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

Vpon þe morwe þo hit was day And þei were redy to her way Iesu turned to þat tre Line 11711 And seide palme I bidde þe Þat of þi braunches oon be shorn And wiþ myn aungel hennes born In paradis plaunted to be Line 11715 þere is my fadir mirþes to se Vnneþe was þis word spoken An aungel coom abowȝe was broken And born awey also soone his commaundement was done Line 11720 þe bowȝe to heuen wiþ him he bere Þei fel in swowne þat þere were þe siȝte of aungel made hem mad Iesu seide whi are ȝe drad wheþer þat ȝe wit hit nouȝt Þat hondes myne þis tre wrouȝt I wol now þat of þis tre Line 11727 Stonde in paradis to be To my seyntis in stud of fode As hit in þis wey ȝit stille stode þenne ȝede þei forþ her wey Ioseph gan to iesu sey Lord þis is a muchel hete Line 11733 hit greueþ vs hit is so grete If þou rede þerto we wolde þe weye bi þe see to holde þere ben townes in to rest Line 11737 þat waye to go me þinke best

¶ Ioseph drede þe not I say I shal make short þi way Of þritty dayes Iourney þro Line 11741 Þou shal haue but a day to go As þei to gider talkyng were [folio 73b:1] þei loked aboute fer & nere Soone bigon þei þo to se Line 11745 Of egipte londe a good cite Þenne wex þei glad & bliþe And coom to þat cite swiþe Fond þei þere no knowyng Line 11749 To aske any gestenyng þat tyme þat þei coom to towne were prestis at her temple bowne To make þe folk as þei were set Do sacrifise to her maumet Line 11754 Marie neȝe was Inned þere To se þe chirche hir son she bere Whenne he was the chirche comen In Men miȝte a selcouþ se to myn Alle þo deueles in a stounde Line 11759 Grouelynge fel to þe grounde . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Doun to þe erþe were þei leide þenne coom þe prophecie was seide Line 11764 whenne he seide þe lord shalle Com to egipte ydoles alle Shul falle & was to nouȝt whiche þei wiþ her hondes wrouȝt ¶ Of þat toun was a lordyng Line 11769 Whenne him was tolde þis tiþing he gedered folk & dwelt nouȝt And to þe temple he hem brouȝt For to wreke hem was he boun Line 11773 þat þus cast his goddes doun

Whenne he say in þe temple ly his goddes & his maumetry Line 11776 He coom to marie wiþouten harme As she hir childe bare in barme Wiþ honoure bifore him he felle Line 11779 And to þe folke þus gan telle But þis childe were god of myȝt Oure goddes had stonden vp riȝt But for he is al myȝty sene Oure are fallen doun bi dene Line 11784 þe wreche of him sore may we drede As witnesseþ oure eldres dede . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trinity & Laud MSS.] how hit bitidde of pharaone Line 11789 Wiþ al his folke was fordone For þei wolde not on god leue Þerfore had þei þat greue Alle þei drowned in þe see Line 11793 I trowe bi him so do now ȝe Was no temple in al þat toun þat þerof ne fel sumdel doun Line 11796

¶ In egipte leue we Iesus [[Ihc]] þus To telle sum what of heroudus Heroude had regned þritty ȝere whenne þat marie iesu [[ihu]] bere Line 11800 Siþen he regned þries seuen Fer he brouȝte him self from heuen þat false feloun goddes fo Souȝte his lord for to slo Line 11804 How had he hert to shede her blood Þat neuer dud but good Þat wilful wolf þat ferde so fals Aȝeynes fremde & frendes als his delful dedes most be knowen Line 11809 Monqueller was he to his owen

þat gredy gerarde as a gripe Line 11811 Now his wrongis bigonne to ripe And for his seruyse mony a day þenne coom tyme to take his pay Þat cursed caitif so vn meke Line 11815 Þo bigon to wexe seke Þe palesy smoot his oon side þat dud him faste abate pride On his heed þere wex a scalle Line 11819 Þe scabbe ouergooþ his body alle þus at ones coom þis þing þe folke say sorwe on her kyng Line 11822 Þe ȝicche toke him sikerly þe fester smoot þourȝe his body þe goute potagre euel to bete Line 11825 hit fel doun into his fete Ouer al was he mesel pleyne [folio 74a:1] þerwiþ he hadde þe feuer quarteyne þe dropesy so to gider him prest Line 11829 þat he wende his body wolde brest þe fallyng euel had he to melle his teeþ out of his heed felle On vche side him souȝte his sore Line 11833 Miȝt no mon wiþ lif haue more Ouer al wrong out þe wore Maþes cruled in him þore

Þis caitif so vnmeke Line 11837 Dooþ him leches for to seke Þei comen boþe fro fer & nere Þe sleȝest of þat ilke mistere Line 11840 And for þei miȝte not leche his wo Alle he dud hem for to slo Fro him fledde his owne meyne Boþe son & seruauntis to se Line 11844 þus his frendes fro him fledde Miȝt noon for stynke com to his bedde

Alle fled fro him a way Line 11847 And preyed aftir his endyng day

¶ Whenne þat archelayus his son Say þus his sory fadir won To þe baronage soone he sent Line 11851 To make a priue parlement Gode men he seide what is ȝoure siȝt Of my fadir þat is þus diȝt ȝe seen he haþ no monnes taile Line 11855 þerfore seiþ me ȝoure counsaile he is so stad in his wo Saw we neuer noon oþere so þe rotyng of him þat renneþ oute Line 11859 And þe stynke him aboute May no lyuynge mon hit þole he sleeþ his leches deed as cole wod is he þus in þis debate Line 11863 he is in a sorweful state For wo he is out of his wit I rede if ȝe assente to hit þat we get vs leches tweyn Line 11867 In whiche we may trust certeyn A newe baþ to make & proue Of picche & brymstone for his loue Line 11870 And whenne hit welleþ in þat hete Caste him in & lete him swete þe baronage seide good is þis rede For almes were þat he were dede ¶ þo leches soone dud þei bringe Line 11875 Whenne þei coom bifore þe kynge he lifte vp his lodly chin lokyng felounly & grym Line 11878 hore sones he seide what are ȝe leches þei seide to leche þe Medicyne shal þou of vs take A noble baþ we shul þe make Line 11882

Line 11882 Bi þat þou com þerof oute þou shal be hool as any troute Line 11884 þei filled a leed of picche & oile And fast duden hit to boile whenne it was at her wille diȝt þei liften vp þat cursed wiȝt Line 11888 Traitours he seide ȝe shul goon To honge but I be hool anoon Nay certis þei seide sir kyng Shal þou neuer no mon hing Line 11892 Bi þat we ones fro þe part But if we failen of oure art herwiþ þei let þe heed doun And vp þe feet of þat feloun Line 11896 Soone helde him her hete þerynne þei honged him bi þe fete In þat baþ of picche & terre And sende him þere he fareþ werre wors þen he ferde euer are Line 11901 For neuer comeþ ende of his care he was lefte wiþ sathonas And wiþ þe traitour fals Iudas ¶ whenne he was deed gerarde grim Archelaus was kyng aftir him Line 11906 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]