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

[The Crucifixion and Burial.]

¶ Þo knyȝtis þat bi him sat: þei ihesu soone vncledde And leide him on þe rode tre: þeron þei him spredde Line 16668 þere he ȝaf his blessed body: for oure raunsoum in wedde Ihesu haue mercy on vs: þat so sore for vs bledde Line 16672 ¶ To þat tre þei nailed him þo: on mount caluory Wiþ a þeof on eiþer sid þenne þei heng him by Line 16676 þat alle shulde vndirstonde: þat ȝede þat wey ny Of þese two þeues as who so seiþ: þe maistir þef am I Line 16680 þe cause of his deþ þei wroot: abouen his heed on hy [folio 103b:1] ¶ Abouen his heed as I ȝou telle: a bord was made fast Line 16684 Þeronne was þe titel writen: bi reede of pilates cast Ihesus nazarene iewes kyng: þis was hit furst & last Line 16688 Bi Ebreu. gru. & latyn: þese wordes þo þei past ¶ whil þese cursede houndes: him nailed to þe tre Line 16692 For hem þat duden him shome: his preyere made he Fadir he seide forȝyue hem: þat þei don to me Line 16696 For what þei do þei be so blynde: hem self con not se

¶ Aboute his curtel drowȝe þei cut: who shulde hit bere away Line 16700 To him muchel scorne þei made: & also greet affray Heil þou temple caster doun: to him gon þei say Line 16704 And reiser vp as þou seidest wiþ inne þe þridde day oþere hastou heled ofte: hele þi self if þou may Line 16708 ¶ Somme seide if þou be crist: as þou hast seide ar now Com doun þi self of þe rode: & alle wol þe bow Line 16712 Muchel scorne þei him bed: þat was for oure prow þer tenþe part may no mon telle: soþely to seye to ȝow Line 16716 ¶ Of þo þeues þat bi him honge: þe ton him ȝaf vmbreide Saue now þi self & vs: if þou be crist he seide Line 16720 Þe toþer þeof gon him blame: wiþ þis vnswere þus purueide He seide þou dredest litil god: þat þis pyne is on leyde Line 16724 ¶ litil dredestou god: or his mychel myȝt þe doom þat is ȝyuen to vs: we haue hit wiþ riȝt Line 16728 Wiþouten cause is þis mon: to þe deþ now diȝt Haue mercy lord he seide on me: whenne þou comest to þi liȝt Line 16732 ¶ Ihesu ȝaf to þat þeof: þis vnswere of pris

To day þou shalt be wiþ me he seide in paradis Line 16736 þis þeof þat on his riȝt side heng: dismas he het þe wis Gesmas het þe oþere: þe fend him made nys Line 16740 ¶ Bi þis was vndren of þe day: þe liȝt bigan to hyde His apostlis were flowen him fro: durst noon wiþ him abide Line 16744 But his modir & seynt Ion: þo dwelled bi his syde þei sewed him in wele & wo: & say þat sorweful tyde Line 16748 Fro þenne hit derked til þe mone: ouer al the world wide ¶ His modir & þe maudeleyn: & marie cleophe Line 16752 And Ion his dere cosyn: stood bi þe rode tre Ihesus say his modir wepe: of hir he had pite Line 16756 Modir Ion shal be þi son: fro now in stude of me And she þi modir my cosyn: loke hir wel seide he Line 16760 Fro þenne he oure lady lafte: his kepyng to be ¶ Bi þis was þe day so goon: [folio 104a:1] þat comen was to none Line 16764 Ihesus wolde þe prophecie: to ende wele were done þenne he seide me þirstes sore: a swayn stert forþ soone Line 16768 And bed him galle & eysel to drynke: warye him sonne & mone

¶ To þat bittur drynke him boden: He bed his mouþ þer tille Line 16772 He tasted hit but not he dronk: hit was so wondir ille Al for bled as he myȝt: he spak þese wordis stille Line 16776 To þe fadir I ȝelde my goost: now haue I don þi wille ¶ Aftir him was boden þis bittur drynke: of eisel & of galle Line 16780 His blessed soule he ȝalde for vs: þe heed doun lete he falle þe day wex derker þen þe nyȝt: þe erþe quook wiþ alle Line 16784 þe stones brast þe temple cleef: in two boþe roof & walle . . . . . . . . . . Line 16788 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 16792 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] ¶ So grisly þe erþe quoke: þat graues hit vndid Line 16796 Dyuerse bodies ros to lif: in erþe bifore were hid And coomen to toun amonge men: & þere were knowen & kid Line 16800 Mony iewes bigon to drede: for wondris þo bitid ¶ þe word coom to sir pilate: þere as he was stad Line 16804 Of þo tiþingis þat þenne bifel: wherfore he was vnglad

Wiþouten mete or drinke þat day: in sorwe he was bi-lad Line 16808 Aftir þe maistir iewes he sent: þei coomen as he hem bad ¶ Haue ȝe þese wondris seen he seide: þat now to day are done Line 16812 Ofte haue we seyn þe clippis seide þei: boþe of sonne & mone . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 16816 Forþ coom Ioseph of Aramathi: & asked of pilate abone Ihesu body to bury þo: he him graunted soone Line 16820 ¶ Muche wondride pilate: his deeþ so soone to se Þe iewes for þe mychel feest: þat on þe morn shulde be Line 16824 Seiden no bodi shulde be laft: hongynge on no tre Doþ hem doun as ȝou þinkest best: pilate seide paide be we Line 16828 Þe two þei fonde sumdel in lif: of eiþer þei brake þe þe ¶ whenne þat þei to ihesu coom: þei fond him deed as stone Line 16832 For þei wist him fully deed: of him brake þei no bone But blynde longeus wiþ a spere: þat a knyȝt was one Line 16836 Þe iewes made him þourȝe his side: to put hit sone anone Aȝein his wille he hid dude: þerfore he made mone ¶ Blood & watir out of his syde: muchel þo þere ran Line 16842

Line 16842 Of þat blood ran to his hond: his siȝte soone he wan Line 16844 Seynt Ion hit say & þus seide: his witenes is þat man He was of cristis frenshepe greet: & was nyȝe him þan Line 16848 ¶ Ioseph þo his trewe frend: was of aramathie He graunted neuer in wille nor werk: to her felonye Line 16852 He & nichodeme also: [folio 104b:1] as telleþ þis storye wiþ leue of pilate to þe rode: went hem priuelie Line 16856 þere þei fonde þe sorwefulest: boþe Ion & marie . . . . . . . . . . Line 16860 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 16864

Line 16864 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 16868 ¶ Out þei drouȝe þo nailes þre: & toke his body doun wiþ wyndyng clooþ of sendel riche: made his buriynge boun Line 16872 wiþ oynementis þe body enbaumed: riche of greet renoun In a toumbe to him self wrouȝt: Ioseph þat riche baroun Line 16876 þerynne þei leide him derworþely: in a ȝard bi syde þe toun ¶ Þe mournyng þat his modir made: miȝt no mon telle ny rede Line 16880 Soone was his birying couþ: to þat fals lede Þei coom to pilat & þus seide: as þei wolde wede Line 16884 Sir of tresoun now: ow we moost to drede ¶ Sir þei seide of þis traitour: letter of oure lay Line 16888 Vs meues whil he was in lif: somme we herde say Þat he shulde haue myȝte & strengþe: to rise þe þridde day Line 16892 And for þat skil let wacche him: þre dayes we ȝou pray ¶ If his disciples com bi nyȝt: to stele him vs fro Line 16896 And seiden to oþere he is risen: hit kyndeled muchel wo Al oure lawe in short while: miȝt be fordone so Line 16900

Line 16900 Pilate seide on ȝoure best wise: to kepe him soone ȝe go Line 16902 ¶ þe princes of prestis of þe lawe: went to þat monument And made hit sikur as hem þouȝt whil þei were present Line 16906 þei sett her seles þer vp on: ar þei þennes went Armed knyȝtis þere þei laft: to þat toumbe to tent Line 16910 But whenne he ros to lyue: þo caitifs were but shent ¶ Ioseph wolde haue had þe rode: þe iewes hit him forbed Line 16914 þat selue nyȝt þei hit dud: Awey for to be led Wiþ þo þeues croises two: whenne men were in bed Line 16918 þei buried hem fro cristen men in a priuey sted þerfore þei hadde þe malisoun: of him þat þeronne bled Line 16922 ¶ Now is þe crois vndir erþe: & ihesus vndir stone And al þe feiþ of holy chirche: laft in mary allone Line 16926 Ihesus had fouȝten wiþ sathan: fro helle was comen & gone And worþed him on his owne wile: as hounde is on a bone Line 16930 ¶ As fisshe wiþ bait was he taken: & on þe hok brouȝt For he say him lik to mon: his godhede say he nouȝt Line 16934 Whil his flesshe lay vndir stoon: his goost to helle souȝt

And wiþ þe myȝt of his godhede: he ros þat vs had bouȝt Line 16938 ¶ þourȝe a tre as ȝe haue herd: was mankynde made þralle And þourȝe þe holy rode tre: fredom coom vs alle Line 16942 Aȝeyn þe appel þat adam eet: [folio 105a:1] was ȝyue ihesu þe galle Alle þe peynes of þis world: Line 16945 to his nere þei but smalle . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] ¶ he þat neuer synne dud: oure synnes alle he bare Line 16950 Dispitusly for vs was lad: buffeted & beten sare For oure sake he suffred þus: muchel sorwe & care Line 16954 Lymme on his licam ny lif: for vs wolde he not let spare . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 16958 ¶ He þat neuer synne dud: ne so muche as hit þouȝt Oure synnes & oure wrecchednes: dere he hem bouȝt Line 16962 So wel he loued vs þat no þing: of him self he rouȝt Al þe wrake on him he toke: þat oþere men had wrouȝt Line 16966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 16970 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

[No gap in the MS.]

¶ Monnes soule þourȝe kynde: þe body hit loueþ so Line 17010 þat hit wolde neuer of hit myȝt: þe body departe fro So mon hit neuer so muche pyne: ny ȝitt so mychel wo Line 17014 Til body haue lost þe wittes fyue: þe soule wol not go ¶ Heryng speche siȝte smellyng: & fele are wittes fyue Line 17018 Alle þese wol go ar þe soule: whenne þe hert shal ryue Kynde no soule suffreþ er: to parte fro mon a lyue Line 17022 But ihesus þat so myȝty was: suffered harder stryue Þen any mon þat euer was born: or ȝitt shal be of wyue Line 17026 ¶ For þis ilke swete ihesu: had so myche miȝte & meyn þat hit semeþ wel to be: & soþ is hit certeyn Line 17030 þat he him self an hundride siþe: doubled þis peyn þer is no mon þat resoun con: may say þer aȝeyne Line 17034 ¶ whil he hong on þat tre: as hit bifore is tolde His holy soule to his fadir: wiþ his vois he ȝolde Line 17038 Þere he shewed him myȝty god: þat al þing haþ in wolde Þus to make oure raunsoun: for vs him self he solde Line 17042 ¶ A þou blessed maide of alle: of þe what shal I say

Of þi sorwe marye mylde: Þou haddest in hert þat day Line 17046 Þat day was also þi passioun: may no mon say nay whenne þou þi son say so biled: wiþ tene & eke wiþ tray Line 17050 ¶ But comen was þo þe swerd: þat þourȝe þin hert strong þat symeon wiþ prophecie: had het biforn long Line 17054 But ȝitt of ioye an hundride folde: he doubled þe þi song Whenne he ros fro deþ to lif: Line 17057 wiþ his godhede strong ¶ Boþe burþe & passioun: of ihesus þat vs bouȝt But he had risen from deþ: had ben al for nouȝt Line 17062 Þus may we seen openly: how hit to ende was brouȝt Þe world socoured þe fend fals: þat al þe sorwe souȝt Line 17066 ¶ In þe marye þo heng al: oure trouþ & eke oure fay Alle men were in doute: [folio 105b:1] but þou þat ilke day Line 17070 Til þi swete son vp ros: þou keptest al oure lay How we shulde kepe oure bileue: þere tauȝtest þou vs þe way Line 17074 ¶ Mary welle of mercy: wellyng euer pite Floure of maydenhede: þat euer was or shal be Line 17078 May no mon telle þe tenþe part: þe blessednes of þe

Preye for vs to þi blessed son: in his blis we mot be [[No gap in the MS.]]