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

De ix modis faciendi elemosinam [folio 70b:2]

If þou be noght of state may fall, To gif þine almus vnto all, þan er þare nyen pointes to se, Line 28892 How þou sall set þi charite, þat þou may knaw by cristen lare, And by þir wordes, whi, when, how, whare. Wayknes, gentrise, blode, and elde, þir aw men with almus to belde, Line 28897 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

And cristen men þat right will trow Line 28900 þou help bifore sarzin or iow. Þis word "whi" sais þe enchesowne [j] þe aw to mak þine almus bowne, When þou sese any haue hunger or calde, Or with enmys halden in halde, To him þat in payn es halden styll, Aw þe first do þine almus till. Line 28907 Þis word "when" telles þe þe tyde [ij] Whilk þe aw noght to ouer bide, Als if a doghty man for det, Par-auenture be in presun set, Line 28911 Or wrangwisly be noyed sare, þe aw to do þine almus þare, And þat als sone als þou may se þat he so anoyed be. Line 28915 þis word "how" tels þe manere. [iij] þe aw to do þine almus here, þat es þat þou kun mesure þe When þou sall do þi charite, And gif noght so largely till ane Line 28920 þat þou may gif anoþer nane. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þis word "whare" þe stede vs telles, [iiij] Whare we sall gif and nowr-ware els, Line 28925 þat es to say whare so we se, Oure euincristen in meschef be. And noght omang fele folk for-rose, Als ipocrites þaire almus dose; Bot gif þine almus priuely Whare þou sese moste mister þe by. Þis worde "waikenes" will vs lere To gif waykenes and moste vnfere, If we se þam haue grete nede, And mister of oure almus dede, Line 28935

Line 28935 Als lame and blind, þat may noght ga, And oþer þat forte es fallen fra; Line 28937 þam sall we help with mayn and mode, For gangand fote ay getes fode. þis "gentrise" will vs lede [folio 71a:1] [vi] Till doghty at do oure almus dede, Line 28941 And namely to þam þat has bene Haueand, hend, of lifing clene, And es fallen into state of nede, þam sall we help with almus dede. Line 28945 þis worde "blude" makes vs to myn [vij] First forto help oure awin kin Titter þan ani oþer man, Line 28948 Bot swilk entent sall we haue þan, . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] þat of oure fless we haue no minde Bot forto sustene mans kinde. Line 28953 And als if þai vs gude haue done Vs aw titter to help þam sone. Þis worde "eld" haue in þi sight, [viij] If þou will do þine almus right, For ay þe more man es of elde, Line 28958 þe more men aw him forto belde, And forto do him almus dede And mayntene him for sawl mede. And cristen men als I said are [ix] Aw þe forto couer of care, Both bifor iew and sarcyne, Bot þai will to þi law encline. þe aw also forto be blith Line 28966 To gif þine almus sone and swith, þat þi left hand wit noght for rose, þe almus þat þi ryght hand dose. þan of grete mede þou sal noght mis Bot þarby bese þou broght to blis, Line 28971

Line 28971 Vnto his blis he bring vs all, þat for vs died and deme vs sall.