DIMEV 3474
IMEV 2153
NIMEV 2153
Men yearnen gestes for to hear / And romance read in diverse manner
Cursor Mundi — in couplets
Title(s):
Cursor Mundi
Subjects: treatises, devotional; instruction, religious
Versification: —
two-line —
aa
Manuscript Witnesses:
1.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Laud misc. 416 (SC 1479), ff. 66
ra-181
vb
First Lines:Men lykyn Iestis for to here
And romans rede in diuers
maner…
Last Lines:…Our fadir make of alle thyng
That nevyr shalle haue
endyng
Attributed Title: Here begynnyth the boke of stories callid Cursor mundi (f. 66); Explicit
Cursor mundi (at the end)
2.Source: Oxford, Bodleian Library Fairfax 14 (SC 3894), ff. 4
ra-83
ra
First Lines:MEn couettes rimes for to here
& romance rede of mony
maner
of alisaunder þe conquerour
of Iuly cesar þe
emperour…
Last Lines:…langage of þe norþern lede
þat can na
noþer langage rede
Attributed Title: þis is þe best boke of alle / þe tours of þe werlde men
dos hit calle (f. 4ra)
Editions: Morris, Richard,
ed.
Cursor Mundi.
EETS
o.s. 57 (1874); repr. 1961; 59 (1875); repr. 1966; 62 (1876); repr.
1966; 66 (1877); repr. 1966; 68 (1878); repr. 1966; 101 (1893); repr. 1962: 8-1429 (extracts).
3.Source: Cambridge UK, Trinity College R.3.8 (588), ff. 1-142
v
First Lines:Men ȝernen iestes for to here
And romaunce rede in dyuerse
manere
Of alisaunder þe conqueroure
Of Iulius cesar þe
emperoure…
Last Lines:…Oure fadir maker of alle þinge
Þat neuer shal haue
endynge
Attributed Title: Here bigynneþ þe boke of storyes þat men callen cursor mundi
(f. 1)
Editions: Morris, Richard,
ed.
Cursor Mundi.
EETS
o.s. 57 (1874); repr. 1961; 59 (1875); repr. 1966; 62 (1876); repr.
1966; 66 (1877); repr. 1966; 68 (1878); repr. 1966; 101 (1893); repr. 1962: 8-1429.
4.Source: London, British Library Cotton Vespasian A.III, ff. 2
ra-163
ra
First Lines:MAn yhernes rimes for to here
And romans red on maner
sere…
Last Lines:…And steres his cristendame fro
And liuers him to þe find
his foo
Editions:
Morris, Richard,
ed.
Cursor Mundi.
EETS
o.s. 57 (1874); repr. 1961; 59 (1875); repr. 1966; 62 (1876); repr.
1966; 66 (1877); repr. 1966; 68 (1878); repr. 1966; 101 (1893); repr. 1962: 8-1429.
Sisam, Celia, and Kenneth Sisam, eds.
The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse.
Oxford: Clarendon, 1970: 139-42 (extracts).
6.Source: London, British Library Addit. 36983 [olim Bedford Public Library], ff. 1
ra-148
vb; 154
va-174
va
First Lines:Men ȝerneþ gestis forto here
And romance Rede in diuers
manere
Last Lines:And sende vs grace þat day to Rise
To blis with þat trew
Iustis AMEN
Note: Omits lines 14916-17288 and ends at line 22004.
Attributed Title: Explicit þe begynnyng off þe worlde off þe trenite þe
Fadir & Son & holigost þe Making off þe worlde & of adam
& Eve & afftir of Noye & So Fro noye to Abraham & So doune
þe Genelagy of our lady & þe birth off Crist & his pascion
& Resurrexion & So Many oþer dyuers maters & So to þe day
of dome & þe Comyng of antecrist & So to þe laste day of
Iugement (f. 174v)
Editions: Morris, Richard,
ed.
Cursor Mundi.
EETS
o.s. 57 (1874); repr. 1961; 59 (1875); repr. 1966; 62 (1876); repr.
1966; 66 (1877); repr. 1966; 68 (1878); repr. 1966; 101 (1893); repr. 1962: 1651-62 (extracts).
7.Source: London, College of Arms, Arundel 57, ff. 1
ra-132
va
First Lines:…Siþþe hit shal be rad ȝow þanne
Of
ioachym and of seynt anne…
Last Lines:…Oure fadir maker of alle þing
Þat neuer shcal haue
endyng
A M E N
Note: Lines 1-152 wanting.
Editions: Horrall, Sarah M.,
ed.
The Southern Version of Curson Mundi.
Vol 1. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 1978-2000.
9.Source: Edinburgh, Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh MS Cursor Mundi, Northern Homily Cycle
, ff. 37
ra-50
vb
First Lines:…In heuin on heie þan sale I scawe
And signis dune on
erþe lawe…
Last Lines:…Al þat þis bok or heris or redis
Leuedi þaim
help in al þair nedis
Note: Fragment, misbound and imperfect at beginning and end(?), with two
folios missing between 45 and 46; lines 18989-23944.
Editions:
Morris, Richard,
ed.
Cursor Mundi.
EETS
o.s. 57 (1874); repr. 1961; 59 (1875); repr. 1966; 62 (1876); repr.
1966; 66 (1877); repr. 1966; 68 (1878); repr. 1966; 101 (1893); repr. 1962: 1587-1637.
Ross, C. C. V.,
ed.
“An Edition of Part of the Edinburgh Fragment of the Cursor
Mundi.”
Thesis. Oxford 1971.
10.Source: Göttingen, Göttingen University Library Theol.107, ff. 1
va-114
v
First Lines:…n ȝernis iestis for to here
[A]nd romance rede on
mansere
Of alexander þe conquerour
Or Iulius cesar þe
emperour…
Last Lines:…And qua it helis and haldis fra me treuli i ȝu
tell
Curced in kirc þan sal þai be wid candil boke and
bell
Attributed Title: [ ]ursor mundi (f. 1ra)
Editions: Morris, Richard,
ed.
Cursor Mundi.
EETS
o.s. 57 (1874); repr. 1961; 59 (1875); repr. 1966; 62 (1876); repr.
1966; 66 (1877); repr. 1966; 68 (1878); repr. 1966; 101 (1893); repr. 1962: 8-1429.
11.Source: Montreal, McGill University Library 142, pp. 1-8
First Lines:…To him hue clepede wiȝ rewlich [ ]
To hire he sende an
aungel fram heuene
And hire to gladie him self he cam
Crist þat of
hire flesch nam…
Last Lines:…Mi sone schal wel ȝelde it þe
Ich schal him bidde
wan ich him se…
Note: Fragment of four leaves: lines
20129-20314.