Whan lyf is moost louyd & deeþ is moost hatyd:
Thanne deeth drawyth his draut and makith man ful nakid.
1 Erthe out of erthe is wo{n}dirly wrou[gh]t,
Erthe of the erthe hath gete a dignyte of nowth{e}, 4
Erthe vp-on e{r}the hath set al his thou[gh]t
How that erthe vp-on erthe may be hy[gh] browth.
2 Erthe vp-on erthe wolde be a kyng;
But how erthe shal to erthe thinkiþ 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 erþe[3] rather{e} than he wolde.
5 O thou wrecchid erthe, that on the erthe
[fol. 112, r^o] traueylist ny[gh]t and day,
To florissh{e} the erthe, to peynte the erthe
wyth wantone a-ray; 20
[Gh]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[gh]t wyth-i{n}ne the brinke,
Thanne shal erthe of the erthe haue a rewfull{e} stinke.
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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 passe 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-[gh]en thi thout, 44
And preye to God vp-on erthe, that alle the erthe hath wrou[gh]t,
That erthe vp-on erthe to blisse may be brou[gh]t.
12 Lord God that erthe madist & for the erthe suffredist peynys ille,
Lete neu{er}e þis erþe[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[gh]e hille. Amen.
p{ar} charite, God it graunte that it so be.
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[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 _[n.][e.]_.]
[[Expunctuated "ne" shown with under-dots]]
[Footnote 3: _vnto erþe_ inserted in red above the line.]
[Footnote 4: _for erthe_ repeated and crossed out in red.]
[Footnote 5: _þis erþe_ added above the line, _erþe_ in red.]
[Footnote 6: In left margin _de sac{er}dotib{us}_.]
[Footnote 7: in right margin _h{oc} in decretis_.]
12.