CAMBRIDGE UNIV. LIBR. Ii. 4. 9. 15th century. [fol. 67, r^o.] 1 Erthe vpon erth is waxi{n} and wrought, Erthe takys on erth a nobylay of nought; Now erthe vpon erthe layes all his þought How erthe vpon erthe sattys all at noght. 4 2 Erthe vpon erth has hallys & towr{is}[1]; Erthe says to erth: ‘This is alle owr{is}’. But q{ua}n erth vpon erth has byg{g}yd his bowr{is}, Than xal erth for the erth haue scharpe schowr{is}. 8 3 Erthe vpon erth wolde be a kyng, But hove[2] erth xal to erth thynkyth he no thyng. 4 And of the same erthe mad God ma{n}, And sethe he made that erth & callyd it Ad{a}m, 12 For loue of erthe, the wych was woman, That erth in this erthe fyrst be-gan. 5 Erthe goos on erth & tyllys w{i}t{h} hys plowe, Erthe a-geyn erth holdys it full toght[3], 16 Erthe vpon [erth] stelis hym a slogh[4], Erthe on this erth thynkys he has neu{er} i-nowe[5]. 6 Erth vpon erthe gos in the weye, Prykys and prankys on a palfreye; 20 When erth has gotyn erth alle that he maye, He schal haue but seven fote at his last daye. 7 Than xal not be lyky{n}g vn-to hy{m} Bu[t][6] an olde sely cloth to wynde erthe in, 24 When erthe is in erth for wormys wyn, The rof of his hows xal ly on his chyn. [fol. 67, v^o.] 8 [7]When erthe says to erth: ‘My rent þ{o}u me bryng’, Then has erth fro erthe a dolfull p{ar}tyng. 28 9 How erthe louys erth wondyr me thynke, How erth for erth wyll swete and swynke. When erth is in erthe broght w{i}t{h}-in the brynke, What as herth than of erthe but a fowle sty{n}ke? 32 10 Erthe wrotys in erth as molys don in molde, Erthe vp-on erth glydys as golde, As erthe leve in erthe eu{er} mor{e} schulde. 11 Erthe vp-on erth mynd eu{er} mor{e} þ{o}u make 36 How erthe xal to erth when deth wyll hy{m} take. 12 Be war{e}, erth, for erthe, for sake of thi sowle, Erthe may of erth at þe last take a fowle, When erth is in erthe her{e} so long in his slogh. 40 13 Ffor erth gos in erth walkand in vede, And erthe rydys on erth on a fayr stede, When he was[8] goty{n} in erth erth to his mede, Than is erth layde in erthe wormys to fede. 44 Whylke ar the wormys the flesch brede? God wote the wormys for to ryght rede. 14 Erthe a-geyn erthe I holde it on-kynde, Erthe is as sone wroth as is the wynde, 48 Swyche fowle erth mekyl may we fynde, That wyl speke fayr{e} befor{e} vs & falsly be-hy{n}de.