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

The Temptation.

Quen Iesus had his baptim tan, He left iohn still bi flum iordane, Fra þan to folk he will him knaw; Bot er he wild him fulli schaw, Line 12919 ȝeit a quile he wild a-bide, [folio 87b:2] Tille he had fastid his lentrin tide. And þat wald he noght do apert, Bot went in-to þe depe desert, Line 12923 þar þe hali gast him ledd, And fastid fourti dais vnfedd,— Fourti night and fourti daijs, þan hungred him, þe stori sais. Line 12927 Thoru þe kind of his manhede, þat bodili fode has of nede, þe warlou wili has him soght, Line 12930 Faand he wold him if he moght. For it was sene he noght him kneu, Quen he began do suilk a gleu; For-þi he wold him tast wid sin, To witt if he had part him in. Line 12935 þat derf of dede, þat fals traitur, Come forto faand his creatur! He douted him war na bote, Bot stod right bi his lauerd fote, He sau him hungri and forfast, In glotani he wend him cast, Line 12941 And said tille him, "i wate þat þu Has fastid lang, and hungris nu,

If þu be goddes sun, bidd sone, Line 12944 And gere þi comandment bi done, Bidd þir stanis be bred to will, And siþen mai þu ete þi fill." þan said þe lauerd to þe fede, Line 12948 "Man mai noght liue allane wid brede, Bot wid þe word man liues ellis Of god, þat wid his muth he spellis." Left noght þe warlou sua his were, Bot hardli he ȝode him nere, Line 12953 Qua herd euer beist sua bald! He hint his lauerd all in wald In his armis, and toke his flight To tune of ierusalem ful right, Line 12957 [folio 88a:1] And sett him on þe hei pingnion, On þe temple of þe tun. "If þu be goddes sun," said he, "þus-gat sal i proue nu þe, Line 12961 Hu bot lepe nu done to þe grund, þat þi bodi be noght stund; For written it es, 'he sal þe send Angelis forto þe defend, Line 12965 To bere þe tuix þair handis sua witvten hurt of fote or ta, Nouþer to spurn on tre ne stane.' Do lepe, for drede thar þe haue nane." þan said iesus, "þu au to waand, þi god þi lauerd forto fand." Line 12971

¶ ȝeit gun þat chinche wid him to chide, And said, "here sal þu no langer bide, Sum oþer ansuer sal þu say, Ar i fra þe ȝeit part away." Line 12975 þat warlou him in armis hint And bar him forth, widvten stint, Apon þe heiest fell he fand, Line 12978 And þar he scheud him all þe land,

Ilk kingrike and als cite Line 12980 Ouer-all þe worlde þat þai might se. "Ne seis þu noght," said þe felune, "All þis werld, bath ture and tune? þe kinges all er at mi fay, Line 12984 And at mi will all regn þai, And alle i giue þe þaim fra nu, If þu to me will knele and bou. Ne þe bird haue right na doute, Line 12988 For to bicum mine vnderlout." Ihesus þan said, "nu na langer Mai i þi wiked wordis ber, Fle sattan! widvten duell, Line 12992 For writen it es in bok of spell, 'þi lauerd au þu to fote fall, And worschip wid þi mightes alle.' " þe warlau left him fra þat tide, [folio 88a:2] Durst he noght gain his biddi[n]g bide, His angelis come his seruis tille, Line 12998 And duellid wid him at his wille.

LEue we nu iesus a litil quile, And turn we to saint iohn vrstile,