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

[Of John the Baptist and Christ's Baptism.]

¶ Seynt Ion bi þe flum gon dwelle Þe folke ful feire for to spelle In watir baptized he alle þo Þat wolde bapteme vndir go Line 12755 In baptizinge ȝonge & olde Men to him souȝt & he was bolde His prechyng & his sarmoun Brouȝt mony men to resoun And in to weye to gete hem mede But harde hit was his lif to lede Line 12761 þe iewes tiþing of him herde And of his fare þat he wiþferde Wondir hem þouȝte þat he miȝt last Wiþ so greet trauaile & fast Line 12765

Line 12765 Siþ he was of her kin & kiþ whi he wolde not won hem wiþ Þe maistris also of þe lawe Line 12768 Bitwene hem in her comyn sawe Had wondir of þis baptizing And seide hit is greet mis trowyng Þis Ion shal oure lawe for do Line 12772 But we take bettur tent þerto we wol se for what resoun For sauyng or dampnacioun þat he suche baptizyng mas Line 12776 And wheþer he be messias Þat þe folke abideþ so To bringe hem out of woo helye or crist wheþer is he Line 12780 þe soþe fayn wite wolde we Or he is prophete þat þus leres Wiþ þis þei sent her messangeres Of þe wisest þat þei fond Line 12784 To bringe from Ion certeyn tiþond þe messangeres þus I sende To þat wildernes þei wende Ful hendely þenne þei him grett Line 12788 Anoon as þei to gider mett Þe wisest þat among hem were Þe eronde seide on þis manere Sir þei seide we wolde þe pray þat þou þe soþe woldes vs say Line 12793 What mon shul we calle þe Telle vs what mon þou be Alle folke of Ierusalemes londe han wondir of þe to vndirstonde Of þi bapteme & of þi dedes Line 12798 Of onlych lif þat þou here ledes Art þou ouȝt hely here now Crist or prophete þat mon shulde bow

Wheþer þou leue suche lay as we To sende hem word þei preye þe Of þi self what woltou say Line 12804 Vnto maistris of þe lay Gladly þenne seide Ion I shal ȝou telle soone anoon Mi leue breþer & my frende Line 12808 Aȝeyn to ȝoure maistris ȝe wende And telle hem sooþ on my partie [folio 80a:1] Nouþer am I crist ny ȝit helie Line 12811 Ny prophete ȝe me not calle What shul we sey þenne to hem alle A vois criynge in desert So I hett al apert Line 12815 Biddyng make redy þe gate Of þe lord heȝest of state Aȝein þe lord þat comen is now To him owe vche mon to bow Line 12819 Þat longe was hett now comen es Of him I preche in wildernes Of whom am I not worþi to To louse þe þonges of his sho Line 12823 And loke ȝe make redy his way He is þat lord so shal ȝe say Al holly Iones sawe Brouȝte þei to maistris of þe lawe Line 12827

¶ whenne ihesu crist was comen neer To þe elde of þritty ȝeer He knew þe tyme come þat he wolde haue bapteme nome He wente him to flom iurdone Þere he fonde his cosyn Ione Line 12833 Lyuyne þere al only But bi goddes loue on hy Whenne Ion him say as seiþ þe boke For drede vche lym he quoke Line 12837

Line 12837 And seide þat alle miȝten here Line 12838 Se þe lomb of god dere Se þe lomb þat clensen shale Þis wrecched world ful of bale Þouȝe he aftir me born be Line 12842 Longe was he biforn me ¶ Ihesu seide to seint Ion Mi cosyn dere & frend anoon To baptise me I haue þe souȝt Line 12846 Baptise þe lord dar I nouȝt I caitif wheþen coom hit me Þat I lord myn shulde baptise þe For I am lord ful of synne Line 12850 And hidur fled from al my kynne A nedeful wrecche here am I hid Þou shal do Ion as I þe bid Baptiȝe þou me leue cosyne Line 12854 I dar not touche þe lord myne Skil me þinkeþ hit were more þat I of þe baptized wore Ion he seide we mot lawe fulfille lord he seide now at þi wille . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

Ihesus into þat watir ȝode Line 12862 And seint Ion ny honde him stode whenne he say ihesu þere stonde Quakynge he lifte vp his honde þere was oure lord crist Of his owne seruaunt baptist Line 12867 On him þe holy goost þenne liȝt In shap of doufe coom wiþ fliȝt As he loked vp to heuen Open he say þe cloudis seuen Line 12871 þe fadir steuen out hit brast As hit were a þonder blast

Þis is my loued son so dere Line 12874 Al þis world him owe to here In whom I haue as ȝe may seen Euer wel a payed ben

Whil seynt Ion þis offis did Dyuerse wondris þere were kid Line 12879 Þe holy streme of flum iurdone On boþe side stood stille as stoon Þre þingis in oon were sene þere Þe son þat monnes body bere þe fadir vois þe childe þere knew þe holy doufe of vertu Line 12885 Þe olde testament here slakeþ And þe newe bigynnyng takeþ

Of þi worshepe Ion is to say Þat shewed was ilke day Ion was of alle dedes clene Line 12890 Þourȝe þi merit was hit sene [folio 80b:1] Whenne noon so worþi was as þow To hondel good ihesu and bow And ȝaf him þe holy sacriment Line 12894 Þat al þis world owe to tent Merueile hit is to þinke in brest How shulde þe clerke baptise þe prest Þe son þe fadir þe knyȝt þe kyng Line 12898 He ordeyned þat made al þing But miȝte he neuer ouer slip þat him self seide of worship Of blis þat he to þe purueide Line 12902 Suche witnessyng him self seide Among alle wymmen sones seide he Þat euer was or ȝitt shal be A gretter childe was neuer noon Line 12906 Of modir born þen þou seint ion . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Line 12909

Line 12909 He þe chees for þi lantern Bifore his face þe liȝt to bern Line 12911 To go bifore his comyng As baner doþ bifore a kyng As baily goþ bifore Iustise So coom þou bifore þat riȝtwise Line 12915