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

ow adam brak goddes commaunde|ment Wherfore kynde of mon was shent

Adam wandride in þat wele In mychel myrþe ioye & hele Whenne adam was fro eue a þrawe þe nedder neȝe to hir gon drawe And seide wommon telle me whi þat ȝe eten not al comynly Line 760 In paradis of euer vche tre She seide certis so now do we Of alle trees but of one þat is out-taken to vs allone Line 764 Oure lord in forbode haþ hit laide Wost þou þe why: nay she saide But she seide if we com þer nyȝe On double deeþ shul we dyȝe þis o tre shulde him seluen haue Line 769 And alle þe oþere to vs he ȝaue And trowes þou þat hit so be As he ȝou seide: She seide ȝe Line 772 Nay seide he wiþ greet tresoun But þerynne liþ suche resoun But for he wolde not ȝe were Paringal to him nor pere Line 776 þe soþe fro ȝou wol I not hide He wot wel þat what tyme or tide þat ȝe had eten of þat tre As goddes shulde ȝe boþe be Line 780 To knowe boþe good & ille ȝe shulde be lordis at ȝoure wille Of hit ȝe ete so rede I ȝow And ȝe shul fynde hit for ȝoure prow Line 784 þis hetynge was þat tyme ful mykel But his was ful fals & fikel

Sone so she þis fruit bi helde She ȝerned hit to haue in welde Line 788 She let not for drede nor blame But toke & ete & ȝaf Adame What bote is longe þis tale to drawe þei eet hit boþe in litil þrawe Line 792 Al for nouȝte þei eet hit boþe Wherfore oure lord god was wroþe For þat ilke appels bit Her sones teeþ eggen ȝit Line 796 And so shul do til domes day Here aȝeyn may no man say Whenne eiþer say oþere naked Line 799 For shame þei stode boþe & quaked þenne þei say þat bare þei were In welþe & ioye þat were clad ere þei hiled hem I telle hit þe With leues of a fige tre Line 804 Whenne þe fend þus had hem nomen Wel he wende haue god ouercomen And seide wiþinne his sory þouȝt [folio 6a:1] Line 807 I haue made him worche for nouȝt His heuen shal he haue his one Of Adam part geteþ he none To bringe into þat heritage þat I haue lost bi myn vtrage Line 812 He liȝed fals þeof for why ȝitt had god of Adam mercy þat he were lost god wolde nouȝt For he wiþ tricchery was souȝt þe fend was wel more to blame Line 817 þat so falsly giled Adame God wist þe fend had Adam blent ȝitt wolde he not þat he were shent But þouȝe he wolde ȝyue Adam grace Line 821 Furst shulde he bie dere þat trespace