4 Erthe gothe vpon erthe as molde vpon molde[1], So gothe erthe vpon erthe all{e} glytryng in golde, Lyke as erthe into erthe never goo sholde; And y{e}t shal[2] erthe in to erthe rathar then he wolde. 16

[fol. 153, v^o.]

5 O thou wreched erthe that on erthe trauayles nyght & daye To fflorysshe[3] and paynt e erthe w{i}t{h} wanton araye; Y{e}t sshalle ou, erthe, for all{e} thy erthe, make {o}u it neu{er} so queynt or gaye, Oute of thys erthe in to erthe to klyng as clot in claye. 20

6 O wrechyd man, why[4] art {o}u[5] prowde that of erth art maked, And hyder thou broght no shrowde, bot pore com and nakyd?

Lewe thy syne and lyffe in ryght, And than shalt thou lyffe in heuyn as a knyght. 24

[Footnote: Final _n_ is written _n~_ as a rule in this text, so _m~_.]

[Footnote 1: MS. _moldee_.]

[Footnote 2: MS. _shal do_ or _de_, the second word crossed out.]

[Footnote 3: MS. _To fflorysshe e erthe_, the last two words crossed out, cf. MS. Lambeth, _v. 5_, MS. Rawl. Poet., _v. 15_.]

[Footnote 4: MS. _why at_, _at_ crossed out.]

[Footnote 5: MS. _^t_.]

13.

MS. RAWLINSON POETICAL 32. After 1450. [fol. 32, v^o.]

A descripture alchimicall of erthe & the nature of man[1].

Whanne life is most louyd, And deth is most hatid, Deth drawith his drau?te And makith a man nakid. 4

1 Erthe oute of erthe Is wonderly wrou?te; Erthe hath of the erthe ?etyn a dignite of noughte. 8

2 Erthe a-pon erthe Hath set alle his thoughte How erthe apon erthe May be hiere y-broughte. 12

3 Erthe a-pon erthe Wolde be made a kyng, How erthe schal to erthe Thynkyng no thyng. 16

4 Whanne erthe biddith erthe Than he his rente hom brynge, Thanne schal erthe for erthe Haue a petous partynge. 20

5 Whanne erthe apon erthe Hath billid al his bowris, Thanne schalle erthe for erthe Suffre ful harde schowris. 24

6 Erthe a-pon erthe [fol. 33, r^o.]

Wynnyth castellis and towris.

Thanne saithe erthe to erthe: 'This is alle owris'. 28

7 Erthe gothe apon erthe As molde a-pon molde, Erthe gothe apon erthe Gleteryng alle in golde, 32

8 As thouh erthe to erthe Neu{er} a-yen go schulde, But yit schal erthe to {e} erthe Rather thanne he wolde. 36

9 Oute of the erthe cam the erthe Wantynge his garnament, To hide the erthe, to lappe the erthe, To hym was clothing y-lent. 40

10 Now goth the erthe apon erthe Disgesily ragged and to-rent, Therfore schal erthe vnder erthe Suffer ful grete turment. 44

11 Whi that ere loue erthe Wonder y may thinke, Or whi that erthe for the erthe Unresonably swete wol or swynke, 48

12 Ffor whanne erthe vnder erthe [fol. 33, v^o.]

Is brou?te withynne brynke, Thanne schal erthe of the erthe Haue an oribyll stynke. 52

13 Yif erthe wold of erthe Thus hartily haue thynkynge, And how erthe out of erthe Shal at last haue risynge, 56

14 Thanne schal erthe for erthe Yelde riht streite rekenynge, Thanne schuld [erthe] for erthe Neuer mys-plese heuene kynge. 60

15 Thow wrecchid erthe {a}t thus for erthe Trauelist nyht and day To florische the erthe, to paynte the erthe With thi wanton array, 64

16 Yit schalt thou erthe for alle thi erthe, Make thou neuer so gay, Ffor thi erthe in to erthe Clynge as clotte in clay. 68

17 Thinke now erthe how thou in erthe Goist euer in dethis[2] grace, And thanne thou erthe for the erthe Shalt neuer stryue ne race. 72

18 Bute for thou erthe with thi erthe [fol. 34, r^o.]

Hauntist enuye and hate, Therefor schal erthe for erthe Be excludid from heuene gate. 76

19 Ffowle erthe whi louyst thou erthe That is thi dedly foo, And bildist on erthe As thou schuldist dwelle euer moo? 80

20 But thou erthe forsake the erthe, Or that thou hennys goo, Vnder erthe for l.u.s.t of erthe Thou schalt haue sorow and woo. 84

21 Whiles erthe may in erthe To festis and to drynkis gon, Til the be made frome the erthe As bare as any bon. 88

22 Thanne if erthe comyth to erthe Makyng sorow and mone, Thanne saith erthe to the erthe, 'Thou were a felow, but now art thou none'. 92

23 Thus the erthe queyt.i.th the erthe That doith to him seruyse, Or tristyn on erthe, or plese the erthe In any maner wise. 96

24 Therfor thou erthe be ware of erthe [fol. 34, v^o.]

And thou the wele auyse, Lest thou erthe p{er}ische for erthe By-fore the hihe iustyse. 100

25 Ffor the erthe was made of erthe At the first begynnynge, That erthe schuld labour the erthe In trowthe and sore swynkynge; 104

26 But now erthe lyueth in erthe With falshode and begilynge, Therfor schal erthe for erthe Be punsched in payne euerlastynge. 108

27 But erthe forsake the erthe And alle his falshede, And of the erthe restore the erthe Goodis that ben mys-gete, 112

28 Or that erthe be doluyn in erthe And vnder fote y-trede, Ffor synne of erthe, {a}t hath do in erthe, Fful sore he schalle be bete. 116

29 Drede thou erthe while thou in erthe Hast witte & resoune at thi wille, That, erthe, for loue of erthe, Thi soule thou nougth spille. 120

30 And thou erthe, repente the in erthe [fol. 35, r^o.]

Of alle that thou hast don ille, And thanne schalt thou, erthe apon erthe, G.o.ddis biddyngis fulfille. 124

31 Lord G.o.d that erthe tokist in erthe, And suffredist paynes ful stille, Late neuer erthe for the erthe In dedly synne ne spille, 128

32 But that erthe in this erthe Be doynge euer thi wille, So that erthe for the erthe Stye vp to thi holy hille. Amen. S. J. 132

[Footnote 1: Added in a later hand, probably 16th century.]