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 Lady's body.]

I shal ȝou telle for hit is fors where þenne bicome hir cors Line 20684

Line 20684 whenne þe soule so was nome Line 20685 God bad petur to him come Petur he seide I bidde þe Mi modir body wel kepte be whenne I furst into world cam Line 20689 For þe sauynge of man Of hir body was I born Petur þerfore go þou biforn Alle þi fewes shul go wiþ þe Line 20693 Into Iosephat vale so fre Bere hir þidur soone anoone ȝoure foos shal lete ȝou bi hem gone Goþ alle wiþ faire processioun Line 20697 To ierusalem þourȝe þe toun Doþ þo belle alle to ringe And swiþe feire also ȝe singe wiþ serges & wiþ candels briȝt Þat ȝe haue no defaute of liȝt Line 20702 Foure apostlis shul bere þe bere Þat ly on shal my modir dere Haue ȝe no drede þerof now Line 20705 For I my self shal be wiþ ȝow whenne ihesus had þus I seide And þe body was on bere leide Alle he ȝaf hem his blessyng [folio 126b:1] Line 20709 And steyȝe to heuen þere he is kyng Þenne seide þe apostle Ion Breþer go we soone anoon And do we þis processioun Line 20713 And synge we feire þourȝe þe toun Foure of þe apostlis þat þere wern Þat holy body forþ þei bern Feire þei songe as hit was riȝt Line 20717 And mony serges þere were liȝt

Þe iewes þat were goddes enemy Of þis þei herde soone in hy Line 20720

Line 20720 Þei asked what was þat þing Line 20721 Þei seiden mary burying Þat seint petur & his fere Hir bodi bare on bere Line 20724 Alas þei seide now for shame Scape she vs we shul haue blame Arme we vs to be strong we shul hem take or nyȝt long Þat ilke body take we hit Line 20729 To caste hit in som foule pit Or brenne we hit or do sum whare For she þulke traitour bare Þat we som tyme heng on rode Line 20733 For vs þouȝte he was not gode Þei went to do þat forwarde Þidurwarde þei hyȝed hem harde Line 20736 But ihesus wolde not þole þat shame He made hem alle blynde & lame Þat of hem alle was þere noon Line 20739 Þat miȝte a fote furþer gon ¶ Þere was a prest was to bolde As hit is in þe story tolde Line 20742 On hir bere leide his honde Vnhele þere soone he fonde His hond claf to þe bere so fast Line 20745 Mercy he cried at þe last His fete were alle clongen dry Petur he seide haue now mercy And preye for me þat haue þis sore Line 20749 For iewe wol I be no more leuestou quod petur in him þon Þat is boþe god and mon And born was of þis mary Line 20753 He seide I leue hit inwardely Þenne partede his honde fro þe bere And soone he wex hool & fere Line 20756

Line 20756 Seint petur þo him toke a palm Go to þo men þat lyuen in qualm He seide & touche hem wiþ hit And þei shul haue boþe hele & wit And so he dud bi grace & myȝt Þei couered alle to hele & siȝt Þenne bicoom þei cristen þore Line 20763 Foure þousonde men & more Him is worþi to alowe Þat doþ his foos him þus to bowe . . . . . Line 20767 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Þe body to þat vale þei bare Line 20771 Of Iosephat whenne he coom þare Þere þei dud hit þenne bury wiþ feire seruyse a song ful mury Line 20774

Soone þeraftir somme bokes seis Oure lord liȝt of his paleis And wiþ his holy court he coome To fet his modir bodi home Line 20778 In flesshe & blode vp to be take For in erþe she had no make For she him bar of hir body Hir priuelage most be þe more for-þi . . . . . Line 20783 . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Þat hit so shulde be men say For in þe toumbe þat she in lay Men fynde no þing but floure Line 20787 Springynge euer wiþ swete sauoure But herto seiþ Ieronym He wol not take þat book on him wheþer hit be so or nay Þei þe body be mist away Line 20792

Line 20792 Dispute he seide is no mistere Line 20793 Bitwene wise in suche awere [folio 127a:1] But take hit to him moost of myȝt Lete him þerof þe resoun riȝt . . . . . Line 20797 . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] wel we wote wiþouten wene Of heuen & erþe she is quene Of heuen emperice & lady Set in trone hir dere son by Line 20802 She resteþ nouþer day ny nyȝt To preye for synful mennes pliȝt þere is noon þat to foly falles þat leue wol & on hir calles hendely & hopeþ wele Line 20807 But þei shul feire hir helpes fele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 20812 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Aȝein oure fo she be oure sheld Line 20817 And namely at oure doun held . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] ¶ Þis lady þat I mene of moost Conceyued bi þe holy goost Line 20822 Þat blessed childe þat she vs bere At hir elde of fourtene ȝere And þritty ȝeer was ihesu crist whenne he dud him to baptist Line 20826 Þre ȝeer he preched & moneþes þrin he deȝed & roos for al mon-kyn

Fourty dayes in erþe he bode Line 20829 Ar he vp to his fadir glode Aftir his vprist and pyne She lyued ȝeres but seuen & nyne Sixty ȝeer & þre bi tale Line 20833 Foure moneþes & two wokes al hale ¶ þat I bihette now haue I done Lady bi þi son in trone . . . . . Line 20837 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Line 20842 Lete me so longe in þi seruyse Þat I may com to paradise . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] At myn endynge I preye to þe Line 20847 In tyme of nede my helpe þou be