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

[Apostrophe to Saint John].

[I]ohan, ful seli was þu sene, þat suilk a moder als i mene was to þi kepinng taght; Line 24661 To kepe þu take þat maiden clene, And sua was þu widuten wene, þat sua þat leuedi laght. Line 24664

[þ]ar was þe raght a riche relike, Might tresur nan be þar-to like, Of metel ne of stane; Line 24667 Bot cristes aun dreuri dere, þat of pris mai haue na pere, Nai, nai! certis nane. Line 24670

[T]o faintise was þi faith na fere, Forþi þu was his aun tresurrere, On traister one nan to trou; Line 24673 Ful graithli was þat grace þe grant, For-qui his moder was þin aunt, Sua worthi nane as þu. Line 24676

[þ]ar-till þe worthiest he made, wid mekenes and wid manhed, Forþi es þaim ful wele, Line 24679 Man ouþer womman, queþer it bene, þat liues in virginite, Quat fanding þat þai fele. Line 24682

[H]e þat in manhed es lele, He ledis lijf lik til angele, For virgines all er þai; Line 24685 Bot þis liuelade þat likes quon Fra þat it anes be fordone, It es for euer and ay. Line 24688

Line 24688

[W]ele agh men dere to kepe þat thing, þat anes tint, no couering, Sua do þai þat er wise; Line 24691 þou þu haue oþer vertu slain, In þe þu mai þaim couer again, Redi in þe to rise. Line 24694

þe man þat left has buxumnes, [folio 163a:2] Mai turn and be suilk als he was, All at his aun will; Line 24697 If þu was large and es noght nu, Giue gladli and þan ert þu, Suilk fautes mai men fill. Line 24700

[I]f man in ani vices be cast, He mai wid-drau him fra þat last, And be þat he was are; Line 24703 Bot þai þat maidenhed haue tint, All for noght es if þai mint, To couer it euermare. Line 24706

[þ]is þan wist þu iohn ai wele, And held þi state ai stabil als stele, þat worschip did þe win; Line 24709 þi faith he sau was noght to fail, Crist made þe cuth of his consail, And priue-est of his kin. Line 24712

[C]hamberlain of gret honur He made þe of his moder chanbur, Sli blith þe þar bitid; Line 24715 þu seruid hir wid main and might, was neuer seruid dai ne night, In boure sua blith-ful bridd. Line 24718

[T]o þat blithful brid, iohan, þi leuedi, moder and maiden, þat þu sua cuth was till, Line 24721

Line 24721 I þe biseke ur erand be, And scho be till hir sun þat we Mai wirke here ai þair will. Line 24724

[I]n cristes worschip forto suinke, And euer apon his passiun thincke, þat sua did ȝu to murn, Line 24727 we prai þat [l]euedi be vr leind, þat we mai find hir sun ur freind, To dede quen we sal turn. Amen.