Cursor Mundi

Cursor Mundi is a Middle English religious poem written by an unknown northern English writer during the late 13th century or early 14th century. It draws on both sacred and secular sources to tell the history of the world. Cursor Mundi is the earliest known source of many English proverbs and sayings. Quotes Brut þat berne bolde of hand,First conquerour of meri Ingland. Line 7 Selden was for ani chancePraised Inglis tong in France. Line 245 For-þi men sais into þis tyde,Is no man þat murthir may hide. Line 1083 Luken luve at the end wil kith. Line 4276 Hert sun for-gettes that ne ei seis. Line 4508 Curced in kirc than sal thai be wid candil, boke, and bell. Line 17110 Nil we, wil we, we sal mete. Line 23730 Southern Version Efter haly kyrc stateÞis ilk bok is es translateIn to Inglis tong to redeFor the loue of inglis lede,Inglis lede of Ingland,For the commun at understand.Frankis rimes here I redd,Communlik in ilk[a] sted,Mast es it wroght for frankis man:Of Ingland the nacion,Quat is for him na frankis can?Es Inglis man þar in commun;Þe speche þat man wit mast may spede,Mast þar-wit to speke war nede;Selden was for ani chancePraised Inglis tong in france;Giue we ilkan þare langage,Me think we do þam non outrage.To laud and Inglis man i spellÞat understandes pat i tell. Line 231 [MS. Cotton Vespasian A iii, BL]. Laurence M. Eldredge and Anne L. Klinck (eds.) The Southern Version of 'Cursor Mundi', vol. 5 (University of Ottawa Press, 2000) pp. 14–15 Those things that Holy Church doth stateIn this same book I now translate.In English tongue 'tis all made clearFor love of all the English here;English folk of Engėland,For the commons to understand.French rimes are there in this landTo be found on every hand;French is wrought for Frankish man,What is for him that no French can?The natïon of England oldThe Englishmen in common hold;The speech that man with most may speedMust be the speech that men most need.Seldom was by any chancePraised the English tongue in France;Do we the same to their languágeMethinks we do them no outráge.To unlearned Englishman I spell,That understandeth what I tell. Henry S. Pancoast and John Duncan Spaeth, Early English Poems (New York: Henry Holt and Co, 1910) p. 159 Of England the nationIs Englishman there in common.The speech that man with most may speedMost therewith to speak was need.Seldom was for any chancePraised English tongue in France. M. T. Clanchy, England Its Rulers, 1066–1307, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Blackwell, 1998) p. 228 External links Category:Poetry Category:Anonymous works