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

[Simon Magus wishes to buy Holy Gifts.]

[þ]ar was a man, symon magus, Als vr stori tellis vs, Line 19518 He ledd þe folk wid mekil suike, For signes was his workes like; He wroght bifor þaim gret farli, And al was wid his iugelri, Line 19522 Goddes vertu or grete prophete, Or angel ellis þat him lete, Or goddes sun self þai him held, For he cuth make þe men all dueld. Quen þe folk was in þat tune Line 19527 Treuli troud philip sarmune, And to þe baptizing þaim buud, Symon lete þan als he troud, And baptized him til hali kirc, Line 19531 For signes he sau philip wirke, Oþer ȝa þan he might do. Bot for he wend at cum þar-to, þar-for toke he baptim faint, Line 19535 For to be philip a-quaint, To be him als his priue uere, þat he might of his signes lere.

[Q]uen þe apostlis herd sua say, Samaritans had tane þair lay Line 19540 Fra ierusalem þai sent on-ane Bath saint petre and sant iahn, þai praid for þaim þan in hast, [folio 130a:2] þai suld reciue þe hali gast. Line 19544

Line 19544 þat es to sai wid takins sene, Line 19545 Bot thar no man þouqueþer wene, þat þai ne it receiued had þat time, vnsene quen þai toke baptime. Here-bi mai se þat oght es wiss, þat þou summe mai baptis, Line 19550 Mai na man þat es in land Conferming giue, bot bischop hand. þat ilke solwile þis philip wist, For-þi all of þat he baptist, Line 19554 He sent þaim to þe apostlis ay, þat þai suld on þaim handes lay, Als we se nu þir bischopis do, þat þis pouste is giuen vn-to. Line 19558 þe bischop halle confirmament, Of strenth it es þe sacrament, Stabli for to stand in strijf, In last of cristen manes lijf. Line 19562 [Q]uen symon magus vnderstod þe haligast, it was sua gode, þat þa men þat it vnderfang Line 19565 Might do sli vertu and sua strang, He wend it war bot aquaintis, And wend haue bogh it for sum pris. Als it es in þe stori redd, Line 19569 To þe apostlis gifte he bed, "þis ilk maistri giues me," he said, "þat on quat man mi hend be laid, He haue þe haligast in hij," Line 19573 To win wid-all he wend it bi. Petre ansuerd þat caitif quede, "þi catel be þe-self to dede, Line 19576 And hald þe catel þat es þine To be wid þe in hell pine." Here mai men se bi dis resun, Quen saintes gaf þair malisun, Line 19580

Line 19580 þat gaf it na wight als for will [folio 131a:1] þai had of wrake or oþer ill, Line 19582 Bot for rightwisnes þai it do, To þaim þat worthi es þar-to. "Has þu no part," said petre, "here, þu has wid falshed fest þe fere, Line 19586 Ne thoru þin hend has þu na might To gere þe hali gast at light; Bot do penance nede es enogh, [[MS. enoght]] For drightin has þu soght wid wogh þe forgiue, if sua may fall, Line 19591 þe falshed þu him fanded wid-all." It fell saint petre als for rent, To call men till amendement, Sua au all preistes, bath mare and less, In als mekil als in þaim es. Line 19596 Petre and iohn went agayn And preched bath wid might and main, Ne left þai for na blenc ne blame, Till þai to ierusalem com hame. Line 19600