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

[The Apostles are imprisoned, and set free by an Angel.]

Fra þan þair folk wex mare and mar, For fast þe folk fel to þair lare, Line 19288 Bot ȝeit þe iuen folk felun þai did þe apostlis in presun, Thoru consail of a naciun wald trou na resurrecciun Line 19292 Suld be of man on domes-day, Bot gain þe apostlis þai said ai nay. þis folk was hatten saduceus, þai held ai wid þe phariseus. Line 19296

[B]ot sone þar-efter on þe night, Sent þaim was an angel bright, þat broght þaim thoru þa stedis strang, And bad þaim to þe temple gang Line 19300

Line 19300 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] For to spell þe word of lijf, Line 19303 þat all might here, man and wijf. þe presuns dors left als he fand, Nouþer he brast barre ne band,— þat was to strinth þair throuth and grund, And for þe iuus vn-to confund. Quen þai sau dis, þe iaiolers, Line 19309 Suld bring þaim forwid demaistris, "Lauerdinges, it es selcuth," said þai, "we find vr prisuns all away, Line 19312 þe dors sperd and wales hale, [folio 129a:2] Als god me helpe, soth es þis tale. Ne na takning of suilk fand we; vmthinckes ȝu hu þis mai be." Line 19316 [þ]a maistris fast þaim vmbithoght, wid þis a man þaim tydand broght, "þe men þat ȝe did in ȝur prisun," He said, "in temple þai sarmun." To þe temple þan þai ȝede, [[MS. ȝode]] þe apostlis to þair curt to lede, Line 19322 Bot na strinth did þai þaim till, For þai come wid þaim all at will. þai durst no hardnes þaim do For þe folk þaim helded to; Line 19326 Midward þat curt war þai sett, þe biscop wid forbod þaim thrett; "we bid," he said, "and ȝe forbede Thoru þe might of bischop-hede, þat ȝe in name of þat iesu, Line 19331 Be noght sua bald to preche fra nu; For all ierusalem, and mare, Haue ȝe fulfild wid ȝur lare, Queder ȝe will driue on vs þe blam Of ani wreking of þis name, Line 19336

Line 19336 Þat we suld him haue slain wid wrang, þar ȝe þrechand sua thrali gang." [A]ll als ane þai gaf ansuar, Line 19339 Moght nan for oder þaim for-bere, "Mare nede it es if ȝe wald tru To godd, þan ani man to bu; vr eldrin god did iesu rise, Line 19343 þe quilk ȝe hang wid fals assise, And has him lithed on his righ[t] hand; þis wate ȝe wele, mai nane wid-stand. Ofte to ȝu has it bene tald, Line 19347 wittnes þar-of all er we bald, wid hali gast he has vs sent, And þat treuli til him we tent. Line 19350 To ȝu if ȝe wile ȝu repent [folio 129b:1] þis gift of grace þan has he sent."

þan bigan þai wrinck and wraist, And for tene þair teth to gnaist, þan wid snepes þai þaim suang, Line 19355 And skurged sare, þai lete þaim gang, And bad þaim fle als þai wald dede, To neuen namar iesu þair fede. þai went forth ioifuler þan are, Line 19359 And noght þai mened of þair sare, But loued ai iesu cristes name, þat þai for him war worthi grame. [þ]e stedfast trouth to here it, lo! Quat-kin strenthes it mai do! Line 19364 þat nouþer for word ne for dint, Fra stabil trouth might do þaim stint þaim thoght na-thing sua suete in lijf, Als for iesu to suffre mekil strijf, Ay þe mar men did þaim miss, Line 19369 þe sekerer ai þai war of blis. Cristes blis þai loued sua wele, þat þai moght of na torfer fele, Line 19372

Line 19372 Als he bifor þaim wroght þe way, Alsua him ay folud þai. Line 19374 He þat þaim sua dere had boght Of all þis world þan gaf þai noght. þe maistris þat come efter-ward þai lered at þaim to suffre hard, Line 19378 þat neuer for na bale ne buud, Fra cristen trouth þat þai in troud.

[I]n þir apostlis time it sais Line 19381 þe cristen-dame wex fast þa dais, þat þe apostolis had to speke,— þat herdes war of cristes schepe,— Sua wex þe cristen mens tale, Line 19385 þat þai might na-waies kep þaim hale, For-þi þai sett vnder þaim seuen, þe quilk i sal þe names neuen. S[t]euin, and philip, and thamor, [folio 129b:2] Timon, meniam, nichonor, Line 19390 and nicholas þir seuen were Sett bifor þe apostlis sere. On þaim þai held þair hali hand, And a quile þai war praiand, Line 19394 And athes þan þai þaim made, Of þaim þar-of þai toke the lade, þe birden vnder þaim to bere. Of þat folk quen was mistere, Line 19398 Goddes word wex fast and greu, And alsua did þe trouth treu; And of þe preistes was þar fele Line 19401 þat left þair lastes a[n]d wrohede lele.