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

De adventu domini ante Iudicium

Sex eldis haue we broȝte in pl[ace] Þe sexte es calde þe time of grace, [folio 47b:1] Þate bigan ate cristis come, Line 21849 And lastis to þe dai of dome. Quen for to be, þate wate na man, He sale al ende þate al biganne, Line 21852 For quen he firste þe werlde wroȝt, Ai for to stande he ne made it noȝt. Þe tereme he sette at ende it in, Mai it neuir out ouir rinne. Line 21856 Þate mai na man wite in lede But his awin lauerd hede, Bot bi takins fer on dreigh, Man wate þat it es neigand neiȝ; Of þir taknis þat ic of sai Line 21861 Manne mai þaim se nu ilka dai, Þat ilke þate ihesu seluin tellis, In þe boke of þe gospellis; Line 21864 "Taknis," sais he, "sale man se In sterne, and lande, in sun, and see, Mikil on erþe sale be þe þrange, Line 21867 Þat sal be þe men omange, For þe se sale rise and rute, Mani man sal dere and dute, Folc þai sale gain oþir rise Line 21871 To werrai samin mani wise. Hungir and qualme, and nede enoȝ In erþe sal rise for mannis woȝ, Mikil wa sal taim bitide, Line 21875 Þate þat time set es for to bide." Þi signis se we ilke daw, If we cuþe us seluin knaw, He sendis us þis in warning, For to be war gain his coming. Line 21880 Of ure salu for to be fuse, Ogain þat come þat es sa cruse. Bot ai þe ma taknis þat we se, Ai þe werre warnisit er we, Line 21884 Þate we ne wil noȝte be warniste, Þare of him quainis ihesu criste. Quarfore þat ilke creature [folio 47b:2] Eftir þe state of his nature, Line 21888 Bettir his maker knawis þan man. Line 21891 Allas! quat mai we saie þanne Til him quen he sale be iustis, Line 21893 Of ure fainte and ure fals seruise? And he gan us, sa meke and minde, Sua mikil luuis naþing als ur kinde, Ande giuin us hauis sa mikil ur wil, Þate we him werrai ai wiþ ille. Line 21898 Þe bestis dumbe, linis and beris, Alle liuand þing on sere maneres Dos þair deuer, na scurnis noȝte, Line 21901 Thankande þe maker þate þaim wroȝte.

Heuin ande erþe, and sun and mone, And al þat in þis werde es done, Þai seruin alle apon þair wise, Line 21905 And man wiþdrawis him his seruise. Sua filde of couaitis es he Þat he ne of god hauis na pite. Mikil leuer war him to here Line 21909 Hu roland iuste, and oliue[re], Or oue a roteroigne rede a rune, Þan of ure lauerde passiune Þat he suffirid wiþ gret despite, Line 21913 Fra pine of helle to mac us quite! Qui er we þan sua prude and balde, [[In Edinbro' MS. only]] Alle sal we dei, baþe ginge and alde, Es nan hauis of him seluin walde, [[In Edinbro' MS. only]] Criste hauis til him ur daiis salde, Þe daiis þat we ne mai noȝte scap, Dede sal us rugge until his rape. Line 21920 Quasum bifore wil noȝte be-war, He ne sale finde þan nan eftir char, Ful illir haile es giuin us witte, Bot if ure liue be led wit itte. Line 21924 Wiþ ei and ere þe soþe we wate, And neuir þe bettir it es ure state; Þurȝ warnising of oþir wrake, Line 21927 Vnneþe wil ani sampil take, [folio 48a:1] If ani warniste be umquile, It sal him laste ful litil quile. For if it be at undorne tide, It sal nochte to þe none abide, Line 21932 Þurȝ þis wreche werde delite, Þat euir awaiward se we wite. Quat bote es it sua fast to fraiste Þat we ne mai neuir of be traiste? If we þarof haue hald umquile, Þat es us giuin bot for a gile, Line 21938 Quen þu beste wenis to haue alle, Fra alle þan sal tu titest falle. Line 21940 It es falland, als ic haue telde, Alwais to it be fulli felde; Þarfore for criste þan preche I giu, And namlic for giur awin pru, Line 21944 Þat gie þate in þis lac es lend, Hauis euir þoȝte apon giur ende, Þat gie it for giur heuin chese, Line 21947 Ande sua þe riȝte heuin for to bilese. For ouþir of þaim we moste forga, For mai na man haue heuenis tua, Haue here als his fleis mai like, Line 21951 Þat eftirwarde þe sawil haue slike, Bettir es here wiþstand ur wille Þate we mai þare it al fulfille. Þis liue is noȝte an ure of dai Ogain þat þat es lastand ai. Line 21956 Al þat I sai es a resune, Þate we alwaise be redi bune, Redi ai gain his coming, Þat ilke dai we se takning. Line 21960 His firste come it was ful smeþe, Þe toþir sal be ful ruch and reþe; His firste come was us al to queme, Þe toþer sal be us alle to deme; Line 21964 In þe first himselue come dempte to be, Þe toþir demester selue sale be. Of þis come sale be taknis sere, [folio 48a:2] Bifore comande þat gie sale here Wiþoutin þat we se alwaise, Line 21969 Ai risand mare of gret unpaise; For qui of alle þare sal an rise, Þat mast sal do cristin men to grise, Þat al þis werde on lenþe and brede, Sale sende his wickidnes to sprede.