[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 homo 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 þe 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]. 2 Erthe vppon erthe wolde be a kynge; Howe erthe shalle vnto erthe thynkythe he noo thynge. 8 Whenne erthe byddys erthe hys rentys home brynge, Thenne shalle erthe of the erthe haue a pytyus partynge. 3 Erthe a-pon erthe wynnys castellis and towrys; Thenne erthe saythe vnto[2] erthe: ‘Thys ys alle owrys’. 12 Whenne erthe a-pon erthe hathe bylde vppe hys bourys, Thenne shalle erthe for the erthe suffer sharpe schowrys. 4 Erthe goythe a-pon erthe as molde a-pon molde; Erthe gothe a-pon erthe alle gleterynge in golde, 16 Lyke as erthe vnto erthe neuyr [go][3] scholde, And yet shalle erthe vnto erthe rathyr thenne he wolde. 5 Why erthe louythe erthe woundyr I thynke, Or why erthe for the erthe swete wylle or swynke, 20 Ffor whenne erthe a-pon erthe ys brought{e} w{i}t{h}yn brynke, Thenne shalle erthe of erthe haue a foule stynke. 6 Loo erthe a-pon erthe consyder þ{o}u may Howe erthe comythe to erthe nakyd alle day. 24 Why scholde erthe a-pon erthe goo stowte and gay, Syn erthe vnto erthe shalle pas in pore a-ray? 7 I consylle erthe a-pon erthe þ{a}t wyckydly hathe wrought{e}, Whyle erthe ys a-pon erthe to turne vppe hys thought{e}, 28 And pray to God a-pon erthe that alle the erthe hathe wrought{e}, [fol. 55, v^o.] That erthe owte of the erthe to blys may be brought. Amen. Caue si vis.