_MS. Harl._ 913, l. 66 (A). Erþ bilt castles, & erþe bilt toures; Whan erþ is on erþe, blak beþ þe boures.
_MS. Harl._ 4486 (B); _so other_ B _texts_. Erthe apon erthe wynneth{ e} castelles & towres. Then seythe erthe to erthe: ‘These byth{ e} alle owres’. When erthe apon erthe hath byggede vp his bowres, Then schalle erthe for the erthe suffre scharpe schowres.
_MS. Cambr._ 63 (C). Erthe bygyth hallys & erth bygith towres, When erþ is layd in erth, blayke is his bours;
_ibid._ 5-8 Erthe vpon erthe has hallys & towris _&c._
Cf. _Soul & Body Dialogues_ (_MSS. Auchinleck, Digby, Vernon, Laud_). Whare be þine castels & þine tours, Þine chaumbres & þine heiȝe halle, . . . . . Wrecche, ful derk it is þi bour To morn þou schalt þerin falle.
(_ibid._) Halles heiȝe & bours briȝt Y hadde y bilt & mirþes mo.
(_MS. Harl._ 2253). thi castles & thy toures.
Cf. _Death_ 29. Ah seoþþen mony mon By-yet bures & halle, Forþi þe wrecche soule Schal into pyne falle.
_MS. Harl._ 913. 42 (A). Be þou þre niȝt in a þrouȝ, þi frendschip is ilor.[18]
Cf. _Visio Philiberti_ (_MS. Porkington_). When þou art dede þi frenschype is aslepe.
Cf. _Soul & Body_ (_MS. Auchinleck_). that alle þine frend beon fro þe fledde.
Cf. _Death_ 97. Hwer beoð alle þine freond Þet fayre þe bi-hehte And fayre þe igretten Bi weyes and bi strete. Nu heo walleþ wrecche Alle þe forlete Nolde heo non herestonkes[19] Nu þe imete.
_MS. Cambr._ l. 21 (C). When erth has gotyn erthe alle that he maye He schal haue but seven fote at his laste daye.
Cf. _Soul & Body_ (_MSS. Auchinl._, _Digby_). Now schaltow haue at al þi siþe Bot seuen fet, vnneþe þat.
The play upon the word _earth_ recurs in other English poems. Cf. _A Song on the Times_ (MS. Harl. 913), early fourteenth century--
[20]Whan erthe hath erthe i-gette And of erthe so hath i-nouȝ, When he is therin i-stekke, Wo is him that was in wouȝ.
where the idea and the two rime-words are the same as in _MS. Harl._ 2253--
Erþe toe 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.
It will be remembered that these two MSS. (Harl. 913 and 2253) are the two which preserve texts of the A version, and the opening lines of the _Song on the Times_ would appear to give further proof of a connexion between the two A texts.