1 [1]Erthe vppo{n} erth{e} is wo{u}ndyr{e}ly wro{u}[gh]te;
Erthe vppo{n} erthe has set al his þou[gh]te[2]
[fol. 80, r^o.]
How erthe vppo{n} erth to erthe schall{e} be[3] brou[gh]te;
Ther is no{n}e vppo{n} erth has hit in þou[gh]te.[4] 4
Take hede!
Whoso þinkyse on[5] his end{e}, ful well{e} schal he sped{e}.
2 Erth vppo{n} erth wold{e} be a kynge;
How erth schal to erthe he þink{is} no þinge. 8
Whe{n} erth byddyþ erth his rent who{m}e brynge,
The{n} schal erth fro þe erth have a hard{e} parttynge,
W{i}t{h} care;
Ffor erth vppo{n} erþe wott{is}
neu{er} we{r} þ{er}for to far{e}. 12
3 Erth vppo{n} erth wy{n}nis castyll{is} & tovris.
The{n} sayþe erth to erth: 'Al þ{i}s is ourus'.
Whe{n} erth vpp{on} erth has bylde al his bovres,
The{n} schal erth fro þe erth soffyr{e} scharpe schorrys, 16
And{e} smarte.
Ma{n}, amend{e} þe betyme, þi lyfe ys but a starte.
4 Erth gose on erth as mold{e} vpon{ne} molde,
Lyke as erth to þe erth neu{er} a-gayne schold{e}; 20
Erth gose on erth glytteryng in gold{e}[6],
[fol. 80, v^o.]
[Gh]et shale erth to þe erth, raþ{er} þe{n} he wolde.
Be owris!
[Gh]efe þi alm{is} w{i}t{h} þi hand{e}. Trust to no secatovrs. 24
5 Why þ{a}t erth louis erþe merwel me þinke,
[7]Or why erth vppo{n} erth wyl swet or swinke,
[7]Ffor whe{n} erth vppo{n} erth is bro{u}þt to þe brynke,
The{n} schal erth frov þe erth have a fovl stynke 28
To smele,
Wars þe{n} þe caryo{n} þ{a}t lyis in þe fele.
6 Lo, erth vppo{n} erth, co{n}sayfe þ{i}s þ{o}u maye,
That þ{o}u co{m}mys frome þe erth nakyd{e} alway[{e}]; 32
How schuld{e} erth vppo{n} erth soe[8] prod{e} or gaye,
Sen[9] erth v{n}to erth schal pase i{n} symple araye,
Unclad{e}?
Cloth þe nakyd whyl þ{o}u may, for so Gode þe bade. 36
7 Erth vppo{n} erth, me þinky[gh] þe ful blynd{e},
That on erth ryches to set al[10] þi mynd{e};
In þe gospel wrytty{n}e exampul I fynde,
The pore went to heyuy{n}, þe rych to hel I fynd{e}, 40
W{i}tt skyle:
[fol. 81, r^o.]
The co{m}mandment{is} of God{e} wold{e} he not fulfyle.
8 Erth vppo{n} erth, deyle duly thy goode
To þe por{e} pepul þ{a}t favtt pe þi fovde, 44
Ffor þe loue of þi Lord{e}, þ{a}t rent was on þe roode,
And{e} for þi loue on þe crose sched his[11] hart blode,--
Go rede!--
W{i}ttovte a{n}ny place to reste on his hede. 48
9 Erth vppo{n} erth, take tent to my steyuyne;
Whyl þ{o}u leuyst, fulfyle þe w{er}kys of mercy vij.
Loke þ{o}u lete, for oode ne for ewyne,
Ffor þo by{n}e þe werk{is} þat helpyne vs to heyuy{n}e, 52
In haste.
Tho ded{is} who so dose þar, hy{m}e neu{er} be agaste.
10 Erth vppo{n} erth, be þ{o}u neu{er} so gaye,
Thow moue[12] wend{e} of þ{i}s world{e} an vnreydy waye; 56
Turne þe betyme, whyle þ{a}t þ{o}u maye,
Leste it lede þe into hele, to logege þ{er} for[13] ay,
In pyne;
Ffor þ{er} is noþ{er} to gett bred{e}, ale, ne wyne. 60
11 Erth vppo{n} erth, God{e} [gh]eyf þe grace, [fol. 81, v^o.]
Whyle þ{o}u leuuyst vppo{n} erth, to purway þe a place
In heywy{n} to dweyll{e}, whyl þ{a}t þ{o}u hast space;
That myrthe for to myse it w{er} a karful case. 64
Ffor whye?
That myrth is w{i}t{h}owtty{n} end{e}, I tel þe securlye.
12 I co{n}cele erth vppo{n} erth þ{a}t wykyd{e}ly has wro[gh]te,
Whyl erth is on erth, to torn all{e} his þov[gh]te, 68
And{e} pray to Gode vppo{n} erth,
þ{a}t al mad{e} of nov[[gh]te][14],
That erth owte of erth to blys may be bov[gh]te[15]
W{i}tt my[gh]the[16],
Thorow helpe Jh{e}su Cryst þ{a}t was our{e} lad{is} byrthe. 72
Do for þiself.
[Footnote 1: Cf. Halliwell, Early Eng. Misc. in Prose and Verse,
printed for the Warton Club, _1855, p. 39_, Fiedler, Mod. Lang.
Review, _III. iii. 225_.]
[Footnote 2, 4: MS. _þo[~u][gh]te_.]
[Footnote 3: MS. _bo_.]
[Footnote 5: MS. _oñ_, _on~_, throughout.]
[Footnote 6: MS. _in [~i] gold{e}_.]
[Footnote 7: These two lines are transposed in the MS.]
[Footnote 8: MS. _soe_, Halliwell _soe_, Fiedler _goe_.]
[Footnote 9: MS. _señ_.]
[Footnote 10: H. _setal_.]
[Footnote 11: H. F. _schedhis_.]
[Footnote 12: MS. _mõu_.]
[Footnote 13: MS. _þ^{r}for_, H. F. _therefor_.]
[Footnote 14: MS. only _nov_ now legible.]
[Footnote 15: MS. _bov[gh]te_, Halliwell _bou[gh]t_, Fiedler
_brou[gh]t_.]
[Footnote 16: MS. Halliwell _my[gh]the_, probably erroneous for
_myrthe_.]
15.