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

Of our lauedi bodi.

I salle ȝou telle of hir licam. if I. can telle quare hit be-cam. Line 20684

Line 20684 quen þe saule fra hit was nome Line 20685 ihesus bad petre to him come. he saide peter now I comaunde þe. my moder bodi kepe wele to me. quen I. first in þis werlde came Line 20689 of hir bodi my flesshe I name. of hir bodi þen was I borne. ga forþ peter now be-forne. take al þi feris now wiþ þe. Line 20693 In-to Iosaphat in-to þat valeye & opinli gas wit hit a-nane of ȝour fas haue ȝe drede nane. gas wiþ faire processioun. Line 20697 to ierusalem riȝt þorou þe toun. do the bellis alle to ring. & squiþe faire loke ȝe sing. Line 20700 wiþ baners & wiþ candelis briȝt. loke ȝe haue na defaute of liȝt. iiij. of þe apostles bere þe bere. quen ȝe ga wiþ my moder dere. Line 20704 haue ȝe na warde of na iew. for I. my-self sal kepe ȝou. quen ihesus had him þus saide. & þe cors on bere laide. Line 20708 alle he gaf ham his blessing he stey til heiuen þer he was king. ¶ þen saide þe apostel saint Iohn. feris go we heþin a-non. Line 20712 array we our processioun. & go we singange þorou þe toun. iiij. of þe apostles at þer weren Line 20715 þe hali bodi forþ þai beren. faire þai sange as wele was riȝt. mani sergis was þer liȝt.

Þe iewes þat ware goddis enmy of þis herde þai sone in hy. Line 20720

Line 20720 þai askid quat hit was þat cry. Line 20721 & men ham said hit was mary. & saide saint peter his fere. [folio 85b:1] broȝt þe cors a-pon a bere. Line 20724 allas allas þai saide for shame. escape ho vs. we salle haue blame arme we vs & make vs strange we salle take ham as þai gange. Line 20728 þat ilk bodi we wille take hit & caste hit in a foule pitte. or bren hit to powdre riȝt þare for ho þat ilk traitour bare. Line 20732 [ [[from Laud MS. 416]] That we sum tyme hyng on rode ffor vs thoght he was not good] þen went þai forþ wiþ þis forþ-warde & sone þai hyed ham þidderwarde Line 20736 ¶ Ihesus walde noȝt thole þat shame he made ham alle blinde & lame. Among ham alle was þer noȝt an. Line 20739 þat muȝt a fote forþer gane. ¶ þer was a prest þat was to balde als hit is in þe bokis talde. Line 20742 he walde on þe bere lay his hande vn-fernes sone þer-of he fande. his hende cleued to þe bere fast. Line 20745 þen cried he merci atte þe last. his armis ware alle clungyn dry. peter he saide now mercy. & pray for me I. wille for-sake. Line 20749 my fals lay & cristendome take. ¶ Trawes þou quod peter til him þan. þat ihesus is baþ god & man. Line 20752 & borne was hally of þis mary. I traw hit saide he witerli. þen parted his hende fra þat bere Line 20755 & he was baþ hale & fere.

¶ seint peter him be-taȝt a palme Line 20757 ga to þa men þat lijs in talme. & touche ham he saide wiþ hit. & þai salle baþ haue hele & witte. & squa he did wiþ goddis miȝt. þai couerde alle & had þaire siȝt. Line 20762 & for þis þai be-come cristen þare. iiij. þousande men for-soþ & mare. In him is worþi for to trow. & makis his fas for to bow. Line 20766 þa þat was his moder cosignis dere be-fore hir name walde þai noȝt here & þen ilkan on þaire wise. is boun to do hir squete seruise. Line 20770 ¶ & þus þe bodi to þe vale þai bare of Iosephat quen hit was þare. þai did þat blessid þer-in byry. with faire seruise & sangis miry. Line 20774

Al-so we rede atte sum boke sais. oure lorde him liȝt of his palais & wiþ his hali court he came. to focche his moder bodi hame Line 20778 & at ho is þer in flesshe & bane for of alle wemmen ho is out-tane be-cause at god him-selue ho bare hir priuilage sulde be þe mare. mare þen ani oþer is. Line 20783 to be þer in saule & flesshe & atte hit squa sulde be þai say. þat in þe toumbe þer ho in lay þat mai man na-þing finde bot flour springand vp of squete odour. Line 20788 ¶ Bot þar againe sais Ieronim. he wille take na charge on him. queþer hit be squa or ellis nai. if hir bodi be moiste a-way. Line 20792

Line 20792 despute he sais is na mistere. be-twix þe wise in suche a were Line 20794 Putte al in him þat is of miȝt. lete him þer-of þe resoun riȝt. better hit is to halde þe stille. þen striue for þing þat is wille Line 20798 bot wele I. wate wiþ-outen wene of heiuen & erþ þer is ho quene. baþ Emperice & hende lauedi. sitande in trone hir dere sone by. & finis nauþer day ne niȝt. Line 20803 to prai for sinful mannis pliȝt. is nane squa in foli fallis. þat stintis & a-pon hir callis. I-þenli & hopis to fele. Line 20807 þorou hir helpe to fare wele. & for-reuis þe wiþer-wine squa mai ho sinful of þis pine. in sorou þat he is in stad Line 20811 is he for naþing squa a-drad he mai noȝt loke taward hir liȝt þat merris him alle of his miȝt. againe þat fa ho be our bolde Line 20815 & namly quen we doun sal holde to be for vs þen spere & shilde atte we come neuer vnder his welde . . . . . Line 20819 . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] ¶ þis lauedi þat I. myn of mast. conceyued þorou þe hali gast. Line 20822 þat blisfulle childe þat ho us bere quen ho was xxj. ȝere. & xxx ȝere was ihesus crist quen he did him be baptist. Line 20826 he preiched iij. ȝere & moneþis þrin he died & ras þen for mankin.

xl. daies he siþin bade. Line 20829 Or he up til his fader glade. ofter hir sone til heiuen was steyed xvj. ȝere þat lauedi liued. þen hit was hir elde al hale. Line 20833 iij. & sexti ȝere in tale. ¶ þat I. þe hiȝt now haue I done. lauedi now þou sittis in trone. vn-to þi sone I. bid a bone. Line 20837 for his name he grante hit sone lauedi þat I mai loue þe squa þat quere I sitte or stande or ga. þat liue ne dede ne wele ne wa. Line 20841 turne neuer mi hert þe fra. bot halde hit trew in þi seruise, my saule to come to paradise. Line 20844 & al þat heris þis sarmoun. of þaire sinnis verrai pardoun. squa atte our ending clene we be amen say ȝe for charite. Line 20848