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

Of þe astate þe world was Inne Aftir tyme of adames synne

Als faste as þei had don þat synne Oure wo bigan to bigynne Al maner blis fro hem was went For þei brak þat commaundement Soone bigan he vengeaunce kiþe As lord þat first was meke & bliþe Line 828 Al bigan to stire & strif Aȝeyn adam & eue his wif Bitwene hem self roos strif also þe strenger beest þe weyker dud slo Line 832 Vchone of oþere to make his pray As we may se now vche day Fro þat tyme furst coom deþ to man And þat tyme al oure wo bigan Line 836 þese wrongis þat ben of euel wrake þere bigynnynge dud þei take Synne & saké shame & strif þat now ouer al þe world is rif Line 840 Mercy lord strong wickedhede Made Adam do; so foul a dede Him self had lost & al his kyn But oure lord had raunsonde him Line 844 On suche a wise as he had þouȝt Bifore ar he þe world wrouȝt But þat was not done al for nede But þourȝe his owne nobel-hede Line 848 For if he had wolde he myȝte man Wel bettur haue made þen he was þan Wiþ flesshe þerfore he coom in place Line 851 And hilled þis world of his grace His grace hit was & noon oþere þat he wolde bicom oure broþere Wiþ þe fend þerfore he fauȝt And wiþ his fadir he made vs sauȝt Line 856

Line 856 ¶ Leue we now of þis spelle Of oure story furþere to telle Line 858

Whenne Adam say he had mysdone He went to hide him als sone He wende to hide him among þe trees Fro his siȝte þat al sees Al for nouȝt him hud Adame Oure lord him called bi his name Line 864 lord he seide whenne I þe herde For I saw þat I mys ferde I & my wif went vs to hide Line 867 Shame vs þouȝte þe to abide For oure bodyes al bare were Adam he seide so tolde I þe ere I þe tolde mest & leest What hit was to breke my heest Line 872 But now is þis appul eten And my biddynge is forȝeten And þat þou hast þus don þis mis þi seluen is to wite I wis Line 876 lorde he seide of þis gult here Is she to wite þat is my fere þat þou me ȝaf my wif to be For principaly she bed hit me Line 880 She bede hit me wiþouten blynne She haþ me fuyled wiþ her synne Al þis may she not ȝeyn sey She owe to bere þe gilt awey Line 884 Iesu seide to hir anoon [folio 6b:1] Whi dudest þou þis dede wommon She seide þe worm me drouȝe þer tille þat I haue doue aȝeyn þi wille To þat worm of wraþþe & wrake Line 889 Oure lord þenne þus he spake þou worm þou shalt acursed be More þen any oþere beest to se Line 892

Line 892 For on þi wombe þou shalt slide Line 894 More þen any oþere beest in tyde Line 893 Fro þis day forþ shal hate be Line 895 For soþe bitwene wommon & þe Line 896 Erþe shal be þi mete for nede Line 898 Bitwene þin & wommones sede Line 897 Wommon to stynge awayte þou shal And þin heed to breke ȝit she shal þouȝe þou in hete euer wolde be sted Line 901 In colde shal euer be þi bed And þou wommon for þis dere In sorwe shal þou þi children bere Line 904 þou shal be slayn wiþ double dede harde hit is for to rede þou shal be vndir mannes hest To hem be buxom meest & leest Line 908 þou shalt haue euer þi heed hud Line 910 þi shame shal not be vnkud Line 909 And ȝitt þat þou now hast mys goon hit shal be bet bi a wommon Line 912 Of synneles mon made I þe In wommon shal ȝit my wonyng be But hit shal not ȝitt be so neȝe To couer my loos furst mot I hyȝe Line 916

¶ And þou man þat hast vndirtaken þi wyues rede & myn forsaken No þing shal þou þerwiþ wynne þe world is cursed of þi synne Line 920 In erþe shal þou swete & swynke Wynne þat þou shalt ete & drynke Alle þe dayes of þyn elde Breres & þornes hit shal þe ȝelde Line 924 þerof shal þou ete gresses sere þou shal bye þi breed ful dere Til þou turne aȝeyn in quake To þat erþe þou were of take Line 928

Line 928 For þou art now but pouder pleyn To pouder shal þou turne aȝeyn He turned þenne his wyues name And Eue fro þenne hir calde Adame Line 932 Eue she hett fro þat day þat modir of mony is to say God made hem þenne curteles of hide þerwiþ her flesshe for to shride Line 936 Lo he seide Adam how likeþ þe þis dede now I made euel & good to ȝou knowen But ȝe were sone ouer þrowen Line 940 ȝe trespassed at þe tre of lif þerfore ȝe ben in woo & strif He put hem out of þat plas Into þe world þere þei made was Line 944 Adam dere hit shal be bouȝt Til hit be bet þat þou hast wrouȝt Take þi wyf in þi honde Leue ȝe shul þis lufsome londe Line 948 Into þe wrecched world to be þi lif shal þinke longe to þe Longe peyne þere shal þou dreȝe And siþen on doubel deþ to deȝe Line 952 ȝe shul be flemed fro my face Til þat I ȝou sende my grace þe oile of mercy ȝe mot abide I hete to sende hit ȝou sum tide Line 956 Alas seide Adam wo is me þat I trowed not lord to þe lorde my lif is me ful looþ þat I euer made þe wrooþ Line 960 I woot but þe I haue no frende Telle me ar I fro þe wende What maner & wiþ what þing May I gete þi sauȝtelyng Line 964

Line 964 Adam he seide wel saistou now [folio 7a:1] herken I wol telle þe how Among þine oþere werkes hende Of þi wynnyng ȝyue me þe tende Line 968 Of al þi fruyt holde parties nyne And I wol þat þe tenþe be myne Lord he seide þou ȝyuest al Whi shulde þi part be so smal Line 972 þe haluendel or part þe þridde We wol þe ȝyue if þou bidde [[No gap in the MS.]] þenne was he put out almest naked Into þe lond þere he was maked þerynne he led a longe lif And gat children bi his wif Line 992 Out is he put Adam þe wrecched Fro paradis fouly flecched A wal of fire þer is aboute Line 995 May noon com in þat is þeroute An aungel haþ þe ȝate to gete wiþ swerd in honde of myche hete