1 Erthe oute of erthe is wondirly wroght,
Erthe of þe erthe hathe goten a dyngnyte of noght,
Erthe vpon erthe hathe set all{e} hys thovght
Houe erthe vpon erthe maye be hyghe broght. 4
2 Erthe vpon erthe wolde be a kyng;
Bot how erthe shall{e} to erthe thynkethe he nothyng;
Whan that erthe biddethe erthe hys rentis hom to bryng,
Than shall{e} erthe oute of erthe haue a pytous p{ar}tyng. 8
3 Whan erthe vpon erthe wynythe casteles & tourys,
Than says erthe to erthe: 'Þys is all{e} ourys'.
And whan erthe vpon erthe hathe byggid hys bourys,
Than shall{e} erthe vpon erthe suffer sharpe shoures. 12
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 þe erthe w{i}t{h} wanton araye;
Y{e}t sshalle þou, erthe, for all{e} thy erthe,
make þ{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 þ{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 þe 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. _þ^t_.]
13.