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

[The parable of the Castle of Love and Grace.]

. . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

¶ In a castel semely set Strengþed wel wiþouten let Line 9880 þis castel was of loue & grace Boþe of socour & of solace vpon þe marche hit stonde in dede Of enuye haþ hit no drede Line 9884 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þis castel is so polisshed briȝt þat hit may neiȝe no waryed wiȝt Line 9888 Ny no maner gyn of were May cast þerto hit to dere Wiþ walles foure closed of stoon Feirere in al erþe is noon Line 9892 Bailyes haþ þis castel þre Wiþ feire wardes semely to se As ȝe shul her aftir deuyse But hit is feirer mony wyse Line 9896

Line 9896 þen tonge con telle or hert þinke Or any clerke write wiþ ynke A deep diche is þere aboute wel wrouȝte wiþouten doute Line 9900 with carneles is hit set ful wele Batailed aboute al wiþ sele Seuen barbicans ar þere diȝt þat are made wiþ michel sleiȝt Line 9904 Vchone þei haue ȝate & tour þat neuer shul faile socour Wiþ disese shal he neuer be led þe mon þat þider-warde is fled Line 9908 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þis castel is not to hide Peynted on þe vtter side Line 9912 wiþ þre colouris of diuerse hew þe gound wal nexte hit is so trew Metyng wiþ þe roche of stoon Line 9915 Of grenes þere wanteþ noon For þat grenes I dar wel say his hew holdeþ lastynge ay þe toþer hew next to fynde Is al blew men callen ynde Line 9920 þe middel hew is þat I mene To siȝt is hit selcouþ clene þe þridde colour þere I-meynt þat þo carneles wiþ are peynt Line 9924 hit ȝyueþ leem to alle so briȝt And ȝyueþ to þe neþemast liȝt As rose reed hit is in spring And semeþ as a brennyng þing Line 9928 waried wiȝt comeþ þere neuer But swetenes is lasting euer . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 9932

Line 9932 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] A middes þe heȝest tour to telle Line 9935 þer springeþ of watir a clere welle þerfro renneþ foure stremes swete þourȝe þat grauel & þat grete And so þei fullen euery dike Line 9939 who so is þere wel may like who so miȝt with þat watir him wesshe he shulde haue hele on al his flesshe Wiþynne þis tour is set for-þi A tour faire of yuory Line 9944 þat is of gretter liȝte & leem þen someres day is sonne beem Craftily casten wiþ a compas Clymbynge vp wiþ seuen pas Line 9948 vchone wiþ her mesure met Semely þere are þei sett þe leme of liȝt euer lemes newe þat mengeþ wiþ þe coloures hewe Line 9952 Was kyng ne caisere neuer here [folio 62b:1] þat euer sat in suche chaiere ȝit fairer was wiþouten ende þe stud þere god him self wolde lend Was neuer suche a noþer holde Line 9957 Ne wiser mon in world to wolde Ne neuer beþ made wiþ monnes witt For god him self deuised hit To his bihoue sundry & sere þerfore owe we to holde hit dere Line 9962 ¶ þis castel is of belde & blis þere murþe is neuermore to mis Castel to haue of hope & holde her griþ to haue may þei be bolde þat is þat body of þat buyrde Line 9967 had neuer noon so blessed wyrde

Ny neuer so mony maneres gode As mary mayden mylde of mode hit is vp sett as in þe marche Line 9971 And stondeþ for shelde & targe Aȝeines alle oure felouns foo þat euer waiteþ vs to slo þe roche þat is polisshid sliȝt þe mary mayden hert ful briȝt Line 9976 þat þouȝte neuer to wicked dede But euer lyued in maydenhede þat she chees þe furst day She kept hit in mekenes ay Line 9980 þe foundement þat furste is leyde Nexte þe roche as hit is seide þat peynted is wiþ grene hew & lasteþ euer I-liche new Line 9984 þat is ende of þat mayden clene liȝtynge hir holy hert shene Grenesse lastyng euer & ay Bitokeneþ endyng of þat may Line 9988 Good endyng of al & al Of alle vertues is ground wal ¶ þe middel hew þat is of ynde Is no man þat may fairer fynde Of soþfastenes token hit es Line 9993 Trouþe studfaste & tendernes She serued oure lord of miȝt In mekenes swete day & nyȝt Line 9996 þe þridde colour of hem alle hit couereþ al aboute þe walle And hit is reed as any blode Of alle þese oþere is noon so gode þat is þe holy charite Line 10001 was kyndeled in þat lady fre And aboute bilaide þat lady shene To goddes seruise she ȝaf hir clene

þe foure turrettes þere I set þat castel fro harme to let þat are foure vertues principales Line 10007 Whiche men callen cardinales Alle oþere vertues of hem han holde þerfore þei are for cheef I tolde þat is riȝtwisnes & meeþ Line 10011 Insiȝt & strengþe to telle ben eeþ At þis ȝate are foure porteres þat no þing may com in þat deres þe bailyes þre of þat castel þat so wel wrouȝte is to tel Line 10016 þat is in compas wrouȝte aboute And kepeþ al þe werke fro doute On þe ouermast stage was set hir maidenhede meke of met þat neuer wemmed ones was She was so fulde ful of grace þe midmast bailly of þe þre Line 10023 Bitokeneþ wel hir chastite þe ouermast wiþouten faile May bitoken hir spousaile Name of baily hit haþ for þi For hit hit helde euer in baily Makeles is sho soþ to say Line 10029 Spoused modir & clene may Bi oon mot he go of þese þre þat in þis world wol saued be [folio 63a:1] þe barbicans seuen þat ben aboute þere stonden þre bailyes wiþoute Line 10034 þat wel kepen þat castel From arwe shet & quarel þat are seuen vertues to telle þe seuen synnes are set to quelle ȝe shul hem here wiþouten abide Line 10039 þe furste of hem is cleped pride

And fully is ouercomen algate þere buxomnes halt hir state Charite euer fordoþ envye And abstinens glotenye Line 10044 þe chastite of þis lady Ouercomeþ al lust of lecchery Gredines of eueruchon hir fredome fordoþe hit þon Line 10048 Miȝt neuer of wreche in hir bihete hir mekenes was so grete Goostly gladnes was hir amyd þat al hir heuynes fordid Line 10052 þat welle of grace sprong hir Inne þat fyned neuermore to rynne God ȝaf his grace to alle his dere And dalt hit wiþ mesures sere Line 10056 But to hir þat his owne wase Al hool he ȝaf fully his grace But þat grace of hir brestes Ouer al þis world grace kestes þerfore is she called in places Modir of pite and of graces what may I calle þe dikes Line 10063 Wilful pouert þat man likes No gyn may on erþe be wrouȝt May caste to dere þis castel ouȝt Bi whiche þe fend waried wiȝt Ouercomen was & lost his miȝt þat had so mychel miȝt biforn Line 10069 þat was no mon of modir born Miȝte kepe him fro þat fende felle But he hem had to pyne of helle þis ilke lady soþely is she þat god seide þe nedder to Line 10074 Suche a wommon shulde springe þat shulde his heed al to þringe

¶ Now blessed be þat buyrde of grace þe worþiest þat euer ȝit wase þe kyng of al wiþouten wene his sete made in hir so clene To reste in hir trewe body Line 10081 To brynge vs out of oure foly And toke hem out of prisoun strang þat had leyn þerynne lang Ful leef was vs þat lady lele Line 10085 þat godenesses bare in hir so fele More þen any shafte þat es But hir son of riȝtwisnes þat in hir louely bodi liȝt Line 10089 Made hir so mony folde briȝt he coom in at þe ȝate sperd And so hit was when he forþ ferd As þe sonne goþ þourȝe glas Line 10093 he might do what his wille was