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

[The Progeny of Saint Anne and her three Husbands.]

¶ whenne þat Ioachim was dede Anna wiþ hir frendes rede

Was ȝyuen to anoþer husbonde A douȝty man of þat londe Line 12662 Cleophas was his name Riche of good dede & fame Soone wiþ hir a douȝter he gat þat marye as hir sister hat Line 12666 A mon in mariage hir toke Alpheus het as seiþ þe boke Two sones bi hir had alpheus þat was Ioseph & Iacobus Line 12670 þat iacob þat I tell of now Was called þe broþer of Ihesu Ihesu broþer called was he For sibrede worshepe & beaute Line 12674 . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] holy lif he lad alweyes Fro he was born þe story seyes Line 12678 He dronk neuer cidre ne wyn Ne neuer wered clooþ of lyn Flesshe ete neuer of al & alle he fyned neuer god to calle him þouȝte him self neuer wery Line 12683 On god on knees for to cry His knees þerof were bollen so þat vnneþes miȝte he go Aftir coom þat tyme men wende Line 12687 He were þat crist þat shulde be sende þis ilke Iacob þat I of telle As he stood on a day to spelle In ierusalem was he slone Line 12691 his soule anoon to heuen dud gone

¶ whenne he was deed þis cleophas Anna was ȝyuen to salomas She wex wiþ childe & bar in hiȝe A mayden childe hett marie Line 12696

Line 12696 She was ȝyuen to zebedee Line 12697 A douȝty man of galilee Of hir were born gode childre twey Muchel Iame þat is to sey Whiche kyng heroude dud to slo þe toþer broþer of þese two Line 12702 Was seynt Ion þe euangelist þat wel was loued wiþ ihesu crist For his muchel douȝty dede And for he lyued in maydenhede Alle þe apostles he hem past Line 12707 Þourȝe his maydenhede studfast In felowshipe was he ihesus nest And lay & slepte on his brest And say þe priuetees ful euen Line 12711 Moo þen any mon con neuen

¶ Of þis no more but oþere here Of Ion baptist & ihesu dere Þe sixte elde to bringe in place Line 12715 Whenne þat god wol sprede his grace To his owne chosen trewe þe testament bigon he newe Wherof seint Ion was messangere Þat of holynes had no pere Line 12720 Wiþ his banere he coom bifore To teche þe lawe of cristen lore Ion as banerere of honour Coom þo bifore oure saueour In tyme of holy Ion to mene [folio 79b:1] Line 12725 Was lawe bigonne of bapteme he tauȝte men furste forsake synne And so her bapteme to bigynne Bi whiche to heuen we shul come whenne we of þis world be nome Line 12730 If we oure lif truly lede And at þe endyng to crist vs bede

Þis tre þat I here bigynne Line 12733 Is al set for mary kynne þat men may knowe witterly Of Ioseph kyn & of mary For boþe of o mon þei come Þat leuy had som tyme to nome Line 12738 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Line 12743 Þis leuy had sones two Mathan & pantera also Of Mathan coom Iacob of him Ioseph Þat is þe neþermast step Line 12747 Of þat side no mo to telle is Of pantera coom parpantera I-wis Of perpantera coom Ioachim And seynt Marie coom of him Line 12751