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

[Of the building of the Tower of Babylon.]

þir folis foltid gadrid þaim þan, wid grett enuy þis werk bigan, Line 2240 To and sexti fadum brad was þe grund-wall þat þai made. [folio 16b:1] Quen þai at will had fest þe grund, þe werk þai raisid ane a stound, wid tyle and ter, widuten ston Line 2245 oþer morter ne was þar non; wid corde and plumbe þai wroght so hy, þat hete of sune miht þai nohut dry, wid horsis ad wid camayles hide, Line 2249 þai hold þaim þat hete for to bide, And said, "queþer godd be wrath or blith His estris sul we se als suith;

Nou we haue vs sped sua ferr, Our will may he noght forbarr." Bot grete god, þat euer es hende, Line 2255 a curtais vengans on þaim gan send,

þai þat suilk vtrage on him soght, Lim ne lijf he ne reft þaim noght, Bot sua he menged þar þair mode, þat nan of þaim þar vnderstode Line 2260 Of suilk speche as he wold say, þair tunges wex diuers fra þat day. For schame ilkan þat werk for-sok, And went away, sua sais þe bok. Line 2264 For-þi þat tour es cald babiloygne, þat schending es widuten soygne, þer war all þe spechis delt, In diueris landis ouerall es melt, Line 2268 þat first was bot an and na ma. Nou er þer spechis sexti and tua. þis tour was celly mad vp on hight, Fyf thousand steppis it was right, And eyt skor and four þar to, Line 2273 Sua made þir folis þaim to do. Ten mile compas all aboute, Als þe stori tellis, widuten doute. Line 2276 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] At þis werk ne was noght sem, Ne noman of his barn tem. Line 2280 Ebru þair spece þarfor hald þai, [folio 16b:2] þat iuus haldes ȝeit to þis day.

Þis nembrot was þe first king þat in maumet fand mistrouing, Lang he reyned in þat land, Line 2285 In maumetri first fayth he fand; þat he bigan lastes ȝeit, Sarazins wil it noght for-let. Line 2288 Till his fader þat was dede, a vigur was made wid his rede, And comanded stiffli to his men, Line 2291 As godd þai suld him knau and cen;

Quat for luue and quat for doute, All worschip it als þair vnderloute. þis euydens biheld þis oþer, Line 2295 þat sum for faþer and sum for broþer, For freindes dede þat þaim was dere, þai made ymagis of meteles sere. Thoru þaim þat lau was þar bigun, Sone ouer all þaim was it rune, Line 2300 For freindes dede ouerall þe land, Suilk mistrouing vp þai fand. Feindes crepe þas ymagis wid-in, And lede to folted men wid sin. Line 2304