6 [1]How schuld{e} erthe vpon erthe be prud & gay
Whe{n} erthe schal to erthe in so por{e} aray?
7 I consell erthe vpon erthe þ{a}t wikyd hade wro[gh]t,
Whyle erthe ys apon erthe to tu{r}ne al his þo[gh]t, 4
And{e} p{r}ay to God þ{a}t al þe world wro[gh]t[2]
Þ{a}t erthe out of erthe to blesse may be bro[gh]t.
[Footnote 1: The previous leaf of the MS., which evidently
contained the beginning of the poem, has been torn out.]
[Footnote 2: MS. _wo[gh]t_.]
17.
THE MAITLAND MS. (PEPYSIAN MS. 2553, p. 338.) c. 1555-1585.
1 [1]Eyrd vpone eird wondirfallie is wrocht,
Eird hes gottin vpone eird ane dignite for nocht,
Eird apone eird hes set all his thocht
How þat[2] eird vpone eird till hicht may be brocht. 4
2 Eird apone eird wald fayne be a king,
And how þat eird gois to eird thinkis he no thing.
Quhone eird bydd{is} eird his rentis hame to bring,
Than sall eird haue to eird herd depairting. 8
3 Eird apon eird wy{n}nis castellis and towris,
Than sayis eird vntill eird: 'All þir ar owris'.
Quhone eird apone eird hes biggit all his bowris,
Than sall eird vpone eird suffir scharp schowris. 12
4 Eyrd apone eird and mold vpone mold,
Lyke as eird vnto eird never go sold.
Eird gois apone eird glitterand as gold,
[Gh]it sall eird go to eird sonar nor he wold. 16
5 How þat eird luiffis eird grit wondir I think,
Or quhy þat eird will for eird owþir swet or swynk.
Quhone þat eird w{i}t{h}in eird is closit vndir bynk,
Than sall eird w{i}t{h}in eird haue ane ewill stynk. 20
6 Lo eird vpone eird considdir þow may,
How eird vnto[3] eird gois nakit away,
Quhy sould eird apone eird go ow{er} proud or gay,
Sen eird vntill eird sall wend in pure array? 24
7 I counsall eird vpone eird þat wondirlie is wrocht,
Q{uhi}ll[4] eird is apone eird to turne all his thocht,
And pray to God apone eird þat maid all of nocht,
That eird vpone eird to blys may be brocht. 28
Q{uo}d marsar.
[Footnote 1: Printed by kind permission of the authorities of
Magdalene College, Cambridge.]
[Footnote 2: MS. _yat_; _þ_ regularly written as _y_.]
[Footnote 3: MS. _apone_ crossed out, _vnto_ written above.]
[Footnote 4: MS. _q^ll_.]
18.