1 Erth owt of erth is worldly wrowght, Erth hath gote{n} oppo{n} erth a dygnite of nowght, Erth vpon erth hath[1] set all his thowght, How þ{a}t erth vpon erth myght be hye browght. 4 2 Erth vpon erth wold be a kyng, But how þ{a}t erth shall to erth, he thy{n}kith no thyng; Whe{n} erth biddith erth his rent{es}[2] home bryng, The{n} shall erth for erth haue a hard p{ar}tyng. 8 3 Erth vpon erth wy{n}neth castl{les}[2] & towres, The{n} seyth erth vnto erth: ‘Þis is all owres’; But whe{n} erth vpo{n} erth hath bildyd his bowres, Tha{n} shall erth for erth suffre hard showres. 12 4 Erth vpon erth hath welth vpon molde, Erth goth vpon erth glydryng all i{n} golde, Like as he vnto erth neu{er} torn shuld; & yet shal erth vnto erth son{er} tha{n} he wold. 16 5 Why þ{a}t erth loweth erth, wonder[3] I thynk; Or why þ{a}t erth will for erth swet or swynk; For wha{n} erth vpon erth is browght w{i}t{h}in þe brynk, Than shall erth for erth suffre a fowle stynk. 20 6 As erth vpon erth were þe worthyes ix, & as erth vpon erth i{n} honour dide shyne; But erthe liste not to know how þei shuld enclyn, & þ{er} crow{n}nys leyd i{n} erth, wha{n} deth hath made hys fyne. 24 7 As erth vpon erth, full{e} worthy was Josue, [fol. 208, r^o.] Dauyd þe worthy kyng, Judas Machabe; They were but erth vpon erth, no{n} of the{m} thre, And so fro{m} erth vnto erth þei loste þ{er} dignite. 28 8 Alisand{er} was but erth, þ{a}t all the world wan, & Ector vpon erth was hold a worthy ma{n}, & Julius Cesar þ{a}t þe empire first be-gan; & now, as erth w{i}t{h}in erth, þei lye pale & wan. 32 9 Arthur was but erth, for all his renown; No more was kyng Charlis, ne Godfrey of Bolown; But now erth hath t{o}rned þ{er} noblenes vpsodown; & thus erth goth to erth, by short co{n}clusion. 36 10 Who so rekyn also of Will{iam} Conquerowr{e}[4], Kyng Harry þe first, þ{a}t was of knyghthode flowr{e}[4]; Erth hath closed the{m} ful streytly i{n} his bowr{e}[4]; Loo, the ende of worthynes! here is no more socowr{e}[4]. 40 11 Now thei þ{a}t leve vpon erth, both yong & old, Thynk how ye shall to erth, be ye neu{er} so bold; Ye be vnsiker, wheþ{er} it be i{n} hete or cold, Like as yo{u}r brether[5] did beffore, as I haue told. 44 12 Now ye folk þ{a}t be here, ye may not long endure, But þ{a}t ye shall torn to erth, I do you ensure; & yf ye lyst of þe trewth to se a playn fugure, Go to seynt Powlis, & see þ{er} the portratowr{e}[4]. 48