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

Hou caym þe cursed with wid wohw His aune broþer abel he slohw.

Nou es Adam in erd stadd, wid griss and leues is he cladd, He suanc, and eue his wijf, Apon þe erd to win þair lijf; Line 1048 wid mekil suinc was þat þai wan, For þai were first þat sau bigan. þe first child þat euer scho bare, was caym þe cursed ful of care; Line 1052 And efter him i wil ȝu tell, A hali child þat hight abell. þis abell was a blisced blode, And caym was þe feindes fode, Line 1056 was neuer wers of moder born, For-þi was he witt þat for lorn. þis abel was a herde of fe, Blissed and hali man was he, Line 1060 Rightwis he was, a[n]d goddes freind, And treuli gaf he him his tend; And for his offrand was rightwis, [folio 8b:1] Godd toke to queme his sacrefis. Line 1064

Line 1064 For caym gaf him wid euil will, vr lauerd loked noght þar vntill, Of þe tilth þat he wid delte. þis caym þat i forwid melte Line 1068 vnto his broþer ire he bare, Allas þat boght þe sackles þar. Again abel he raised a strijf, wid murther he broght his broþer o lijf, wid þ[e] cheke bon of ane asse Line 1073 Men say þat abel slain wasse. And quen he had his broþer slain, He wild haue hid his cors onan, Line 1076 Bot proued was sone his sori pride, þe bodi mith he na gat hide; For vnþer erde might it noght rest, þe clay all vp þe bodi kest. Line 1080 His brother ded sua wend he dill, Bot mith he noquar þat bodi hill; For-þi men sais into þis tyde, Line 1083 Is no man þat murthir may hide.

Qven he had don þat dreri dede, Til his faþer hame he ȝede, Quen his faþer eie vpon him kast, A syhing of his hert vte brast, Line 1088 For mistrouing had he þan sone þat he sum wickednes had done; For bi his chere he sau him wrath, So loked he euer brime and latth. "Sun," he said, "to me þu tell Line 1093 Quar has þu left þi broþer abel?" He ansuerd wid wordes vn-milde, "Quen was i keper of þi childe? Line 1096 Of him can i saii þe certain nan, Bot he to brine his tyde be-gan." vp-on þe feilde his fader went, Line 1099 And soght abel wid all his entent.

þe faþer and þe moder bath, [folio 8b:2] To blame þe broþer was þaim lath Bituix and þai þe soth had sene Line 1103 Thing þai wist noght both in wene; þaim thoght þat kind him wold forbede, To haue done suilk a curced dede. His dede i wis had euer ben hid, warn iesu him-self had it kid, Line 1108 Sua to schape might he noght, Fra mithful god þat all has wroght. He þat flemed first adam, For an appil bit þat he nam, Line 1112 Ne trou i noght he wald him feine, þat he ne wald caim dede a-teine; And he wil þat he by þe vtrage, Line 1115 þat murtherrt sua his aun ymage, He wend to haue schapid þar-wid-all, þat nan him suld clepe ne call.