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

[The Apostles are imprisoned, and set free by an Angel.]

Fro þo her folke wex more & more Fast þe folk fel to her lore Line 19288 But ȝitt þo iewes þat were feloun þei dud þe apostlis in prisoun Bi þo saduces fals enuye Þat loued no resurrexioun trye Line 19292 Shulde be of mon at domes day Aȝeyn þe apostlis þei seide nay Þese were þo saduces I tolde Þat wiþ þo phariseus euer dud holde Line 19296

¶ But soone aftir on þe nyȝt Sende hem was an aungel briȝt Þat brouȝt hem out of prisoun strong And bad hem to þe temple gong Line 19300

Line 19300 Soone þei went wiþ wille glad And dud as þe aungel hem bad For to spelle þe word of lif Line 19303 Þat alle miȝt here knowe mon & wif Þe prisoun dores lafte þei as þei fond Nouþer brast þei barre ny bond Þat was to make he trouþe agrounde And iewes falshede to confounde whenne þo iayleres on þis wise Line 19309 Shulde hem bringe bifore Iustise Lordyngis here is selcouþe seide þei we fynde oure prisouns alle awey Line 19312 Þe dores stoke þe walles hale So god me helpe soþ is þis tale Noon out goynge of hem fond we Biþenke ȝou how þis may be Line 19316 Þo maistris faste hem biþouȝt [folio 118a:1] Wiþ þat a mon tiþing brouȝt Þo þat were he seide in prisoun In þe tempul now þei sermoun To þe temple anoon þei ȝede Þe apostlis to prisoun to lede Line 19322 But no strengþe dud þei hem tille Þei went wiþ hem at her wille Þei durst non hardenes hem do For þe folke helde wiþ hem so Line 19326 Amydde þe court as þei were set Þe bisshop wiþ forbode hem þret we bidde he seide & als forbede Þourȝe þe myȝte of bisshophede Þat ȝe in ihesu name þat is Line 19331 Be not so bolde to preche fro þis For al ierusalem & more Haue ȝe fulfilled wiþ ȝoure lore wol ȝe dryue on vs þe blame Of any wrekyng of þis name Line 19336

Line 19336 Þat we haue slayn him wiþ wronge Þat ȝe to prechyng so þroly gonge Alle anoon ȝaf þo vnswere Line 19339 Miȝte noon fro oþere þo forbere To leue hit were more nede to ȝow To god þen any mon to bow Oure fadir god dud ihesu to rise Line 19343 Þat ȝe honged wiþ fals assise And haþ him sett on his riȝthonde Þis woot we wel may not wiþstonde Ofte to ȝou hit haþ ben tolde Line 19347 witenes þerof are we bolde Þe holy goost he haþ vs sent And truly to him wol we tent Line 19350 Repente ȝou whil ȝe haue space And ȝe may haue þis ȝifte of grace

¶ Þenne bigon þei wex al mate And wiþ her teeþ to grisbate wiþ swappes sore þei hem swong Line 19355 And scourged so þei let hem gong Þei bad hem fle as þei wolde dede To menge more ihesu we rede Þei went forþ ioyefullere þen ore Line 19359 And no þing greued hem ore sore But þonked ihesu cristes name Þat þei for him had þat grame ¶ Þe studfaste trouþe in hem so lo what strengþe falleþ þerto Line 19364 Nouþer for word ny for dynt Of stabul trouþe wolde þei stynt Hem þouȝte no þing so swete in lif As for ihesu to suffer greet strif Euermore men dud hem mys Line 19369 þe sikerere þei were of blis Cristis blis þei loued so wele Þat þei myȝte of no turment fele Line 19372

Line 19372 As bifore hem wrouȝt he þe wey So aftir him faste folewed þey Line 19374 For he had hem so dere bouȝt Of al þis world ȝaf þei nouȝt Þe maistris þat coom aftirward Þei lered at hem to suffer hard Line 19378 Þat neuer forsoke þei for no wrake Þe cristen trouþe þat þei had take

¶ In tyme of þese apostlis dere Line 19381 Þe cristen lawe wex fast here Þes apostlis token kepe And herdes weren of cristis shepe To cristendome so faste men felle Line 19385 Þei myȝten not kepen al welle Þei ordeyned vndir hem oþere seuen whiche þei were I shal hem neuen Steuen. on phelip & thamor Tymon. meniam. nichomor Line 19390 Nicolas als þese seuen were Set bifore þe apostlis sere Ouer hem þei holde her holy honde And a while were preyonde Line 19394 Oþes þenne to hem þei made To do hit were þei wondir glade Þe burþen vndir hem to bere [folio 118b:1] Of þat folk whenne was mistere Line 19398 Goddes word wex fast & grew And also dud þe trouþe trew And of þo prestis þere were fele Line 19401 þat lafte her lastes & lyued lele