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

[The Trial before Caiaphas and Pilate.]

[I]n sir cayphas hus þai helde þair gadering, Line 16018

Line 16018 Again þair lege lauerd, i-wiss, to heued him oþer to hing. Line 16020 All þai gederid of þe tune, bath fre man and dring, And sent to pilate þair procketur, and did him dider bring, Line 16024 For he was sett vte ouer þaim vnder cesar þe king.

[S]ir pilate come and askid þaim, in hething als it were, Line 16028 "Quare es ȝur king, ȝe do him bring forth bifor vs here." þai stirt þaim forth vnsternli, wid a ful baldli chere, Line 16032 "Parfai, pilat, þu him agh to hald nu ful vndere, þat king him mas widvten leue of cesar þe emperore, Line 16036 Ne herd þu neuer selcuth slike als þu of him sal here." [C]ayphas þat þair bischop was ful riche he was and rank, Line 16040 Alle þai gedrid at his curt, [folio 108a:1] and þar þai samen sank. Iesus þat in p[re]sun lai, ful hard þai did him hank, Line 16044 And bunden broght him forth als thef, þair will it was full wlank.

[þ]ai vmbithoght þaim on quat wisse þat þai might him wrei, Line 16048 And wid quat þing þai tittest might do him for to dei. Sir pilate on þaim biheld, of skill was sumdele sli, Line 16052 He knew sum-dele þair feluni, wist þaim was lef to li;

[H]e biheld þa bitter bald, hu þai said þair resun, Line 16056 And vnderstod þat þai him had tane all wid tresun. Pilate satt, and him abute, þe burgeises of þe tun, Line 16060 He louend na wight þat wick folk, for þai war ay felun. Bifor þaim iesus stod als a lamb, his heued drupand dun, Line 16064 On þaim he loked noght his heie, bot bad þair will ai bun. [M]ani lesing had þai mad again iesus þat day, Line 16068 Pilate did men herk and list all þat þai wald say. Bot he cuth find na skill quarfor plight on him to lay, Line 16072 For in þair auen sau þai said oft sith þan forkid þai. [V]p þar stert tua panteners in middes þat cunsile, Line 16076 And said on hei to sir pilate, "sir, herkin vs a quile. He þis es man, and mas him god, to gere men trou his gile, Line 16080 He es na godd ne goddes sun, of him we knau þe stile. [G]od men," þai said, "ȝeit es þar mare, herken, i sal ȝu tell, Line 16084 þat he in þe temple said, quar we herd him spell; He bad þat we þat temple suld all to þe grund it fell, Line 16088 He suld it raise þe thrid dai, no langer terme emell."

[w]id þis pilate vp he ras, iesus wid him he lede, Line 16092 And ȝode into þe pretori, þat was a sundri stede. Bi-tuix þaim tua he askid him quarfor he was sua medd, Line 16096 To þat folk him soght wid schame þat ansuer nane he bedd? "[S]eis þu noght, þat þai þe hate þir iuus, na-thing mare, Line 16100 If þai haue might wid vile dede nu will þai þe forfare. Ne heris þu noght on ilk side, hu þai apon þe rare, Line 16104 Again þair saus þat þai sai, qui ne giues þu þaim ansuare: Siþen men has said us þat þu es sua wis a man of lare; Line 16108 Sai iesus, qui dos þu dus to me na soth þu spare."

[A]t þir wordis come a man rinand fast in hij, Line 16112 And said þat he wald speke on-ane wid pilat priueli. A messager him tiþand broght fra his wif, þat leuedi, Line 16116 [folio 108b:1] Scho grett him wele and tiþand sent, de quilk he had redi. "[þ]i wijf es sumdele iuel at ese, and þat es for a sight Line 16120 þat scho in hir sleping sau, nu þis ilke night, Of þis iesu, þat nu þis folk has tan widvten plight. Line 16124 word scho sendis þe forþi, if ani wai þu might

þat þu thole him noght to dei, for it war gret vnright." Line 16128 [Q]uen pilate had þis tiþand herd, and wele it vnderstode, He broght wid him iesus again, and to þat curt he ȝode. Line 16132 "Gode men," he said, "i can noght find nu in þis man bot gode, For he ne es noght worthi to dei, als me thinc in mi mode. Line 16136 Bot schourges him and lates him ga, quen ȝe mai se þe blod." "[D]o wai," said þai, "nu sir pilate, quarfor þan sais þu sua, Line 16140 we will it grant on nanekin wise þat he suld scap vs fra. He mas him king, and wald be cald, and þu wat wele þat sua Line 16144 Mas him king widuten leue, hes þe emperurs fa. Of galile þan es he born [[The MS. has "þe folk" here, twice in the long line.]] þe folk he dos mis-ga." Line 16148

[Q]uen þat pilate herd þaim sai he was of galile, Thoght he wald haue sauued him, to drede þan gan he, Line 16152 For herodis was þat ilk siquar keper of þat contre. Bunden iesus als he was, alsua he lete him be, Line 16156 And wid his sergantes he him sent till herodes forto se. [F]orto wreth sir herodes mare pilat thoght ful laith, Line 16160 For he and he had samen bene, forwid selcuth wrath,

Forto do his breth to bu, of him þat was ful brath. Line 16164 Herodes had grenid him to se, þar forwid mani ratht; [H]erodes grenid him to se, and of his come was faine; Line 16168 wid his knithes vp he ras, and went all him againe. Of him he wend haue signes sene, for noght, all was in vaine, Line 16172 Ne wald he neuer on him bi-hald, fo[r] thing þat he might fraine. [B]ot ȝeit þe ius find noght, to seke iesu wid wrake, Line 16176 þai praid herodes þat he ne suld no praier for him make, Ne helpe him noght, ne he ne did, all for þe iuus sake. Line 16180 ȝeit i hope þat þai sal bath grisli bifor him qwake.

[Q]uilis þat herodes wid him spack, and he ansuerd him noght, Line 16184 For he had grened him to se þar-for it him for-thoght, For had he anikin signe forwid herodes wroght, Line 16188 Had noght þe ius him done to dede for thing þai cuth or moght. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [H]e askid him all priueli, qui þai him had sua soght, Line 16196 "Speke wid me, and sai me qui, [folio 109a:1] and all sal be for noght."

And iesus held him stille, als he noght of him-seluen roght: Line 16200 A purprin cleth þai on him kest, and gain to pilate broght I[n] takking he was a fole, his witt bot littil doght. Line 16204

[A]pon sir herodes halue þai grett wele sir pilate, And said, "ȝe er freindes made, þe sotht þar-of we wate, Line 16208 He has þe sent þis man again right in þat ilke state. A word wid him ne wald he speke, ne anes lift vp his late. Line 16212 [H]e es þe selcuthest man, þat euere ȝeit we sei, For he wald nouþer chaunge his chere for lau man ne for hei, Line 16216 Nouþer ansur for to giue, ne anes lift vp his hei. Bot herodes thankes þe þi sand, forsoth we sal noght lij." Line 16220 "[C]ertis," said pilate to þaim, "þat thinck me nu ful gode, Bot giues me consail if ȝe can, þat menged es in mi mode. Line 16224 þis gode man es of mekil witt, qua it welle vnderstode, Bot he has wrethed ȝu, for-qui ȝe er wid him sua wode. Line 16228 I rede men chasti him þarfor, and bete him to þe blode. [G]ode men quat es þan ȝur dome, sais me sertainli," Line 16232 All þai said, "he be done on rode, and þat in hij."

"Better most ȝe sai þan sua," coth pilat, "sua rede I, Line 16236 To uarn ȝur consaile better it es þan to do mare foli." [P]ilat was ful wrath i-wiss, wid þaim þat ilk dai, Line 16240 "Man," he said, "qui dos þu þus, þat þu will na-þing sai Againes þaim þat folus [[MS. fouls]] þe; nouþer ȝe ne nai? Line 16244 For þi state þu au to speke, to bring þi-self a wai. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [Q]ui es þe sua lath to speke? bot ansuer þaim, i rede, Ne seis þu noght hu þat þis folk þe hates to þe dede? Line 16252 A freind has þu nogh bituix þaim, for all þai er þi fede, If þu will noght helpe þi-self, men haldes þe for quede. Line 16256 [S]ai me þu queþer þat þu be goddes sun or nane, þat i mai witt it wittirli." þan ansuerd he on-ane, Line 16260 "I [am] his sun, als þu has said þat all lese be wane; þat sal be sene quen sothfastnes sal quilum be ouertane, Line 16264 [T]rou it qua-sum will it trou, i sal ȝu cheu ȝe right, For to climb þe cludes all þe sun sal haue þe might. Line 16268 And for his freindes efterward, dune þan sal he light,

Noght in priuite i sai, bot in ȝur aller sight." Line 16272 [W]ele at þis word was he herd wid þat curced lede, All up þai ras and gaue a cri, [folio 109b:1] right als þai wald wede. Line 16276 "Quat mister es of witnesing again him forto lede? His auen muth nu has him dampnid, of witnes es no nede. Line 16280 Dos him on rode, þat ranson nane sua bald befor him bede." [Q]uid þis a sergant forth him stret þat stod ama[n]g þaim þare, Line 16284 He lifte his hand and a buffet he gaue iesu ful sare, And said eftsones, "speke bot skill and wordis slik na mare, Line 16288 For þi missau þat all has herd maldat þat þe qua spare." . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Iesus þan lifted vp his face and loked on þat felun, "Freind," he said, "qui smites þu me wid-vten right resun, Line 16296 Ar þat þu þi word had mendid, quat es þine achesun? þe man þat es noght ouertane in mote to smite it es tresun." Line 16300 [P]ilate him ras, and forth he ȝode vte of þe pretori, þis felun folk iesus þai ledd, foluand him wid cri. Line 16304 Pilate said þaim and bad þai suld do him no vilani,

For quat ending þe mote suld take, þai wist noght witterli. Line 16308 [I]ntill a chambir went pilate þan priuili him ane, And iesus thoru his comandment, þar-in wid him es gane. Line 16312 Pilate him sone to resun did wid wordes mani ane, "God man," he said, "þu sai me qui þu ert als presun tane, Line 16316 Thoru þis bischop and his men þat þu ert to be-taght? wele knaus þu þaim, and þai þe, þat þe has to me laght. Line 16320 Ert þu goddes [sun]," he said, "es of sua mekil maght?" "Soth," he said, "qui askes þu, it es þe forwid taght." Line 16324 "[þ]e soth þu sai me," said pilate, "quarfor þu es þair fa, Iwate and seis þai wile noght fine, bituix and þai þe sla. Line 16328 Ne wate þu þat þe pauste is mine to spill or lat þe ga?" þan said iesus to sir pilate, "me thinck it es noght sua, Line 16332 [F]or if þu pouste haue a quile, þu sal noght haue it ay. I haue it of godd and es his sun if i þe soth sal say." Line 16336 Pilate seis þat wid na word ouer-cum him he ne may, Of his clathes vnclad him, and oþer did on him lay. Line 16340 [S]ua he sent him cled again to þaim þat war his fas,

Apon his heued a crune he sette, in hething all, allas! Line 16344 Iesus thoght ful mekil schame quen he sua schorned was, For cuth he neuer wid suilk be cled, forwid in nankin cas. Line 16348 Iesus thoght ful mekil schame, and luted dune his chere, þis þai said, "it es ȝur king, [[MS. kimg]] lo! him bifor ȝu here." Line 16352 Loude bigan þai forto cri [folio 110a:1] þat all moght ouer-here, "Gas nu and take ȝu him bliue, we wald on rode he were." Line 16356 [A]ll þai crid als wid a mouth, "naile him on rode tre!" "Sai ȝe noght sua," said sir pilate, "þat es no rede of me, Line 16360 He agh noght dei for na resun þat i can in him see." þai said ilkane, "þis ilk man bot he ne dampned be, Line 16364 þe freindschip sal þu lele forsoth bituix cesar and þe." [P]ilate said þan, "lo! here ȝur king, bot herke i sal ȝu sai, Line 16368 To moru it es ȝur mekil fest þat ȝe halu in ȝur lay, A presun er ȝe wont at haue, for resun of þe day. Line 16372 Askes quilksum þat ȝe wille, ȝe sal it haue parfay, Askes þan ȝur king, and i ȝu sal noght nic it nay." Line 16376 "Quarfor," coth þai þan, "sais þu sua? leue maistir, do wai!

[O]f þis iesus speke þu na mare, bot of anoþer man, Line 16380 þe quilk þat we haue till vs tane, his name es baraban." "Of ȝour king þat es in hand, quat aghtel ȝe do þan?" Line 16384 "Do him on tre;" "sackles es he als fer se sum i can." Eft þis word ai mare and mare to cri þai all bigan. Line 16388 "[S]elcuth vs thinc of þe, pilate, wid dreching forto drill, we haue vs chosin barabaras, algat him haue we will." Line 16392 Pilate him thoght þair grening alle þat he it wild fulfill, Quen he wele sau þat all his soigne, þai tok it bot till ill, Line 16396 Iesus þat all to-drauen was to skourge he taght þaim till. [Q]uen þat pilate sau na bote gain þaim lang to striue, Line 16400 Of iesus dede he þoght þe sake all fra him-seluen driue, vp he ras and wess his hend emidward þat folk bliue. Line 16404 "All ȝe se," he saide, "þat i am sacles of his liue." [þ]ai crid all on hei, "pilate be still, thar ȝe noght drede, Line 16408 His blod on vs be and on þaim þat of vs sal brede." And sua it es, god it wat, sene on alle þair sede, Line 16412 For nu er þai als thrallis made vnder all oþer lede.

[P]ilate stud vp on his fete emidward þat gret gedering, Line 16416 "Pes," he said, "lo here to ȝu es liuerd vp ȝur king. I here ȝu sai ȝe will him do on rode tre to hing." Line 16420 "Do wai pilate till vs," said þai, "feris noght to do sli thing, [w]e haue vr lau," said þai, "þat we liue in inland, Line 16424 Eftir þe laue þan sal he dei, þis sal þu vnderstand." Pilate forthoght þaim bath to wreth, he wald þaim hald in hand, Line 16428 To þat wilful wode he taght [folio 110b:1] þe lauerd es all-weldand. [þ]an was þat suete sackeles flesse done to mekil wrang, Line 16432 First þai band him till a tre, and wid skourges him suang Fra þe heued to þe fote, ouer all þe blod oute wrang. Line 16436 Siþen þai crouned him wid thorn, þat thorn his heued thrang, And bitaght þaim at þair will, har sargant for to hang. Line 16440 þe manslaer, þat barabas, es loused of presun, And vr lauerd es ledd to sla widvten ani chesun. Line 16444 vte of presun þat haue þai tane þe thef and þe felun, And on rode þai go to hing þe lauerd and þe barun; Line 16448 þai and all þe sede of þaim has goddes malisun.

[a]n euil chaunge haue þai þaim made, þaa fals, þaa felun fode, Line 16452 Quen þai þe fine gold forsok, and toke þaim to þe lede; þai ches þaim-self dampnaciun thoru þair auen rede, Line 16456 And broght vs till saluaciun, þaim seluen to þe dede. [I]udas stod emang þat folk, to bihald and sei Line 16460 Hu vili þai wid him delt, and quat schame he gan drei. Quen he sau þar was na soygne, bot his lauerd sud dei, Line 16464 þan him reud of his res, and went himself to wri. [Q]uen þat he sau his maister sua be casten alle to care, Line 16468 wid his penis forth he lepe þat he had rescaiued are; þan him reud his marchandis, allas! caitiue ful of sare. Line 16472 "Ha," he said, "quat ȝe er a felun folke, for ȝe can na man spare, Here i ȝeild ȝu ȝur mone, giues me again mi ware. Line 16476 [F]ul wrather-haile to mine bihoue haue i tan þis mone, For þe sackeles blod of him, for right-wis man es he. Line 16480 Allas! þat euer i was till him made sua priue, þat þe erd þe time þat i was born ne had bisuelid me. Line 16484 Takes," he said, "ȝur penis here a felun folk er ȝe,"

"Han we noght þar-of to do," said þai, "þu sal þi seluen se. Line 16488 [A]ll for noght," said þai, "iudas þe marchandis es made." He left þe penis on þe flore, and sone awai he glade. Line 16492 "þai will," he said, "þe rightwis sla widuten ani bade, And all sal nu of tresun speke, ouer all þis world sua brade; Line 16496 [I] sal mi-seluen on me wreke, of þis marchandis wrang, For þis rightwis ful wratherhale, toke euere i þis fang." Line 16500 A rape he gat him preuili, þat he wist was strang, And fast he fest aboute his hals, him-self þar-wid he hang. Line 16504 He brast in tua his buelis alle, [folio 111a:1] vte at his wambe þai wrang, þe sari saul þar-vte he sent, widvten þat sorful thrang. Line 16508 [v]te at his wamb þe saule brast, at muth had it na wai, þat he wid kist cristes muth, als ȝe are herd me say, Line 16512 Quen he come als a traitur fals his auen lauerd to be-trai; Sli dede was neuer, als men sais, herd bifor þat dai. Line 16516 [D]ed es caitiue iudas nu, þat traitur has to name, Of his vgli marchandis has all þis world þe fame. Line 16520 His knightes mai men call all þaa þair lauerd dos spite or schame,

To dei als he for þair seruis and hell haue to þair hame. Line 16524 [N]u es iudas dede wid schame, als ȝe herd me telle, And to þe warlou all bitaght þat hurles hard in hell. Line 16528 "Lo! here þe preis," he said, "þat i gun for mi lauerd sell," He kest þaim dune apon þe grund, threti penis þar fell. Line 16532 [B]ot þe iuus, þat all wold haue, þe thresur forsok þai noght, wid þe pris of þat hali blode a potter place þai boght. Line 16536 To be done in þair corbanan, þai said þat it ne doght, Acheldemack þai cald þe feild, for it wid blode was boght, Line 16540 Forto delue in vncuth men þat to þat cite soght. [I]esus crist, vr sauueur, was dampned to do of dau, Line 16544 To be hanged on a tre, als þan was thefis lau. Bot swilk a tre þaim wantid alle als writen es in sau; Line 16548 þai said þai wold þe kinges tre vnto þat mister sau, For it was comanded þai it suld vte of þe temple drau. Line 16552 [þ]an went þai to þe temple suith, in tua þis tre þai schare, Als mekil als þai sau þat gained, þai tok þaim and na mare. Line 16556 þai fand it als nu and fress als it on stouid ware.

All quat þai wald þar-of to schape, fand þai na letting þare, Line 16560 [w]idvten rotte, widvten brest, it smelde selcuth suete, Forto make þis werk þarof, widvten letting it lete. Line 16564 Bote forto bere vte of þe kirc þa fand it ful vnmete, For þeym might þai for na thing, it stir a fote of strete. Line 16568 [T]ua houndreth men sent cayphas to fett a-wai þat tre, þai most þan ouer heu it þar or forto late it be. Line 16572 þe rode þai schop þan als þai wald, als we þe taken se, Of cedre, cypres, and of pine, als writen es of þaim thre. Line 16576 [A]pon þe heued hei on þe rode, ouer þar was done a brid, þar war þe lettris written in of mani a man war red. Line 16580 [folio 111b:1] Quen it was wroght þai all ne moght stir it vte of þe stede, Bituix and þat ur lauerd crist was þedir him-seluen ledd. Line 16584 [Q]uen he come to þat suete tre þe felunes to him said, "Take it vp," þai said, "þu seis hu it es to þe graid." Line 16588 He lutede dune and kist it sone, and at þe first braid, Widvten ani help of man vpon his bac it laid. Line 16592 [I]nto þe tune forth he it bare, bifor þat cursed lede.

þai met a bisen man i-wis, him þai gun þai nede, Line 16596 At take þe tane end of þe tre to ga better spede. Half feird ellen was þe lenth, and oþer half þe brede, Line 16600 And þan to the mount of caluari all þar-wid þai ȝode. [A]pon þe mont oliuete þai sett þis rode tre, Line 16604 Mani man folud of þat tun, and mani of þat contre, Sum for gode and sum for ill, all come him forto se; Line 16608 Mani þar grete and mani þar logh, of þat gret semble. [þ]e riche men þai skorned him, and did all þat þai moght Line 16612 Hu þai him might do mast dispite, on ilk-a side þai soght. A crune apon his heued þai sett of scharp tre was wroght, Line 16616 þat in a hundred stedes, i-wiss, þe red blod vte broght. [þ]ai cled him in a mantil rede, toke of his auen wede, Line 16620 And siþen in his hand þai sett a mekil staf of rede; And wid him plaid sittisott, and bad þat he suld rede Line 16624 Quilk of þaim him gaue þe dint; sare agh þai for him drede. Sare þai agh þaim drede, þe folk þat war sua felle, Line 16628 þe schame þai on vr lauerd soght, ful store it war to telle!

þai did him sitt als he war king, on kneis bifor him felle, Line 16632 "All haile vr king," suilk was þe hething, þai draue him þaim emell. þai spitted on his luueli face, þa disciplis of hell, Line 16636 þai hailced him bifor, bihinde, þai gaue him buffetes snell. [G]rett it was þat folk to se, þat gedrid to þat thrang, Line 16640 ȝong and alde, man and wif, þai wep and handes wrang. "ȝe fole mistrouand folk," þai said, "qui will ȝe algat hang Line 16644 þe man þat neuer plight has done? mekil haue ȝe þe wrang." [A]ls þai quaned iesus þus, wommen of þat cite, Line 16648 Iesus turned him abute and þus to þaim said he; "Wimmen, wimmen, do wai! ne wepe ȝe noght for me, Line 16652 Bot on ȝur childer and ȝur-self, for ȝeit þe dai mon se þe baraine blisced sal men calle; for soth þis sal men se. Line 16656 [folio 112a:1] [B]lisced sal men hald þair wamb þat neuer barnes bare, þe pappe þat neuer suken was, for in þat time of care Line 16660 þe fellis sall þai bidd on þam fall, sua hid wald þai þai ware. Quen suilk in grene tre es wroght, in dri sal mekil mare." Line 16664