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.

þer cam a leuedy of þat lede, For to honure hir in þat stede, As mani of þat contre dide, Line 8892 For to make her orisoun; Bot vnwarly scho sett hir doun, Apon þis ilk tre wid chance, Line 8895 þat men made to suilk honurance; Bot sone þer was to se a wonder, Hir clathes bigan to brin hir vnder, As þou þe tre in fir had ben! þis ilk womman þat i of men, Line 8900 þis tre scho stirt all dredand fra,— Hir name was cald maximilla,— And þan bigan scho for to crie, As wid a voice of prophesy, Line 8904 And said, apon þat tre suld hing þat lauerd of helle, þat blisful king, Iesu crist of maydin born, Line 8907 To saue þe world þat was for-lorn. þat suld þe iuus here and se þat suld þe crois make of þat tre. For þe loue of þis sothsaw, þe iuus fell widuten awe, Line 8912

Line 8912 [folio 62a:1] For scho had neuend cristes name, "On godd," said þai, "þu has said schame, Scho es wod, and wid þe warlau tan." And heuedid hir ful sone on-an. Line 8916 Sent þan was an angel þare, And vp to heuen hir saule bare, In hir folk hir aldir siht, And said þat cristian scho hight. Line 8920 þar-for war þe iuus wrath, þat name to here was þaim ful lath. þis womman was first þat men wist, þat martird was fore iesu crist. Line 8924 þe iuus thoght þai had noght don i-now, þis [tre] vte of þe temple þai drow; þer was a pitt bot litil þaim fra, was callid piscyna probatyca, Line 8928 þe iws þat ay was wont to wrang, þar-ine þe kinges tre þai slang; Bot quar-sua-euer þis tre lay, Line 8931 God schued þar-on his mihtes ay; For euer-ilk day a certayn oure, þar lithed dun fra heuenes tour Angelis, þat war selcuth schene, For to stire þat water bidene. Line 8936 And quen þat it wa stirid sua, Men þat lay in langur of wa, Qua miht first in þe water wine, Of sor had he na langer mine, Line 8940 war his sekenes neuer sua strang, þow he had liued neuer sua lang. þe iuus, þat war sua crabbid and kene, Quen þai had þis miracle sene, Line 8944 þai drow it þedin and made a brig, Ouer a littel becc to lig, þe watir of sylole, and said, Quen ouer þat water þai it laid, Line 8948

Line 8948 "If þat ani vertu be Of olines widin þis tre, Line 8940 wid sinful menes fete," said þai, [folio 62a:2] "wid ganging sal be done away." O þis maner þis tre þar lay, Tille after lang and mani a day, Til sibil cam so fer fra kith, To salamon to speke him wid, Line 8956 And forto here of his wisdam. Quen þat scho to þe cite cam, Scho cam in at þat ilk ȝate, þar þis tre lay in hir gate, Line 8960 Doun sho bowid hir to þe grund, þe tre scho honurd þar a stound. Scho left hir syrte widuten schorne, And barfot wald ouer þat borne, Line 8964 And to þat tre scho gan hir falde, And prophesy þar-of scho tald; And namlyest of domes-day, Line 8967 Hou all þis world suld wit of way. Quen þat þis sibil and þe king, Desputid had of mani a thing, þe king þan gaf hir giftes faire, Line 8971 And hamward scho tok hir ayre. þis ilke tre þat i of say, þer it lay ful mani a day, Bot it was in þe temple boun, At þe time of cristes passion. Line 8976

Lat we þis tre ly þar it lijs, And speke we of salamon þe wis.