Part 4

_Erthe upon Erthe_ is perhaps more especially concerned with the first of the two conceptions mentioned above, man's mortality, but, as has already been shown, a close connexion exists between it and the _Soul and Body_ poems, and though the idea of the duality in man is not mentioned, it is certainly present. The poem is more popular in form than either the _Dance of Death_ or the various _Soul and Body_ Dialogues, perhaps because of its purely English origin, and seems to represent a later and more popular product of the ideas which gave rise to the other two groups. Its short mono-rimed stanza, its jingling internal rime, and its half-riddling, half-punning character, appear to have especially commended it to popular favour, and it is significant that it became most widely-known in its simpler forms.

EDITOR'S NOTE.

In preparing the text of this edition, all the available MSS. have been consulted, the only two not examined being William Billyng's MS. and the Brighton MS., which were formerly in the possession of private owners, and have eluded all search for them. As exhaustive a search as was possible has been made for other texts of the poem, but it has often escaped cataloguing, and it is probable that other copies of the B version, at least, exist.

The punctuation, inverted commas, and regular use of initial capitals in the text are the Editor's. The MSS. vary in their use of capitals, the same MS. being often inconsistent with itself, while the Cambridge text frequently employs them for unimportant words in the middle of the line, as p. 33, l. 45, Ar, &c. Capitals have been added in the case of all proper names. Letters and words which are obscure or illegible in the MS., or which appear to have been accidentally omitted, are enclosed in square brackets, and a hyphen has been inserted where the MS. separates a prefix or particle from the rest of the word. The MS. writings ff, þ, [gh], v for u and vice versa, have been retained in the text, and [ll], [th] expanded to ll{e}, th{e}, but it was not thought advisable to expand m~, n~, to m{e}, n{e}, nor other letters such as d, r, g, when written with a final flourish. Fifteenth-century scribes appear to have used such flourishes at the end of the word rather as a matter of habit than with any particular meaning, and the forms to which expansion of them would lead, such as _one_, _onne_ for _on_, are frequently most improbable. It was therefore thought better to ignore such flourishes, or to indicate the persistent use of them by a footnote.

[Transcriber's Note: The mid-paragraph characters are "ll" and "th", each with a single stroke through both letters.]

As the conclusions arrived at in the Introduction with regard to the relationship of the English and Latin versions in MS. Harl. 913, and the verbal connexion with the _Soul and Body_ Dialogues, agree, to some extent, with those indicated by Heuser, _Die Kildare-Gedichte_, pp. 176-80, it is only reasonable to state that the greater part of the work upon the subject had been done, and a projected article upon it written in reply to Professor Fiedler's in the _Modern Language Review_, before I had any knowledge of Heuser's text, and that my conclusions had been formed independently of his, though his have helped to strengthen and confirm them. Moreover I owe his work a very real debt, since I first learned from it of the existence of the Cambridge Text, which has been a most important link in the building up of the general theory as to the connexion between the different versions of the poem.

In conclusion, it is a pleasure to express thanks for kind and courteous assistance to the authorities of the British Museum, the Public Record Office, the Bodleian, Cambridge University Library and Lincoln Cathedral Library; to the librarian of Lambeth Palace Library, to whom I am indebted for the collation of the Lambeth text; to the authorities of Magdalene College, Cambridge, for permission to copy and print the Maitland text; to Lord Harlech for the loan of the Porkington MS.; to Professor Fiedler for permission to use the Brighton text; to Professor Priebsch, who pointed out the text in MS. Harl. 4486; to Miss Helen Sandison, of Bryn Mawr College, U.S.A., for the discovery of the text in the Appendix and for two of the Analogues, and to Professor Skeat for valuable advice and suggestions. In particular this text owes much to my Father, Sir James Murray of the _Oxford Dictionary_, who has read the proofs, and in the midst of his own arduous work has always been ready with help and advice, to my friend Miss K. S. Block, Lecturer in English at the Royal Holloway College, and, above all, to Dr. Furnivall, in whom all scholars and students of English mourn to-day the loss of a great pioneer, and an ever-ready friend and adviser.

OXFORD, _July_ 1910.

Since this was sent to press two other copies of the B version have come to light at Cambridge, and have by kind permission been inserted on pp. 47, 48 as Appendix II:--

(B 19) MS. Trinity College R. 3. 21, fol. 33, v^o, a copy of the normal B version in seven stanzas.

(B 20) MS. Trinity College B. 15. 39, fol. 170, which contains nine stanzas of the expanded text preserved in MSS. Lambeth and Laud, and appears to represent a distinct copy of the original of these two (see Introd. p. xix).

[Footnote 1: A second Latin version of an _Erthe_ poem, together with the same poem in Anglo-French, and in Middle English, occurs on the back of a Roll in the Public Record Office, dating from the time of Edward II (Ex^r. K. R. Proceedings, Bdle. 1; old No. 845/21), and in a 19th cent. transcript of this in MS. Brit. Mus. Addit. 25478; it is given in the Appendix. Both the Latin and the French appear to be translations or paraphrases of the English, with an additional verse or two.]

[Footnote 2: The English text in the Appendix consists of nine four-lined stanzas, and is distinct from either of the two current versions of the poem. It appears to have been suggested by the opening lines of A, and may be regarded as a single sub-type of A, not affecting the main line of argument of the Introduction. (See Appendix, p. 46.)]

[Footnote 3: This is repeated on each page of Bateman's text, and is, perhaps, his own design.]

[Footnote 4: See Bateman's Preface.]

[Footnote 5: Probably not the author but the copier of the MS.: see Notes.]

[Footnote 6: All the stanzas of the B version are four-lined except MS. Porkington.]

[Footnote 7: v. Wanley's Catalogue.]

[Footnote 8: My attention was called to this MS. by the kindness of Prof. Priebech.]

[Footnote 9: MS. Laud Misc. is not written throughout in metrical lines, but the divisions of the stanzas, and, in most cases, of the lines, are clearly indicated.]

[Footnote 10: The first leaf of this text has been torn out and the verses in brackets are only conjectural.]

[Footnote 11: MS. Laud represents, in the main, the same version as MS. Lamb., but the variant readings preclude the idea of its being a copy of Lamb., unless the scribe deliberately tried to modify his original on the lines of Harl. 4486 and Rawl. P. The changes in the text (ll. 26, 27, 47: see Notes) show that it cannot be the original of Lamb. It appears to be a transcript from the same original made about the same date, or a little earlier than the Lambeth text.]

[Footnote 12: Cf. MS. Brighton _nobley_.]

[Footnote 13: Cf. MS. Selden _delful_.]

[Footnote 14: The Latin and Anglo-French texts in the Appendix are evidently renderings of the English poem which accompanies them.]

[Footnote 15: This is clearly seen in the Latin and French versions in the Appendix where the Latin text uses _terra in terra_, and the French _terre en terre_.]

[Footnote 16: Vernon MS. _to resten on_, Digby, _shal rest right at_.]

[Footnote 17: Cotton MS. _þe rof þe firste_.]

[Footnote 18: Cf. Frendles ys þe dede (_Proverbs of Hendyng_, l. 288).]

[Footnote 19: = heres þonkes, _of their own free will_.]

[Footnote 20: Compare with this the text in the Appendix which begins: Whanne eorthe hath eorthe wiþ wrong igete-- and in the French version: Quant terre auera en terre large terre gayne.]

[Footnote 21: See the Appendix, p. 46.]

[Footnote 22: _Die Kildare-Gedichte_ (Bonn, 1904).]

[Footnote 23: See p. xxxiv above.]

[Footnote 24: The earliest known epitaphs in English date from the fourteenth century.]

[Footnote 25: There is no record of this brass at the church of St. Helen's, Bishopsgate.]

[Footnote 26: Dated 1590 by Ernest R. Suffling, _Epitaphia_ (1909), p. 382.]

[Footnote 27: A late instance of its use is given by Ch. Box (_Elegies and Epitaphs_, Glouc. 1892) as found by him on the tomb of a bricklayer, who died in 1837, aged 90:-- Earth walks upon Earth like glittering gold, Earth says to Earth, 'We are but mould'; Earth builds upon Earth castles and towers, Earth says to Earth, 'All is ours'!]

[Footnote 28: Printed from Grein-Wülcker, _Bibliothek der ags. Poesie_, iii. 212.--(I know of a most noble guest in the dwellings, hidden from men, whom fierce hunger cannot torment, nor burning thirst, nor age, nor sickness [nor close-pressing death], if the servant who shall [bear him company] in his course serves him honourably: they, prospering, shall find abundance and bliss, countless joys, allotted to them at home, but (they shall find) sorrow, if the servant obeys his lord and master ill upon their journey, and will not show him reverence, the one brother to the other: that shall afflict them both, when they two depart, hastening hence, from the bosom of their common kinswoman, mother and sister.)]

[Footnote 29: Grein-Wülcker, iii. 105.--(The worm whose jaws are sharper than needles, who first of all the worms in the grave forces his way to him.)]

THE MIDDLE ENGLISH POEM

ERTHE UPON ERTHE.

I.

#A# VERSION.

1.

MS. HARLEIAN 2253. c. 1307. [fol. 57, v^o.]

Erþe toc of erþe erþe wyþ woh, Erþe oþer erþe to þe erþe droh, Erþe leyde erþe in erþene þroh, Þo heuede erþe of erþe erþe ynoh. 4

2.

MS. HARLEIAN 913. c. 1308-1330. [fol. 62, r^o.]

1 [1]Whan erþ haþ erþ iwonne wiþ wow, Þan erþ mai of erþ nim hír inow. Erþ vp[2] erþ falliþ fol frow[3]; Erþ toward erþ delful hi{m} drow. 4 Of erþ þou wer{e} makid, a{nd} mon þou art ilich; In on erþ awaked þe pore a{nd} þe riche.

T{er}ra{m} p{er} i{n}iuriam cu{m} t{er}ra lucratur, Tu{n}c de t{er}ra cepiam[4] t{er}ra sorciatur. 8 T{er}ra sup{er} aream subito frustratur; [fol. 62, v^o.] Se t{r}axit ad aridam t{er}raq{ue} tristatur. De t{er}ra plasmaris, es simil{is}[5] virroni, Vna t{er}ra paup{er}es ac dites s{un}t proni. 12

2 Erþ geþ on erþ wrikkend in weden, Erþ toward erþ wormes to feden; Erþ b{er}riþ[6] to erþ al is lif deden; When erþ is i{n} erþe, heo muntid[7] þi meden. 16 When erþ is i{n} erþe, þe rof is on þe chynne[8]; Þan schullen an hu{n}dred wormes wroten on þe skin.

Vesta p{er}git uestibus s{upe}r ueste{m} vare, Artat{ur} & uermibus vesta pastu{m} dare; 20 Ac cu{m} gestis o{mn}ibus ad uesta{m} migrare; Cu{m} uesta sit scrobibus, q{u}is wlt[9] suspirare? Cu{m} sit uesta po{n}ita[10], doma ta{n}git mentu{m}; Tu{n}c i{n} cute ca{n}dida verru{n}t[11] u{er}mes centu{m}. 24

3 Erþ askiþ erþ, a{nd} erþ hir answerid, Whi erþ hatid erþ, a{nd} erþ erþ verrid. Erþ haþ erþ, a{nd} erþ erþ teriþ, Erþ geeþ on erþ, a{nd} erþ erþ berriþ. 28 Of erþ þow wer{e} bigun, on erþ þou schalt end; Al þ{a}t þou i{n} erþ wonne[12], to erþ schal hit wend.

Hum{us} humu{m} repetit, & re{spo}nsu{m} datur, Humu{m} q{u}are n{e}gligit, & humo fruatur. 32 Hum{u}s humu{m} porrigit, sic & operatur, S{upe}r humu{m} p{er}agit, humo q{uod}[13] portatur. Humo sic i{n}ciperis, ac humo meabis; Q{uo}d humo q{ue}sieris, humo totu{m} dabis. 36

4 Erþ get hit[14] on erp maist{r}i a{nd} mi[gh]te; [fol. 63, r^o.] Al we beþ erþ, to erþ we beþ idi[gh]te; Erþ askeþ carayne of ki{n}g a{nd} of kni[gh]t; Whan erþ is i{n} erþ, so low[gh] he be li[gh]t. 40 Whan þi ri[gh]t a{nd} þi wow[gh] wendiþ þe bi-for, Be þou þre ni[gh]t i{n} a þrou[gh], þi f{r}endschip is i-lor.

Terra ui{m}q{ue}[15] b{r}auivm t{er}ra collucratur; Tot{us} cet{us} hominvm de t{er}ra patratur[16]; 44 Ops cadau{er} militvm q{ue} regis sc{r}utatur; Cu{m} det{ur} i{n} tumulvm, mox t{er}ra voratur. Cu{m} ius & i{us}ticivm cora{m} te migrabu{n}t, Pauci p{er} t{r}inoctivm morte{m} deplorabu{n}t. 48

5 Erþ is a palfrei to king a{nd} to quene, Erþ is ar[17] la{ng} wei, þouw we lutil wene, Þ{a}t weriþ g{r}ouer a{nd} g{r}oy[18] a{nd} schrud so schene, Whan erþ makiþ is liuerei, he g{r}auiþ vs i{n} g{r}ene. 52 Whan erþ haþ erp wiþ st{r}einþ þus geten, Alast he haþ is leinþ miseislich i-meten.

Dic uesta{m}[19] dext{r}arium regiq{ue} regine, It{er} lo{n}gu{m} marium, q{uod} e{st} sine fine, 56 I{n}dum{en}tu{m} uarium dans cedit se{n}tine[20], Q{ua}ndo[21] dat corrodium, noa t{r}adit ruine. Cu{m} p{er} fortitudinem tenet hanc luc{r}atam, Capit lo{n}gitudinem mis{er}e metatam. 60

6 Erþ gette on erþ gersom a{nd} gold, Erþ is þi moder, in erþ is þi mold. Erþ uppon erþ be þi soule hold; Er erþe go to erþe, bild þi long bold. 64 Erþ bilt[22] castles, a{nd} erþe bilt toures; [fol. 63, v^o.] Whan erþ is on erþe, blak beþ þe boures.

Hum{us} q{ue}rit pl{ur}ima sup{er} humu{m} bona, Hum{us} e{st} mat{er} tua, i{n} q{u}a sumas dona[23]. 68 A{n}i{m}e sis famula s{upe}r humu{m} prona; Domu{m} d{e}i p{er}petra m{un}do cu{m} corona. Ops t{ur}res edificat ac castra de petra; Q{ua}n{do}[24] fatu{m} capiat, penora {sun}t tetra. 72

7 Þenk man i{n} lond[25] on þi last ende, Whar of þou co{m} a{nd} whoder schaltou wend. Make þe wel at on wiþ hi{m} þ{a}t is so hend, A{nd} dred þe of þe dome lest sin þe schend. 76 For he is[26] king of blis, a{nd} mon of moch{e} mede, Þ{a}t deliþ þe dai f{r}am ni[gh]t, a{nd} leniþ lif a{nd} dede.

De fine nouissimo mauors mediteris, Huc q{u}o uen{er}is uico, dic q{u}o g{r}adieris. 80 Miti p{r}ude{n}tissimo co{n}cordare deris, Hesides iudic[i]o[27], ne noxa da{m}pneris. Q{uia} rex e{st} gl{or}ie, dans m{en}sura restat; Mutat nocte{m} de die, vita{m} morte{m} prestat. 84

Am{en}.

[Footnote 1: Cf. Reliquiae Antiquae, _II. 216_; Furnivall, Early Eng. Poems and Lives of Saints, _p. 150_; Heuser, Kildare-Gedichte, _p. 180_.]

[Footnote 2: read _upon_.]

[Footnote 3: in margin _festi{n}e_.]

[Footnote 4: MS. _cepiam_, so Reliq. Ant.; Furn., Heuser, _copiam_.]

[Footnote 5: MS. _simil'_, Furn. _simile_.]

[Footnote 6: MS. _b'riþ_, Furn., Reliq. Ant. _beriþ_, Heuser _berriþ_, cf. l. 28.]

[Footnote 7: _muntiþ_, in margin _metit{ur}_.]

[Footnote 8: MS. originally _schynne_, _s_ erased.]

[Footnote 9: _vult_, cf. Furn.]

[Footnote 10: MS. _põita_, Furn., Heuser _posita_.]

[Footnote 11: in margin _t{r}ahu{nt}_.]

[Footnote 12: in margin _luc{r}ataris_, Heuser _lucrabaris_.]

[Footnote 13: MS. _humo [q-]_, Reliq. Ant., Furn. _humoque_, Heuser _humo quod_.] [[q with line through stem; exact form unclear]]

[Footnote 14: ? _getith_, in margin _luc{ratur}_.]

[Footnote 15: MS. _u[~i]q[gh]_, Reliq. Ant., Furn. _vincit_, Heuser _vimque_.]

[Footnote 16: MS. _p^{a}rtratur_, Furn. _portratur_.]

[Footnote 17: MS. _ar_, Heuser _a_.]

[Footnote 18: Heuser _grey_ (lies _fou and grey_?).]

[Footnote 19: Furn. _est tam_.]

[Footnote 20: MS. _s[~e]tine_, Furn. _sentine_, Reliq. Ant. _sentinæ_, so _reginæ_, _ruinæ_.]

[Footnote 21: MS. _Qñ_, Furn. _omne_.]

[Footnote 22: in margin _bildiþ_.]

[Footnote 23: Furn. H. _dorna_.]

[Footnote 24: MS. _qñ_, Furn. _quin_ or _quando_.]

[Footnote 25: Heuser ? _ilome_.]

[Footnote 26: MS. _h^{e}is_.] [[inserted "e" over line]]

[Footnote 27: MS. _iudico_: Reliq. Ant. _judicio_, Furn., Heuser _iudicio_.]

II.

#B# VERSION.

1.

WILLIAM BILLYNG'S MS. c. 1400-1430 ?.

1 [1]Erth owte of erth is wondyrly wroght, Ffor erth hath geten of erth a nobul thyng of noght, Erthe uppon erthe hath set alle hys thoght How erthe uppon erthe may be hygh broght. 4

2 Erthe uppon erthe yet wolde be a kynge, But how erth shall to erth thynketh he nothyng; But when erth byddyth erth his dute hom bryng, Than shall erth fro erth have a peteus[2] partyng. 8

3 Erth wynnyth uppon erth both castellys and towris; Than sayth erth unto erth: 'This is alle owres'. But whan erth uppon erth hath byllyd all his bowrys, Thanne shalle erth for erth suffer sharpe showres. 12

4 Erth byldyth uppon erth as molde uppo{n} molde, And erth goth uppo{n} erth glyttryng alle gold, Lyke as erth unto erth neuer goe sholde; Ann justly tha[n][3] shalle erth go to erth rather þa{n}[4] he wolde. 16

5 Why man erth loveth erth wondyr me thynke, Or why that erth for erth swet wylle or swynke, Ffor whan erth uppon erth is broght w{i}t{h}i{n} þe[5] brynke, Than shal þe[6] erth of erth have a ryght fowle sty[n]ke[6]. 20

6 Memento[7] ho{mo} quod cinis es {e}t in cinere{m} reverteris. Ffac bene du{m} vivis, post morte[m][8] viv{er}e si vis. Wha{n} lyffe is most louyd and deth most hated, Than deth drawyth hys drawght and maketh ma{n} ful naked. 24

[Footnote 1: From Bateman's print (William Billyng, Five Wounds of Christ, Manchester, 1814).]

[Footnote 2: Bateman _petrus_.]

[Footnote 3: B. _tha_.]

[Footnote 4: B. _yã_.]

[Footnote 5: B. _w^{t}i y^e_.]

[Footnote 6: B. _y^e_; _styke_.]

[Footnote 7: B. _momento_.]

[Footnote 8: B. _morte_.]

2.

MS. THORNTON. c. 1440. [fol. 279.]

Memento homo Quod Sinis Es Et in cenerem Reuerteris.

1 [1]Erthe owte of erthe es wondirly wroghte, Erthe hase getyn one erthe a dignyte of noghte, Erthe appon{e} erthe hase sett alle his thoghte How þat erthe appon{e} erthe may be heghe broghte. 4

2 Erthe appon{e} erthe wolde be a kynge, Bot howe þ{a}t erthe to erthe sail thynkis he no thynge. When erthe bredis erthe & his rentis[2] home brynge, Thane schalle[3] erthe of erthe hafe full harde partynge. 8

3 Erthe appon{e} erthe wynnys castells and towrrys. Thane saise[4] erthe vnto erthe: 'This es alle owrris'. When erthe appo{ne} erthe hase bigged vp his bourris, Than schalle erthe for erthe suffire scharpe scowrrys[5]. 12

4 Erthe gose appon{e} erthe as golde appone golde, He that gose appon{e} erthe gleterande as golde, Lyke als erthe neu{er} more[6] goo to erthe scholde, And [gh]itt schal erthe vnto erthe [gh]a rathere þan he wolde. 16

5 Now why þ{a}t erthe luffis erthe wondire me thynke, Or why þ{a}t erthe for erthe scholde oþ{er} swete or swynke, For when þ{a}t erthe appon{e} erthe es broghte w{i}t{h}in brynke, Thane schalle erthe of erthe hafe a foulle stynke. 20

Mors Soluit Omnia.

[Footnote 1: Cf. G. G. Perry, Religious Poems in Prose and Verse (E.E.T.S. _No. xxvi. 1867, p. 95, 1889, p. 96_); C. Horstmann, Yorkshire Writers, _1. 373_.]

[Footnote 2: repeated in MS. _rentys_.]

[Footnote 3: Perry _sall_, MS., Horstmann _schalle_.]

[Footnote 4: perh. _sase_, MS. indistinct, Perry _thus sase_.]

[Footnote 5: perh. _stourrys_ as in Perry, but all other texts have _schowrys_.]

[Footnote 6: MS. _more_, Perry _mare_.]

3.

MS. SELDEN Supra 53. c. 1450. [fol. 159, v^o.]

1 [1]Erthe apon erthe ys wonderly wroth[2], Erthe apon erthe hath worschyp of nogth, Erthe apon erthe hath set[3] al hys thowth How erthe apon erth myth be hy browth. 4

2 Erthe apon erth wolde be a kyng{e}; How erth schal to þe erth thy[n]k[4] he no thyng{e}. Whan erth bydyth erth hys rent h[om]e[4] bryng{e}, Þan schal erth fro þe erth [haue][5] a delful partyng{e}[6]. 8

3 Erth apon erth wyn[nyth ca[7]]stellys {and} towrys; Þan seyth erth to þe erth: 'Þose beth al owrys'. Whan erth apon erth hath byggyt al hys bowrys[8], Þan schal erth for þe erth suffyr scharpe [s]chowrys[9]. 12

4 Lo erth apon erth consyder þ{o}u may Þ{a}t erth cometh owte of þ{e} erth nakyt alway. Þan how scholde erth apon erthe be prowt [or gay][10] Whan erth schal to þ{e} erth in so pore aray? 16

5 Erth goth on erth as molde doþe on molde, Erth goth on erth glydderande in golde, Lyk as erth to erth neuyre go scholde. [Gh]yt schal erth to þ{e} erth rathyr þan þey wolde. 20

6 I cowsayl erth apon erth þ{a}t wykytly hath wroht, Whyle erth ys apon erth to turne al hys tho[w]th[11]. Now pray we to God þ{a}t al erth wrowth, Þat erth owt of erth to blys myth be browth. 24

[Footnote 1: The poem is in a different hand on the last leaf of the MS., and the writing is much worn and stained, and in many cases barely legible. A few letters have been re-written in black ink by a later hand.]

[Footnote 2: _wroht_, cf. _nogth_, _thowth_, _browth_, and similar cases of _th_ for _ht_ in v. 6.]

[Footnote 3: MS. perhaps _iset_.]

[Footnote 4: MS. obscure.]

[Footnote 5: omitted in MS.]

[Footnote 6: _partyn_ re-written in black ink, _ge_ of the original hand still clear.]

[Footnote 7: MS. stained and illegible; portions of _nyth a_ seem to be visible.]

[Footnote 8: _bow_ in original hand, _rys_ re-written in black ink.]

[Footnote 9: The second hand has re-written _chowrys_ ignoring the _s_ which is no longer visible.]

[Footnote 10: _o_ and _y_ re-written, the rest illegible.]

[Footnote 11: _w_ no longer legible.]

4.

MS. EGERTON 1995. c. 1430-1450. [fol. 55, r^o.]

(William Gregory's Commonplace-Book.)

Memento homo q{uod} cinis es et in cinerem reuerteris. Whenne lyfe ys moste louyde, and dethe ys moste hatyde, Dethe drawythe hys draught{e}, and makythe man nakyde.

1 Erthe owte of þe erthe ys wounderly wrought{e}, 4 Erthe vppon erthe hathe sette hys thought{e} Howe erthe a-pon erthe may be hy brought{e}[1].

2 Erthe vppon erthe wolde be a kynge; Howe erthe shalle vnto erthe thynkythe he noo thynge. 8 Whenne erthe byddys erthe hys rentys home brynge, Thenne shalle erthe of the erthe haue a pytyus partynge.

3 Erthe a-pon erthe wynnys castellis and towrys; Thenne erthe saythe vnto[2] erthe: 'Thys ys alle owrys'. 12 Whenne erthe a-pon erthe hathe bylde vppe hys bourys, Thenne shalle erthe for the erthe suffer sharpe schowrys.