[Footnote 1: Fisher (Facsimile of inscription) _seth_; Reeves (Mod. Lang. Notes, ix. 4, 203) _sett_.]

[Footnote 2: Reeves _thynkys_.]

[Footnote 3: Fisher, Reeves _ptyng_.]

[Footnote 4: Fisher _hye_, Reeves _hys_; cf. H. 4486 hath _bygged hy his bowres_.]

[Footnote 5: Fisher _neuu_.]

[Footnote 6: Fisher, Reeves _w^{h}yll_.]

[Footnote 7: Fisher _y_ for _y^e_.]

8.

MS. RAWLINSON C. 307. c. 1460. [fol. 2, r^o.]

Memento h.o.m.o quod cinis es et in cinerem reuerteris.

1 Erthe opon erthe hath set all{e} his thoght How that erthe opon erthe may be hy broght.

Erthe oute of erthe is wonderly wroght, Erthe hase of erthe a dignytie of noght. 4

2 Erthe opon erthe wolde be a kyng, Bot how erthe shall{e} to erthe thynkis he nothyng.

Ya bot when erthe byddis erthe his rentis hym bryng, Than shall{e} erthe hafe of erthe a full{e} harde p{ar}tyng. 8

3 Erthe opon erthe byggis castels and towres, Than sais erthe vnto erthe: 'All{e} is is ours'.

Ya bot when erthe opon erthe hath byggid vp his bowres, Than shall{e} erthe[1] for erthe suffre sharpe showres. 12

4 Erth{e} gose on erthe[1] glitterand as golde, Like as erthe[1] vnto erthe[1] neu{er} go shulde.

Ya bot when erthe goeth on erthe as colde opon colde, Yit shall{e} erthe vnto erthe rather an{ne} he wolde. 16

5 Whi that erthe luffis erthe wondre me thynke, Or whi at erthe for erthe swete wyll{e} or swynke, Ffor when erthe[1] opon erthe is brought with-in brynke, Than shall{e} erthe hafe of erthe[1] a wonder foule stynke. 20

6 What may erthe say to erthe at beste tyme of all{e}?

Noght bot {a}t erthe opon erthe shall{e} hafe a fall{e}.

Bot when erthe oute of erthe[1]

shall{e} com to the laste call{e}, Than sall{e} erthe be[2] full{e} ferde for e sely sall{e}. 24

7 Beholde {o}u erthe opon erthe what worship {o}u hase, And thynk {o}u erthe opon erthe what maistres {o}u mase, And how erthe opon erthe what gatis at {o}u gase, And {o}u sall{e} fynde it forsuthe that {o}u haste many fase. 28

8 Now he {a}t erthe opon erthe ordande[3] to go Graunte {a}t erthe vpon erthe may govern hym so, at when erthe vnto erthe shall{e} be taken to, That e saule of is erthe suffre no wo. 32

[Footnote: Final _n_ is often written _n~_; so _m~_.]

[Footnote 1: possibly MS. _ertha_; final _e_ in this MS. is often written very like _a_.]

[Footnote 2: looks like _ba_.]

[Footnote 3: looks like _ordanda_.]

9.

MS. HARLEIAN 4486. 15th century. [fol. 146, r^o.]

Memento h.o.m.o q{uo}d cinis es & [in] cinerem reu{er}teris, Ffac b{e}n{e} du{m} viuis, post morte{m} viuere si vis.

When[1] lyffe is most loued[1], & deth is moste hated, Then dethe[2] draweth{e} his drawght{e} & makyth{e} man full{e} naked. 4

1 Erthe owte of erthe is wonderly wrowght{e}, Erthe of the erthe hathe gete an abbey of nawte, Erthe apon erthe hath{e} sett all{e} his thowghte How erthe apon erthe may be hye browte. 8

2 Erthe apon erthe be he[3] a kyng{e}, b.u.t.t how erth{e} schall{e} to erthe thynketh{e} he nothyng{e}.

[4]When erthe byddeth{e} erthe his rent home bryng{e}, Then schall{e} erthe owte of erthe haue a pyteous p{ar}tyng{e}. 12

3 Erthe apon erthe wynneth{e} castell{es} & towres.

Then seyth{e} erthe to erthe: 'These byth{e} all{e} owres'.

When erthe apon erthe hath bygged{e} vp his bowres, Then schall{e} erthe for the erthe suffre scharpe schowres. 16

4 Erthe gothe apon erthe as molde apon molde.

So goeth{e} erthe apon erthe all{e} gleteryng{e} in golde, Lyke as erthe into erthe neu{er} go scholde, And ?et schalle erthe into erth{e} rather then he wolde. 20

5 Why erthe loueth{e} erthe wonder me thynke, Or why that erthe for erthe swete wyll{e} or swynke, Ffor whan erthe apon erthe is browte w{i}t{h}yn e brynke, Then schall{e} erthe of the erthe haue a fowle stynke. 24

6 Loo, erthe apon erthe, consyder{e} thow may How erthe com{m}yth{e} to erthe naked all{e} way.

Why scholde erthe apon erthe go stowte or gay, Whan erthe schall{e} pa.s.se owte of erthe in a pore aray? 28

[fol. 146, v^o.]

7 Therfor erthe apon erthe that wykedly hast wrought{e}, Whyle erthe is apon erthe torne agayne thy thowght{e}, And pray to G.o.d apon erthe that all{e} erthe hath wroughte That this erthe apon this erthe to blysse may be browte. 32

8 Now Lorde that madyst for erthe & sufferdyst paynes ylle, Lett neu{er} this erthe for this erthe i{n} myschyffe spylle, But that this erthe in this erthe be eu{er} worchyng{e} thy wylle, So that this erthe fro {is} erthe may stye vp to thy hylle. 36

Amen.

[Footnote 1: Final _n_ is uniformly written _n~_ in this text excepting in the word _in_. Final _d_ is frequently written _[d+]_.]

[Footnote 2, 3: _added above the line._]

[Footnote 4: The first words in ll. 11, 14, 15 seem to have been freshened up.]

10. MS. LAMBETH 853. c. 1430-1450. [fol. 35.]

Whanne liif is moost loued, and dee is moost hatid: anne doo dee drawe his draw?t, & maki ma{n} ful nakid.

De terra plasmasti me, _&c._

1 Ere out of ere is wondirly wrou?t, 4 Ere of ere ha gete a dignyte of nou?t, Ere upo{n} ere ha sett al his ou?t, How at ere upon ere may be hi? brou?t.

2 Ere upon ere wold he be a king; 8 B{u}t how ere schal to ere enki he no [fol. 36] ing; Wha{n}ne at ere biddi ere hise rentis hom bring, an schal ere out of ere haue a piteuous parting.