Cursor mundi (The cursur o the world). A Northumbrian poem of the XIVth century in four versions. Ed. by the Rev. Richard Morris ...
[The people set up a golden calf.]
¶ whiles Moises was awey
þat false folk wiþouten fey
6488
þei seid Moises was slayn
And neuer wolde com aȝayn
And summe seide þat he
was lyuynge and in lif shulde be
6492
þei toke her counsel as þei wolde
To make hem a god of golde
þo foles seiden hem amon
6495
So stalworþe shulde he be & strong
þat he shal holde vs hool & fere
And kepe vs euer in oure mistere
whenne manna wol vs wantyng be
he shal vs sende good plente
6500
þus bigan her gile wiþ gamen
her tresour of golde þei gedered samen
A colden calf þerof þei blew
And as a god honourid hit new
6504
Oure god þei seide þis is he
þat brouȝte vs þourȝe þe rede see
Fro pharao & his powere
þerfore honoure we him here
6508
¶ þis moyses was dere & kynde
To god men may hit here fynde
he toke him tables of þe lawe
As ȝe herde in my sawe
6512
whenne he had hem him take
þe folke he seide haþ done wrake
Page 379
Siþ þou coom fro hem last
þou shal hem fynde vnstudfast
6516
Lordyngis to þis false lede
Manna fel ȝe herde me rede
Fro heuen fel so greet plente
As a ryme frost on to se
6520
Whil moyses him helde a way
For to do hem haue þe lay
Somme of hem þis faste forsoke [folio 41b:1]
And þis riche manna toke
6524
And vndir erþe in holes hidde
Aȝeyn forbode þus þei didde
þus þei were þat tyme vnwise
6527
þei dud aȝeynes goddes emprise
¶ whenne moyses coom fro þat felle
Soone herde he tiþing telle
þat his folke ful euel had done
þerof fonde he token soone
6532
whenne he was comen into desert
þe calf fonde he þere sett apert
he herde þe greet noise þare
Aboute þis calf with mychel fare
6536
So greued he wex in his mode
He myȝt saye euel ne gode
he ne wist wheþer bettur wore
To turne or wende him forþermore
þe tables þat he in honde bere
6541
In peces he hem brake riȝt þere
þerwiþ forþermore he ȝede
For to se her cursed dede
6544
he say hem knele þis calf aboute
As god him self to loue & loute
what deuel is þis he seide in greue
6547
Is þis ȝoure god þat ȝe in leue
whenne þei were war of Moises
þei fleyȝe away al in a res
Page 381
ȝonge & olde lasse & more
þe calf allone laft þei þore
6552
Moises þenne called hem to gider
lordyngis he seide I am comen hider
Aboute ȝoure eronde haue I bene
Why fle ȝe fro me þus bi dene
6556
Comeþ aȝeyn wiþouten doute
haue ȝe þese dayes alle fasted oute
þat I ȝou bad ar I went
6559
haue ȝe holden my commaundement
who haþ made þis calf bifore
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
6564
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .*. [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.]
hit shal her aftir ȝou rewe ful sore
who made þis calf I most him ken
who helde þe faste among þese men
6570
who haþ holden my commaundement
And who not siþen I went
who for-ȝat me & who nouȝt
And who þis golde to gider brouȝt
whiche are þo to gider hit blew
6575
whiche are þo for her god hit knewe
Alle þei made hem seuen quyte
vchone seide I haue no wite
Parfay seide Moyses for nouȝt
þe soþe algate shal be souȝt
6580
I wol my self knowe þe fals
And vche mon shal knowe him als
Ful euelhele brake ȝe þe day
þat I fasted so shul ȝe say
6584
Allas shul ȝe say þat siþe
For whenne I weped ȝe made ȝou bliþe
Page 383
ȝe made þis god in to trow
whil I went to preye for ȝow
6588
Muchel foly dud I þan
þat euer to helpe ȝou I bigan
whenne I ȝou ladde þourȝe þe stronde
Oute of alle ȝoure enemyes honde
6592
Siþen I asked ȝoure fode
And god sende ȝou manna gode
þat ȝe in erþe han hud vndir
Mony men on ȝou shal wondir
6596
Oure lord shal me on ȝou wrake
And saue þo þat haue no sake
Alle are ȝe trewe bi ȝoure sawes
Is noon of ȝou þis calf knawes
ȝe say þat ȝe made hit nouȝt
6601
Ne neuer coom hit in ȝoure þouȝt
Nor ȝe honourid hit neuer ȝe say
Alle of þis ȝe make hit nay
But saye me þenne wherfore & why
ȝe made so mychel dyn & cry
6606
þat I ȝou say make al bi dene
þourȝe þe watir hit shal be sene
Sheweþ me soone hit shal be kid [folio 42a:1]
where ȝe haue þis manna hid
þo pittes whenne þei hem vndid
6611
þei fonde but wormes crulyng I-mid
whenne þei say þis soþ to say
þat gulty were þouȝte no play
þis golden calf he made to brest
To peces & in to watir kest
6616
And of þis watir he made vchon
To drinke wheþer þei wolde or noon
Alle þo men þat gulty were
Gulden berdes soone þei bere
6620
þo þat weren wiþouten pliȝt
And helde his commaundement riȝt
Page 385
And trowed to no maumetrie
As was þe kynreden of sir leuye
6624
þe watir proued hem for clene
Was no golde on her berdes sene
Moises to her ȝatis ȝode
6627
þus he seide whenne he þere stode
Alle þat are in goddes partie
hidur ȝe com & stonde me bye
So dud þat were in goddis half
6631
And honoured not þe gulden calf
Gooþ he seide þat hit be sene
Sleeþ vp þo caitifs alle bi dene
vchone went wiþ sword in honde
And slouȝe þere twenty þousonde
6636
þenne gon moyses to hem say
wite ȝe what ȝe haue don to day
ȝe haue to god holden vp ȝoure hondes
And slayn þat goddes wille withstondes
¶ ȝitt spake oure lord to Moisen
6641
Do he seide as I þe ken
Hewe þe suche tables he seide
As I bifore þe purueide
whiche þou brake & I shal soone
6645
Write hem newe hit is to done
vpon þe morne whenne hit was day
Moises went to fette þe lay
He toke commaundementes ten
6649
For to lede wiþ his men
writen wiþ goddes owne hond
he sende hem þere a fair presond
Whenne moises had brouȝt þe lawe
6653
And his folke in face him sawe
hem þouȝte him horned on heed fer
And douted to com him ner
þenne þe lawe he hem vndid
6657
As oure lord to him gon bid
Page 387
¶ Of oon arke to hem he spake
In goddes worshepe for to make
A tabernacle als for to diȝt
6661
þerof he shewed hem þe riȝt
þe þre ȝerdes vp he toke
And þerynne dude so seiþ þe boke
6664
To bere wiþ him to euery stede
whoder he wolde þat folke lede
6666
