Part 10 (1/2)

[Footnote 1: Fisher (Facsimile of inscription) _seth_; Reeves (Mod. Lang. Notes, ix. 4, 203) _sett_.]

[Footnote 2: Reeves _thynkys_.]

[Footnote 3: Fisher, Reeves _ptyng_.]

[Footnote 4: Fisher _hye_, Reeves _hys_; cf. H. 4486 hath _bygged hy his bowres_.]

[Footnote 5: Fisher _neuu_.]

[Footnote 6: Fisher, Reeves _w^{h}yll_.]

[Footnote 7: Fisher _y_ for _y^e_.]

8.

MS. RAWLINSON C. 307. c. 1460. [fol. 2, r^o.]

Memento h.o.m.o quod cinis es et in cinerem reuerteris.

1 Erthe opon erthe hath set all{e} his thoght How that erthe opon erthe may be hy broght.

Erthe oute of erthe is wonderly wroght, Erthe hase of erthe a dignytie of noght. 4

2 Erthe opon erthe wolde be a kyng, Bot how erthe shall{e} to erthe thynkis he nothyng.

Ya bot when erthe byddis erthe his rentis hym bryng, Than shall{e} erthe hafe of erthe a full{e} harde p{ar}tyng. 8

3 Erthe opon erthe byggis castels and towres, Than sais erthe vnto erthe: 'All{e} is is ours'.

Ya bot when erthe opon erthe hath byggid vp his bowres, Than shall{e} erthe[1] for erthe suffre sharpe showres. 12

4 Erth{e} gose on erthe[1] glitterand as golde, Like as erthe[1] vnto erthe[1] neu{er} go shulde.

Ya bot when erthe goeth on erthe as colde opon colde, Yit shall{e} erthe vnto erthe rather an{ne} he wolde. 16

5 Whi that erthe luffis erthe wondre me thynke, Or whi at erthe for erthe swete wyll{e} or swynke, Ffor when erthe[1] opon erthe is brought with-in brynke, Than shall{e} erthe hafe of erthe[1] a wonder foule stynke. 20

6 What may erthe say to erthe at beste tyme of all{e}?

Noght bot {a}t erthe opon erthe shall{e} hafe a fall{e}.

Bot when erthe oute of erthe[1]

shall{e} com to the laste call{e}, Than sall{e} erthe be[2] full{e} ferde for e sely sall{e}. 24

7 Beholde {o}u erthe opon erthe what wors.h.i.+p {o}u hase, And thynk {o}u erthe opon erthe what maistres {o}u mase, And how erthe opon erthe what gatis at {o}u gase, And {o}u sall{e} fynde it forsuthe that {o}u haste many fase. 28

8 Now he {a}t erthe opon erthe ordande[3] to go Graunte {a}t erthe vpon erthe may govern hym so, at when erthe vnto erthe shall{e} be taken to, That e saule of is erthe suffre no wo. 32

[Footnote: Final _n_ is often written _n~_; so _m~_.]

[Footnote 1: possibly MS. _ertha_; final _e_ in this MS. is often written very like _a_.]

[Footnote 2: looks like _ba_.]

[Footnote 3: looks like _ordanda_.]