3 Ere vpon ere wy{n}ne castels & touris, 12 an sei ere to ere: 'Now is is al houris'.

Wha{n}ne ere upon ere ha biggid up hise boure[s], anne schal ere upo{n} ere suffir scharpe schouris.

4 Ere gooth vpon ere as molde upon molde, 16 So gooth ere upon ere al gliteringe in golde, Like as ere vnto ere neu{er}e go schulde, And ?it schal ere vnto erthe ra{er} an he wolde.

5 O {o}u wrecchid ere at on ere traueilist ny?t and day, 20 To florische e ere, to peynte e ere wit{h} wantowne aray, ?it schal ou ere for al i ere, make ou it neu{er}e so queynte & gay, Out of is ere in-to e ere, {er}e to clinge as a clot of clay. [fol. 37.]

6 O wrecchid man whi art {o}u proud, at art of e ere makid? 24 Hid{er} brou?ttist ou no schroud, but poore come ou and nakid.

Whanne i soule is went out, & i bodi in ere rakid, an i bodi at was rank & undeuout, of alle men is bihatid.

7 Out of is ere cam to is ere is wrecchid garnement; 28 To hide is ere, to happe is ere, to hi{m} was cloinge lente; Now goo ere upon ere, ruli raggid and rent, {er}fore schal ere vndir e ere haue hidiose turment.

8 Whi at ere to myche loue ere wondir me ink, 32 Or whi at ere for sup{er}flue ere to sore sweete wole or swynk; Ffor wha{n}ne at ere upo{n} ere is brou?t w{i}t{h}i{n}ne e brink, an schal ere of e ere haue a rewful swynk.

9 Lo ere upon ere considere ou may, 36 How ere come i{n}to ere nakid al way, [fol. 38.]

Whi schulde ere upon ere go now so stoute or gay, Wha{n}ne ere schal pa.s.se out of ere in so poore aray?

10 Wolde G.o.d {er}fore is ere, while at he is upon this ere, Vpon is wolde he{r}tili inke, 40 & how e ere out of e ere schal haue his a?en-risynge, And is ere for is ere schal ?eelde streite rekenyng; Schulde neu{er}e an is ere for is ere mysplese heuene king.

11 erfore ou ere upon ere put so wickidli hast wrou?t, 44 While at ou ere art upon ere turne a?en i ou?t, And praie to at G.o.d upo{n} ere at al e ere ha wrou?t, at ou ere upon ere to blis may be brou?t.

12 O ou Lord at madist is ere for is ere & suffridist heere peynes ille, 48 Lete neu{er}e is ere for is ere myscheue ne spille, But at is ere on is [fol. 39] ere be eu{er}e worchinge i wille, So {a}t is ere from is ere may stie up to in hi? hille.

Amen.

Memento h.o.m.o quod cinis es, et i{n} cinere{m} reu{er}teris, 52 Ffac bene dum viuis. post mortem viu{er}e si uis.

Tangere qui gaudet. meretricem qualiter audet.

Palmis pollutis. regem tractare salutis.

Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem. 56

(_Here follows the Creed in English verse._)

11.

MS. LAUD MISC. 23. Before 1450. [fol. 111, v^o.]

Whan lyf is moost louyd & dee is moost hatyd: Thanne deeth drawyth his draut and makith man ful nakid.

1 Erthe out of erthe is wo{n}dirly wrou?t, Erthe of the erthe hath gete a dignyte of nowth{e}, 4 Erthe vp-on e{r}the hath set al his thou?t How that erthe vp-on erthe may be hy? browth.

2 Erthe vp-on erthe wolde be a kyng; But how erthe shal to erthe thinki he no thi{n}g; 8 Wha{n} that erthe biddeth erthe his rentys hoom bring, Thanne shal erthe out of the erthe haue a pet{ous} partyng.

3 Erthe vp-on erthe wynnyth castellis and towris[1], Tha{n}ne seith erthe to erthe: 'This is al owris.' 12 Whan erthe vp-on erthe hath biggid alle his bouris, Thanne shal erthe for erthe suffre sharp showris.

4 Erthe gooth up-on erthe as moolde vp-on moolde, So gooth erthe vp-on erthe al gleteryng in goolde, 16 Like as erthe vn-to erthe neu{er}e goo[2] shulde; Yit shal erthe vnto ere[3] rather{e} than he wolde.

5 O thou wrecchid erthe, that on the erthe [fol. 112, r^o] traueylist ny?t and day, To florissh{e} the erthe, to peynte the erthe wyth wantone a-ray; 20 ?it shal thow erthe, for all{e} thyn erthe, make thow it neu{er} so queynt & gay, Out of the erthe in-to the erthe, ther to clynge as clot of clay.

6 O wrecchide man whi art thow p{r}ude, that art of erthe makid?

Hidir broutyst thow no shroude, but por{e} cam thow & nakid. 24 Whan thi soule is went out, & thi body in erthe rakid, Tha{n}ne thi body that was rank and louyd of alle men, is hatyd.

7 Out of the erthe cam to this erthe his wantyng garneme{n}t; To hyde this erthe, to wrappe this erthe, to him was clothing lent; 28 Now gooth erthe up-on erthe, ruly raggid and rent, Therfor shal erthe vndir erthe haue hidous turme{n}t.

8 Whi that erthe louyth erthe wondir me thinke, Or whi that erthe for erthe swete wole or swinke; 32 Ffor whan that erthe up-on the erthe is brou?t wyth-i{n}ne the brinke, Thanne shal erthe of the erthe haue a rewfull{e} stinke.

9 Lo erthe up-on erthe consider thow may, How erthe in-to the erthe comyth nakid al-way, 36 Whi shuld erthe vp-on erthe go stout [fol. 112, v^o] or gay, Wha{n} erthe shal pa.s.se out of erthe in a por{e} aray?

10 Wolde therfor{e} this erthe on this erthe, on this hertly thinke, How that erthe out of the erthe shal haue risynge, 40 And thus erthe for erthe[4] yeelde shal streyt rikenynge, Shulde neuer{e} erthe for erthe mysplese heuene kyng.

11 Thow erthe up-on erthe, that wickydly hast wrout, While that erthe is vp-on erthe, turne a-?en thi thout, 44 And preye to G.o.d vp-on erthe, that alle the erthe hath wrou?t, That erthe vp-on erthe to blisse may be brou?t.

12 Lord G.o.d that erthe madist & for the erthe suffredist peynys ille, Lete neu{er}e is ere[5] for this erthe myscheue ne spille, 48 But that this erthe in this erthe be eu{er}e worching thi wille, So that erthe fro this erthe stye up on thyn hy?e hille. Amen.

p{ar} charite, G.o.d it graunte that it so be.

[6]Tange{re} qui gaudes m{er}etricem qualit{er} audes[7]. 52 Palmis pollutis regem tractar{e} salutis.

(_The poem _Whi is the wor[l]d belouyd that fals is and veyn_, follows immediately._)

[Footnote 1: _towris_ added in margin by the same hand.]

[Footnote 2: MS. _goo ne_; _ne_ crossed out, and marked _??_.]

[Footnote 3: _vnto ere_ inserted in red above the line.]

[Footnote 4: _for erthe_ repeated and crossed out in red.]

[Footnote 5: _is ere_ added above the line, _ere_ in red.]

[Footnote 6: In left margin _de sac{er}dotib{us}_.]

[Footnote 7: in right margin _h{oc} in decretis_.]

12.

MS. COTTON t.i.tUS A. xxvi. 15th century. [fol. 153, r^o.]

1 Erthe oute of erthe is wondirly wroght, Erthe of e erthe hathe goten a dyngnyte of noght, Erthe vpon erthe hathe set all{e} hys thovght Houe erthe vpon erthe maye be hyghe broght. 4

2 Erthe vpon erthe wolde be a kyng; Bot how erthe shall{e} to erthe thynkethe he nothyng; Whan that erthe biddethe erthe hys rentis hom to bryng, Than shall{e} erthe oute of erthe haue a pytous p{ar}tyng. 8

3 Whan erthe vpon erthe wynythe casteles & tourys, Than says erthe to erthe: 'ys is all{e} ourys'.

And whan erthe vpon erthe hathe byggid hys bourys, Than shall{e} erthe vpon erthe suffer sharpe shoures. 12