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

Pater noster qui es in celis . . . . . [folio 73b:2]

Oure fader þat es high in heuyn, halowid be þi name to neuyn, þi kingrike þou send vs sone, þi will in erth be euerdone Line 25106 als it es in heuyn done ay, oure ilk day brede gif vs þis day. And lord forgiff þou dettes ours, Als we fo[r]giff till oure detoures, Line 25110 And lede vs fader in no fanding, Bot schild vs euer fro euil thing.

Crist himself made þis prayere, [[These first ten lines precede line 25103 in the Galba MS.]] [folio 73b:2] Wharfore it es withouten pere, þare es no prayer þat ordand es So medeful of þe mikilnes, Line 25116 Seuin askinges er þarin to rede þat makes vs mene on all oure nede, both vnto lifing here a space, Line 25119 and whare oure sawl more mister hase, And þat es in þir wordes fone, þat er in ingliss þus vndone. [[These first ten lines precede line 25103 in the Galba MS.]] Now sall I say halely bidene What þir wordes er forto mene. Line 25124 "Oure fader," þusgat when we say, [Pater noster] By þis word vnderstand we may þat god es fader ouer vs all, And we als suns opon him call; Line 25128 þarfore suld ilka prayer here Haue foure thinges folowand in fere; Ane es hertly luf to haue, To him of wham we sall oght craue, Line 25132 And sekir hope oure bone to wyn, And stedfast trowth to stand euer in, And forto knaw with bowsumnes þat no gude dede of oure self es, Line 25136 Bot oure gude dedis by night and day Cumes of god, and his er þai. "Oure fader," þis word when we schaw Ful luf þarin may we knaw, Line 25140 For what þe sun has mister in minde, þe fader it aw to grante by kinde. Bot þar calles him fader ful fele þat er noght to him suns lele, Line 25144 þat nowþer er his suns in-dede, ne in no lifing at þai lede. God for his sons no man here knawes þat to þe fende þaire dedis drawes; Line 25148

Line 25148 A wikked man þat god forsakes, [folio 74a:1] And to þe werlaw wers him takes, For goddes sun may he noght be kend Till tyme þat he his mis amend. Line 25152 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þan suld we to slike dedes draw þat god for his suns might vs knaw, Line 25156 And þan we may with worthines, Call him oure fader, als he es. In þis word "fader" we vnderstand all sekernes of oure erand, For if þat god oure fader be, Line 25161 Halden sekerly es he Vs forto help and forto here, Ay when we mak rightwis prayere. Line 25164 Bot þare er resons whi oure bone Sumtyme es noght herd sone, For sumtyme oure prayer es noght lele, Line 25167 Or askid ogains oure sawl hele,— Als was þe prayer of saint paule þat prayed ogaynes his awin sawl; He prayed þe fanding of his fa Line 25171 Th[r]yse þat it suld be tane him fra, And sen none may to heuin win Bot he be fanded with sum syn, And thurgh victori of þat fanding He may haue mede of heuyn king, Ferþi crist said saint paul answere, Line 25177 "Inogh es þe my grace to bere." Forþi what so god sendes vs till Vs aw to suffer it with gude will. Sumtyme may oure praier be right Line 25181 And noght herd for oure awin plight; And sum tyme als let it may þai Forto be herd for wham we pray, Line 25184

Line 25184 Als when we pray for þam þat lies In syn þat god þam grante to rise. Al if þis prayer be to take And we worthi it forto make, Line 25188 And þai leue noght þaire wilkedhede þat lettes vs of oure bone to spede. And of oure praier crist es payd Sum tyme all if it be missayd, Line 25192 And turnes into better state Als he þat all oure mister wate; And þat es noght vnherd we trow þat es turned till oure gretter prow. Line 25196 þis word "fader" when we myn, Stedfast trowth it beris þarein, For when we trow in þe godhede [folio 74a:2] Oure trowth sall mak vs mekil mede, For of right trowth it es þe law Line 25201 To trow þe thing we neuer saw. In þis ilk word "in heuyn þates," [Qui es in celis.] þan vnderstand we bousumnes, Line 25204 For we suld think when we it neuyn How hegh oure fader es in heuyn, And how law we in erth er stad; þan suld we be bowsom and rad, Line 25208 Bowsom his bidinges to fullfill, And rad to wirk ogains his will. We suld him drede for luf in land, And for drede suld we be lufand. Als oure fader luf we him þan, And drede him als oure domesman. He þat so dose þan may he euyn Say "holowid be þi name in heuin," Line 25216 [[Sanctificetur nominem tuum]] þat es to say, "þus lord þou strenkith in vs þi name in brede and lenkith; And len vs so þi suns to be þat we wirk noght ogaynes þe; Line 25220

Line 25220 And mak þi name be knawin als Line 25221 Omang men þat in trowth er fals, Als with þe sarsins and þe iows, And oþer mo þat ay mistrows, Line 25224 And all men þat in errure iss For to be broght vnto þi blis. And len vs lord swilk mode and mayn þat we tak neuer þi name in vayn, And þat we swere noght wrang þarby, Bot honore it als es worthy." [[Adueniat reg|num tuum]] "þi king rike lord þou do vs haue, Line 25231 So þat we may of sin be saue, And so with vs lat regne þi grace þat we may regne bifor þi face." þis praier alls es for all þa þat for þaire sins amendes will ma, Line 25236 And gif þam vnto godes lay; And als þis prayer es to say "Lord put oway thurgh powste þine þe forces of þe fendes fine, Line 25240 Fro all folk þat er vnder þe, And sett þam in þi saintite. þat þou has vnto al þa hight þat menskes þe with main and might." And in þis point also we pray Line 25245 For all rightwiss on domesday, When suthfastnes sall all be sene, [folio 74b:1] And þe corn fro þe caf be clene, Line 25248 þe euill sall fra þe gude be drawn, þat þai may with þare fase be knawn. God grant vs here þi will to wirk, And þat þi kingrike, hali kirk, Line 25252 And hir childer may be broght To blis þat vnto þam es wroght. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

Þis claus es cald þe thrid bone, [Fiat uo|luntas tua sicut in cœlo &c.] Line 25257 "Fader in erth þi will be done," þat we þi bidinges here fulfill Als þai in heuyn wirkes will, Line 25260 Grante vs in erth þi will to do Als angels in heuyn dose þe to, . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þai pay þe with þaire seruis sere; Line 25265 So mot we do all þat er here. . . . . . . . . . . Line 25268 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 25272 Þis firth bone vs askes fode, [Panem nos|trum cotidi|anum da no|bis hodie] Both vnto life and sawl gude; For on þis wise it es to say "Oure ilk day brede gif vs þis day," And gif vs strenkith withouten strif, And might both vnto sawl & lif; Line 25278 For þare er fode on thrin manere þat saul and lif has of mistere, Line 25280 þe body here has nede of bath To be sustened with mete and clath; And gastly fode on all maners Es þe sawl when men sarmon heres, Line 25284 And fode of howsill suthly es Both for þe sawl and for þe fless. And efter both þir fodes we pray When we oure pater noster say; Line 25288 Bot if oure fless be fed to will, And þe sawl for hunger spill, (þat es bot it be led with lare) No wonder if þai both mis-fare! Line 25292

Line 25292 And if þe sawl haue gude preching, Line 25293 And þan þe fless folow in al thing, þan sall þai both on domesday, Be broght to blis þat lastes ay. Line 25296 Þe fift asking es faire to bere [Et dimitte no|bis debita nos|tra sicut et nos dimittimus] When we pray on þis manere, "Fader, forgif vs dettes ours, Als we forgif till oure dettours." Line 25300 Of god in heuyn we ask þis bone, And es þus forto be vndone: Fader oure sins forgiff vs to Right als we vntill oþer do Line 25304 þat ogains vs oght has done; [folio 74b:2] Sinn bannes þam self þa sais þis bone. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 25308 For when þou prayes to god þat he Right so þi sins forgif to þe, Als þou forgiffes vntill anoþer, Line 25311 And haldes wreth þan with þi broþer, Any þat trewly cristend es And namly þat askes forgifnes, Line 25314 Vnto þi-self þan askes þou wrake, And prayes þat god it on þe take. For þus sais crist in his godspell, "With slike met als ȝe till oþer sell, Line 25318 With slike mesure sal ȝe be met," When ilka man sall haue his dett. Sen god forgifes noght vs oure syn Bot if we forgiff all man-kyn, How may he ask forgifnes þan, þat forgifs noght anoþer man? Line 25324 Forgif till oþer most we nede, If we onence oure self will spede; Or els ogains oure self we pray When we oure pater noster say. Line 25328

Line 25328 And man, if þi sawl be swa seke Line 25329 þat þou nonegate þi mode may meke, Better es þe þan to say it noght Bot haue þis entent in þi thoght, þe whilk þat I sall schew þe here; þat es to say on þis manere, Line 25334 "Oure fader of heuyn to þe I pray, Thre persons and a god verray, If we thurgh frelnes of oure fless May gif till oþer no forgifnes, Line 25338 Als we suld do if we did right, Thurgh þi grace þou grante vs might So to forgif oþer þaire sin þat we may þi forgifnes win; Line 25342 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] And of man-kinde to luf þe state þat we may wikked werkes hate, Line 25346 And so vntill all oþer at do Als þou has techid vs vnto; To will þat lay in gude life be And end in luf and charite, And to amend þam if we may, Or be of more power þan þai, And if we may noght mend þaire care, Haue sorow in hert of þaire misfare." And if we do þus þan we may Oure pater noster trewly say. [Et ne nos inducas in tenta|tionem] þe sex bone es ful nedeful thing, [folio 75a:1] Line 25357 "Fader lede vs in no fanding," þat es on þis maner to mene, "Oure fader of heuyn, þou kepe vs clene, And lat vs neuer be fanded swa Line 25361 þat we feld doun with oure fa. We sall noght pray to god þat he Help þat we noght fanded be,

For ilka man þat here lifes right Has fele fandinges both day and night, Line 25366 And he þat victori may gete Sall be corond wirschippes grete. Fals fanders here haue thrin þat alway fandes vs with syn, Line 25370 þe werld with welth, oure fless with will, þe fende es euer eggand to ill; þarfore we pray oure fader dere Line 25373 To lede vs in no fanding here, Bot grante vs grace þam to ouercum, þat we may won þi kingdom. þis es þe seuynd and þe last asking, [Sed libera nos a malo] Line 25377 "Deliuer vs fader fro all ill thing," And forþi þat we may finde Sere euils laid bifor man-kinde Line 25380 Whilk by our self we may noght fle, In þis bone þar-fore pray we, þat god vs schilde fro euils all þat in aiþer life may fall, Line 25384 þat es, þe body fro harmes here, And þe sawl fro syns sere. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Now haue I sayd þir askinges seuyn Line 25389 þat helpes vs to þe blis of heuyn, Whilk seuyn vertuse vntill vs wins, And als fordose seuyn dedly sins, Line 25392 And bringes vs till seuyn bliscedehedes þat es in heuyn to haue sere medes. "Amen," þat menes "so mot it be" [Amen] Of all þat we haue asked þe; . . . . . Line 25397 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 25400

Line 25400 Oure blisced fader þou it fulfill, And schild vs euer fro alkins ill. Line 25402

AMEN.

[folio 67a:1] Here will I tell a schort tretice made of þe seuyn dedly vice; and for pride es þe formastsin, at him to speke I will bigyn. men may find þare er thre thinges þe whilk pride riueliest of springes. Of werldes hap, of grace of kinde, als men may in sere bukes finde; Pride es a lust, withowten legh, Line 27556 þat ever his awin state wald hegh; and raise it up als men may se, riueliest in thinges thre, Line 27559 For werldes hap, als clath or fode, Hows, or rent, or oþer gude, Erthly honowre, or priorte, Line 27562 Welth, or lordschip, or pouste; Grace or vertuse, or gude fame, Grete wirschip, or worthi name; For steuin swete, for redy tong, Line 27566 For ladis luf, or maydens ȝong, For kind, for craft, or for gentrise, For fairhed, or for wit of prise. Line 27569 And oft it falles þat sum man es Bycumen prowd for halines, And lates lightly of all þa Line 27572 þat he wate er noght halden swa; Of þam we suld noghtly late For of þaire gude werkes noght we wate, If þai do ill think euer inlike; Line 27576 All if þai seme vntill vs slike; þai haue in þam sum hid bounte þat more & better þan owres may be; And we may se als on þis wise Line 27580 þe standand fall, þe falland rise,

þarfore vs aw to be dredand Line 27582 For to fall we now stand; All þat er fallen aw vs to rayse, And oure self of sins to layse. Pride it es, if a man wend Line 27586 His gudes war noght of grace him send, And wenis in his hert þat it Be cumen all of his awin wit Or for his wisdome wenes wele, Line 27590 þat him es granted all his sele; Prid es it when þou reses þe oght Of thing þou has, or has it noght. Or if þou rose by morn or none Line 27594 þe thing þat þou byfore has done. Also of pride cumes vaynglori, [folio 67a:2] þat es to be of rose redy; Ane ipocrite, so forto seme Line 27598 Withowten a doghty man to deme, And within es no thing swa; Men may find ful many of þa. Line 27601 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Of pride als cumes discord and strif, þat es when owþer man or wife Line 27605 Of þaire trispas will noght be knawen, Ne prais no mans dedes bot þaire awin. Of pride als cumes trauers and threte, Hething, threpe, and athes grete, sum prowd men think no better glew þan ilkaday find athes new; Line 27611 Wonder it es how þe erth beres þam þat so vgly athes sweres, Line 27613 For þai forsake noght crist allane, Bot missais him, both blude and bane. Of pride cumes als vnbowsumnes, Whareof grete strif ful oft sene es.

Of pride it cums oure faith to file, Or forto hald þe pouer vile. Line 27619 Of pride cumes fanding and foly, And namly syn of lichery; And many vnnayt oþer thing, Als sang of trofils or lesing. Line 27623 Al men aght pride to forsake, For he wald no man war his make; þarfore sais Isyder of þis syn:— "If þou be gentill man of kin; Line 27627 If þou be riche, or body gent, Thank god þat þe swilk grace has lent; If þou be faire þou think alswa Line 27630 þat all þir pointes sone passes þou fra; If þou be bowsom and curtayse, þan at þe first ertou to prayse. Line 27633 þe angell þat was faire and bright, And in heuin bare þe name of light; When he wex proud he might noght dwell, Bot out of heuyn he fell to hell, And al his vglines he toke Line 27638 Of sin of pride," als sais þe buke; For thing that files es more vile [[This looks like a loan from the "Pricke of Conscience," ll. 2348-2355.]] þan es þe thing þat it may file. Line 27641 þan may we se sin es fowler þan any deuil in hell by fer, þan fro sin aw vs to fle, Line 27644 Faster þan fro þe fende to se. þou man þat in erth I say [folio 67b:1] And wers þan a lump of clay, Line 27647 With pride how suld þou þeder win, Whare angels fell fro, for þat sin.

Ogaines þis sin es medcyn gude, Line 27650 Forto be meke and milde of mode, And knaw oure self in alkins thing Onence bigining and ending; Line 27653

Line 27653 God len vs slike knawing to haue, þat we to him þe sawl may saue.