right, Bot suilk it es, ȝur time," he said, "mirknes widvten light. Line 15866 Ful ilhaile þan troud ȝe iudas, þat maledight, Mekil pine puruaid es ȝu, bot mare till him es dight." Line 15870

[H]is hend þai band and ledd him forth, a-trott and noght þe pas, Right to þair auen bischop, his name was called cayphas. Mate and weri war þai þan, Line 15875 þai ne wist quarfor it was,

þar he liuerd his maistir up, Line 15879 þai bunden had wid las, Line 15880 Ne left þai noght bi-hind þaim Line 15877 þat fals felun iudas. Line 15878 þe feluns him logh till hething Line 15881 on ilk side, allas! [P]etre folud him on ferr, for durst he noght in sight, Line 15884 For wonder gladli wald he witt of þe ending if he might. To cayphas hus he him come, [folio 107a:1] and þider in he tight, Line 15888 Nu i hope it halden bes þat crist him forwid hight. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [Q]uen he was to þat palais comen, spered it was þe ȝate, A knauen freind he had þar-ine, and in he did him late Line 15896 Preuili widin his mode, for was he neuer sua mate, Gladdli wald he speke and spir bot at quam he ne wate; Line 15900 [Q]uat suld of his maistir worth, wit he wald ful faine. A quile forward he ȝode, a quile him drou againe, Line 15904 Quat þai wald wid his maister do gladli wald he fraine. For sare he dred þat syden fell wid þaim he suld be slaine. Line 15908 [A] fire was kindlid on þe place, þe night it was ful cald, Mani drogh abute þat fire for thinges þat war tald. Line 15912

Line 15912 Petir didir-ward he drogh, þogh he was vnbald, Line 15914 A sergant þer was war of him, and gun him to bihald. [Q]uen þis man hade avised him, and þar he sau him stand, Line 15918 "yoene," he said, "es ane of his þat wid vs es in band." "Ebberthwert nai," said he, "ȝe misunderstand, Line 15922 Ne wist i neuer quat he was siþen i was born in land."

[H]ad noght petre bot a littel vnethes þeþin gane, Line 15926 Quen anoþer wid him mett and said, "dis ilk es ane Of his felauschip forsoth, dos þat he be tane." Line 15930 "I," said petir, "c[n]aulage of him?" he said, "i neuer nane," [A]nd þis he drou him to þe ȝate, faine wold he be þar-vte, Line 15934 Bot þar he mett a womman sone þat did him mast to dute. Him þis scho said, "forsoth i sau lang ar wid him in route, Line 15938 þu sais noght sotht 'i knau him noght ne neuer was þar a-boute.' " "[I] knau him noght, for-soth," he said, þar-to his ath he suare;— Line 15942 Bi þis was time of night passid ouer midnight and mare. þan bigan þe koc to krau, þe time was comen þare, Line 15946 Petre þan him vnbitoght, þe word him said was are,

And went him forth vte of þat curt, wepand ful selli sare. Line 15950

[I]esus þan turned him abute, o petre eie he keist, þan wist he comen his maistir word widvten langer frest. Line 15954 Quen he him-self it vnderstode, almast his herte wald brest. þat night he did him till a roche, þar vnder for-to reist, Line 15958 For he ne wist quiþerward to weind, ne wat þat him was best.

[I]t es writen of þis iudas quen he had done þat sin, Line 15962 wid his penis þat he tock, went till his moder in. "Modir, i haue mi maistir sald, [folio 107b:1] sal he na man bigin, Line 15966 An in mi purs þe pris i bere, sumquat mon i win." [I]udas was iesus aumoner, bath thepf and traitur bald, Line 15970 Alle þat was till him bitaght ful seldin again him ȝalde. Of his theft and of his feluni, his modir alle he tald, Line 15974 And hu he to þe iuus had his auen maistir sald. "[S]un, has þu þi maistir sald?" "modir," he said, "ȝa." Line 15978 "þu," scho said, "nu sal be scheint, i wat þai will him sla, To dede þu sal se him be done, bot he sal rise þer fra." Line 15982 "Rise vp modir eft?" he said, "na sertis! ne bes it noght sua,

[N]e sal he neuer rise eft, treuli nou i þe hight, Line 15986 Are sal þis ilk coke vp rise was skaldid ȝisternight!" vnethes had he said þe word, þe coke lep up on flight Line 15990 Feþerid fairer þan biforn, creu thoru grace of dright; And þan bigan þe traitur fals Line 15993 to drede him for his pligh[t]. [þ]is it was þat ilke coke, þat petir herd him crau, Quen he had nitt his lauerd thrijs he did him-seluen knau. Line 15998 Specke we nu hu þai iesus ledd, þis folk widvten lau, Bath hider and þedir, bot þai ne wist quider þat þai wald him drau; þe lath despite þai till him did, Line 16003 es soru i-wiss, to schau. [A]ll þat night he was in hand amang þat cursed lede, Line 16006 Apon þe morn ran diderward þe folk, als þai wald wede. þe lauerdinges all quar eftir sent to be bifor þis dede. Line 16010 Petre, quen he sau þe dai, till his felaus he ȝede, He went þan forto visite þaim, for þar-of had þai nede, Line 16014 A sorfuler night might na man haue, ne he had, als we rede.