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

[The Crucifixion and Burial.]

[þ]e knightes þat war wid him sett, þai iesu sone un-clede, And ledd him to þat rode tre, and þar-on þai him sprede, Line 16668 þar he gaue his suete flesse for vr ransun in wede. Iesu þu haue merci on vs, þat sua sare for vs blede! Line 16672 [þ]ai nailed him opon þat tre, on þe mont caluare, And a thef on eþer side þai hinged þar him bi, Line 16676 þat þai all suld vnderstand ȝode þat wai bi, Of þir tua theues, als qua sai, "þair maistir thef am I." Line 16680 þe chesun of his dede þai wrat abouen his heued on hij; [A]bouen his heued, als i ȝu tell, a bord was festind plat, Line 16684 þar-on it was þe titel writen, thoru rede of sir pilat. "Iesus nazarene, of iuus king," þar apon he wrat, Line 16688 Of ebru, gru, and latine, for to schind his state. [T]o quilis þai goddes wiþerwines him nailed to þe tre, Line 16692 For þaim þat did him all þat schame, his praier þus made he, "Fadir," he said, "forgiue þu þaim þat þai do gaines me, Line 16696 For quat þai do, þai er sua blind, þai can noght seluen se."

[A]bute his cirtil drou þai cutt, qua suld it bere a-wai, Line 16700 Till him þai mekil heþing made þat walked bi þat wai. "Haile! þu struyer of temple, art þu nu þare," said þai, Line 16704 "And said þat þu suld cast it dune, and raisid þe thrid dai. Haile oþer men was þu ofte wont, þi-self hele if þu mai." Line 16708 [þ]as oþer said, "if he be crist, als he did men to trou, He do him-self doune of þe rode, and all we sal him bu." Line 16712 Mekil heþing þai of him made, bath sarazin and Iu, Te teind part of þair despiitt, i mai noght tell to ȝu! Line 16716 [O]f theifs þat biside him hang, þe tane him gane vpbraid, "þu sauue nu bath þe-self and vs if þu be crist," he said. Line 16720 þe toþer theif him gaf ansuer, and blamed him a braid, And said, "þu dredes litil godd, þat þis paine es on laid. Line 16724 [L]ittil dredis þu drightin, or his mekil might, þe dome þat es nu giuen on vs, we haue it all wid right; Line 16728 And þis man, wat we wele þat he es all widvten plight. Haue merci lauerd! on me quen þu bes in þi rike sua bright!" Line 16732 [folio 112b:1] Till him he gaue ful suete ansuer, "forsoth to þe i hight,

þat þu sal be in paradis wid me þis ilke night." Line 16736 þis thef þat hang on his right hand, dismas to name he hight, Gesmas hight þe toþer thef, þat was all maledight. Line 16740 Bi þis was vndrin of þe dai, þan mirkind all þe light, [H]is apostlis was fled him fra, durst na man wid him bide, Line 16744 Bot ane, his modir and saint iohn, þat duelled bi his side. Foluand him in wele and wa, þai sau þat sorful tide, Line 16748 Fra þan was mirknes ai to none, ouer all þis world wide. [H]is modir and mari magdalene, and mari cleophe, Line 16752 And iohn his dere cosin, stode bi þe rode tre. Iesus þan sau his modir wepe, of hir he had gret pete, Line 16756 "Modir, iohn sal be þi sun fra nu, instede of me. And þi modir, mi dere cosin, þu loke hir hir," said he, Line 16760 Fra þan he his leuedi lagh[t] in his ward for to be. [B]i þis it was þe dai sua gane, þat comen was to none, Line 16764 Iesus wald wele þe prophecis war all til ending done. þan he said, "me threstes sare," a suain stirt forth alsone, Line 16768 And bedd him bitter gall to drinc, bath weri him sun and mone! [[up to p. 961]]

[þ]at bitter drinc þat he him gaf, he bedd his muth þar till, Line 16772 He tasted it, bot noght he dranc, for it was selcuth ill. For þe mekil blod he bled als he moght, spac he still, Line 16776 "To þe fadir ȝeilde i mi gast, nu haue i done þi will." [Q]uen him was bedd þat bitter drinc of aisel and of gall, Line 16780 þat blisced saule he ȝeild for vs, his heued dune lett he fall. þe dai wex mirk þan þe night, þe erd it choke wide all, Line 16784 þe stanes brast, þe temple clef in tu, bath rofe and wall. [L]auerd! þat all þis world in hand has lokin als a balle, Line 16788 þu reu on care of cristen men þat can bot on þe call; Nameli on þat dreri dai, quen þu þaim deme sall, Line 16792 þu lat þaim noght þat þu sua boght bicum þe feindes thrall. [S]ua fersli þe erd quock þe grauis it vndid, Line 16796 þat mani man ras to þe lijf in erd was forwid hidd. And come to tune emang þa men, to þair freindes þaim kidd; Line 16800 þan bigan mani a man to drede for farlis þat bitidd. [þ]e word it come to sir pilate to þaim þat war on stadd, Line 16804 Of all-kin thinges þat bifell, quarfor he wex ful radd.

widvten mete and drinc þat dai in soru was he stadd; Line 16808 Eftir þe maistir iuus he sent, [folio 113a:1] þai come als he þaim badd, "[H]aue ȝe nu sene, quat sai ȝe me of thinges þat er done?" Line 16812 "Oft siths haue we sene," said þai, "esclepis of sun and mone." A rightwis man was in þat lede als þar was funden quone, Line 16816 Ioseph of arimathi he hight, till heuen þan gan he hone. Of iesus bodi all for to beri he askid pilate his bone, Line 16820 And pilate had selcuth þat he had giuen þe gast sua sone. [þ]e iuus for þe mekil fest, þat on þe moru suld be, Line 16824 þai said þat bodi suld be nane left hangand on þe tre. "Fellis þaim dune als ȝe best thinck, for paid i am," said he, Line 16828 þe tua þai fand sumdel in lijf, of eþer þai brac þe thie. [B]ot quen þat þai till iesus come, þai fand him dede as stone, Line 16832 For þai wist þat he was dede, of him þai brac no bone. Bot longeus þe blind, wid a spere (of knightes was he one) Line 16836 Thoru his side vnrekenli apon his herte it rane; . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] [B]lod and watir vte of his side ran, selcuth mekil wane, Line 16842

Line 16842 And of þat blod ran till hijs ei he gate his sight on-ane. Line 16844 He þat sau it þus he said, his wittnes es, saint iahne, For þat man of his freinschip, was sua ner was bi him ane. Line 16848 Ioseph, þat his freind was lele, was of arimathie, Ne grantted neuer wid will ne werk, to þaire gret felune, Line 16852 He and sir nicodeme alsua, als tellis vs þis storie. wid leue of pilate to þe rode þai went þaim priueli, Line 16856 þar sorfulest of all þai fant, saint iohn and mari. [þ]e rode it was wid lieif and brac florist wele selcuthli, Line 16860 Fra þe middai to þe complene þat mani toght farli; Bot þogh þe iuus þat it sau thoght selcuth ne for-þi, Line 16864

Line 16864 Nouþer þai gaue man, ne þai toke ensampel god þar-bi; Bot on þe morn of þat grening, þe tre als ar was dri. Line 16868 [V]te þai drou þe nailes thre, and toke his bodi dune, wid winding clath and riche smerel, hiis birijng made þai bune. Line 16872 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] A stane he til him-self had wroght, ioseph, þat god barune, Line 16876 þai delued him þare derworthli, in a ȝard bisides þe tune. [þ]e murning þat his moþer made mai na man rede in rune. Line 16880 Sone of þis was tiþand tald to þaa iuus felune, þai come to pilate and þus-gat þai did him resune. Line 16884 "Sir," þai said, "nu will vs drede men sal vs do tresune, Sir," þai said, "he, yon traitur, yon letter of vr lai, Line 16888 vs menis quilis he was in liue [folio 113b:1] þat we herde sum say, þat he suld haue bath might and strenth to rise þe thred day; Line 16892 For-þi es skill þat daies thre ȝeming on him we lay. [I]f his desciplis cum bi night to stele him þan away, Line 16896 And sais till all he resen es, þar bes ane iuel play; þan sal rise mare þan bi-forn euer again ur lay." Line 16900

Line 16900 "Gas," said pilate, "and dos him kepe þe best wise þat ȝe may." Line 16902 [þ]e prins of þe preistes of þe lau went to þat monument, And sperid it wid a mekil stane, to turne enogh had tuent. Line 16906 þai did þair selis þar-apon, are þat þai þeþen went, Armed knightes þar þai left þat to þe tumb suld tent; Line 16910 Bot quen þat he ras to liue þai caitiues war bot schent. [I]oseph wald haue a-wai þe rode, þe iuus it him forbedd, Line 16914 þat ilke night þaim-self it did a-way for to be ledd; wid þe theifs croices tuin, quen all war gane to bedd, Line 16918 And groue þaim thre for cristen men, widin a preue stedd. Forþi þai bar þe maliscon of him þat þar-on bledd. Line 16922 [N]u es þe crois grauen vnder grete, and iesus vnder stane, And hinges all hope of hali kirc in mari mild allane. Line 16926 Ay till iesus þe thrid dai had fughten again sathane, And werid him in his auen bitt, als hund es on a bane, Line 16930 [A]nd als þe fiss wid a baite apon þe hoke es tane, For if he sau him man als man, his goddhed sau he noght. Line 16934 To-quilis his fless lay vnder grete, his gast till hell es gane,

þat wid þe might of his goddhed, he ras him-self on-ane. Line 16938 [T]horu a tre, als ȝe haue herd, was all man-kind mad thrall, And throru his hali rode tre, þan war we frelsed all. Line 16942 Again þat appil adam ete was giuen iesus þe gall, All þe pinis of þis world Line 16945 to tell þaim þai war ful small, Again þe lest of his to drei, if i ȝu lije na sall; [F]or he þat neuer no sin did, vr sinnes all he bare, Line 16950 And vilelik for vs was ledd, als i haue tald ȝu are. For vr sakis þat we had done he suffred all þe sare, Line 16954 Noght a lim of his licame suffred he to spare; And siþen his lijf he for vs gaue, quat might he þaim do mare. Line 16958 [H]e þat did velanije neuere, ne neuer þar-to thoght, vr sinnes and vr vilaniie ful dere on him he boght; Line 16962 Sua wele he luued vs þat na-thing of him-self he roght, And alle þe wrake on him he toke, [folio 114a:1] þat oþer men had wroght. Line 16966 [A]ll þe tunges of þis werld cuth noght tell þe tend, Ne all þe hertis cuth noght thinc hu he till vs was hend. Line 16970 Es nane þat he ne aght to reu sare þe soru of suilk a freind,

þat sli baret on him wald bere to lede vs all to leind Line 16974 [A]nd thinc ȝu na selcuth of þis, for ȝeit i sai ȝu mare; All þe sekenes of þis werld if a man on him bare, Line 16978 And þat man of all oþer men might suffer all þair sare, Again his pine bot als ane vre, littel or noght it ware. Line 16982 [Q]uar thoru i might liue in lijf a hundred thousand ȝere, And i might anis for his luue ilk dai dey sere; Line 16986 All þat i might drie to pine, to sare and to torfere, Again þe pine he for me dregh, bot als i-noght it were. Line 16990 [þ]an may men say þat his pine was hardir for to drei, þan it war þe pine of hell, in als lange a quili. [[read quile]] Ya! forsoth þat mai men se, Line 16995 þat es of skil aght sley, He was sua mighti in him-self, his kind it was sua hei. Line 16998 [A]nd for þat iesus had in him sua grete might and vertu, þat þar was neuer man þat had sua mekil als we trou. Line 17002 In sum-kin schaft might thole þe pine of hell, als we wat hu, þat es to say, widvten end, þan semis wele, þat iesu Line 17006 Tholed harder pine in als lang, men mai it wele avou.

[M]annes saul thoru kind it louis þe bodi sua, Line 17010 þat it wold neuer if it might þe bodi self forga. Do man it neuer sua mekil pine, ne sua mekil wa, Line 17014 Till bodi haue tint his wittes fiue, þe saule wil noght þar fra. [H]ering, sight, smelling and fele, cheuing er wittes fiue, Line 17018 All sal be tint ar saule passe, quen þe herte sal riue. Kind na saule suffris are, to part wid man a-liue; Line 17022 Bot iesus þat swa mighti was, suffred harder þe striue, þan ani man þat es or was, or sal be born of wijfe. Line 17026 [F]or þis ilke suete iesus had sua mekil might and maine, þat it semis wele to be, and sotht it es all plaine, Line 17030 þat he has an hundreth syth dublid þis ilke paine, And es na man þat es in skill þat agh say here againe. Line 17034 [Q]uilis he hang on þat suete tre, als it es forwid tald, His hali saule till fadir his wid voice ful hei he ȝald. Line 17038 þar scheud he him for mighti god, þat all thing has in wald, And sua to make vr ransuning, [folio 114b:1] for vs him-self he sald. Line 17042 [H]a! þu blisced mai of all, of þe quat mai i say?

Of þi soru, mari milde, þu hade in hert þat day. Line 17046 þat dai it was þi passiune, mai nane þarwid sai nay, Quen þu þi suete sun sua sau be ledd wid tene and tray. Line 17050 [B]ot comen it es þe nu þe suord þat thoru þine herte stang, þat symeon wid propheci had hight þe forwid lang. Line 17054 Bot of ioy ane hundreth fald, he dublid þe þi sang, Quen he ras fra dede to lijf, Line 17057 wid his godde-hed sua strang. Bath þe birth and þe passion of iesus þat vs boght, If he ne had resin fra þe dede, had bene vs all for noght. Line 17062 Nu mai we se all opinli, þe fight till end es broght, þe werld succurrid, þe feind es feld, þat man wid soru soght. Line 17066 [I]n þe þan, leuedi, hang all vr trouth and fai, All men was in dute and were bot þu, leue hali mai! Line 17070 Til þi suete sun vp-ras þi trouth was stabil ai, Hu men agh vr lauerd leue, þu lered vs þar þe wai. Line 17074 [M]ari meke, þu moder es, ful of reuth and pete. Mirthful maiden, mild of all! fulfild of all bunte. Line 17078 Na man mai tell þe teind part þe bliscednes of þe!

vr trouth, vr hope, all bar þu þan, vr beild leuedi nu be, Line 17082 And pais vs wid þi suete sun þat hang for vs on tre. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Of him i haue þe passiun nu said, eftir mi might, Hu he egain vr witherwine, vr bataile toke to fight. Line 17090 þogh his it war þe paines all, vrs it was þe plight, He giue vs grace, haue part of blis, þat he til his has hight. Line 17094 And þat we mai widvten end, be wid him in his sight, þar ioy and blis es lastand ay, þat es in heuenes light, Line 17098 And speciali for me ȝe pray þat þis bock gart dight, Iohn of lindbergh, i ȝu sai þat es mi name ful right. Line 17102 If it be tint or dune a-way, treuli mi trouth i plight, Qua bringes it me widvten delay, i sal him ȝeild þat night. Line 17106 And qua it helis and haldis fra me, treuli i ȝu tell, Curced in kirc þan sal þai be wid candil, boke, and bell. [[The long lines end here, and the bottom of the page is written in two columns again. See the fac|simile.]] Line 17110