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

Of fiftene dayes is to say Shul com bifore domes day

Now mot I nede of hem mene Þo cruel dayes and þo kene Bifore þat day þere shal be sene Sorweful tokenes ful fiftene Line 22430 If ȝou likeþ hem to knawe I shal ȝou telle of hem soþ sawe þer is no mon in erþe so felle Þat hertly here wol þis spelle Of þis wrecched worldes ende But he auȝte his lif to mende Line 22436

Line 22436 Grete tokenes shal oure lord make Line 22437 For to shewe þe wickede his wrake As hit is tolde of ieromye Zorobabel and Isaye Line 22440 Ierom telleþ & þerof rewes And seiþ he fond in a book of iewes wheþer þei shul hool on rowe bityde Or enten-vale bituix [[MS. bituir]] hem bide Line 22444 Þat vndoþ he vs nowhore Ȝitt he was greet clerke of lore Þe iuggement a litil are Þat noon shal of þo felouns spare Line 22448 Oure lord shal his myȝtes showe Þat mon in erþe shal hit knowe Hidur is good þat þei drawe Alle þat of him stondeþ awe Line 22452 And here wel þat I shal sey Þat he wende not vnlered awey . . . . . . . . . . Line 22456 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.]

¶ Þe furste day þat we of rede Muche hit is for to drede Line 22460 Þere shal falle doun fro þe lift A blody reyn a drewry drift Þe erþe shal be al reed of hew Suche a dew men neuer knew Line 22464 Childre in wombe þere þei ly In modir bodi shul þei cry wiþ heȝe note & loude steuen Line 22467 Mercy now lord kyng of heuen To be born haue we no space we done vs lord in þi grace wherto shulde we be born to day Line 22471 whenne alle þinge shul turne away

Wepyng shul þei on ihesu calle [folio 134a:1] Line 22473 To haue mercy on hem alle

¶ Þe toþer day to bide I-wis Shal be muche harder þen þis Line 22476 Þe sterres wiþ her lemyng leuen Shul sadly falle doun fro heuen Is noon so wel faste of hem alle Þat hit ne shal þat day doun falle Line 22480 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] On erþe shul þei renne here & þere wepyng as þei men ȝit were Line 22484 No word shul þei ȝitt sowne Til þat þei be fallen downe Vnto þe abyme wiþouten siȝt Line 22487 And þere þei shul haue lost her liȝt And wexe as blak as any cole Lord who may þis þenne þole Þat be so soiled in oure synne Line 22491 And al biwounden now þerInne

¶ Þenne comeþ day þe þridde An vncouþ day hit shal be kidde Þe mone þenne þat is so shene Line 22495 whenne hit is in waxinge sene Shal bicome reed as bloode For drede of him was done on rode To erþe doun he shal descende Line 22499 But þere no while shal he lende Into þe see shal hit ryn Þere to be hud wiþ-In For to fle þe day of awe Line 22503 whenne crist shal com him to shawe

¶ Þe ferþe day þat þenne shal be Shal be grisly vpon to se Þe sonne þat here is so briȝt Line 22507 And serueþ al þis world of liȝt

Hit shal bicom ful vnfaire Line 22509 Dym and blak as any haire In his fairest tyme on to loke At midday as seiþ þe boke Blake hit shal so bi his myȝt No mon þerof shal haue no siȝt Line 22514 A lord wo shal be þe mon Þat shal haue no mercy þon To whom he his wraþþe shal kiþe Shul þei neuer fro þenne be bliþe ¶ Vgly shal be þe fifte day Line 22519 More þen any tonge con say Alle doumbe beestis hit is tolde To heuenwarde shul her hedes holde Vp on oure lord for to cry Line 22523 If þei myȝte speke to aske mercy Into þe erþe shul somme ryn For ferdenenes to hide hem In Oon shal crye with strenger steuen Line 22527 Þen now may do ten or elleuen Al for drede of his comyng Þat doom shal deme of al þing ¶ Þe sixte day soþ to seyn Line 22531 Al þis world shal be made pleyn I-liche bi þenne shal ben al valeyes vp rise & hilles fal Line 22534 Al þis erþe now vndir heuen Shal þenne be Iliche euen For drede of þat heȝe demere Þe pes shal turne al into were Line 22538 Erþe shal quake neuer eer so fast Tour & toun þenne doun be cast Þere is no werke so strong ny wal But hit þenne doun shal fal wode & wal doun shal drawe For drede of þat demers awe Line 22544

Line 22544 ¶ Sorweful shal þe seuenþe be Line 22545 More þen þe sixte out of pite Þe trees forcasten shul hem peyne For to riȝten hem vp aȝeyne Line 22548 Doun þe crop vpwarde þe rote Of murþes þenne is not to mote Vnquemefully þenne shul þei quake Þat al þe erþe shal to shake Line 22552 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Lord where shul we þen rest whenne noon shal wite where is best . . . . . Line 22557 . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Þenne mot alle folke deȝe [folio 134b:1] For sorwefulnes þat þei shul dreȝe ¶ þe eiȝteþe tokene haþ no make Bifore noon of so muchel wrake Of hir chanel þe see shal rise Line 22563 To hide hit but hit may no wise Hit shal brest ouer dale & doun Alle þinges þenne to droun But he vs faile þat haþ hit tolde Þat was good moyses þe olde Line 22568 Vp to þe sky rise shal he wiþ strengþe þere to gete entre Þe fisshes þat þere Inne are stad Þat we make vs of so glad Line 22572 To erþewarde þenne shul þei fle And wene þat god hem may not se Þe see aȝeyn him shal wiþdrawe Doun fro þe lifte to a lawe Line 22576 vnto hir chanel shal she turne And þo to hores vche a burne ¶ Þe nynþe day shal be kene was noon suche of þese oþere sene Line 22580

Line 22580 wiþ speche shal al þing him mene As hit wiþ monnes mouþ miȝte bene I drawe to warant seint austyne Line 22583 Þat telleþ how þis world shal fyne Þei shul crye on oure lord on hiȝt Haue mercy on vs for þi myȝt Lord god þat lasteþ ay Line 22587 Þou shal vs do to worþe away To turne aȝein as nouȝt ne ware Lord let vs not forfare

¶ Þe tenþe out taken is to neuen Line 22591 þer is no halwe vndir heuen And heuen hit self shal be ferd For him þat made middelerd As seint Ierom vs telleþ Line 22595 And pope gregore þere he spelleþ Aungels þenne shul quake vnqueme For doute of him þat al shal deme Þenne shal quake cherubin And also shal do seraphin Line 22600 No creature shal luste play Seint petur shal be doumbe þat day Þat he a word shal not dur speke For doute of his lordes wreke Line 22604 For heuen he shal se parte in sondir And he shal here hit crie to wondir Crie & bray for doute & drede Haue mercy lord now is nede Þenne shul þei þat in helle are cropen Line 22609 whenne liȝt shal shyne & heuenes open Þe fendes alle shul walken oute Poul hit seiþ hit is no doute Line 22612 Hereþ now what þei shul say For drede þei shul haue of þat day Iesus lord þat dudest vs dwelle Line 22615 In heuen & siþen þerfro we felle

we haue hit lost wiþ greet foly Line 22617 In þis greet nede we to þe cry Þi wrecche hondewerk in wo Þat þou of fire suffrest so Line 22620 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Ȝelde vs aȝein oure hostel now Þat vs is refte & we noot how we wolde hit vndirfonge ful fayn Line 22625 If we miȝt haue oure erd aȝayn

¶ Þe tokene of þe elleuenþe day Soone I shal hit now say Sore shal hit do men to grise Line 22629 wynde on euery side shal rise So fast vchone aȝeyn ōþere shal blowe Þat is no tonge hit may showe Þe erþe shal hit bringe to drifte Line 22633 And vp out of þe stud to lifte Þe deueles out shal be for dryuen Out of þat erde þat shal be ryuen Bere her bodyes in þat ayr Line 22637 Þat siȝt shal be ful vnfair Þenne shal þe reynbowe descende In hew of galle hit shal be kende Wiþ þo wyndes shal hit melle [folio 135a:1] Line 22641 And dryue hem doun alle in to helle And bete þo deueles þidur In In her bale euer to brin Þei shul be bede to holde hem þore Abouen erþe to com no more Line 22646 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Þenne shul þo fendes criȝe & calle Lord god fadir of alle Line 22650 Þou lete vs vndir erþe be hid Þat we be here no lenger kid

¶ þe twelþe token is sorwes sere Þourȝe miȝte of him þat al may stere No mon þat is in erþe wrouȝt Line 22655 Owe to lete hit out of his þouȝt But to mende his lif þare And þenke on him oure lady bare Heuen shal þenne be loken aȝeyn Line 22659 A dredeful day to be certeyn How may we þenne here lende whenne alle þinge draweþ to ende Þenne aungels þat in heuen shul be Line 22663 Shul knele bifore cristis kne And crie mercy to þat kyng þat þei se redy to demyng Line 22666 For þat reuþe shul þei be rad þei se ouer al þe world sprad when aungels shul þus drede þat pas what shul synful saye alas Line 22670

¶ Þe þrettenþe day shal be snelle More þen any tonge may telle . . . . . Line 22673 . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] whenne alle þe stones þat are wrouȝt Vndir heuen in world brouȝt Aboue þe erþe & byneþen Line 22677 Riȝt in to þe abyme fro heþen Shal smyte to gider with suche myȝt As þondir doþ wiþ fire liȝt So harde dyntus shul þei kiþe Line 22681 Haþ non euen þen to be bliþe wiþ strengþe shul þei to gider þrest Þat al to peces shul þei brest Line 22684 Þis shal be lasting al a day Þe signe of þis sory play Þe men þat þis day shul abide vndir an hille shul hem hide Line 22688

Line 22688

¶ Þe fourtenþe day shal be ille Line 22689 To al þe world hit shal be grille A stormy day & strait to knowe Boþe of frost hail & snowe Line 22692 Þenne shal com þondir & leuen And droue al þat is vndir heuen Þe clodes to þe þe see shul rynne For to hyde hem þenne þer Inne Line 22696 For to fle þat day so breme Þat oure lord shal com to deme

¶ what shall be þe fiftenþe day Line 22699 As I haue herde I shal ȝou say Men sayn & soþ hit may bifalle Þat hit shal be endynge of alle Line 22702 Þis middelerd so wayleway Al to nouȝt shal brenne þat day Þe see þat compasseþ alle londe Line 22705 And alle wattres þat renne in stronde Þei shul turne aȝeyn to nouȝt As þei were furst ar þei were wrouȝt Heuen & erþe to be made newe Þat euer shal be lastynge trewe Line 22710