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

The first martyr for Christ.

þar com a leuedi of þat lede For to honur hir in þat stede, Als mani o þat contre dede, Line 8892 For to mak hir orisun; Bot vnwarli sco sett hir don Apon þis ilk tre wit chance þat man mad til sli honurance. Line 8896 Bot son þar was to se a wonder, Hir clathes can to bren hir vnder, Als þof þe tre had kindel[d] ben! þis ilk womman þat i of men, Line 8900 þe tre sco stert al gloppend fra,— þis was hir nam, maximilla,-- And þan bigan sco for to cri Als wit a voce o propheci, Line 8904 And said, a-pon þat tre suld hing þe lauerd of hele, þat blisful king, Iesus crist, o maiden born, Line 8907 To saue þe wreched werld for-lorn, And þat suld þe Iuus here and se, þat suld þe croice mak o þat tre. For þe loue o þis soth-sagh þe Iuus fel wit-vten agh, Line 8912

Line 8912 For sco had neuend crist nam, "O godd," coth þai, "said has sco scam, [folio 50a:1] Sco es wode and wit warlagh [[The catchword has warlau.] tan." þan þai heued þat womman, Line 8916 Send þar was an angel þar, þat intil heuen hir saul bar Be-for þat folk, al in þair sight, And said þat cristian sco hight. Line 8920 þar-for war þe Iuus wrath, þat nam to here was þaim ful lath; þis womman was þe first men wist þat martird was for ihesu crist. Line 8924 þe Iuus, thogh[t] þam had don inogh, þe tre þai vte o þe temple drogh, þar was a stank bot littel fra Hight piscina probatica, Line 8928 þe Iuus þat was ai wont do wrang, þar-in þe king tre þai slang; Bot quar-sum-euer þis tre lai, Line 8931 Godd sceud þar-on his mightes ai, For ilk dai a certain hore, þar lighted dun of heuen ture Angels, þat war selcut scene, For to stir þe stang bidene; Line 8936 And quen þat it was stird sua Men þat in langur lai and wa Qua first moght in þat water win O sare he had na langer min, Line 8940 War his sekenes neuer sa strang, Ne had he lin neuer sua lang. Iuus þat war sa cant [The MS. seems to have caitt.] and kene, Quen þai had þis meracles sene, Line 8944 þai drou it þen and mad a brig Ouer a litel burn to lig,— þe burn o syloe, and said, Quen þai þis brig þar-ouer laid, Line 8948

Line 8948 "If þat ani vertu be Of halines wit-in þat tre, Line 8940 Wit sinful mens fett," coth þai, "On ganging it sal wipe a-wai." On þis-kin wise þis tre þar lai, Til efter lang and moni dai, þat sibele com sa ferr fra kyght, To salamon and spak him wit, Line 8956 And for to here of his wisdom. Quen þat sco to þe cite com Sco com in at þat ilk yatte, þar þis tre lai in hir gatt; Line 8960 Dun sco bugh hir to þe grund, [folio 50a:2] þe tre sco honurd þar a stund, Sco lift hir skirt wit-vten scurn, And bar-fote wode sco þat burn; Line 8964 And to þe tre sco can hir fald, And prophecies þer-of sco tald, And namlikes o domes-dai, Hu all þis werld sal wite awai. Line 8968 Quen þat þis sibile and þe kyng Disputed had o mani thing, þe king þan gaf hir giftes fair, And hamward sco tok hir air. Line 8972 þis ilk tre yee herd of sai, þar it lai ful mani dai, Bot it was in þe temple bun þe time o crist passiun. Line 8976

Lat we þis tre lai þar it lijs, And spek o salamon þe wis,