6 Lo erth on erth, consedur thow may How erth co{m}myth to erth nakyd all way. Why schall erth apon erth goo stowte or gay, Seth erth out of erth schall passe yn poor aray? 24 7 I counsill erth apone erth that ys wondurly wrogt, The w{h}yll[6] þ{a}t erth ys apon erthe to torne hys thowht, And pray to God vpon erth þ{a}t all erth wroght, That all crystyn soullys to þe[7] blis may be broght. 28 [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 homo 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} þis 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 þan{ne} he wolde. 16 5 Whi that erthe luffis erthe wondre me thynke, Or whi þat 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 þ{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 þe sely sall{e}. 24 7 Beholde þ{o}u erthe opon erthe what worship þ{o}u hase, And thynk þ{o}u erthe opon erthe what maistres þ{o}u mase, And how erthe opon erthe what gatis at þ{o}u gase, And þ{o}u sall{e} fynde it forsuthe that þ{o}u haste many fase. 28