Old Inscription on the Wall of the Church at Stratford-upon-Avon

 

  Against the west wall of the nave (now in the antechapel), on the south side of the arch, was painted the martyrdom of Thomas à Becket, whilst kneeling at the altar of St. Benedict, in Canterbury cathedral; below this was the figure of an angel, probably St. Michael, supporting a long scroll, upon which were seven stanzas in Old English, being an allegory of mortality.

 

ERTHE oute of erthe ys wondurly wroght

Erth hath gotyn uppon erth a dygnyte of noght

Erth ypon erth hath sett all hys thowht

How erth apon erth may be hey browght

 

Erth upon erth wold be a kyng

But how that erth gott to erth he thyngkys nothyng

When erth byddys erth hys rentys whom bryng

Then schall erth apon erth have a hard ptyng

 

Erth apon erth wynnys castellys and towrys

Then seth erth unto erth thys ys all owrys

When erth apon erth hath bylde hys bowrys

Then schall erth for erth suffur many hard schowrys

 

Erth goth apon erth as man apon mowld

Lyke as erth apon erth never goo schold

Erth goth apon erth as glesteryng gold

And yet schall erth unto erth rather then he wold

 

Why that erth loveth erth wondur me thynke

Or why that erth wold for erth other swett or swynke

When erth apon erth ys broght wt.yn the brynke

Then schall erth apon erth have a fowll stynke

 

Lo erth on erth consedur thow may

How erth comyth to erth nakyd all way

Why schall erth apon erth goo stowte or gay

Seth erth owt of erth schall passe yn poor aray

 

I counsill erth apon erth that ys wondurly wrogt

The whyl yt. erth ys apon erth to torne hys thowht

And pray to god upon erth yt. all erth wroght

That all crystyn soullys to ye. blys may be broght