Memento homo 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},
Butt 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 [gh]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 þe 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} passe 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 God 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 þ{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.]