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

Hou iesus did in his barn-hedde, Sum thing þat i will rede.

BItid apon a haliday, þat þai calld sabat in þar lay, Iesus and oþer childer samen Line 11931 went þaim bi þe flum to gamen. þar-bi sett iesus on his play, And laikes seuen made of clay, Line 11934 And till ilkane of foure he made, þat suld be þaim to water laþe, þat water might renne fra and till, vte of þe flum alle at will. Line 11938 Amang þa childer was þar ane, Als he þat sib w[a]s to sathane, wid erd and enst and euil witt, þe water wising gan he ditt, Line 11942 þat water to þe lakes broght, And spilt þe werk þat iesus wroght. þan said iesus, "þu goddes fede! Sun of tinsel and of dede! Line 11946 Nu þat i do þu it for-dos, And þar-of sal þu make na ros."

was þar wid him no langer mote, Bot dede he fel dune at his fote. His frendes þan bi-gan to cri Line 11951 Ogaines iosep and mari, "ȝur sun, þat wanton and wilde, wid his banning has slane vr childe." Quen þai war þus done to resune, Mari and iosep þai dred tresune Line 11956 Of þe freindes of þis barn. [folio 81b:1] Iesu wele faine wold þai warn; þan said ioseph to mari, "Speke þu wid him al priuili, Line 11960 And ask him qui he dusgat geres vs hated be for his a-feres, vr neghburs mai þaim on vs wrek; Spek þu, i dar noght wid him spek." Mari soght þan till him sone, Line 11965 And said, "mi lauerd, quat has it done þis bodi, dede worthi to be?" Iesus ansuerd, "wele worthi was he, Quen he wold noght thole to stande Mi werk þat i made wid hande." Line 11970 "Sun," scho said, "wirk noght þus wise, Alle wille þai þan agines vs rise." Iesus, þat was fulfild of houe, His moder mod wold he noght droue, Bot on þe ded cors þar it lay Line 11975 wid fote he smat, and þus gan say, "Rise vp, þu ful of felonnie, For þu was neuer ne es worthi Mi faþer rike part of to gete, Line 11979 For qui? þu has mi dedes lett." þis cors vp ras quen he said sua, And on his wai him did to ga. Line 11982 Ihesu þan in þat ilke stede, þe water sone to lakes ledde,

And of lame of þe lakes selue Line 11985 wid handes mad he sparus tuelue. Apon þar sabaoth þus he did, And mani childer was þare emid. Quan juus þis gan se and here, Line 11989 þai spac to ioseph on þis manere, "Ioseph, ne seis þu bi þi fai, Hou iesus brekes ur halidi?" Line 11992 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Ioseph þan to iesus spak, "Qui dos þu men slik plaint to mak For þi wirking on vr sabate?" [folio 81b:2] And iesus samen his handes smate, And he said, in þai aller sight, Line 11999 "Rises vp and tas ȝur flight, Flies and liues ouer all þis world!" þai tok þair flight and forgh þai ferd. Quen þai þis sau þat bi him stod, Sum said him euil, sum said him god, And sum him loued and spak of pris, And sum him blamed þat war [[MS. wai]] vnwis. Sum of þaim þis selcuth sau went to prestes of the lau, Line 12008 And said þaim hu ioseph sun Suilkin maistris do was won, Bi-for þe folk of israel, þat it was soth for to tel. Line 12012 At þe last come þis tyþand, To tuelue kindredins of þe land.