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

The building of the Temple.

¶ whenne salomon was wel at ese And al his kyngdome in pese In worchyng he bigon to wake Line 8759 In det he was þe temple to make þat his fadir him of bisouȝt But of a þing wondir him þouȝt whil he was tymbryng to þat þing þat while þe tre bigon to clyng Line 8764 þe tre þat I bifore of tolde þo bigon to waxen olde vche mon seide þat hit syȝe þat hit for elde bigon to driȝe Line 8768 And semed wel bi þat purpos Men shulde no more hit holde in clos

þe shorte tale þerof to telle Line 8771 Men þe raþer shulde hit felle whenne nede were to be souȝt And to þe temple werke be wrouȝt þe kyng cast bi scanteloun Line 8775 And dud make al þe tymber boun Whenne al was purueide in place And bounden to gider beem & lace þei fond greet merryng in her merk þe wriȝtes þat shulde reise þe werk þe best beem þat þerynne shulde be Line 8781 þer of wantid hem a tre þe beem þat moost þe werk shulde bynde þei souȝte anoþer for to fynde Mony a wod haue þei þourȝe goon Line 8785 But suche a tre fonde þei noon whenne þei had souȝte wiþouten spede Sir kyng þei seide we doute oure dede Shal perisshe & al left werke vchone Line 8789 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] And spak to kyng salomone Line 8792 þei seide sir durst we for awe Oure þouȝte wolde we to ȝow shawe we haue souȝt fer & nere To fynde a tre to þis mistere Line 8796 For to feste oure compas slyȝe Oure werke to geder lowe & hyȝe If we durst say ȝou sir kyng [folio 55b:1] þat ȝe toke not in greuyng Line 8800 þe tre þat is in orcharde þin wolde bringe oure werke wel to fyn þe kyng of þis tre vndirstood Almost menged him his mood Line 8804 Neuerþeles he graunt þat tre whenne hit miȝt noon oþere be

Soone was þat hewen doun Line 8807 And squyre on leide & scanteloun þe tre was also mete & queme As any mon couþe þerto deme But whenne hit was vp bi strengþe hit wantid large an ellen lengþe Line 8812 Anoon doun þei hit let And fonde hit mete Inouȝe bi met Efte þei lifted vp þat tre hit was to short greet quantite Line 8816 þus þei proued hit þre dayes As hit in þe story sayes But for no profur þat þei dude Line 8819 hit wolde not þere stonde in stude whenne þei say no bote elles þei went to seche friþ & felles Fynde anoþer tre wolde þai Line 8823 þei hit fond þe furste day þe same day þei hit founden þe beem was in his birþen bounden þis tre þei toke of cipres Line 8827 And dud hit in worshepe & in pes In þat holy temple griþ And þe þritty cercles þerwiþ þat kyng dauid so good Dud aboute hit whil hit stood Line 8832 To wite how hit grew bi ȝere And offred hem as tresour dere To haue of þat tre lastynge mynde Of diuerse tokenes as we fynde Line 8836 At þe temple for þis resoun þei were wiþ tresour in comoun Ne were þei neuer þenne spend Til þei were Iudas bikend Line 8840 To him were þei bitauȝte & tolde whenne he for hem his lord solde

þus seiþ som opinioun But so seiþ not þe passioun þe tre þenne ful richely was in þe temple don to ly Line 8846 þerof was neuer made ouȝt Til þe cros þerof was wrouȝt þis chirche was made of marbul stoon Suche anoþer in world was noon As was temple salomone Line 8851 þerynne were alle her relikes done Mony selcouþes to se He wrouȝt þer in stoon & tre was neuer noon þat coude wirche Ne ordeyne suche anoþer chirche Line 8856 But god had ȝyuen suche wisdome As he gaf to salomon As say þe men þat þere han ben wiþ ynne & oute boþe han seen þritti ellen when hit was made Line 8861 hit had on lengþe & ten on brade And on heiȝte hit had fiftene Bi crafte ouer al wrouȝte bi dene þerfore þe bem I tolde of ore Line 8865 Of ellenes hit was fiftene & more Whenne þe temple halewed wes þe tre lay euer stille in pees Mony hit wolde haue done away Line 8869 Miȝt þei not stille hit lay And aftir salomones dawe Coom a preest of her lawe þerto fyue hundride men he ledde Line 8873 þei miȝte not sture hit of þat stedde wiþ axe he wolde haue kut hit þon Alto soone he bigon Out of þat tre brast a blase And brent hem alle in þat plase Line 8878

Line 8878 Coom noon of hem hoom quik [folio 56a:1] Line 8879 Cirillus hett þat preest quik þis was a tokenyng of þat tre þat halewed was as ȝe may se

¶ Salomon þo was ful wele Line 8883 And vmbeset wiþ hap & sele his wyues were wondir to neuen Quenes had he hundrides seuen þre hundride lemmons he sayes Aftir þe lawe in dayes Line 8888 wiþinne þe tyme þat I of rede