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

[The Apostles are imprisoned, and set free by an Angel.]

[folio 38b:2] Fra þan þair folc wex mare and mare, For faste þe folc fel to þair lare, Bot giet þe iuwin folc felune Þai did þa apostlis in prisune, Line 19290 Þurȝ consail of a naciune Walde tru na resurectiune Sulde be on man on domis-dai, Bot gain þa apostlis said ai nai. Line 19294 Þis folc was hatin saduceus, Þai helde ai wiþ þe phariseus. Bot sone þar eftir on the niȝte, Sende þaim was an angel briȝte, Line 19298 Þat broȝt þaim þurȝ þa steclis strange, And bad þaim to þe tempil gange Line 19300 For to spelle the word of liue, Line 19303 Þat alle sulde he bathe man and wiue. Þe prisun doris lefte als he fande, Nouþir he braste ne barre ne bande,— Þat was to strenþe þaire trouþ in grunde, And for þe iuwis to confunde. Line 19308 Quen þai saȝ þis, þe iaioleris, Sulde bring þaim forwiþ demsteris, "Lauerdingis it es selcuþe," cod þai, "We finde ure prisuns alle awai, Þe doris spirid and wallis hale, Line 19313 Als god us helpe, soþe estis tale, Na na takning of suike fand we; Vmbþinkis giu hu þis mai be." Line 19316 Þa maistirs faste þaim umbiþoȝte, Wiþ þis tyþande a man þaim broȝte, "Þe men þat gie dide in prisune," He saide, "in temple þai sarmun." To þe tempil þan þai giede, Line 19321 Þa postlis to þair curte to lede, Bot strenþes nane did þai þaim til, For þai come wiþ þaim al wiþ wil. Þai durste na uiolence þaim do For þe folc þaim heeld it to; Line 19326 Midward þat curte þar war þai sette, Þe biscop wiþ forbot þaim þrette; "We dide," he saide, "and giu forbede Þurȝ þe hiȝte of bissophede, [folio 39a:1] Þat gie in name of þat ihesu, Line 19331 Be noȝte to preche sa bald fra nu; Forloes ierusalem nammare Gie haue fulfilde nu wiþ giuor lare, Queþir gie wil driue on us þe blame Of ani wreking of þis name, Line 19336 Þat we sulde haue him slain wiþ wrange, Þare gie prechand sa þrali gange." Al als ane þai gaue ansuare, Þat nan of þaim for oþer bare, Line 19340

Line 19340 "Mare nede it es if gie wald tru To god, þan ani man to bue; Line 19342 Vr eldir god dide ihesum rise, Þe quilc gie hang wiþ fals asise, And hauis him lefte on his riȝt hand; Þis wate we wel, mai nan wiþstande. Ofte to giu hauis it ben talde, Line 19347 Witnes þarof ar we balde, Wiþ haligaste he [[he repeated in MS.]] hauis us sent, And al þat treuli til him wil tente. To giu if gie will giu repente Line 19351 Þis gifte of grace þan hauis he sente." Þan bigan þai wrenke and wraiste, And for tene þair teþþe to gnaiste, For þan wiþ suaipis þai þaim suang, And gremli on þair corsis dange, Line 19356 And bad taim fle als tai wald ded, To neuin ihesum nam mare þair fede. Þa wente ioifuler þan are, Na noȝte þai menid of þair sare, Bot louid ihesu cristis name, Line 19361 Þat tai for him war worthi grame. Þe stedefaste trouþe loke here it, lo! Quat-kin strenþis it mai do! Line 19364 Þat nouþer for worde na giet for dint, Fra stabil trouþe moȝte do þaim stint Þaim þoȝt na þing sua suete in lif, Als for ihesu to suffir striue, Line 19368 Al þe mare man did þaim mis, Þe sikerer þai ware of blis. [folio 39a:2] Cristis blis þai luuid sa wele, Þat tai moȝte of na torfer fele, Line 19372 Als he bifore þaim wroȝte þe wai, Alsua þan him follwid þai. Line 19374 He þat þaim sua dere hauid boȝte Of al þis werde na gaue þai noȝte. Þe maistirs þat come efter warde Þai lerid at taim to suffer harde, Line 19378 Þat ne neuir for na bale ne buid, Fra cristis trouþe þat taim truid. In þis apostlis time it sais Line 19381 Þe cristin menne wex faste þa dais, Þat þa postlis hauid to kepe,— Þat hirdis ware of cristin scepe,— Sua wex þe cristin mennis tale, Line 19385 Þat taine moȝte nawiþ kepe þaim hale, Þai set undir þaim forþi seuin, Þe quilc I sal þaire namis neuin. Steuin and philip, nichdnor, Line 19389 Thimon, meniam, nichanore, And nicholas þir seuin were Set bifore [[bifore repeated in MS.]] þa apostlis sere. On þaim þai held þair hali hande, Ande a quile þai ware praiande, Line 19394 And archidenis þai þaim made, Of þaim þareof þai toke þe hade, Þe birþin undir þaim to bere. Of þat folc quen was mistir, Line 19398 Godis worde wex faste and grewe, And alsua dide þe trouþe of trew; And of þe prestis was tare fele Line 19401 Þate lefte þair laste and worthid le[le].