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

When prest mai assoil viij cases er wretin þam þat prest or clerk has smitten

I tald bifore how þat all þa Line 29356 þat smites preste or clerk bus ga Vnto þe pape or his lagate, To be assoyled and haue þaire state, Bot þare er outane cases aght, Line 29360 When power es till oþer taght. Þe first point es in perill of ded, [j] þan may ilk preste assoyl and rede, And clens his sawl on þis couenand, þat if he may couer of þat band Line 29365 Als sone als he may seson se, Vnto þe pape þan wend sall he. Þat oþer es of vsscher or portere, [ij] Line 29368 In vsyng of þaire awin mistere. If þai smite owþer prest or clerk, And haue no hatred in þat werk, If þat he hurt þam noght ouer sare Line 29372 His awin preste may assoyl him þare. Þe thrid er men religyows, [iij] þat has þaire ouerman in þaire hows, If any of þam hurt oþer omang Line 29376 And þe harm be noght ouer strang, þe man þat has þam forto ȝeme He may þam both assoyl and deme. Þe ferth es of seke folk and vnfere, [iiij] And of childer within seuyn ȝere, Line 29381 If þai ger prestes or clerkes blede, Prest may assoyl þam of þat dede; And also þat es done in play, A simple prest assoyl it may. [folio 73a:1] Þe fift point es of him þat slase [v] Preste or clerk þat er his fase, Line 29387

Line 29387 In his defens if þat it be, Line 29388 And may none oþerwise þam fle. þis þan es þe sext case, [vj] Of him þat dose a light trispase Line 29391 To prest or clerk vnwitandly, Him thar noght go to pape forþi. þe seuynd es if a man be pouer, [vij] Or in sekenes and noght couer, And als in last end of mans liue, Line 29396 May sympil prest assoyl and schriue. . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Þe aght es a maister of lare [viij] May bete a clerk bot noght ouer sare, And þat it be for chastiing Anely, and for none oþer thing, For in all maner of dede, Line 29404 Aw man mesure with him to lede. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 29408 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 29412 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 29416 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] And also if þou with þi frende Line 29420 Find clerk doand dedes vnhende, With moder, doghter, syster, or wyue, For whas luf þe aw to striue,

In swilk a case if þou him smite, Canon gifes him-self þe wite. Bote all if I þir cases haue talde Line 29426 Be þou noght to strike ouer balde, Bot if þou in slike auenture be, þat þou nane oþer wise may fle, Or vnwitand or in playing, Line 29430 þi preste may assoil of all þis thing.