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

Christ chooses the Apostles

Þan thoght iesus it was to lang widuten felachip to gang, Chese him felaus will he bigin, Line 13268 Bot noght of riche kinges kin, Ne of erli, ne of grete barune, [folio 90a:1] Ne oþer gret lauerding of tune, Bot mene men of simpil lijf, Line 13272 þat princes held men syden rijf. ¶ Tua breþir, peter and andreu, Bath þai war of mekil theu, Ne had þai first nanoþer gode, Line 13276 Bot wid þair schip fand þaim fode, wid þair fissing war þai fedd, And pouer liuelade þarwid ledd. wid a word left þai þar schippis tuin, For þat was all þair worldis win, Line 13281 And neuer siþen went þair mode, For þai sau þair chaunge was gode. At see saint iohn and iame he fand, Quiles þai þair lines war baitand, Fadir & moder and alle þair kin, And schip þai left, and foluid him. Þan come till him iudas thadu, Line 13288 And broght wid him sait bartilmeu. Siþen he come vntill a bij, A morning fand he dan leui, Of publicane lede was he, Line 13292 And als a man of gret pouste. Iesus crist first wid him ete, And he for iesu all forlete, To folu him toght him no schame, And siþen mathe was his name. Line 13297

Line 13297 Siþen simond, and iudas, Line 13298 þe less saint iohn, a[n]d saint thomas, þan iudas skarioth þe bald, þat at þe last his lauerd sald. Tuelue war þai to tell in tale, Line 13302 Quen þai war to-gedir hale. Fra þai þaim to þis lauerd ches, Alle þai forsoke þis worldes ese, Line 13305 To man þai wroght neuer vnpes, If man þaim soght wid gret malese; For þai þaim loued ilkan als breþer, [folio 90a:2] þai herdes sundrid neuer fra oþir, widvten ani threpe or strijf Line 13310 Ai tille þe ending of þair lijf. To petre þat he pouerest fand, Of alle he made him mast weildand, Bifor all his oþer feris [[MS. peris]] Most priuilag he gaf to peris. Line 13315 To petre said he, "loues þu me?" "þu wat wele, lauerd, þat i loue þe." "þu sal do þan mi comandement." "ȝa, sir, wid mine alle entent, Line 13319 To dei for þe, if it be nede." "Mi schipe," said iesus, "sal þu fede. Petir," he said, "þu has bene gode Fisser hidertille on flode, Line 13323 Fra dis dai forth i sal þe ken For to be fisser of gode men. þu sal nu fra þis time forward Of heuen and erd be ȝateward; Of þaim þu sal þe kays bere, Line 13328 Bath for to open and to spere. Quam sua þu bindes, be he balde, He sal befor me bunden tald; And quat man þu lesis of band, For lous he sal in heuen stand. Line 13333

Line 13333 Petre es þu, and mi kirc sall Line 13334 On þat stane sett hir grundwal. Na wrenkes of þe maledight Againes hir sal haue no might. Seruis me þu and þi fere, Line 13338 ȝe er mi frendes leue and dere." And sua þai did, bath dai and night þai seruid him, als wele was right, widuten pride, wit simple lijf, Line 13342 widvten strut, widvten strijf. þe folk him folud of þe land Bi hundrith and bi thousand; Line 13345 Men folud him for sere resune, [folio 90b:1] Sum to here his suete sarmune, To se him-self and here his speke, And sum for hele come þat war seke, And sum to se miraclis rijf, Line 13350 Hu þat he raisid dede men to lijf; And sum all forto haue þe fode, For ilk man had of his gode. And þar þat ani faute bitidd Line 13354 was noght his curtasi vnkidd, þat he ne it scheud wid mani dedis, In mani stede, wid wordi medis, Als bifor þe arthitricline, Line 13358 þar he turned þe water to wine.