Part 11 (1/2)
3 Ere vpon ere wy{n}ne castels & touris, 12 an sei ere to ere: 'Now is is al houris'.
Wha{n}ne ere upon ere ha biggid up hise boure[s], anne schal ere upo{n} ere suffir scharpe schouris.
4 Ere gooth vpon ere as molde upon molde, 16 So gooth ere upon ere al gliteringe in golde, Like as ere vnto ere neu{er}e go schulde, And ?it schal ere vnto erthe ra{er} an he wolde.
5 O {o}u wrecchid ere at on ere traueilist ny?t and day, 20 To florische e ere, to peynte e ere wit{h} wantowne aray, ?it schal ou ere for al i ere, make ou it neu{er}e so queynte & gay, Out of is ere in-to e ere, {er}e to clinge as a clot of clay. [fol. 37.]
6 O wrecchid man whi art {o}u proud, at art of e ere makid? 24 Hid{er} brou?ttist ou no schroud, but poore come ou and nakid.
Whanne i soule is went out, & i bodi in ere rakid, an i bodi at was rank & undeuout, of alle men is bihatid.
7 Out of is ere cam to is ere is wrecchid garnement; 28 To hide is ere, to happe is ere, to hi{m} was cloinge lente; Now goo ere upon ere, ruli raggid and rent, {er}fore schal ere vndir e ere haue hidiose turment.
8 Whi at ere to myche loue ere wondir me ink, 32 Or whi at ere for sup{er}flue ere to sore sweete wole or swynk; Ffor wha{n}ne at ere upo{n} ere is brou?t w{i}t{h}i{n}ne e brink, an schal ere of e ere haue a rewful swynk.
9 Lo ere upon ere considere ou may, 36 How ere come i{n}to ere nakid al way, [fol. 38.]
Whi schulde ere upon ere go now so stoute or gay, Wha{n}ne ere schal pa.s.se out of ere in so poore aray?
10 Wolde G.o.d {er}fore is ere, while at he is upon this ere, Vpon is wolde he{r}tili inke, 40 & how e ere out of e ere schal haue his a?en-risynge, And is ere for is ere schal ?eelde streite rekenyng; Schulde neu{er}e an is ere for is ere mysplese heuene king.
11 erfore ou ere upon ere put so wickidli hast wrou?t, 44 While at ou ere art upon ere turne a?en i ou?t, And praie to at G.o.d upo{n} ere at al e ere ha wrou?t, at ou ere upon ere to blis may be brou?t.
12 O ou Lord at madist is ere for is ere & suffridist heere peynes ille, 48 Lete neu{er}e is ere for is ere myscheue ne spille, But at is ere on is [fol. 39] ere be eu{er}e worchinge i wille, So {a}t is ere from is ere may stie up to in hi? hille.
Amen.
Memento h.o.m.o quod cinis es, et i{n} cinere{m} reu{er}teris, 52 Ffac bene dum viuis. post mortem viu{er}e si uis.
Tangere qui gaudet. meretricem qualiter audet.
Palmis pollutis. regem tractare salutis.
Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem. 56
(_Here follows the Creed in English verse._)
11.
MS. LAUD MISC. 23. Before 1450. [fol. 111, v^o.]
Whan lyf is moost louyd & dee is moost hatyd: Thanne deeth drawyth his draut and makith man ful nakid.
1 Erthe out of erthe is wo{n}dirly wrou?t, Erthe of the erthe hath gete a dignyte of nowth{e}, 4 Erthe vp-on e{r}the hath set al his thou?t How that erthe vp-on erthe may be hy? browth.
2 Erthe vp-on erthe wolde be a kyng; But how erthe shal to erthe thinki he no thi{n}g; 8 Wha{n} that erthe biddeth erthe his rentys hoom bring, Thanne shal erthe out of the erthe haue a pet{ous} partyng.
3 Erthe vp-on erthe wynnyth castellis and towris[1], Tha{n}ne seith erthe to erthe: 'This is al owris.' 12 Whan erthe vp-on erthe hath biggid alle his bouris, Thanne shal erthe for erthe suffre sharp showris.
4 Erthe gooth up-on erthe as moolde vp-on moolde, So gooth erthe vp-on erthe al gleteryng in goolde, 16 Like as erthe vn-to erthe neu{er}e goo[2] shulde; Yit shal erthe vnto ere[3] rather{e} than he wolde.