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 death of Sarah, and the search for Isaac's wife.]

Sex skor ȝere and seuen liued sara, And died widuten childer ma; þan ysaac no ma scho bare, And abraham for hir had care, Line 3212 In ebron hir grof abraham, þar first was grauen hali adam. Abraham wald in his liue, Line 3215 þat ysaac had wed a wiue, [folio 23a:2] And wal scho ware, if sua miht be, Bath of his kind and of his contre; Men suld hir seke wid-in þat land, þar his frendes ware weldand. Line 3220 A sergaunt þan comandid he, þat mast wist of his priuete, þat had ben ay at his finding, Line 3223 Euer siþen þat he was child ȝeing; Apon his kne he did him suere, þat he suld þan lele erand bere, And þat he suuld giue hal talent, To fulfille his comandment. Line 3228 "Frend," he said, "þu wend in hy vn-til mesopothani, (þar þu wat vr frendes won,) To seke a wijf vnto mi sun. Line 3232 And if scho may be funden þare, þu bring hir ham wid mekil fare; Bot i wil þu bring him nan þat es of þe kind of canaan." Line 3236 "Sir," said þe sergant, "qual sal i do? þe may þat ȝe wild haue, if scho wid noght hider cum wid me?" "þan of þi trouth i make þe fre, Line 3240 For ysaac, wid no forward, wil i þat he wend thyderward."

"Gladli, sir, it sal be don." þe sergaunt made him redi son, Line 3244 And boune was mad to his busking, Tresur gret wid precius thing, Slik als maydens has of mister, All þat ten chamelis miht ber, Line 3248 Ring and broche þat war selli proud, Gold and ston for mayden schrud, þat qua him sau miht vnderstand He comen was fra a riche land. Line 3252 To mesopothamie suith cam he, [folio 23b:1] And sone he fand þe soth cyte, And quen he com nerehand þe toun, Bi a welle he lithed doun; Line 3256 A prayer made he in þat place, And þus he bisoght god of his grace, "Lauerd," he said, "þat all welde may, þat my lauerd honurs euer and ay, For quas loue he wild noght warn, To sacrifice his aune barn, Line 3262 Til quam to seke a wijf i fare, Lauerd þu send me an sum-quar, And sua mi seruis sett at seme, Line 3265 þat to þi worschip may be quene, [[read queme]] And suilk a wijf to ysaac þat may be gaynand him to tak, Line 3268 Him to yoi and mensk to þe; Lauerd, þu grant it sua may be. And graunt me bi þis welle here, Traist to be of my praiere, Line 3272 For bi þis welle sal i abide, Quat of mine erand may bytide; Here sal i abide til þat i se Maidens cum fra þis cyte, Line 3276 þair watir at þis welle to drau, þar sal i mi womman knau;

Scho þat sal bete my threst, I sal hir hold as for þe best." Line 3280 Had he noght rested bot a thrau, Of maydens sau he com a rau, þe formast was unlauthir milde, Hir semed na thing to be wilde, Line 3284 Ne was scho noght of lath thing liht, Rebecca was hir name scho hiht, Hir fadir was cald batuel. Hir semed all hir werkes wel, Line 3288 Sittandli hir watir tok, [folio 23b:2] þe sergant fast gan apon hir loke, þat was bath witti and deuyse, And said to hir on þis kin wise; Line 3292 "Mayden," he said, "giue þu me drine, For i haue þe sumdele in suink, I am a man farand þe way, Mi harnays dun here did i lay, Line 3296 Of mi passage was i in doute, For na man kneu I here aboute; Me war loth if i miht me were, Line 3299 Men did me harm of mi gere." "Leue fremd," scho said, "þin asking Ne es noght bot a littel thing, þu sal it haue wid gode will, Line 3303 And þin chameyles sal drinc þair fill, For vs ne wantis here na vessel, Bolle ne bockett, ne na fonel." Scho drow þaim al enogh to drinc, Left scho noght for hir suynk, Line 3308 And euer ilk fote miht he noght blinne, To bihold þat fair maydene, Hou all hir dedis bigane hir seme, þe sergaunt thoght þaim selcuth queme. "Say me," he said, "bi þi hand, Line 3313 Has þu ani fadir liueand?"

"Sir," scho said, "ȝa, and moþer wid al, Til hous gladli þai wil þe call, Line 3316 Fodder and hay þu sal find boune, Nan fayrer Innes in all þe toune."