The Cambridge MS., as has been already stated, combines portions of both
the A and the B version with several independent stanzas. At first sight
it might appear to represent a transitional stage in the development of
the B from the A type, but closer examination shows that this is not the
case, and that the text is merely a later compilation from the two. The
writer must have had some knowledge both of the longer A version
represented by MS. Harl. 913, and of the common seven-stanza B type, and
seems to have tried to combine his recollections in one poem, halting
between the four-lined and six-lined stanza, repeating himself here and
there, and adding certain new verses of his own. There is no grouping
into stanzas in the MS., but a division is easily made by the rimes, and
these give mono-rimed stanzas of four lines chiefly, with one of six
lines, and some fragmentary ones of two or three. In one case a stanza
has been broken up and the two couplets inserted at different points
(ll. 9-10, 27-28). As has been shown in the table of MSS. of the B
version, six verses of the B type may be traced, while four verses show
distinct correspondence with A, and eleven are independent of either.
A comparison of the similar lines follows:--
(_MS. Cambr._ Ii. 4. 9) ll. 1-4.
Erthe vpon erthe is waxin & wrought,
Erthe takys on erthe a nobylay of nought;
Now erthe vpon erthe layes all his þought
How erthe vpon erthe sattys all at noght.
(_MS. Harl._ 4486.) B Version.
1 Erthe owte of erthe is wonderly wrowghte,
Erthe of the erthe hathe gete an abbey[12] of nawte,
Erthe apon erthe hath sett{e} al his thowghte
How erthe apon erthe may be hye browte.
ll. 9-10, 27-28.
Erthe vpon erth wolde be a kyng,
But howe erth xal to erth thynkyth he no thyng.
When erthe says to erth: 'My rent þou me bryng,'
Then has erth fro erthe a dolfull p{ar}tyng.
2 Erthe apon erthe be he a kyng{e},
Butt how erth schall{e} to erthe thynketh{e} he nothyng{e}.
When erthe byddeth erthe his rent home bryng{e},
Then schall{e} erth{e} owte of erthe haue a pyteous[13]
p{ar}tyng{e}.
ll. 5-8.
Erthe vpon erth has hallys & towr{is};
Erthe says to erth: 'This is alle owr{is}.'
But q{ua}n erth vpon erth has byg{g}yd his bowr{is}
Than xal erth for the erth haue scharpe schowr{is}.
3 Erthe apon erthe wynneth 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.
Cf. l. 66.
If erth haue mys don, he getyth scharpe sho{u}rs.
ll. 33-35.
Erthe wrotys in erth as molys don in molde,
Erthe vpon erth glydys as golde,
As erthe leve in erthe eu{e}r mor{e} schulde.
4 Erthe gothe apon erthe as molde apon molde.
So goeth erthe apon erthe all{e} gleteryng{e} in golde,
Lyke as erthe into erthe neu{er} go scholde,
And [gh]et schall{e} erthe into erthe rather then be wolde.
ll. 29-32.
How erthe louys erth wondyr me thynke,
How erthe for erth wyll swete and swynke.
When erth is in {e}rthe broght w{i}t{h}-in the brynke
What as herth than of erthe but a fowle sty{n}ke.
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 þe brynke,
Then schall{e} erthe of the erthe haue a fowle stynke.
ll. 36-37.
Erthe vpon erth mynd eu{er} more þou make
How erthe xal to erth when deth wyll hy{m} take.
6 Loo erthe apon erthe consyder{e} thow may
How erthe co{m}myth to erthe naked all way.
ll. 19-22.
Erth vpon erthe gos in the weye,
Prykys and prankys on a palfreye;
When erth has gotyn erth alle that he maye,
He schal haue but seven fote at his last daye.
(_MS. Harl._ 913) A Version.
v. 5, ll. 1, 2, 5, 6.
Erþ is a palfrei to king a{nd} to quene,
Erþ is ar la{n}g wei, þouw we lutil wene.
Whan erþ haþ erþ wiþ st{r}einþ þus geten,
Alast he haþ is leinþ miseislich i-meten.
ll. 41-46, 23-26.
Ffor erth gos in erth walkand in vede,
And erthe rydys on erth on a fayr stede,
When he was goty{n} in erth erth to his mede,
Than is erth layde in erthe wormys to fede.
Whylke are the wormys the flesch brede?
God wote the wormys for to ryght rede.
Than xal not be lyky{n}g vnto hy{m}
Bu[t] an olde sely cloth to wynde erthe in,
When erthe is in erth for wormys wyn,
The rof of his hows xal ly on his chyn.
v. 2.
Erþ geþ on erþ wrikkend in weden,
Erþ toward erþ wormes to feden;
Erþ b{er}riþ to erþ al is lif deden;
When erþ is i{n} erþe, heo muntid þi meden.
When erþ is i{n} erþe, þe rof is on þe chynne;
Þan schullen an hu{n}dred wormes wroten on þe skin.
ll. 63-64.
Erthe bygyth hallys & erth bygith towres,
When erth is layd in erth, blayke is his bo{ur}s;
v. 6, ll. 5-6.
Erþ bilt castles, a{nd} erþe bilt toures;
Whan erþ is on erþe, blak beþ þe boures.
l. 38.
Be war{e}, erth, for erthe, for sake of thi sowle.
v. 6, l. 3.
Erþ uppon erþ be þi soule hold.
The additional verses in MS. Cambr. bear some slight resemblance to
other additional lines found in MSS. of the B type, and this is
interesting as showing that the writer worked on the same lines in
expanding his text, and was perhaps acquainted with some of the longer B
texts. On the other hand characteristic differences in the treatment of
the theme would seem to support the view that these verses are really
individual additions and not derived from any of the other texts. The
lines in question are given below:--
_MS. Cambr._ ll. 71-82.
God walkyd in erth as longe as he wolde,
He had not in this erth but hong{er} & colde,
And in this erth also his body was solde,
Her{e} in this erth, whan þ{a}t he was xxx^ti [gh]er{e} olde.
_MS. Rawl. C._ v. 8.
Now he þ{a}t erthe opon erthe ordande to go
Graunt þ{a}t erthe vpon erthe may govern hym so,
Þat when erthe vnto erthe shall{e} be taken to,
Þat þe saule of þis erthe suffre no wo.
God lytyd in erth, blyssed be that stou{n}de!
He sauyd hijs herth w{i}t{h} many a scharpe wounde,
Ffor to sawe erth owght of hell grou{n}de,
He deyd in erth vpon þe rode w{i}t{h} many a blody vou{n}de.
And God ros ovght of the est this erth for to spede,
And went into hell as was gret nede,
And toke erth from sorowe þ{i}s erth for to spede,
The ryght wey to heuen blys I{esus} Cryst vs lede!
_MS. Rawl. P._ vv. 31, 32.
Lord God that erthe tokist in erthe,
And suffredist paynes ful stille,
Late neuer erthe for the erthe
In dedly synne ne spille.
But that erthe in this erthe
Be doynge euer thi wille,
So that erthe for the erthe
Stye up to thi holi hille.
(Cf. Harl. 4486, v. 8; Lamb. v. 12; Laud v. 12).
It is therefore evident that the Cambridge text shows knowledge of
both the A and the B versions, but the text in its existing form must
represent either a corrupt copy of the original with frequent
dislocation of lines, or, what is perhaps more likely from the instances
of repetition of the same words or ideas which occur, a clumsy
compilation from the two made by some one who perhaps had B before him
and remembered portions of A imperfectly. Such repetitions occur in
verses 2 and 18, the latter repeating three of the rime-words of the
former verse, as well as the phrase _scharpe schowris_; and again in
verses 4 and 19, and in verses 6, 7, and 13. In any case the text must
be regarded as later than the A and B versions, and not as forming a
link between them. The dialect is Northern, but not uniformly so.