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

Of þe tre of lif shal I tel And of þe folke of israel

Whenne moyses þat folke had lad Ouer þat see as god him bad he & his broþer aaron Oute of pharaoes seruage þon Line 6304 In surye vp on þat oþere syde þei made her loggyng to abide whil þei dwelled þere to rest Of watir hadde þei mychel þrest Line 6308

Line 6308 wide þei souȝt hit here & þere watir myȝte þei fynde nowhere þe folke þat þere aboute him lay Vchone gon to oþere say Line 6312 Wher we shul in wildernes Deȝe for þurst þourȝe moyses What shul we drynke seide þay Moises þat nyȝte in slepe lay Line 6316 þat nyȝt he ȝeode & toke rest Slepyng he lay in þat forest On morwe he loked him by he say þat him þouȝte ferly Line 6320 At his heed he say stonde waxen of cipres a wonde On his lifte honde loked he Anoþer he say of cidre tre Line 6324 þo he loked on his riȝt hand Of palme tre þe þridde he fand Bi þo leues þat þei bere þei kud of what tre þei were Line 6328 But Moises for goddes awe Durst hem not vp drawe þe toþer day he went eke wiþ þat folke watir to seke Line 6332 þere he slepte at morwe tide he fonde þo ȝerdes him bisyde þe þridde tyme so he hem fond þat dud him wel to vndirstonde Line 6336 þat som tiþinge shulde þer be Closed in þo ȝerdes þre Selcouþ þing he seide wiþ yn Is closed in þese ȝerdes þrin Line 6340 þei bitoken persones þre And o godhede in vnite þenne he drouȝe hem vp furst Wiþouten any skaþe or birst Line 6344

Line 6344 Whil þei in wildernes were þo ȝerdes wiþ hem þei bere Siþ þei fond þat friþ wiþyne Watir bittur as any bryne Line 6348 As bryne hit was & no swettur To drynke was hit neuer þe bettur when þo ȝerdes were Inne done þe watir wex swete ful soone Line 6352 þe wattres þat so foule stank Of swetter þo neuer mon drank þat miracle þei say apert þat dwellyng were in desert Line 6356 Fro þat tyme helde Moyses þo ȝerdes boþe in pris & pres where he walked here or þere þo ȝerdes algate wiþ him were Line 6360 whenne he clombe mount synay þo he hudde hem pryuely Whil he fasted lenten tyde [folio 40b:1] In erþe he dud hem to hide Line 6364 Nouþer for dryȝe ne wete algate þei chaunged neuer her state But euer þei helde leef & flour Sauerynge wiþ a swete sauour Line 6368

¶ Of þis moyses lordyngis I haue ȝou tolde somme þingis Of him may I not al telle For hit were to longe to dwelle Line 6372 But of his trauaile telle I shal he suffered frowarde folke wiþ al he hem lad sooþ hit es Fourty wyntur in wildernes Line 6376 God fonde hem fode in her nede Wiþouten sowyng any sede God him self hem sende fode Fonde þei neuer noon so gode Line 6380

Line 6380 hit snew to hem as hit were floure Of hony hit hadde likest sauoure þe mete þat þei were fed wiþ so Manna þei cleped hit þo Line 6384 hit coom at morn & at euenyng Volatile hem sende þat kyng þat kyng owe men loue & loute wiþ alle worshepes to menske & doute þere þei had mychel watir wone Moises of þe harde stone he smote wiþ his forseide wonde Line 6391 And out brast of þat watir a stronde þenne had þei watir in þat lond Plente boþe to foot and hond But for alle þo dedes gode Line 6395 þat god hem sent to her fode þe mouþes þat of wille were wlank ȝalde him euer litil þank þei her tonges speke resoun her hertis euer were tresoun Line 6400