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

[Description of Paradise.]

"Tell me man wid þi lare, Quat land es paradis, & quare, Siþen i here þe þareof spell." Line 1001 Gladli, sir, i sal þe nu tell; Paradis es a priue place, Ful of mirth and of solace, Line 1004 þe loueliest of all landis; In erd toward þe est it standis, Land of lijf, of ro, and rest, wid bliss and bote broidin best. Line 1008 þar euer es day widuten night, And vmlaid wid leme of light, Of sellines it es wele sene, þe griss is euer elike grene; Line 1012 wid all blisses þat þar es ellis, Floures þat er of suete smellis, Treis of fruit þan es þar sett, þat diuers vertu has to ett, Line 1016 þat if man ete in tyme of ane, Hunger sal he neuer haue nane. And if he ete of a noþer tre, Ne sal he neuer thristi be; Line 1020 þe thrid qua it etes of þat þere riss, Sal he neuer haue werines. Of ane qua-so it etes at þe last, He sal in elde be euer stedfast, Line 1024 Sekenes sal he neuer non drey, Ne neuer sal his bodi dey. It es an orichard cald of delijss, [folio 7b:2] wid all suetenes of diuers spicijss, Qua duellis þar thar him noght lang, þar soun es soft and suete sang, Line 1030 Soun of foulis þat þar singes. In middes þat land a welle springes,

þat rennes vte wid four strandes, Stremes farand in ferr landis. þir stremis four þat þar bigines, Thoru all oþer contres rennes, Line 1036 þe first es tyger and ganges, Siþen nilus, and eufrates; þai bring stanis fra paradis, Sua precius naquar funden es. Line 1040 þis paradis es sett sua hei, þat might neuer flod cum þar ney, For-þi was it fre of noe flode, þat all þis werld ouer it ȝode. Line 1044