Chapter 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_.]