The Middle English Poem, Erthe Upon Erthe

English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500

8   Now he þ{a}t erthe opon erthe ordande[3] to go
      Graunte þ{a}t erthe vpon erthe may govern hym so,
      Þat when erthe vnto erthe shall{e} be taken to,
      That þe saule of þis erthe suffre no wo.                        32

    [Footnote: Final _n_ is often written _n~_; so _m~_.]

    [Footnote 1: possibly MS. _ertha_; final _e_ in this MS. is often
    written very like _a_.]

    [Footnote 2: looks like _ba_.]

    [Footnote 3: looks like _ordanda_.]


9.

MS. HARLEIAN 4486. 15th century.                        [fol. 146, r^o.]

      Memento homo q{uo}d cinis es & [in] cinerem reu{er}teris,
      Ffac b{e}n{e} du{m} viuis, post morte{m} viuere si vis.
      When[1] lyffe is most loued[1], & deth is moste hated,
      Then dethe[2] draweth{e} his drawght{e}
              & makyth{e} man full{e} naked.                           4

  1   Erthe owte of erthe is wonderly wrowght{e},
      Erthe of the erthe hathe gete an abbey of nawte,
      Erthe apon erthe hath{e} sett all{e} his thowghte
      How erthe apon erthe may be hye browte.                          8

  2   Erthe apon erthe be he[3] a kyng{e},
      Butt how erth{e} schall{e} to erthe thynketh{e} he nothyng{e}.
      [4]When erthe byddeth{e} erthe his rent home bryng{e},
      Then schall{e} erthe owte of erthe
              haue a pyteous p{ar}tyng{e}.                            12

  3   Erthe apon erthe wynneth{e} castell{es} & towres.
      Then seyth{e} erthe to erthe: ‘These byth{e} all{e} owres’.
      When erthe apon erthe hath bygged{e} vp his bowres,
      Then schall{e} erthe for the erthe suffre scharpe schowres.     16

  4   Erthe gothe apon erthe as molde apon molde.
      So goeth{e} erthe apon erthe all{e} gleteryng{e} in golde,
      Lyke as erthe into erthe neu{er} go scholde,
      And ȝet schalle erthe into erth{e} rather then he wolde.        20

  5   Why erthe loueth{e} erthe wonder me thynke,
      Or why that erthe for erthe swete wyll{e} or swynke,
      Ffor whan erthe apon erthe is browte w{i}t{h}yn þe brynke,
      Then schall{e} erthe of the erthe haue a fowle stynke.          24

  6   Loo, erthe apon erthe, consyder{e} thow may
      How erthe com{m}yth{e} to erthe naked all{e} way.
      Why scholde erthe apon erthe go stowte or gay,
      Whan erthe schall{e} passe owte of erthe in a pore aray?        28

                                                        [fol. 146, v^o.]
  7   Therfor erthe apon erthe that wykedly hast wrought{e},
      Whyle erthe is apon erthe torne agayne thy thowght{e},
      And pray to God apon erthe that all{e} erthe hath wroughte
      That this erthe apon this erthe to blysse may be browte.        32

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The Middle English Poem, Erthe Upon Erthe

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