Erthe Upon Erthe Part 19

[Footnote 13: H. _foilment_.]

[Footnotes 14, 15: _in fresher ink above the line._]

[Footnote 16: MS. _isoe_.]

[Footnote 17: above the line.]

[Footnote 18: MS. _foelle_; ? _falle_.]

[Footnote 19: All words marked [19] are omitted in H.'s transcript, the MS. at this point being stained and obscure.]

[Footnote 20: Professor Robinson Ellis suggests _obiu{r}gabit_ here, which would fit the s.p.a.ce: there is room for 2-3 letters, and possibly a trace of an _r_ contraction.]

[Footnote 21: H. _urgabit_.]

[Footnote 22: obscure, H. _fuit_; MS. might be _ffinit_.]

[Footnote 23: H. _t'roe_.]

[Footnote 24: H. _neer_.]

[Footnote 25: H. _mo ert_.]

[Footnote 26: inserted in margin; H. omits.]

[Footnote 27: H. _aler_.]

[Footnote 28: H. _le_.]

[Footnote 29: H. _sayt cydaunt_.]

[Footnote 30: H. _. . . . . . eyne_.]

[Footnote 31: H. _t^{r}menti_.]

[Footnote 32: H. _ou_.]

APPENDIX II.

#B# VERSION 19.

MS. TRINITY COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE R. 3. 21. [fol. 33, v^o.]

(This text represents the normal seven-stanza type of the B version, but without precise verbal agreement with any text printed above.)

[Transcriber's Note: The initial "E" is printed in the middle of a large blank s.p.a.ce, E.E.T.S. notation for a decorative capital.]

1 [E]rthe vppon erthe so wondyrly wrought, Erthe opon erthe hath gete a dignite of nought, Erthe opon erthe hath set all hys thought How erthe opon erthe may on hyght be brought. 4

2 Erthe opon erthe wold be a kyng; But how that erthe goth to erthe thynketh he nothyng.

When erthe byddyth erthe hys rent home bryng, Than erthe from erthe hath full hard partyng. 8

3 Erthe opon erthe wynneth castelles and towres; Than seyth erthe to erthe: 'Thys ys all owres'.

When erthe opon erthe hath bylde halles and bowres, Then shall erthe fro erthe suffre sharpe showres. 12

4 Erthe goth opon erthe as molde opon molde, Erthe goth opon erthe and glytereth as golde, Lyke as erthe to erthe neu{er} go sholde.

And yet shall erthe to erthe rather then he wolde. 16

5 Why erthe loueth erthe wondyr I may thynke, Or why erthe for erthe wyll other swete or s[w]ynke, Ffor when erthe in-to erthe ys brought w{i}t{h}yn the brynke, Than shall erthe of erthe haue a foule stynke. 20

6 Lo erthe opon erthe consider{e} well thow may How erthe co{m}meth to erthe nakyd alway.

Why shuld erthe than opon erthe go stout and gay Seth erthe in-to erthe shall pa.s.se in a pore aray? 24

7 I counsell erthe opon erthe that wykkyd hath wrought, Whyle erthe ys opon erthe to torne vp hys thought, And pray G.o.d opon erthe that all erthe hath wrought, That erthe out of erthe to blysse may be brought. Amen. 28 Memorare nouissima.

#B# VERSION 20.

MS. TRINITY COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE B. 15. 39. [fol. 170.]

This text (in MS. not written in metrical lines) preserves 9 stanzas of the 12-stanza version in MSS. Lambeth and Laud, and appears to represent a distinct and perhaps older copy of the original of these two. The mistake in v. 8 precludes its being the original.

De terra plasmasti me, _etc._

1 [1]Ere out of ere is wondirli wrou?t, Ere of ere ha gete a dignite of nou?t, Ere vpon ere ha sett al his ou?t, Howe at ere vpon ere may be hi? brou?t. 4

2 Ere vpon ere wolde ben a king; But how ere schal to ere enki he no ing; Whanne an ere biddi ere hise rentis hoom bring, anne schal ere out of ere haue a piteuous p{ar}tinge. 8

3 Ere vpon ere wy{n}ne castels and tours, anne sei ere to ere: 'is is all ouris.'

Whanne ere vpon[2] ere [ha biggid][3] up his bouris, an schal ere for ere for[4] suffre scharpe schouris. 12

4 Ere goo upon ere as molde upon moolde, So goo ere upon ere al glitiringe in golde, Lijk as ere vnto ere neu{er}e go scholde, And ?it schal ere vnto ere rair an he wolde. 16

5 O ou [fol. 170, v^o] wrecchid ere at in e ere trauellist ni?t & day, To florische e ere, to peinte e ere wi wantowne aray, ?it schalt ou ere for al i ere, make ou it neu{er}e so queinte or gay, Out of is ere in-to e ere, ere to klinge as a clot of clay. 20

6 O wrecchid man whi art ou proud at art of ere makid?

Hidir brou?tist ou no schroud, but pore come ou and nakid.

Whanne i soule is went out & i bodi in[5] ere rakid, an bi [bodi][6] at was rank & bilouid of al men is bihatid. 24

7 Out of is ere cam to is ere is wantinge grarnement[7]; To hide is ere, to happe is ere, to him was cloing lent; But now[8] goo ere upon ere, ruli raggid & rent, erfore schal ere vndir e ere haue hidous turment. 28

8 {er}fore {o}u ere vpon ere at wikkidli hast wrou?t, While at ere is upon ere turne a?en i ou?t, & pray to G.o.d vpon erthe at [al e ere ha][9] wrou?t, at ere vpon ere to blis may be brou?t. 32

9 Now Lord at ere madist for ere & suffridist peines ille, Lete neu{er}e is ere for is ere mischeue ne spille, But at is ere in is ere be euere worchinge i wille, So that ere fro is ere stie vp to in hi? hille. AMEN. 36