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

Of John the Baptist and Christ's Baptism.

[I]Ohn ai be þe flum can duell, þe folk ful fair þar can he spell, In water baptised he al þaa Line 12754 þat com til him baptis to ta. In baptising bath yong and ald Men soght til him, þan wex he bald, And for to here of his sermon Line 12758 þat maniman broght to resun, And in-to gatte to gett þam mede, Bot hard it was his liue to lede! þe Iues tiþand of him hard, Line 12762 And of his far þat he wit fard, Ferli þam thoght hu he moght last, Wit sua gret trauail and fast, Line 12765

Line 12765 Sin he was o þair kin and kyth, Quar-for wald he noght won þam wit. Alsua þe maistris o þe lagh, Line 12768 Bituix þaim in þair comun sagh, Thoght selcuth o þis baptising, And said, "it es gret mistruing, þis Ion þan sal vr lagh for-do, Line 12772 Bot we ne ta better tent þar-to. Wijt we þan for quat resun For sauueing of vr dampnacioun, [folio 70a:2] þat he now suilk baptiszing mass? And queþer þat he be messias Line 12777 þat þe folk abides sua, To frelsen þaim vte of þar waa? Helias or crist queþer es he, þe soth ful gladli wald we se, Line 12781 Quer he es prophet þat sua lers." Wit þis þai sent þair messageres O þe wisest þat þai fand, To bring fra iohn certan tiþand. þe messagers þat sua was sent, Line 12786 Til þe wildernes þai went, Son quen þai war wit him mett, Ful derworthli þan þai him grett. þe wisest þat a-mang þam wer, Line 12790 His errand said on sli manere, "Sir," he said, "we wald þe prai þat þou þe soth nu wald vs sai, Quat-kin man sal we call þe? Line 12794 And tell for-soth quat man þou be? All þe folk of ierusalem Thinc selcut gret to godd i tem O þe baptim and oþer dedes, Line 12798 Of aner lijf þat þou here ledes. Es þou helias halden til nu, Crist or prophet, quam to bu? Line 12801

Line 12801 Queþer þou leues on þat lagh þat we? To send þam word þai praid þe. Line 12803 O þe-self quat wil þou sai Vnto þe maisters o þe lai?" Blethli said þan Ion, par-fai, Wit-vten ani-kin de-lai, Line 12807 "Mi breþer leif and mi freind, Yee sal gain to yur maisturs wend, And tell þam soth, o mi parti, Neþer am i crist ne yeitt heli, Line 12811 Ne prophet sal naman me claim." "Quat þan sal we sai to þaim?" "A voice criand," he said, "ic hatt, In wastin biddand grait þe gate Line 12815 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Again þe lauerd þat cummen es nu, Til him agh ilkman to bu; Line 12819 þat lang was hight nu cummen he es, Of him i preche in wildernes; O quam i am noght worthe to Lese þe thuanges of his sco. Line 12823 Lok yee graith him wel þe wai, [folio 71a:1] For he es lauerd; þis sal yee sai." Suilk als Ion þaim said broght þai Ansuar to þe maisters o þe lai. Line 12827

Quen iesus crist was cummen ner Vn-to þe eild o thritte yeir, þan him thoght þe time was cummen þat he wald baptim nummen. Line 12831 He did him þan to flum iordan, þar he fand his cosin Ion, In wildernes bi him allan, Liuand bot wit godds lan. Line 12835 Quen Ihon him sagh, als sais þe bok, For drednes ilk lim him quok,

And said þat all þaa fok moght here, "þis es þe lamb wit-vten were, Line 12839 þe godds lamb, þan clenge sale þis wreched werld fra sinful duale. þof he me efter cummen be, Lang was he made be-for me." Line 12843 To sant Ihon þan said iesu, "Mi cosin dere and freind ar þou, To baptis me i haf þe thoght." "Baptis þe [[MS. Þa]] ! na, dar i noght. Line 12847 I, caitif, quen come it me, þat i, mi lauerd, suld baptis þe? Quar-for, for i am ful o sin, And hider fledd fra al mi kin; Line 12851 A nedful wreche here am i hidd." "þou sal do ihon, als i þe bidd, And baptiz me, mi leif cosin." "I dar noght negh þe, lauerd min! Skil me thinc it war wel mare Line 12856 þat i of þe, lauerd, baptist ware." "Ihon, we most þe lai fulfill." "Lauerd," he said, "nu, atte þi will." . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Cotton & Laud MSS.]

Ihesus to þat water yode,' Line 12862 And sant Ihon neghand him stode. Quen he sagh iesu redi tift, Quakand vp his hand he lift, And þar him was vr lauerd crist Of his aun seruand baptist. Line 12867 þar þe haligast him light, In scap of douf he come wit flight, And als he loked vp til heuen, Open he sagh þe liftes seuen, Line 12871 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

"þis es mi sun, leif and dere, [folio 71a:2] Al þis werld agh him to here." Line 12875 [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] In whome I haue as ye may sene Euyr wele apaid bene]

To-quils sant Ion his office did, Serekin selcut was þar kid, Line 12879 þe hali strem o flum iordan On aiþer side stode still as stan. Thre thinges man was sceud þar, þe sun, þat mans bodi bar, Line 12883 þe voice, þat child þe fader kneu, þe duue, þe haligast to sceu. þe ald testament hir-wit nu slakes, And sua þe neu bigining takes. Line 12887

¶ A! Ion þi wirscip, quat sal i sai, þat was þe sceud þat ilk dai, Hu þat a costes þou was clene, Thoru þi merite was it sene, Line 12891 Quen nan was worthier þan þou Hand to lai on suete iesu, To giue him þat hali sacrament, þat al þis werld aght to ta tent. Selcut was to thinc in breist, Line 12896 þe clerc to baptis þe prist, þe sun þe fader, þe knitht þe king, þe scaper þat wroght al thing. Bot moght it nangat þe witslip, Line 12900 þat he-self said o þi wirscip. O blis þat he to þe puruaid, Sli wittnesing he-self said, "Amang all wiue suns," said he, "þat euer was or euer sal be, Line 12905 A heier barn was neuer nan O moder born þan þou iohan. And þat es þan right na ferlik, Quen godd self þe ches for slik; Line 12909

Line 12909 Quen he þe chess als his lanter Be-for his face þe light to bere, Line 12911 To taken ber of his cummi[n]g, Als baneur befor þe king, Als bedel gais be-for iustis, Line 12914 Als come þou be-for þat rightwis.