A descripture alchimicall of erthe & the nature of man[1].
Whanne life is most louyd,
And deth is most hatid,
Deth drawith his drau[gh]te
And makith a man nakid. 4
1 Erthe oute of erthe
Is wonderly wrou[gh]te;
Erthe hath of the erthe
[Gh]etyn a dignite of noughte. 8
2 Erthe a-pon erthe
Hath set alle his thoughte
How erthe apon erthe
May be hiere y-broughte. 12
3 Erthe a-pon erthe
Wolde be made a kyng,
How erthe schal to erthe
Thynkyng no thyng. 16
4 Whanne erthe biddith erthe
Than he his rente hom brynge,
Thanne schal erthe for erthe
Haue a petous partynge. 20
5 Whanne erthe apon erthe
Hath billid al his bowris,
Thanne schalle erthe for erthe
Suffre ful harde schowris. 24
6 Erthe a-pon erthe [fol. 33, r^o.]
Wynnyth castellis and towris.
Thanne saithe erthe to erthe:
'This is alle owris'. 28
7 Erthe gothe apon erthe
As molde a-pon molde,
Erthe gothe apon erthe
Gleteryng alle in golde, 32
8 As thouh erthe to erthe
Neu{er} a-yen go schulde,
But yit schal erthe to þ{e} erthe
Rather thanne he wolde. 36
9 Oute of the erthe cam the erthe
Wantynge his garnament,
To hide the erthe, to lappe the erthe,
To hym was clothing y-lent. 40
10 Now goth the erthe apon erthe
Disgesily ragged and to-rent,
Therfore schal erthe vnder erthe
Suffer ful grete turment. 44
11 Whi that erþe loueþ erthe
Wonder y may thinke,
Or whi that erthe for the erthe
Unresonably swete wol or swynke, 48
12 Ffor whanne erthe vnder erthe [fol. 33, v^o.]
Is brou[gh]te withynne brynke,
Thanne schal erthe of the erthe
Haue an oribyll stynke. 52
13 Yif erthe wold of erthe
Thus hartily haue thynkynge,
And how erthe out of erthe
Shal at last haue risynge, 56
14 Thanne schal erthe for erthe
Yelde riht streite rekenynge,
Thanne schuld [erthe] for erthe
Neuer mys-plese heuene kynge. 60
15 Thow wrecchid erthe þ{a}t thus for erthe
Trauelist nyht and day
To florische the erthe, to paynte the erthe
With thi wanton array, 64
16 Yit schalt thou erthe for alle thi erthe,
Make thou neuer so gay,
Ffor thi erthe in to erthe
Clynge as clotte in clay. 68
17 Thinke now erthe how thou in erthe
Goist euer in dethis[2] grace,
And thanne thou erthe for the erthe
Shalt neuer stryue ne race. 72
18 Bute for thou erthe with thi erthe [fol. 34, r^o.]
Hauntist enuye and hate,
Therefor schal erthe for erthe
Be excludid from heuene gate. 76
19 Ffowle erthe whi louyst thou erthe
That is thi dedly foo,
And bildist on erthe
As thou schuldist dwelle euer moo? 80
20 But thou erthe forsake the erthe,
Or that thou hennys goo,
Vnder erthe for lust of erthe
Thou schalt haue sorow and woo. 84
21 Whiles erthe may in erthe
To festis and to drynkis gon,
Til the be made frome the erthe
As bare as any bon. 88
22 Thanne if erthe comyth to erthe
Makyng sorow and mone,
Thanne saith erthe to the erthe,
'Thou were a felow, but now art thou none'. 92
23 Thus the erthe queytith the erthe
That doith to him seruyse,
Or tristyn on erthe, or plese the erthe
In any maner wise. 96
24 Therfor thou erthe be ware of erthe [fol. 34, v^o.]
And thou the wele auyse,
Lest thou erthe p{er}ische for erthe
By-fore the hihe iustyse. 100
25 Ffor the erthe was made of erthe
At the first begynnynge,
That erthe schuld labour the erthe
In trowthe and sore swynkynge; 104
26 But now erthe lyueth in erthe
With falshode and begilynge,
Therfor schal erthe for erthe
Be punsched in payne euerlastynge. 108
27 But erthe forsake the erthe
And alle his falshede,
And of the erthe restore the erthe
Goodis that ben mys-gete, 112
28 Or that erthe be doluyn in erthe
And vnder fote y-trede,
Ffor synne of erthe, þ{a}t hath do in erthe,
Fful sore he schalle be bete. 116
29 Drede thou erthe while thou in erthe
Hast witte & resoune at thi wille,
That, erthe, for loue of erthe,
Thi soule thou nougth spille. 120
30 And thou erthe, repente the in erthe [fol. 35, r^o.]
Of alle that thou hast don ille,
And thanne schalt thou, erthe apon erthe,
Goddis biddyngis fulfille. 124
31 Lord God that erthe tokist in erthe,
And suffredist paynes ful stille,
Late neuer erthe for the erthe
In dedly synne ne spille, 128
32 But that erthe in this erthe
Be doynge euer thi wille,
So that erthe for the erthe
Stye vp to thi holy hille. Amen. S. J. 132
[Footnote 1: Added in a later hand, probably 16th century.]
[Footnote 2: MS. _deth is_.]
14.