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

[The Falsehood of Ananias and Sapphira.]

¶ Of þat folke a mon þer was Called bi name ananyas I wole he seide my godis ȝyue wiþ þese riȝtwis men to lyue Line 19218 wiþ hem I may of mete & drynk My liuere haue wiþouten swynk To his wif seide he I. & þou Herto shul me make avow Line 19222 Þe vow he made his lond he solde Þe penyes fully taken & tolde He hem brouȝt at þe laste Bifore þe apostlis feet doun cast But haluendele of þat stal he Line 19227 And seide þer was þe hool mone His wif assented wel þer tille was neuer þe fruyt of suche but ille

For alle suche hem self biswike And loþen moost þat shulde hem like Petur hit say in holy siȝt [folio 117b:1] Line 19233 For fulde he was of grace & myȝt . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trinity & Laud MSS.] Say me he seide Ananyas Line 19237 whi hastou tempted sathanas Of þi sale to make lesyng And ȝolden vp but half þi þing Al þat þou wende þerwiþ to wynne Line 19241 Shal turne þe but to sake & synne Sikur artou now of synne & sake Þerof þou hast in hond þe wrake Had seint petur seide no more Þe mon fel doun deed riȝt þore ȝonge men hent þe careyn þere And faste for to bury hit bere Line 19248 ¶ Þre houris aftir more ny myn His wif vnwitynge þis coom In wommon seide petur solde ȝe þus ȝoure lond: sir she seide ȝus Line 19252 Þou liȝest he seide & shuldes wonde wiþ falshede þe holy goost to fonde Lo where at þe dore þei stonde Þat riȝt now dalf þi deede husbonde So shul þei þe do now anone Line 19257 wiþ þat she fel doun deed as stone ¶ wondir no mon of þis here spoken Þei wronges þo so soone were wroken For cristen chirche þo hit bigan Line 19261 ȝit was hit not al stabul þan For custom is among alle trewe whenne lawe is made bitwene men newe At þe bigynnyng to be redde Line 19265 þat drede may do lawe be dredde

To do þe folke drede & awe Line 19267 Þat wolde not elles holde þe lawe þe gode & trewe for loue & mede þe wicke holde þe lawe for drede For þenne durst do mon with hem menge But he wolde truly wiþ hem lenge Mony seke to hem souȝt And mony signe þei on hem wrouȝt Boþe in weyes & in strete Line 19275 Þe seke were born hem to mete Mony þat petur wolde ryne Of him to ken her medicyne Line 19278 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trinity & Laud MSS.] Petur was prince of þo twelue Gretter of signe þen crist him selue He wrouȝt as hit is seide sumwhere Priuelage of signe he bere Line 19284 Crist him self het him þat whenne he for him dud mony what