Erthe Upon Erthe Part 7

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} p.r.o.na; 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 enk man i{n} lond[25] on i last ende, Whar of ou co{m} a{nd} whoder schaltou wend.

Make e wel at on wi hi{m} {a}t is so hend, A{nd} dred e of e dome lest sin e schend. 76 For he is[26] king of blis, a{nd} mon of moch{e} mede, {a}t deli e dai f{r}am ni?t, a{nd} leni 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'ri_, Furn., Reliq. Ant. _beri_, Heuser _berri_, cf. l. 28.]

[Footnote 7: _munti_, in margin _met.i.t{ur}_.]

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

[Footnote 9: _vult_, cf. Furn.]

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

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

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

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

[Footnote 14: ? _get.i.th_, in margin _luc{ratur}_.]

[Footnote 15: MS. _uiq?_, 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?tine_, Furn. _sentine_, Reliq. Ant.

_sentinae_, so _reginae_, _ruinae_.]

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

[Footnote 22: in margin _bildi_.]

[Footnote 23: Furn. H. _dorna_.]

[Footnote 24: MS. _qn_, 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 n.o.bul 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 a{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} e[5] brynke, Than shal e[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. _y_.]