Erthe Upon Erthe Part 8

[Footnote 5: B. _w^{t}i y^e_.]

[Footnote 6: B. _y^e_; _styke_.]

[Footnote 7: B. _momento_.]

[Footnote 8: B. _morte_.]

2.

MS. THORNTON. c. 1440. [fol. 279.]

Memento h.o.m.o Quod Sinis Es Et in cenerem Reuerteris.

1 [1]Erthe owte of erthe es wondirly wroghte, Erthe hase getyn one erthe a dignyte of noghte, Erthe appon{e} erthe hase sett alle his thoghte How at erthe appon{e} erthe may be heghe broghte. 4

2 Erthe appon{e} erthe wolde be a kynge, Bot howe {a}t erthe to erthe sail thynkis he no thynge.

When erthe bredis erthe & his rentis[2] home brynge, Thane schalle[3] erthe of erthe hafe full harde partynge. 8

3 Erthe appon{e} erthe wynnys castells and towrrys.

Thane saise[4] erthe vnto erthe: 'This es alle owrris'.

When erthe appo{ne} erthe hase bigged vp his bourris, Than schalle erthe for erthe suffire scharpe scowrrys[5]. 12

4 Erthe gose appon{e} erthe as golde appone golde, He that gose appon{e} erthe gleterande as golde, Lyke als erthe neu{er} more[6] goo to erthe scholde, And ?itt schal erthe vnto erthe ?a rathere an he wolde. 16

5 Now why {a}t erthe luffis erthe wondire me thynke, Or why {a}t erthe for erthe scholde o{er} swete or swynke, For when {a}t erthe appon{e} erthe es broghte w{i}t{h}in brynke, Thane schalle erthe of erthe hafe a foulle stynke. 20

Mors Soluit Omnia.

[Footnote 1: Cf. G. G. Perry, Religious Poems in Prose and Verse (E.E.T.S. _No. xxvi. 1867, p. 95, 1889, p. 96_); C. Horstmann, Yorks.h.i.+re Writers, _1. 373_.]

[Footnote 2: repeated in MS. _rentys_.]

[Footnote 3: Perry _sall_, MS., Horstmann _schalle_.]

[Footnote 4: perh. _sase_, MS. indistinct, Perry _thus sase_.]

[Footnote 5: perh. _stourrys_ as in Perry, but all other texts have _schowrys_.]

[Footnote 6: MS. _more_, Perry _mare_.]

3.

MS. SELDEN Supra 53. c. 1450. [fol. 159, v^o.]

1 [1]Erthe apon erthe ys wonderly wroth[2], Erthe apon erthe hath worschyp of nogth, Erthe apon erthe hath set[3] al hys thowth How erthe apon erth myth be hy browth. 4

2 Erthe apon erth wolde be a kyng{e}; How erth schal to e erth thy[n]k[4] he no thyng{e}.

Whan erth bydyth erth hys rent h[om]e[4] bryng{e}, an schal erth fro e erth [haue][5] a delful partyng{e}[6]. 8

3 Erth apon erth wyn[nyth ca[7]]stellys {and} towrys; an seyth erth to e erth: 'ose beth al owrys'.

Whan erth apon erth hath byggyt al hys bowrys[8], an schal erth for e erth suffyr scharpe [s]chowrys[9]. 12

4 Lo erth apon erth consyder {o}u may {a}t erth cometh owte of {e} erth nakyt alway.

an how scholde erth apon erthe be prowt [or gay][10]

Whan erth schal to {e} erth in so pore aray? 16

5 Erth goth on erth as molde doe on molde, Erth goth on erth glydderande in golde, Lyk as erth to erth neuyre go scholde.

?yt schal erth to {e} erth rathyr an ey wolde. 20

6 I cowsayl erth apon erth {a}t wykytly hath wroht, Whyle erth ys apon erth to turne al hys tho[w]th[11].

Now pray we to G.o.d {a}t al erth wrowth, at erth owt of erth to blys myth be browth. 24

[Footnote 1: The poem is in a different hand on the last leaf of the MS., and the writing is much worn and stained, and in many cases barely legible. A few letters have been re-written in black ink by a later hand.]

[Footnote 2: _wroht_, cf. _nogth_, _thowth_, _browth_, and similar cases of _th_ for _ht_ in v. 6.]

[Footnote 3: MS. perhaps _iset_.]

[Footnote 4: MS. obscure.]

[Footnote 5: omitted in MS.]

[Footnote 6: _partyn_ re-written in black ink, _ge_ of the original hand still clear.]

[Footnote 7: MS. stained and illegible; portions of _nyth a_ seem to be visible.]

[Footnote 8: _bow_ in original hand, _rys_ re-written in black ink.]

[Footnote 9: The second hand has re-written _chowrys_ ignoring the _s_ which is no longer visible.]

[Footnote 10: _o_ and _y_ re-written, the rest illegible.]

[Footnote 11: _w_ no longer legible.]

4.

MS. EGERTON 1995. c. 1430-1450. [fol. 55, r^o.]

(William Gregory's Commonplace-Book.)

Memento h.o.m.o q{uod} cinis es et in cinerem reuerteris.

Whenne lyfe ys moste louyde, and dethe ys moste hatyde, Dethe drawythe hys draught{e}, and makythe man nakyde.

1 Erthe owte of e erthe ys wounderly wrought{e}, 4 Erthe vppon erthe hathe sette hys thought{e} Howe erthe a-pon erthe may be hy brought{e}[1].