Chapter I: Front Matter

[Transcriber's Note:

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Mid-word italics representing expanded abbreviations are shown in {braces}. Whole-word italics are shown conventionally with _lines_. Braces are also used with ^ (caret) for mid-word superscripting (rare); superscripts that continue to the end of the word use ^ alone. Boldface is shown with #marks#.

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The author's father was James Murray of the Oxford English Dictionary.]

Erthe upon Erthe

EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY

Original Series, No. 141

1911 (reprinted 1964)

Price 30_s._

Early English Text Society.
Original Series.

The Middle English Poem,

ERTHE UPON ERTHE,

Printed From Twenty-Four Manuscripts,

Edited, with Introduction, Notes, and Glossary,

by

HILDA M. R. MURRAY

_Published for_
THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY
_by the_
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO

First Published 1911
Reprinted 1964

Original Series, No. 141

Reprinted Lithographically in Great Britain
at the University Press, Oxford
by Vivian Ridler
Printer to the University

To my Father

QUEM
QUAMVIS LONGISSIMO INTERVALLO
SEQUI TAMEN CONOR.

CONTENTS

PAGE
INTRODUCTION:
The two Versions of the Poem 'Erthe upon Erthe' ix
Descriptive List of MSS. of the Poem x
The A Version xiv
The B Version xvi
The Cambridge Text xxv
Origin and Growth of the Poem xxix
Later Versions of the Poem xxxv
Literary Interest xxxviii
Editor's Note xli

THE #A# VERSION:
1. MS. Harleian 2253 1
2. MS. Harleian 913 1

THE #B# VERSION:
1. William Billyng's MS 5
2. MS. Thornton 6
3. MS. Selden supra 53 7
4. MS. Egerton 1995 8
5. MS. Harleian 1671 9
6. MS. Brighton 10
7. The Stratford-on-Avon Inscription 11
8. MS. Rawlinson C. 307 12
9. MS. Harleian 4486 13
10. MS. Lambeth 853 14
11. MS. Laud Miscellaneous 23 16
12. MS. Cotton Titus A. xxvi 19
13. MS. Rawlinson Poetical 32 20
14. MS. Porkington 10 24
15. MS. Balliol 354 27
16. MS. Harleian 984 29
17. The Maitland MS. 30
18. John Reidpeth's MS. 31

THE CAMBRIDGE TEXT 32

NOTES AND ANALOGUES 35

APPENDIX:
I. 'Erthe' Poem in Latin, French, and English (Record
Office Roll, Ex^r. K. R. Proceedings, Bdle. 1, and
MS. British Museum Additional 25478) 41
II. (B Version) additions:
19. MS. Trinity College Cambridge R. 3. 21 47
20. MS. Trinity College Cambridge B. 15. 39 48

GLOSSARY 50