1 [1]Erþe out of erþe is wondirli wrou[gh]t,
Erþe of erþe haþ gete a dignite of nou[gh]t,
Erþe vpon erþe haþ sett al his þou[gh]t,
Howe þat erþe vpon erþe may be hi[gh] brou[gh]t. 4
2 Erþe vpon erþe wolde ben a king;
But how erþe schal to erþe þenkiþ he no þing;
Whanne þan erþe biddiþ erþe hise rentis hoom bring,
Þanne schal erþe out of erþe haue a piteuous p{ar}tinge. 8
3 Erþe vpon erþe wy{n}neþ castels and tours,
Þanne seiþ erþe to erþe: 'þis is all ouris.'
Whanne erþe vpon[2] erþe [haþ biggid][3] up his bouris,
Þan schal erþe for erþe for[4] suffre scharpe schouris. 12
4 Erþe gooþ upon erþe as molde upon moolde,
So gooþ erþe upon erþe al glitiringe in golde,
Lijk as erþe vnto erþe neu{er}e go scholde,
And [gh]it schal erþe vnto erþe raþir þan he wolde. 16
5 O þou [fol. 170, v^o] wrecchid erþe þat in þe erþe trauellist
ni[gh]t & day,
To florische þe erþe, to peinte þe erþe wiþ wantowne aray,
[Gh]it schalt þou erþe for al þi erþe,
make þou it neu{er}e so queinte or gay,
Out of þis erþe in-to þe erþe,
þere to klinge as a clot of clay. 20
6 O wrecchid man whi art þou proud þat art of erþe makid?
Hidir brou[gh]tist þou no schroud, but pore come þou and nakid.
Whanne þi soule is went out & þi bodi in[5] erþe rakid,
Þan bi [bodi][6] þat was rank & bilouid of al men is bihatid. 24
7 Out of þis erþe cam to þis erþe þis wantinge grarnement[7];
To hide þis erþe, to happe þis erþe, to him was cloþing lent;
But now[8] gooþ erþe upon erþe, ruli raggid & rent,
Þerfore schal erþe vndir þe erþe haue hidous turment. 28
8 Þ{er}fore þ{o}u erþe vpon erþe þat wikkidli hast wrou[gh]t,
While þat erþe is upon erþe turne a[gh]en þi þou[gh]t,
& pray to God vpon erthe þat [al þe erþe haþ][9] wrou[gh]t,
Þat erþe vpon erþe to blis may be brou[gh]t. 32
9 Now Lord þat erþe madist for erþe & suffridist peines ille,
Lete neu{er}e þis erþe for þis erþe mischeue ne spille,
But þat þis erþe in þis erþe be euere worchinge þi wille,
So that erþe fro þis erþe stie vp to þin hi[gh] hille. AMEN. 36
Memento homo quod cinis es. et in cinerem reuerteris.
Ffac bene dum viuis. post mortem viu{er}e si vis.
A man þat wilneþ for to p{ro}fite in þe wey of p{er}fecciou{n}
& souvereinli to plese God. he muste studie bisili for to haue
þese maters in his herte þat folewiþ here aftir.