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

[The Acts of the Apostles.]

[Q]ven iesus was vpstei til heuen, Als ȝe herd me forwid neuen, To ierusalem þan went þaim sone, Als þaim was bedin forwid done. þe breþer all er comen þeder, Line 18867 In a hus war þai to-gider, S[t]ill þai held þaim þar and euen. þe apostlis war þan bot elleuen, Petre, iohn, iame, and andreu, Line 18871 Philipe, thomas, and bartholomeu, Mathe, iacob, iudas, simon, [folio 126b:1] All þir lay þar in orisoun; Mari his modir and oþer sum Line 18875 þat was neuer betaght to iesum,

þai war nere sex skor men to tell. þan ras petre þaim to spell, Line 18878 "Mi breþer," he said, "it most nu nede þe writt be fulfild þat we rede; þat hali-gast said thoru daui, Of iudas and his trechori, Line 18882 þat in vr tale was tald for ane And did vr lauerd iesu to slane. Of þe mede of his feluni A feild he did him for to bi; Line 18886 He brast in middis quen he hang, His guttes at his wamb vte wrang. þe salme sais thoru þe hali-gast, Line 18889 His woning sted be wild and wast, And for his tresun and his suike, Anoþer most haue his bischop-rike, Of þis gadring bihouis vs þan, Line 18893 In wittenesing to chese a man vnto þe seruis of [[MS. or]] vre tale, For to make vr numbre hale." All þai said, "loke it be sua," Line 18897 And of þaim all þai ches þaim tua, þe tane hight ioseph barrabas, þe toþer was haten matheas. Line 18900 þai said, and þus drightin bisogh[t], "þu lauerd þat seis all manes þoght, þu scheu vs queder of þis tua sere, þat þu will haue to vs mistere, Line 18904 Into stede iudas was losin, Quilk of þir þu wil haue chosin." þan keist þai caueles þaim emell, Bot sone apon mathi it fell, Line 18908 Of him it was vr lauerd will, þe tale of tuelue to fulfille.