(_MS. Harl._ 913) A Version. v. 5, ll. 1, 2, 5, 6.
Erþ is a palfrei to king a{ nd} to quene, Erþ is ar la{ n}g wei, þouw we lutil wene. Whan erþ haþ erþ wiþ st{ r}einþ þus geten, Alast he haþ is leinþ miseislich i-meten.
Ffor erth gos in erth walkand in vede, And erthe rydys on erth on a fayr stede, When he was goty{ n} in erth erth to his mede, Than is erth layde in erthe wormys to fede. Whylke are the wormys the flesch brede? God wote the wormys for to ryght rede. Than xal not be lyky{ n}g vnto hy{ m} Bu[t] an olde sely cloth to wynde erthe in, When erthe is in erth for wormys wyn, The rof of his hows xal ly on his chyn.
Erþ geþ on erþ wrikkend in weden, Erþ toward erþ wormes to feden; Erþ b{ er}riþ to erþ al is lif deden; When erþ is i{ n} erþe, heo muntid þi meden. When erþ is i{ n} erþe, þe rof is on þe chynne; Þan schullen an hu{ n}dred wormes wroten on þe skin.
Erthe bygyth hallys & erth bygith towres, When erth is layd in erth, blayke is his bo{ ur}s;
Erþ bilt castles, a{ nd} erþe bilt toures; Whan erþ is on erþe, blak beþ þe boures.
Be war{ e}, erth, for erthe, for sake of thi sowle.
The additional verses in MS. Cambr. bear some slight resemblance to other additional lines found in MSS. of the B type, and this is interesting as showing that the writer worked on the same lines in expanding his text, and was perhaps acquainted with some of the longer B texts. On the other hand characteristic differences in the treatment of the theme would seem to support the view that these verses are really individual additions and not derived from any of the other texts. The lines in question are given below:--
God walkyd in erth as longe as he wolde, He had not in this erth but hong{ er} & colde, And in this erth also his body was solde, Her{ e} in this erth, whan þ{ a}t he was xxx^ti ȝer{ e} olde.
Now he þ{ a}t erthe opon erthe ordande to go Graunt þ{ a}t erthe vpon erthe may govern hym so, Þat when erthe vnto erthe shall{ e} be taken to, Þat þe saule of þis erthe suffre no wo.
God lytyd in erth, blyssed be that stou{ n}de! He sauyd hijs herth w{ i}t{ h} many a scharpe wounde, Ffor to sawe erth owght of hell grou{ n}de, He deyd in erth vpon þe rode w{ i}t{ h} many a blody vou{ n}de.
And God ros ovght of the est this erth for to spede, And went into hell as was gret nede, And toke erth from sorowe þ{ i}s erth for to spede, The ryght wey to heuen blys I{ esus} Cryst vs lede!