Memento homo 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} þis 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 þan{ne} he wolde. 16
5 Whi that erthe luffis erthe wondre me thynke,
Or whi þat 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 þ{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 þe sely sall{e}. 24
7 Beholde þ{o}u erthe opon erthe what worship þ{o}u hase,
And thynk þ{o}u erthe opon erthe what maistres þ{o}u mase,
And how erthe opon erthe what gatis at þ{o}u gase,
And þ{o}u sall{e} fynde it forsuthe
that þ{o}u haste many fase. 28
8 Now he þ{a}t erthe opon erthe ordande[3] to go
Graunte þ{a}t erthe vpon erthe may govern hym so,
Þat when erthe vnto erthe shall{e} be taken to,
That þe saule of þis 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.