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

Nou es gode to vndertake, þe stori to tell of sir ysaace.

Ovre lauerd, þat es of bounte bone, Til him he gaf his benisone, wijs he was & godd he dredd, Line 3413 And gladli his bidding he didd. widuten child his wijf was lang, And þat thoght ysaac ferli strang,

He praid to him þat all may mende, þat he wild him sum childer sende, For his wijf he dredd ful sare, Scho suld be geld for euermare. Line 3420 þe gode childer getin of grace, vnne[the]se cum þai forth in place, Bot quen þai cum forth, wele es kend þat þai of goddes grace er send. Line 3424 Child vnethes had dame sare, Rebecca, Rachel, and anna, Ne ȝit þe hali Elizabeth, Line 3427 To haue hir birth com scho nohut eth, Of saint iohn þe baptist, þat til man scheud iesu crist. Alsua semes, qua right can deme, Bes of Rebecca barn-teme, Line 3432 Scho had noght þaim for-þi i say, [folio 24b:2] Ar þai were sohut many a day. Godd hiht þaim childer noght for-þi, þat of his sede suld multipli, Line 3436 And said, "ysaac, i sal be, Als wid þi fader, alsua wid þe." Ysaac gaf to godde his tende, Line 3439 And prayd he suld him childer send, Sua lang he praid þat his praier Wele was herd wid god sua dere. His wijf þat lang child had forgan, Nou scho bredis tua for an; Line 3444 Of tuynlinges hir thoght na gamen, þat in hir wombe faght oft samen, Sua hard in hir wombe þai faght, þat scho ne had rest day ne naght. To pray to godd ay was scho prest, To consail hir quat were best, Line 3450 Quat hir war best he suld hir rede, Hir lijf was lickes to be dede;

Sua wonder strang it was, þair were, þat þai miht nohut þair strijf forbere Til þai had of þaim seluen might To se quere-for þat þai suld fight. Fra þe biginyng of þe world, Line 3457 Of suilk a were was naquar herd, Ne suilk a strijf of childer tuine, þat lay þair moder wombe wid-ine. þair strut it was vnsterne stithe, Line 3461 wid wrethly wraystes oþer wreche, Betuix vnborn a batayle blind, Suilk on was ferli to find. Line 3464 He þat on þe right side lay, His broþer oft him wraisted away, And he þat lay apon þe left, Line 3467 His broþer oft his stede him reft. þe leuedi was ful ferli dradd, [folio 25a:1] As womman þat ful hard was stad, Bo[t] vr lauerd of sothfastnes Had don hir into sekernes, Line 3472 Thoru his verra propheteye, Quat suld be þa childer enuye, Of þair werre and of þair lijf, Line 3475 And quat ensample bar þair strijf. For-þi buxum baret scho bar, And kneu confort suld cum of care. Hir breding was ful selcuth sare, And hir childing mekil mare, Line 3480 þan wex þe fight more þan beforn, Queþer of þaim suld first be born. [Lines 2569 to 2622 have been here repeated by mistake, and then crossed through.] ¶ Strang es for to schere þe schar, þe miht of kinde es funden mare; Of þir tua breþer þat i of mote, Line 3485 þe less þe mare laght bi þe fote, In trauayling, and drew egayn;— [folio 25b:1] Ful hard it was þair moþer pain. Line 3488

Line 3488 þat first was born was rohw wid har, þe toþer child was sleyth and bar; He þat was rohw was rede wid-all, Esau þai did him to call; Line 3492 Iacob hight þe ȝonger broþer, His moder him loued mare þan þe toþer. For-þi was he noquer sent, Bot to þe hous ay tok he tent, Line 3496 þe hous to kepe and tent þe mete, Mast to þat mister was he sett. þe faþer loued Esau for fode, Line 3499 For-þi þat he was an archer gode, And quen he wald ay was he bone, To gete his fadir venisun. And he was als þe formast born, He delt al wid tylth of corn, Line 3504 He delt alsua w[id] oþer thinges sere, Of best, of wode, of foul, of reuere; His fader þat ald was and vnfere, Oft he fedd wid gode dinere. Line 3508 Gode was þe world in þ[a]t sesun, And mekil it uayled þe benisun Of gode men þat wele held þair fai, On childer þat þai wald it on lay. Of blissing may men bisening tak, Be þir childer of ysaak, Line 3514 Hou þe ȝonger of þa tua, þe blissing stale his broþer fra. Bot first es gode þat it be tald, Hou esau his broþer sald. Line 3518 Esau went for to hunt A day, as he was oftin wont, Bath fer and nere he has sohut, Line 3521 Bot þat day gamen fand he noght; [folio 25b:2] For haue men neuer so gode graith, Ilk day es noght tyme of waith,

Bot riuely þat dai þat men failes, About his gamen mast trauayles. Line 3526 Quen he al weri was for-gan, Ham he tok his way on-an, For hauke es eth, as i here say, Line 3529 To reclaime þat has tint his prai. His broþer he fand giuand his tent For to make a riche pulment, Line 3532 "Of þis mete mi broþer," he said, "Giue me sum part þat þu has grayd; Mete and drinc þu has at will, And lang es siþen i ete mi fill." Line 3536 Iacob said, "nay, god it witt, To þe haue i nohut graithid itt, þe mete my moþer me bitaght, For þu and i er seldom saght; Line 3540 Aboute vr for-birth er we wrath; Bot þu sal suere me an ath, þat þu sal neuer fra þis night In þi for-birth clayme na right." Line 3544 "For-birth," he said, "quat seruis it me? Broþer, at þi will all sal it be." wid þat forward he made a vou, Line 3547 And said, "for hunger i dey riht nou;" And for his fille of þat potage, As a wrecche he sold his eritage, Line 3550 He ete and dranc and went his way, And tynt his blissing fra þat day. Na bote it was þou him forthoght, Godd wold it were his þat it boght.

Ysaac, þat dohuti man, Line 3555 vnfere and elde apon him ran, Of bodi fayled him þe miht And of eyen al sua þe siht. þe man þat sua wid elde es diht, [folio 26a:1] His day es turned into nyht, Line 3560

Line 3560 And haue man ben neuer so bald, Quen þat he bicomis alde, Til vnweild bigines to falle Line 3563 His body, it waxes drey and dall. His heued bigines for to schake, His handes vmquile for to quake, It crepis crouland in his bac, And his bonis for to crac, Line 3568 þe frely fax to fall of him, And þe siht to wax al dim. þe front it frounsis, þat was schene, þe nese it droppis ay bi-tuene, Line 3572 þe teth to rote, þe and to stinc, Alone to lyue trauayl him thinc. þan es eth þe fote to spurne, Line 3575 Quen he fallis wid his aun turne; He praysis al thing þat es gan, Of present thing he prayses nan; þan es eth to make him wrath, To sahutingis him sum-del lath: Line 3580 To teche men wid his aun witt, He haldes nan sua wis as itt, Quen all witt es fra him gan, Line 3583 And wille þat welth es mast of an, Bot nankines wile may ald man pai Ful baldli þan dar i say. He þat in suilk stat es stadd, Es no gle may make him gladd. Line 3588 Elde es nou a selcuth thing, For all it ȝernis þat er ȝing, Quen þai it haue þai er vnfayn, And þan wold þai be ȝong again, þan wold þai be as þai war ar, Line 3593 And þat may þai be neuer mar.

Sua has elde þis ysaac ledd, [folio 26a:2] þat he in langure lis in bedd,

Him wantis siht, as i said ȝou, And cald on his sun esau. "Esau, leue sone," he said, "Ga loke þi takil be puruaid, Line 3600 And fond to stalk þe sua nere þat þu may hapin to sla sum dere; If þu may ani venisun gete, Gladli wild i þarof ete. Line 3604 Leue sone, þu hast hiþer till Gladli don þi fadris will, þu art archer wid þe best, Bath in feld and in forest, Line 3608 If þu may bring me ani best, þu diht it me fair and honest. þar efter nou me langes sare, Here þar i liy in bedd of care. Line 3612 Sun," he said, "i wil noght lye, It bes noght lang ar þat i die, Ga bring me nou sum venisun, And þu sal haue mi benisun." Line 3616 "Sir," he said, "gladli and sone, wid goddes help it sal be done." His moder tok tent to ysaac, And herd þe wordes þat he spac, Line 3620 And wist of lang lijf was he noght; Avoyde scho hir, and vmbethoght. Iacob hir sun scho called hir to, And þus til him þus said scho, Line 3624 "Mi leue sone, i wil þe warn, For-qui þu art mi derest barn, þi fadir badd þi broder gang Line 3627 To set him mete, and duel nohut lang, þat if he ani wath miht gete, He suld him dight þar-of to ete; For war he anys þar-wid fedd [folio 26b:1] Ar he deyed in carful bedd, Line 3632

Line 3632 His benisun he wild him gete,— For lang he wat he may noght speke. Bot leue sun, ful lath me ware þat he þi benisun fra þe bare, Line 3636 vnhappi wrecche has he ben ay, þi sele he sal noght bere away; Bot þu sal do nu mi consail, wele i wat it sal þe avail. Line 3640 Nou hey þe suith, þat þu ne blin, Ar þat þi broder be comen in, Of kiddis fatt þu fett me tua, I sal þe teche hou þu sal da. Line 3644 I sal þaim dight til his bihoue, A mete as he was wont to loue, It sal him sauor to his wille, Ete he sal þar-of his fille; Line 3648 Quen it es diht þu it him reche,— Do nou wele as i þe teche. And þat he may þe less mistrau, þu sal say þat þu art esau, Line 3652 Fra þe forest neuli comen, venisun þou hast him nomen, wid daynte diht to his bihoue; Line 3655 þu bidd him rise and þarof proue, þat þu may gete bi þis resun Of þi fader his benisun." "Moder," he said, "wis war þi lare, Ne war of a thing i drede sare, Line 3660 þu wost mi handis er al bare, and esaues er rohw wid hare. If mi fader þat nou es blind, May mi gile sua vnder find, Line 3664 I drede me sar, of benisun He sal me giue his malisun." "Do way, leue son," rebecca said, [folio 26b:2] "þat malisun apon me be laid, Line 3668

Line 3668 Bot þat i bad, þu bring me sone." "Gladli, moþer, it sal be done." Iacob went into þe fold, Line 3671 And broght þa kiddes þat i of tald, His moder smartly þaim dight, Als scho bifor had him hight, And clad him, als it was mete, Line 3675 wid his broder cloth þat smelled suete. wid a rohu skyn scho hillid his hals, And couerd þar-wid his handes als, þat his fader suld algat trou He were his sun esau. Line 3680 His moder him þis mete bi-tahut, And he it suith his fader rahut, "Fader," he said, "sitt vp and ett, I haue þe broght þi ȝerning mett." "And quat art þu?" his fader said. "Sir, i esau, þi mete es graid." Line 3686 "And quatkines mete?" "sir, venisun, Ete and giue me þi benisun." "Hou es it, son, þu spedd so sone?" "Almithi godd has herd my bone, And sent hit smartli to mi hand, Line 3691 Men au to thanc him of his sand." "Cum nere, leue son, and lat me fele, If þu be he i loue sua wele." Line 3694 Quen he had felt his smelland clath, And gropid his hals and handes bath, "þis voice," he said, "þat i here, Is of iacob widuten were, Line 3698 Bot handis and hals es, als i trou, Mi dere sun, þi child esau; þe sauor sone of þi vestment, It sauors as it war of piment. Line 3702 I sal wend forth, þu duelles here, [folio 27a:1] Mi blissing, sun, þan sal þu bere.

þi broder be þin vnderlout, And all þat wonis þe nere aboute; And all þa sone þat blisses þe, Blissed sal þaim seluen be; Line 3708 And all þat biddis þe malisun Sal bere it on þair aun croun." He ete and dranc þat was his will, And siþen his sone he called him till, His brod blissing he him gaf, Line 3713 þe quilk his broder wend to haue, And made him lauerd ouer all his kin; Bot þat was wid his moder gyn, Line 3716 Hir moder consail was þar-vnto, And godd wald scho suld sua do. Bot iacob went quen þis was don, And esau cam efter sone, Line 3720 "Fader," he said, "sitt vp in bedd, I haue þe broght quar-of be fedd, Of venisun þat i þe bring Ete, and giue me þi blissing." Line 3724 His fader him asked, "quat art þu?" "Sir, þi sone," he said, "i esau." [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] Sonne he seid for my prow Thow were here at me right now] "I?" he said, "nay godote, Mith i noght be sua liht of fote!" wid þis gaue ysaac a grone, Line 3731 "Sone," he said, "riht nou was one þat first me fedd and siþen me kist, And me bigilid þat i ne wist; Mi benisun nou has þi broder." Line 3735 "And fader," he said, "es þar non oþer?" "Na, son, also mote i haue mede." "Allas quat i am broght in nede! Away he has mi blissing born, Sua did he als þe toþer morn. Line 3740

Line 3740 [folio 27a:2] He has me done ful mekil schame, Rihtful was iacob cald his name, þat es to say in riht langage, Supplanter of eritage, Line 3744 For quan i first born suld be, wid strinth agayn þan drou he me; He has me done ofte vnresun, And nou me reft mi benisun, Line 3748 Me es sua wa, almast i wede; Fader, þis was na broder-hede. Consail me, fader, hu i sal liue." Line 3751 "Son, quat kines consail may i þe giue?" "And es þar, fader, na blissing left?" "Na, þi broþer it has þe reft." Line 3754 "And es þar, fader, nan oþer wan?" "Wan," he said, "es nan bot an. In þe deu and griss alsua, Sal be þi blissing quar þu ga, wid erde trauail, and sua þu do, Line 3759 And prai godd send his deu þar-to." "Lord," he said, "quat es me best, Min hert bes neuer mar in rest Bituix and þis iacob be dede, If i may gete him in any stede." Line 3764 þus esau wid his manasce, vte of þat land did iacob chasce. Quen þair moder sau it was sua, He sohut his broder for to sla, Line 3768 Scho sent him sone into aran, Til hir broþer þat hight laban, þer to soiorne for þair sake Line 3771 Till þat his broþer wreth suld slake. Be niht þe flom iordane he wode, And thoru a wildrenes he ȝode, He loked quare þat him war best, Bi þe way to take his rest. Line 3776

Line 3776 He tok a stan he fand him bi, [folio 27b:1] And þar-apon made his hefd to ly. In slepe he sau alleddir him by, Stand fra his hefd vp to þe sky; Line 3780 Apon þat ledder sau he boun, Angelis clymand vp and doun, Opin him thoght þe ȝate of heuen, Of godd he herd suilk a steuen, Line 3784 "Godd and lord," he said, "i am Of ysaac and of abraham. Iacob," he said, "þu sal haue tuyne Wiues of þin aun kine, Line 3788 Tua dohutyrs of laban, þin eme, þat þu sal haue wid barnteme. Wid þe sal i be in al þi nede, And ger þin ospring wide to sprede. I sal be, for þin eldris sake, Line 3793 Wid þe, and esau for-sake." Wele was he gladid of þat sight, Soft him thoght he slep þat nyht. On þe morn quen it was day, Iacob ras fra þar he lay, Line 3798 And said, "vr lauerd, widuten were, þat i wist nohut es wonnand here, Here es nan oþer thing," said he, "Bot goddes hous and heuen entre." þe ston his heued lay apon þat night, In takning, he it sett vp-right, Line 3804 And oyle he putt apon þat ston, And made to godd a voice anon, And said, "if godd be mi freind, And lede me in my way i wend, Line 3808 And send me mete and drinc and cloth, And bring me again widuten loth, vnto my kith þat i com fra,— If i finde þat he lede me sua,— Line 3812

Line 3812 He sal be mi god and mi king, [folio 27a:2] And þis ston stand as in tokni[n]g; And þis stede fra nou it sal Be clepid goddes aun hall. Line 3816 Of all þe gode he dos me weild, Lelely þe tend i sal him ȝeild." Iacob went him forth his way, Line 3819 Quar thre flockes of bestes lay Bi-side a welle, vp-on a feild, And iacob sau and biheld, A mekil stan apon it lay; þat bestes dranc at ilka day. Line 3824 þe herdes bi þaim fand he þare, And askid þaim queþer þat þai ware? "Sir," þai said, "we are of aran." "And knau ȝe aut," he said, "laban?" "Sir, ȝa;" "and es he hale and fere?" "ȝa, hal and sound, widuten were; ȝonder i se his dohutir rachell Line 3831 Driuand his bestes to þe well, For all þe flockis cumes hiþer Ilk a day, to drinc togider." Line 3834 þan cam Rachell þat maydin bright, Iacob lifted vp þat ston ful wight, And spac sua wid þat damysel, Line 3837 And kneu him þar wid may rachel; And said, "quat art þu, lemman?" "Sir, my fadir hight laban." Line 3840 Aboute þe hals he hir hint, And kist hir thries ar he stint. "I am iacob þi cosin nere, Line 3843 And for þi loue am i comen here." þe may, quen scho gan vnderstand þat iacob suld be hir husband, To laban tald scho neu tydand, And he him ledd bi þe hand. Line 3848

Line 3848 þai frained of þair freindes fare, [folio 28a:1] And he þaim tald bath less and mare, Laban for-faynhed he did to call Line 3851 For his neuou sake his freindes call; And siþen he did him for to say, Quat was þe enchesun of his way. "Sir," he said, "i wil þe tell, Line 3855 For to spouse þi dohutyr Rachiell." "þan sal þu serue me seuen ȝere, Ar þu sal haue mi dohutir dere." "Gladly, sir, sua sal it be," Fra þan wid laban duelled he. Line 3860 þe eldir sister he for-soke, For scho gleyed, sua sais þe bock; For to serue for rachel fre He was maister herde of his fe; Line 3864 It was ferly of þat fare, Hou mekil þai multiplied ware. Quen þat þe seuen ȝere war gan, Iacob askid him his lemman, Line 3868 Laban said, "frend, ful blethily," Bot þar he did a tricheri. For quen he had may rachel wedd, Lya he stal vnto his bedd, Line 3872 Be-side lya al niht he lay, His vnwytand til hit was day. Bot quen he wist it on þe morn, Line 3875 Ful wa was him þat euer he was born. Fra hir he ras and syhid sare, And askid hir quo had broght hir þar. "Laban," scho said, "allas for sinne, Qua wend he wild me þus biginne." þan did he laban to resun, Line 3881 "Qui did þu me suilk a tresun?" "VI laue," he said, "þat we in leue, wil first vr eldir dohutir geue. Line 3884

Line 3884 Bot neueue murne þu no wite, [folio 28a:2] þu sal haue rachel as i þe hite, And þat may be nan oþer wise Bot ȝeit for þi seuin ȝere seruise. Line 3888 To-quiles hold lya in þi bedd, For-soth þan sal þu rachel wedd." þis new forward was festind þan, Bituix iacob and laban, Line 3892 His terme was passid, and seuin dais He weddid Rachel, þe stori sais.

Lya bred child and had a son, Ruben, and siþen symeon, Line 3896 þan leuy, þan ysacar, Zabulon, Iudas, sex breder war, A dohutir scho had, þat hith dina. Bot of oþer and wimmen tua Line 3900 Had foure sunes getin of him, Dan, Gad, Asser, and nyptalim. Rachel bar Iacob sones tuin, Line 3903 First joseph, and siþen beniamin. þat was a chesun of hir fin On þaim scho dyed in gesin. Quat of his wiues, tua of spouse, Line 3907 And quat of hand-wimmen in house, Tuelue sonis had he of þa, And a dohutir þat hiht dina.