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

Of ysaac nou wil i neuen [ [[from Laud MS. 416] That louyd was with god in heven].

Herkin of godd þat al es weldand, Hou he wild proue his lete seruand, wele louede habram Isaac, His sely sun widuten sak, Line 3120 He lerid him first godd for to drede, And syden all gode theues in lede. He bigan to loue him sua, þat he miht him naquile for-ga, Line 3124 vr lauerdes will, all mithi king, It was to proue habram wid sum thing. Til abraham vr lauerd spac, Line 3127 "Quere es þi sun," he said, "ysaac?" "All at þi will, lauerd," said he, "I wil þat þu offre him to me." "Gladli, lauerd, þu me him gaf, Line 3131 Gode resun it es þat þu him haf." To vr lauerd he was sua treu, þat miht na pite do him reu, Line 3134 þat he ne hadd leuer his child to spill, þan wirk egain his lauerdes will,— þat child þat was sua many ȝere, Line 3137 Or he was sent, sohut wid prayere;

And nou he wend widuten wene, þat he suld his ayr haue bene. Line 3140 Bot nou es he askid on þis wise Til god to make of sacrifise, And þou it ware grisli and grill, He left noght vr lauerdes will, Line 3144 Bot asked him, widuten bade, [folio 22b:2] Hou [t]he sacrifise suld be made. And he bigan him for to tell, "ȝonder, hey apon ȝon fell, Line 3148 Sal þu brin þi sone for me." "Gladli, lauerd, sua sal it be." Nou sal i tell ȝou hou it was; þe child he kest apon an asse, And tok wid him knauis tua, Line 3153 Bot þai ne wist queþer to ga. He welk þat fell [ner] dais thre, To seke þe stede quare he wild be. Quen he cam þar has him tyht, Line 3157 Of þe ass þe child did he to lyht, And toke him wid him and no mare, His meyne he bad abide him þare, His consail wild he na man tell. Line 3161 þe child he broght apon þat fell, Suord ne fir forgat he noght, And ȝong ysaac a fagett broght. "Sir," he said, "quar sal we take þe best, ȝour sacrifise to make, Line 3166 Siþen we wid vs broght hiþer nan?" "Godd," he said, "sal send vs an." wid þis he stod þe child nerhand, And priueli he drou his brand, Line 3170 þat þe child were noght percayued, Ar þe suord him had dicayued. He lift his hand him for to smite, Bot godes angel com ful tite, Line 3174

Line 3174 Ar he mith giue him þe dint, His suord bihind him he hint, And [bade him] þare bi-side him take A schep his sacrifise to make. Line 3178 He loked bisyde him in þe thornis, And sau it hange þar wid þe hornis. þis angel held ay still þe suord, [folio 23a:1] And spac of confort suilk a word. "Abraham, hald still þin arme, Line 3183 And to þi son þu do na harme, vr lauerd þe for-bedis him to sla, þi dere son, þat þu loues sua; þu loues him mare widvten wene þan þi sone, þat es nou sene. Line 3188 Ful wele þu loues him and dredis, And wele he sal ȝeild þe þi medis. ȝe sal his blissing haue for-qui, Mekil he sal ȝou multepli, Line 3192 For luue of þi ferli fay, Sal ilk a lede cum to þi lay. God has þe uysited so to-day, þi dede in mening sal last ay; Line 3196 þi buxumnes all folk sal find þat sal be bred out of þi kind." Of þis letting he was ful glad, And did as þe angel him bad, Line 3200 þat schepe he slow and siþen he brent, And hamward on his way he went. þe fader gan þe sone for-bede, Til ani man to tell þis dede, Line 3204 "Fader," he said, "be þu ful bald, For me ne bes it neuer tald." þai went again to bersabe, þare þai had left þair meyne. Line 3208