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

[The Death of John the Baptist.]

How heroude kyng him dud of lyue For loue of his broþer wyue Line 13003 But not þat heroude wite ȝe wele þat slowȝe þe childer of israele But anoþer þat so hat Of þre sones þat he gat þe formast het archelaus þus Line 13008 As þe story telleþ vs Þat regned aftir his fadir lyue Þat oþer phelip spoused a wyue þat had to name herodias Line 13012 Heroudes þe þridde broþer was

þis heroudes kyng as hit is red Boþe he loued seynt Ion & dred And gladly herde his sarmoun Line 13016 But muche he dud aȝeyn resoun vnkyndenes he kud ful rif He rafte philip his broþer his wif þe same þat herodias hiȝt Line 13020 Muche he dud aȝeyn þe riȝt Whenne Ion herde it was so Wite ȝe wel he was ful wo And for to felle þat foule shome Line 13024 He coom to heroudis home Out of desert þat he was Inne He coom to blame þe kyng of synne Bifore his barouns euerychone Line 13028 He forbede him þat wommone And tolde him wherfore & why No mon shulde do so synfuly Line 13031

¶ Herodias herde þis tiþing And drad to leue heroudes kyng In hir hert wolde she wede For whi his wordes were to drede Line 13035 She wist wel riȝtwis was his sawe But of him wolde she stonde noon awe O oþere side she was ful wo Line 13038 Lest she departed þe kyng fro She cried & made muchel dol As she þat was an ebber fol She had a douȝter of philipp geten Hir wickednes beþ neuer forȝeten Of hir name is no fors to telle Line 13044 Knowen she is þerby in helle . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in Trin. & Laud MSS.] Line 13047 To kyng heroude seide seynt Ion Do wey fro þe þis wicked wommon

þou louest hir muche aȝeynes þi lif And ȝitt is she þi broþer wif whom þou shuldes not haue with lawe Line 13052 If þou dreddes goddes awe I drede but þou soone bete þi sake þou deȝest not wiþouten wrake

Dowey Ion whi saistou so [folio 81b:1] To þi desert I rede þou go Line 13057 Stille I rede þou holde þe þore And of þis matere to speke no more For leue hir ȝitt wol I nouȝt Þat þou hast seide beþ dere bouȝt Line 13061 I loue hir more þen any þing Þat is moost aȝeyn þe kyng Þi broþer wif fro him to reue I rede bi tyme ȝitt þou hir leue Line 13065 He seide Ion to muche is spoken And þat shal not be vnwroken Þou shalt in mi prisoun lie And þese wordis dere abie Line 13069 Herodias hated him to dede Þei prisounde him bi her rede In prisoun heroudes dud him cast For to make him agast Line 13073 To sle him was he not in wille But þat wicked wommon to stille Hir to wraþþe he dred sore For he loued no þing more Line 13077 his disciplis coom him to se þe kyng hem lete haue fre entre þei fonde him in þat prisoun depe Miȝt þei not forbere to wepe Line 13081 Ion asked & wolde witt Wheþer ihesu crist oure lord ȝitt Bigon wiþ wordis him to kiþe For þerof wolde he be ful bliþe Line 13085

Line 13085 He seide my breþere leue frende Now shul ȝe on myn eronde wende Line 13087 To ihesu þat lordyng now And seiþ him as I say to ȝow On meke manere sey ȝoure eronde Forȝeteþ not but vndirstonde Aske him if he be þat gome Line 13092 þat mon to saue now is come If hit be he how longe siþe Shal he him hide & not kiþe Or bidde him sende vs word þon Line 13096 wheþer we shul bide anoþer mon þei toke leue & from Ion went And coom þere ihesus was present þei seide sir Ion þe greteþ I was þere he in harde prisoun is Line 13101 And askeþ if þou be he þat shale Louse þe bounden folk of bale ȝe I am he he seide parfey Line 13104 ȝe shul grete him wel & sey Meseles are hole & crupels go riȝt Deefe han herynge & blynde han siȝt And þat mon shal blessed be Line 13108 þat him sclaundreþ not in me . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Þus þei toke þis vnswere And louely to seynt hit bere Line 13113 Muche folke was wiþ ihesu þon And he to take hem bigon He bad hem alle holde hem stille Til he had hem seide his wille Line 13117 ¶ Gode men he seide what mon ȝede ȝe Into wildernes to se Wende ȝe þere a reod to fynde Line 13120 Þat heldeþ waynyng wiþ þe wynde

Ouþer a mon clad in silke In kyngis housis are founden þilke Line 13123 Say me what ȝe souȝt þore Prophete ȝe forsoþe & more þis is he of whom was red Longe ar he was born & bred Line 13127 I shal sende to puruay Myn aungel bifore þi way

¶ Seynt Ion so in prisoun was Til a feste day coom in plas Line 13131 Þenne þe kyng let to him calle Þe baronage of his kyngdom alle Þis was þe day as ȝe han herde Þat he was born into þis werde Line 13135 whenne alle were wele at ayse Bifore þe kyng in his palaise His broþer douȝtir smal & gent [folio 82a:1] Biforne hem in halle went Line 13139 She cymbaled tomblyng wiþ alle Alle wondride on hir in þe halle She so wel þat maistri couþe Alle had hir soone in mouþe Line 13143 Þenne seide þe kyng þat mayden tille Aske me what is þi wille I shal ȝe ȝyue I make avow If hit be half my kyngdom now Line 13147 he had hir aske what she wolde And swor he shulde couenaunt holde Sir kyng she seide god ȝelde þe þeronne wol I counsel me To chaumber she toke hir pas Line 13152 For to speke wiþ herodias Modir she seide what maner þing Rede I aske of þe kyng Line 13155 Haþ he graunted þe þi bone Anoon þenne go & aske him soone

Of seint Ion þat in prisoun isse Line 13158 his heued to ȝyue þe in a disshe whenne she þis herde þat fendes fode Bifore þe kyng she coom & ȝode Sir she seide of þi baronage Wol I aske noon outrage Line 13163 Þar þe be no þing dredonde I aske þe nouþer hous ny londe Ny noon oþere þing out of resoun But Iones heed þi prisoun Line 13167

¶ whenne heroude say she wolde noon Oþere ȝifte but þe heed of Ion Wiþ him self wex he wrooþ And namely for he swor þat ooþ Line 13171 Bifore þat ilke folke so fele He wiste men wolde him hold vn lele A seriaunt to þe Iaile let he gon Ion to hede soone anoon Line 13175 He was heueded also soone His biddynge was not vndone And take þe maiden þat hit auȝt His modir þenne fro hir hit lauȝt Þerfore euer worþe hir wo Line 13180 Þat good mon doþ wiþ tresoun to slo But þis dede was sold ful dere þe menyng lasteþ ȝitt vche ȝere Wiþ an open vengeaunce sene Line 13184 who so wol seche wiþouten wene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.]

þus was good seynt Ion slone Oþer enchesoun was þer none Line 13193

Line 13193 Of þis to make an endyng In euel tyme bigan she tomblyng Line 13195 To make his heed of be brouȝt Was neuer noon so dere bouȝt As we rede & here telle His soule went anoon to helle Þe ȝatis fonde he sparred fast Line 13200 And he þe barres of hem brast Þere dwelled he a while & most nede And bodeword brouȝt of socour in dede To frendes þat he þerinne fonde Line 13204 Til her lord hem lesed of bonde To helle bifore crist he ferd As he dud in to þis werd Þerfore is he called forgoer Line 13208 And cristis owne messanger His disciplis þo were boun And ladde his body out of toun To sebastians wiþ muchel fare Line 13212 þis holy cors þei buryed þare

þerfore I rede ȝou breþeren alle þat ȝe on blessed Ion ay calle For wite ȝe alle as I seide are Line 13216 A bettur childe neuer wif bare He is blessed ouer vche prophete Of muchel bale he may vs bete Of heȝe ospringe þis Ion he is Line 13220 Sib to Ihesus in heuen blis And also to his modir mary He preye for vs to haue mercy . . . . . Line 13224 . . . . . [no gap in Trinity & Laud MSS.] [folio 82b:1] Herde ȝe haue of Iones soþe sawes Slayn he was in paske dawes Here now what herodias did In a wal his heed she hid Line 13229

Line 13229 She haþ hit salted in a wal For she dredde if so shulde fal His heed were to his body done He wolde quike aȝein soone Þourȝe his muchel holy hede Line 13234 Aftir warde also she ȝede His body out of erþ hent And alto poudir þei hit brent Siþen were holy monkes sende Line 13238 To geder þe askes þat þei brende Poudir or boon þat þei fond þere Vp þei gedered & wiþ hem bere