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

Of moyses now wol we telle If ȝe wole a stounde dwelle

Þe while roos þere a newe kyng þat of Ioseph had no knowyng he made þenne a parlement Line 5497 And seide gode men takeþ tent How þe folk of israel Is bred amonge vs so fel Line 5500 But we kepe vs fro her kyn Oure lond wol þei fro vs wyn Sir kyng þat is soþ þei seide þei haue ȝoure lond al ouer leide Iosephes kyn ouer gooþ al Line 5505 þat to ȝoure eldres firste was þral wiþ ȝoure penyes bouȝte was he Now wol his kyn disherite þe Line 5508 Sir takeþ counsel herfore was neuer nede of counsel more Lete vs loke pryuelye For vs bihoueþ to be slye Line 5512 holde we hem so in doute þat þei be euer oure vndirloute If þei aȝeyn vs take þe fiȝte And ouercome vs bi her myȝte Line 5516 I dar saye wiþouten fyne þat we shul so oure londes tyne holde we hem þerfore in awe In trauaile boþe to bere & drawe In werkes þat we haue to make Line 5521 we shul fynde werke for her sake vpon her neckes shul þei bere Bolles wiþ stones & mortere

On hem þe kyng set mony stiwarde To holde hem in werkes harde Line 5526 wiþ hardenes he helde hem Inne Soone had þei made townes twynne Rameses. & Fiton. hiȝt þai þat goddes folke bar to hem clay Line 5530 But euer as þei dud hem woo þe folke multeplied moo & moo þe londes folke þat þei wiþ were Greet enemyte to hem þei bere Line 5534 Ofte wiþ her wordis smert Greet tene þei sett to her hert þe kyng wex wondir felle Aȝeyn þe folk þat I of telle Line 5538 þei hem wiþhelde as her foos And wolde no fruyt of hem roos whenne wymmen were in childyng stad Bremely commaundide he and bad Line 5542 Midwyues to be of þat same lond And alle þe knaue childre þei fond wiþouten griþþe þei shulde hem slo And mayden childre let hem go þe midwyues for god were drad Line 5547 And dud not as þe kyng hem bad But þei saued þo childre lyues þe kyng lete calle þo mydwyues Of whiche þat þere were twa Line 5551 Phua þat oon hiȝt þe toþer sephora To þese two spake þe kyng why do ȝe not my biddyng wiþ þo childre of hebru lay Sir for þis resoun gon þei say Line 5556 þo wymmen ȝe shul vndirstonde Are not like wymmen of þis londe Vchon con stir fer & neere whenne þei com to þat mistere Line 5560

Line 5560 For ar we com to hem wiþ myȝt [folio 35b:1] þei are liȝter bi her owne sleiȝt Line 5562 And for þo wymmen dud so wele God hem sende hap & sele ¶ þenne commaundide kyng pharao þat al þat folke wolde for do Ouer al his kyngdome euery where whenne wommon any childe bere þat of þe kynde of hebru ware Line 5569 Men shulde hit in þe flum forfare lorde he was wicked & wod Aȝeyn þat folke so mylde of mod For nouȝte he wende to sle þat sede þat god him self wolde of brede May no mon for no chaunce Fordo þat lordis puruyaunce Line 5576 Of israelis sede he þouȝte Be born þat þis world wrouȝt And of his ferþe son þat was Geten of lay þat hatt Iudas Line 5580 þenne wolde he drawe his monhede Of him coom kyngis of þat lede And of his broþer leuy bredde þe prestes þat her lawes ledde Line 5584 Prest & domes man saye I Boþe coom of þis leuy whiche moyses was formast As I shal telle ȝou in hast Line 5588 how he coom furste in place And saued was bi goddes grace Fro pharao þe kyng feloun Line 5591 þat bad þo childre to droun Siþen aftir shal be rad how moyses goddes folke lad how he þe commaundementis toke As hit is writen in holy boke Line 5596

Line 5596 whenne I se tyme þerto þe kyngis kyn I shal vndo Of whom spronge oure saueour And brouȝte vs alle to socour Line 5600 ¶ þe firste broþer þat hett leuy A man was of his genealogi Fro him but þe oþere degre þat of his wif had childre þre Line 5604 Moises & aaron þese twa And a douȝter het maria In þat tyme born was moyses whenne þat folke was in þat prees Line 5608 whenne he was born wiþouten pride his modir dud him for to hide whenne she two moneþes had him hidde And hit passed in to þe þridde Line 5612 þat she lenger hidde him nouȝt A cofur of ȝerdes dud she be wrouȝt Dud piche hit so wiþoute & ynne þat þourȝe myȝte no watir wynne Line 5616 In þis chist þe childe she dide And spered hit wiþ þe lidde Not fer fro þe kyngis home She leide hit on þe watir fome Line 5620 Among þo richesses in an Ile Soone þer aftir in a while þe kingis douȝtir þere pleyinge ȝode And say þat vessel in þat flode Line 5624 She lete men fette hit to þe lond A squelynge childe þerynne she fond þat was wondir feire to se Line 5627 Of þat childe she hadde pite Forsoþe she seide trowe þar noon Of hebreu childre þat þis is oon þis childis sister stood þerby wolt þou I go she seide lady Line 5632

Line 5632 To fetche a wommon of þat lede Line 5633 ȝe go she seide I shal hit fede She went & fonde þat she souȝt þe childes modir soone she brouȝt þe lady toke hir hit to fede And for hir seruyse hett hir mede þe wommon vndirtoke hit þo Line 5639 And fedde hit til hit couþe speke & go [folio 36a:1] Whenne hit was þryuen of good elde To þe lady she dud hit ȝelde For hir childe þenne she him chees And ȝaf hit to name moyses Line 5644 Moyses was herfore his name For he was of þe watir tane Alle þat him saw in lede wondir hadden of his fair hede Line 5648 Bi þis coom moyses to elde þat he myȝte him seluen welde þenne went he out vp on a day To se þe breþeren of his lay Line 5652 To knowe his breþer how þei ware Fillud in þat londe wiþ care he say an egipcian ful sore Smyte a iewe bifore him þore Line 5656 þat braunche of kyn calde iewes was þat coom of iacobes son Iudas Moises say þer were no mo But him self & þei two Line 5660 To þat egipcian he drowȝe Suche a dynt þat he him slouȝe whenne he had slayn him with his hond he dalf him soone vndir sond Anoþer day he went also Line 5665 And fiȝtynge fonde he iewes two he saide to him þat had þe wite how durst þou þus þi broþer smyte

þenne vnswered him þe ton Siþ whenne wastou oure domes mon woltou me sle herfore As þou didest þe egipcian not ȝore Line 5672 Moises for þis vmbreide Was dredinge in his herte & seide þourȝe whom is þis how may hit be who brouȝte vp þis worde on me þe kyng hit herde & bad also Line 5677 Men shulde Moises seke to slo Moyses say no better won But fledde in to Madyon He sett him þere a welle bi syde Line 5681 Tiþingis to here þere to abyde þe prest of þis stude þat I neuen he hadde at home douȝtres seuen þei coom to watir wiþ her fe wherof her fadir hadde plente Line 5686 As þei to watir droof her beest Coom herdis & away hem kest Moyses say þei dud hem wronge Soone he medeled hem amonge þe herdes fro þe welle drof he Line 5691 And dud to drynke þe maydenes fe þo wymmen went hoom aȝeyn And at home gan her fadir freyn how hadde ȝe so smartely done þat ȝe are comen hoom so sone Line 5696 Sir þei seide bi a ȝong man þat semed to be an egipcian Sir þe soþe to ȝou to say he put þo herdes alle away Line 5700 And wiþ vs he oure watir drowȝe And ȝaf oure beestis drynke ynowȝe where is þat man doþ him calle Sir þei seide gladly we shalle Line 5704

Line 5704 Moyses þei fette faire & swete And wiþ þe preest Raguel he ete whenne þei were aqueynted so to tel þis moyses & sir Raguel Line 5708 he wedded of his douȝtris oon Sephoram a hende wommon Two childre dud she to him bere Gersan and helyesere Line 5712 ¶ þis while was in Israele þe folke lad in mychel vnwele her soor was sorwe onne to se And for to here was greet pite Line 5716 hem þei helde harde as þral On god þei can to crye & cal Aȝeyn þo folke so wiþ hem ferde So longe þei calde þat god hem herde He herde her menyng & vnquert [folio 36b:1] And shope þerfore in litil stert On þat biheste he þouȝte þan Line 5723 þat he made to olde Abraham For þat forwarde he wiþ him fest his eȝe of reuþe on hem he kest Boþe he halpe hem of her wo And delyuered hem of her foo Line 5728 ¶ Moyses þat tyme toke kepe To his elde fadres shepe þat was þe prest of madian whos douȝtir he had him tan Line 5732 his folke he fedde vpon a tide Bi a wilde wodes syde And as he welke þere wiþ wil Biside eȝeb a litil hil Line 5736 he saw a selcouþe siȝt to se him þouȝte brennynge a tre As hit wiþ loue al were bileyde Line 5739 And to him seluen soone he seide

To þat tre I wol go nerre þat brennynge semeþ as on ferre whenne he þis buske coom to sene Line 5743 wiþ blome & leef he fonde hit grene þis was a forshewyng shene Of modir boþe & mayden clene And siþen longe out of prees Bare a childe & she wemles Line 5748 As þe tre semed to brinne And þenne was þere no fire þerynne As moyses on fer þouȝt þe tre brennyng & brent nouȝt Line 5752 þenne called on him oure lord of myȝt Out of þe mychel lemynge liȝt Twyes moyses he called bi name Line 5755 what woltou lord here I ame I am þyne eldres god seide he For I hem led þat loued me Mi folke of israele is woo Line 5759 þei haue ben lad wronge also But I wol now her mournynge mende To pharao I wol þe sende Pharao of egipte þe kynge Line 5763 Out of his londe hem for to brynge Lord he seide what am I þerto Suche a greet nede to do Line 5766 Go forþ he seide wiþouten drede For I my self shal þe lede þat þei not ȝein seye my sonde Line 5769 wiþ my tokenes þou shalt hem fonde whenne þou hast brouȝte hem to þat lande Do hem to make to me offrande vpon þe top of þis hille Line 5773 he seide lord say me þi wille what shal I say is þi name God vnswered wiþouten blame Line 5776

Line 5776 If þei my name wol at þe freyn vnswere hem þus aȝeyn To ȝou me sendeþ he þat es þis is my name more ne les Line 5780 Of he þat is my name þou calle My menyng shal neuer falle

Do moyses as I þe kenne Line 5783 Go geder to gider þe eldest menne Of alle my folke of israel And say þat I haue herde hem wel þei are in wandrynge & in wo wel I woot þat hit is so Line 5788 Say I shal hem soone pay þerto shal not be longe delay I shal hem bringe of þat þralhede Into lussum londe hem lede Line 5792 A londe rennyng hony & mylke In al þis world is noon swilke Siþen shal þou wende also To pharao þe kyng þou go Line 5796 Bidde him lete my folke away þat he haþ holden to þis day Doynge to hem so greet trowage þat þei may make me no knowlage Into wildernes lond [folio 37a:1] Line 5801 I wol hem bringe out of his hond wel I woot he is ful þro Looþ him is to lete hem go he shal me drawe forþ on lengþe Til I delyuer hem wiþ strengþe Line 5806 Moyses saide take not in greue Lord pharao wol me not leue what hastou seide god in þi hond Lord he seide I bere a wond Caste hit on þe gras I bidde Line 5811 Gladly lorde & so he didde

whenne hit was on þe gresse cast An edder he was & he was gast So ferde þat he to fle bigon To Moyses seide oure lorde þon Line 5816 In þi honde þou not forsake Bi þe taile þou hit vp take whenne moyses hit had in honde hit wex as hit was er awonde Line 5820 To Moyses spake god al myȝt þi honde put in þi bosum riȝt he put his hond in al in hele And out he toke hit as mesele Line 5824 he put hit efte in his spayere And out he toke hit hool & fere Go forþ he seide and if þe kyng wol not leue þi firste tokenyng Line 5828 who so þe furst wol not trow To leue þe toþer is his prow If þei leue nouþer of þese two To þe watir of þe flum þou go Line 5832 And poure of hit vpon þe lond And certeynly þou vndirstond Al þat þou drawest out of þat floode hit shal be turned in to blode Line 5836 Take wiþ þe aaron also To pharao kyng say ȝe two þat he lete my folke apert Passe to worshepe me in desert Line 5840 her sacrifise to make to me Out of his londe iourneyes þre

Now makeþ moyses him boun As god him tauȝte his lessoun Line 5844 his broþer aaron he mette For god him self her metyng sette To warne þe eldest of israel And to pharao þei went wel Line 5848

Line 5848 þei seide god him seluen bad his folke þat vndir him was stad To lete hem of his londe hem dresse To worshipe him in wildernesse kyng pharao ȝaf his vnswere Line 5853 what is he þat god or where þat I shulde for his sonde lete þat folke out of my londe Line 5856 Nouþer I knowe him þat ȝe say Ne I wol lete þe folke away ȝus þei seide þus wol he þat al his folke com Iourneyes þre Line 5860 In wildernes offring to make þat swerde on ȝou take no wrake he seide wondir of ȝou me þinke Line 5863 wolde ȝe my men take fro swynke þei rise & brede ay more & more And more wolde if þei ydel woro Line 5866 Blame haue þat hem spare To holde hem euer harde & bare Fro þat tyme he bad þat þay Line 5869 Shulde do two iourneyes on a day vpon hem set he men to aske Euery day to ȝelde her taske Line 5872 To stonde lete ȝe hem not bide As ȝe han done mony a tyde who so doþ not ȝoure biddyng wiþ sharpe scourgis ȝe hem swynge Now wolde þei make a wiþ sawe Line 5877 Fro her werkes hem to wiþdrawe For to wende to wildernes To her lorde I noot what he es As I euer brouke myn hond [folio 37b:1] I shal hem do dwelle in my lond Line 5882

þenne spake god al weldonde To moyses his trewe seruonde

whenne pharao askeþ ȝow Bi what token he shal ȝou trow Bidde þi broþer aaron þon Caste þe ȝerde bifore pharaon Line 5888 Into an edder his shal be lent Anoþer tyme forþ þei went Bifore þe kyng in to his halle Line 5891 þere he sat wiþ his knyȝtis alle But not he of her er[a]nde herde þenne toke aaron his ȝerde And on þe flore he caste hit doun Line 5895 hit bicoom a worm feloun þenne calde þe kyng his enchauntours þe craftiest of his iogelours Doun þei kest a ȝerde vchone Line 5899 Dragouns þei bicoom anone But aarones ȝerde wex so kene þo oþere hit woryed al bi dene Line 5902 þe kyngis herte wex harde as bras þe folke he seide ȝit shal not pas

God seide þo to moysen Line 5905 þe herte of pharao I ken Now I woot hit is more harder for me þen hit was ore Line 5908 For þat he wol not me here hardenesses shal I sende him sere Boþe on him & his kyng riche he shal make mony men mis liche Line 5912 For he wol þus debate on me I shal him drenche in þe see ¶ þe firste vengeaunce he on him sende Line 5915 Men shul moue to þe worldes ende

þenne hit was þe furste sonde Alle þe wattris of his londe Soone wex into blood reed þat alle þe fisshes þerynne were deed Line 5920

Line 5920 For þe root þat þeron felle Boþe þen stanke ryuer & welle þere was in house no vessel fre þat watir helde of stoon ny tre Line 5924 So foule al þis watir stonke wo was hem þat hit dronke ¶ þe toþer vengeaunce þat him fel Line 5927 were frogges þat no tonge coude tel þat oute of banke & wattres bredde And ouer al egipte londe spredde Al þe erþe þei couered so Line 5931 Men myȝte not fre sett a to Boþe in house & wiþoute And ouer al þe londe aboute þenne bad þe kyng soone anoon Calle Moyses and aaron Line 5936 Preye ȝoure lord þat he Do þese frogges away fro me þei seide sett vs tyme whenne To preye for þe & þi menne Line 5940 To morwe he seide: sir we shal Fast on god þo gon þei cal To delyuer þe folke of þat wreche And god was ful soone her leche Line 5944 þe frogges deȝed alle bidene þe hepes wondir was to sene þat men gedered on þe grounde whenne pharao had reste a stounde Line 5948 he wex al greet in greue þe folke wolde he ȝyue no leue For to passe out of his londe ¶ þe þridde vengeaunce coom on honde Al þe poudir of his lande Line 5953 wex flyes foule sore bitande Boþe þei boot mon & beest To flesshe fleȝes were þei likest Line 5956

Line 5956 Al for nouȝte hit was no bote þe folke lete he passe no fote þenne sent god on hem a fleȝe Line 5959 A sharper say neuer mon wiþ eȝe On pharao & his to drauȝt [folio 38a:1] þat ouer al his londe hit rauȝt Saue in þat londe þat hett Iessen þere woned goddes owne men Line 5964 Coom noon of þo fliȝes þare wel he coude his owne spare þouȝe þei woned in þat cuntre Faire he made his owne fre Line 5968 For pharao shulde vndirstonde Miȝty he was ouer al his londe Pharao ful fals of pees Calde aaron and Moyses Line 5972 Gooþ he seide here in my londe And to ȝoure lorde make offronde wherto shulde ȝe forþer go Line 5975 Do wey þei seide hit is not so God wol no worshepe take of hem þat dwelle among cursede men Suche is þe folke of egipt Line 5979 þat make to beestis her worship . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þre iourneyes more ne lesse Most þei wende into wildernesse Line 5984 To make oure lord worship to As he haþ beden to be do wendeþ he seide siþ ȝe wol go But furþer go ȝe not þen so Line 5988 For me ȝe prey ȝus þei seide To morwe shul þo fliȝes be leide Bigile vs no more in kare þe folke þo he lete forþ fare Line 5992

Line 5992 Moises preyed þe toþer day þe fliȝes were alle quyt away þat al þe lond wex so clene Line 5995 þat neuer a fliȝe þerynne was sene ȝitt þe kyng hem helde ful þro For wolde he not lete hem go ¶ þen sende god a qualme of alle In þat kyngdome on beestes to falle Line 6000 horse & asse mule & camel Doun þei deȝed her catel Goddes folke þat had any beest Deȝed noon of hem moost ny leest Line 6004 Pharao sende þat to se hool & fere he fonde her fe But euer was pharao in oon þe folke away lete he not goon Line 6008 ¶ þe sixte vengeaunce coom on honde False pharao to fonde Bile & blister bollynge sore On alle his folke lasse & more Line 6012 hem was wo on her bodies alle her kyng þei waryed grete & smalle ȝitt for nouȝte þat men miȝt say Wolde he lete þe folke away Line 6016 ¶ þe seuenþe vengeaunce to tel hit was a weder wondir fel A þondur wiþ a hail so kene Line 6019 Suche anoþer was neuer sene hail & fuyr menged samen þat hit ouertoke þouȝte no gamen Boþe hit slowȝe fro hit bigon Line 6023 wiþouten house beest & mon þe treest hit brast þe erþe brint At gessen londe þere hit stint Of israel for þat tempest Line 6027 was nouþer harmed mon nor beest

þenne seide þe kyng I haue þe wronge Al þis wreche is on me longe Prey þi lord sir Moyses þat he wol do þis þonder cees Line 6032 he is riȝt wis þat ȝe on leue his folke shal go wiþouten greue I and myne mys haue done he preyed þe wedur ceesed soone whenne pharao hadde þat he souȝt Line 6037 Longer forwarde helde he nouȝt ¶ þenne sende god hem a litil beest Of tooþ is not vnfoulest Line 6040 Locuste hit hett in book I fond I trowe noon suche be in þis lond þat beest gnowȝe vp al bidene [folio 38b:1] Line 6043 þat þondur lafte ripe & grene Of hem were so mony bred Ouer al þe londe þei were spred þat men myȝte nowhere se Line 6047 Gras on erþe ny leef on tre But ȝit was pharao forsworn And false as he was biforn ¶ þenne dud god wiþdrawe his liȝt Line 6051 And merkenes made more þen nyȝt So merke noon myȝte oþer se And þat lasted dayes þre No mon out off stud miȝte stere Gessen cuntre was al clere Line 6056