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

Of ysaac now wol we neuen þat loued was wiþ god of heuen

Hereþ of god al weldonde how he asayed his trewe ser|uonde Wel loued Abraham Isaac his sely sone wiþouten lac Line 3120 he tauȝte him furste god to drede And so to leue al wickedhede he bigon to loue him so þat myȝte he no while him for go Line 3124 Oure lorde wolde as myȝty kyng Asaye Abraham wiþ som þing To Abraham oure lord spak Line 3127 And seide where is þi son Isaak Al at þi wille lord þenne seide he I wol þat þou offer him to me Gladly lord þou me him ȝaue Line 3131 Good skil hit is þat þou him haue To oure lorde he was so trewe þat myȝte no pite make him rewe Line 3134 But he had leuere his childe spille þen do aȝeyn his lordis wille [folio 20b:1] þis childe was bihett mony a ȝere Line 3137 Er he were sent souȝte wiþ preyere

Abraham wende wiþouten wene þat he shulde his heire haue bene Line 3140 Now is he asked on þis wise To god to make of sacrifise þouȝe hit were grisly & grille he lafte not oure lordes wille Line 3144 But asked him wiþouten abide how he him shulde sacrifise þat tyde And he to telle þo bigon ȝondir heȝe hille vpon Line 3148 Shal þou brenne þi son for me Gladly lorde þenne seide he Now shul ȝe here how hit wasse þe childe he caste vpon an asse And toke wiþ him knaues two Line 3153 But þei nuste whider to go þat felde he welke dayes þre To seche þe stude þere he wolde be Whenne he coom þere as he tiȝt Line 3157 Of þe asse þe childe dud he liȝt Toke him wiþ him no mon more his meyne he bad abide him þore his counsel wolde he no mon say Line 3161 Whi he þat childe brouȝte þat way Swerde ny fuyr forȝat he nouȝt ȝonge ysaac a fagot brouȝt Sir he seide where shal we take þat beest oure sacrifise to make Line 3166 Siþ we wiþ vs brouȝte noon God he seide shal sende vs oon Wiþ þis he stood þe childe ny And drowȝe his swerde priuely Line 3170 þat þe childe were not war Ar he had done þat char he lifte his hond him to smyte But goddes aungel coom ful tite Line 3174

Line 3174 Ar he myȝt ȝyue þe dynt his swerde bihynde him he hint And bad him þere biside him take A sheep his sacrifise to make Line 3178 he loked bisyde him In þe þornes And say hit honge bi þe hornes þe aungel helde stille þe swerd And seide of coumfort siche a word Abraham holde stille þin arm Line 3183 To þi son þou do no harm Oure lord forbedeþ him to slo þi dere son þat þou louest so þou louest him more wiþouten wene þen þi son þat is now sene Line 3188 Wel louestou him & drede Wel shal he quyte þi mede ȝe shul his blessyng haue for why Mychel he shal ȝou multeply Line 3192 For loue of þi feiþful fay Shal vche lede com to þi lay God haþ to day þe visited so þi dede shal neuer of mynde go Line 3196 þi buxomnes al folke shal fynde þat shul be bred of þi kynde ¶ Of þis lettyng he was ful glad And dud as þe aungel him bad Line 3200 þe sheep he sacrifised & brent And siþen homwarde he went þe fadir gon þe son forbede To any mon to telle þis dede Line 3204 Fadir he seide be ful bolde For me beþ hit neuer tolde þei went aȝeyn to Bersabe þere þei hadde lefte her meyne Line 3208