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

[Of Satan's scheme to tempt and ruin Adam.]

Bot adam sone was sent a sond, þat soght him felli forto fonde. Quen sathan sau þat he was chosin [folio 6a:2] To win þat bliss þat he ha lorin, Line 714 Sori he cam, þat fals file, And thoght hou he mith man bigile. He thoght þat thing forto stint, þat godd to gret goddnes had mint. Agaynes godd he wex sua grill, Line 719 þat all his werk he wend to spill,

And troud wele wid his grete enui, Of god himself to win þe maystri. Man es nu sett bituix tua, On aiþer side he has a fa, Line 724 Betuix sathan and his wiif Adam es stad in mekil strijf. Bath þai war on adam, For to bring him in[to] blam, Line 728 Bath es nu on a parti To confunde man wid trechuri; þat wili feind him held on heij, Line 731 Him gayned noght cum adam ney, Namli in his aun schapp To spede he hopid haue na hap. For-þi a messager he sent, wid whom best to spede he went. Line 736 To þis he ches a littel best þe quilk es noght vnwiliest, þe nedder þat es of suilk a schaft, Mast of quantise es in craft, Line 740 Quaintli taght he him þe ginne. Hu he suld at þe wijf bigine, And thoru þe wijf to win þe man, þis nedder forth þat he ne blan. Line 744 In his slohu was seluen sathan, Wonþer was hu he diþer [[read Þider]] wan, Bot wid his suffrance he It lete, þat best wist hu þe bale to bete; Line 748 For-þi he made þaim þat þai moght Sin or leue, if þaim gode thoght, þat thoru skil of hir aune dede, [folio 6b:1] Suld be markyd þaim her mede, Line 752 To bou and liue widuten end, Or ellis of dede in langur to lend.