2 Erthe appon{e} erthe wolde be a kynge, Bot howe þ{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 ȝitt schal erthe vnto erthe ȝa rathere þan he wolde. 16 5 Now why þ{a}t erthe luffis erthe wondire me thynke, Or why þ{a}t erthe for erthe scholde oþ{er} swete or swynke, For when þ{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, Yorkshire 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 þe erth thy[n]k[4] he no thyng{e}. Whan erth bydyth erth hys rent h[om]e[4] bryng{e}, Þan schal erth fro þe erth [haue][5] a delful partyng{e}[6]. 8 3 Erth apon erth wyn[nyth ca[7]]stellys {and} towrys; Þan seyth erth to þe erth: ‘Þose beth al owrys’. Whan erth apon erth hath byggyt al hys bowrys[8], Þan schal erth for þe erth suffyr scharpe [s]chowrys[9]. 12 4 Lo erth apon erth consyder þ{o}u may Þ{a}t erth cometh owte of þ{e} erth nakyt alway. Þan how scholde erth apon erthe be prowt [or gay][10] Whan erth schal to þ{e} erth in so pore aray? 16 5 Erth goth on erth as molde doþe on molde, Erth goth on erth glydderande in golde, Lyk as erth to erth neuyre go scholde. Ȝyt schal erth to þ{e} erth rathyr þan þey wolde. 20 6 I cowsayl erth apon erth þ{a}t wykytly hath wroht, Whyle erth ys apon erth to turne al hys tho[w]th[11]. Now pray we to God þ{a}t al erth wrowth, Þat erth owt of erth to blys myth be browth. 24