(Richard Hill's Commonplace-Book.)
1 Erth owt of erth is worldly wrowght,
Erth hath gote{n} oppo{n} erth a dygnite of nowght,
Erth vpon erth hath[1] set all his thowght,
How þ{a}t erth vpon erth myght be hye browght. 4
2 Erth vpon erth wold be a kyng,
But how þ{a}t erth shall to erth, he thy{n}kith no thyng;
Whe{n} erth biddith erth his rent{es}[2] home bryng,
The{n} shall erth for erth haue a hard p{ar}tyng. 8
3 Erth vpon erth wy{n}neth castl{les}[2] & towres,
The{n} seyth erth vnto erth: 'Þis is all owres';
But whe{n} erth vpo{n} erth hath bildyd his bowres,
Tha{n} shall erth for erth suffre hard showres. 12
4 Erth vpon erth hath welth vpon molde,
Erth goth vpon erth glydryng all i{n} golde,
Like as he vnto erth neu{er} torn shuld;
& yet shal erth vnto erth son{er} tha{n} he wold. 16
5 Why þ{a}t erth loweth erth, wonder[3] I thynk;
Or why þ{a}t erth will for erth swet or swynk;
For wha{n} erth vpon erth is browght w{i}t{h}in þe brynk,
Than shall erth for erth suffre a fowle stynk. 20
6 As erth vpon erth were þe worthyes ix,
& as erth vpon erth i{n} honour dide shyne;
But erthe liste not to know how þei shuld enclyn,
& þ{er} crow{n}nys leyd i{n} erth,
wha{n} deth hath made hys fyne. 24
7 As erth vpon erth, full{e} worthy was Josue, [fol. 208, r^o.]
Dauyd þe worthy kyng, Judas Machabe;
They were but erth vpon erth, no{n} of the{m} thre,
And so fro{m} erth vnto erth þei loste þ{er} dignite. 28
8 Alisand{er} was but erth, þ{a}t all the world wan,
& Ector vpon erth was hold a worthy ma{n},
& Julius Cesar þ{a}t þe empire first be-gan;
& now, as erth w{i}t{h}in erth, þei lye pale & wan. 32
9 Arthur was but erth, for all his renown;
No more was kyng Charlis, ne Godfrey of Bolown;
But now erth hath t{o}rned þ{er} noblenes vpsodown;
& thus erth goth to erth, by short co{n}clusion. 36
10 Who so rekyn also of Will{iam} Conquerowr{e}[4],
Kyng Harry þe first, þ{a}t was of knyghthode flowr{e}[4];
Erth hath closed the{m} ful streytly i{n} his bowr{e}[4];
Loo, the ende of worthynes! here is no more socowr{e}[4]. 40
11 Now thei þ{a}t leve vpon erth, both yong & old,
Thynk how ye shall to erth, be ye neu{er} so bold;
Ye be vnsiker, wheþ{er} it be i{n} hete or cold,
Like as yo{u}r brether[5] did beffore, as I haue told. 44
12 Now ye folk þ{a}t be here, ye may not long endure,
But þ{a}t ye shall torn to erth, I do you ensure;
& yf ye lyst of þe trewth to se a playn fugure,
Go to seynt Powlis, & see þ{er} the portratowr{e}[4]. 48
13 All ys erth, & shall be erth, as it shew{i}t{h} ther,
[6]Þ{er}-for, or dredfull deth w{i}t{h} his dart you dere,
& for to torn i{n} to erth, no ma{n} shall it forbere,
Wisely pu{r}vey you beffore, & þ{er}-of haue no fere. 52
14 Now, sith by deth we shal al pas, it is to vs c{er}teyn,
For of þe erth we co{m} all, & to þe erth shall torn agayn;
Þ{er}-for to strive of grucche it were but i{n} vayn,
For all is erth, & shall be erth, no thyng more c{er}tayn. 56
15 Now erth vppon erth, co{n}sydre thow may,
How erth co{m}meth to erth nakyd all way.
Why shuld erth vpon erth go stowt or gay,
Sith erth owt of erth shall passe in pore a-ray? 60
16 I co{n}saill you vpon erth þ{a}t wikkidly haue wrowght,
Whill þ{a}t erth is on erth, torn vp yo{u}r thowght,
& pray to God vppon erth, þ{a}t all þe erth hath wrowght,
Þ{a}t erth owt of erth to blis may be browght. 64
Amen.
[Footnote: Cf. Roman Dyboski, E.E.T.S. extra ser. ci _(1907),
p. 90_.]
[Footnote 1: D. erron. _hat[h]_.]
[Footnote 2: D. reads _rentes_, _castlles_.]
[Footnote 3: MS. _worder_.]
[Footnote 4: D. reads _-owr_ throughout.]
[Footnote 5: D. erron. _brother_.]
[Footnote 6: Line 50 would be better placed after l. 51.]
16.