The Middle English Poem, Erthe Upon Erthe — Story, Setting & Ideas

to be directly based upon stanzas 3 and 4 of the usual B version.

The majority of the later instances of the text occur on tombstones or memorial tablets. The poem was peculiarly adapted for this purpose, based as it was on the very words of the Burial Service. Indeed, the short verses from which it is here assumed to have originated might well be supposed to have been written in the first place as epitaphs, if evidence of the use of English epitaphs in the thirteenth century[24] were forthcoming. As has been already stated, the seven verses of the normal B version occurred in full among the mural paintings in the Chapel of the Holy Trinity at Stratford-on-Avon, belonging to the Guild of the Holy Cross, where they appear to have been used as a monumental inscription already in the latter part of the fifteenth century.

A well-known late instance of the text is the inscription on a tombstone in the parish churchyard which surrounds Melrose Abbey, mentioned by Scott. The stone is headed as follows:--

Memento Mori. Here lyes James Ramsay, portioner of Melrose, who died July 15th, 1761.

On the back is the following verse:--

The Earth goeth on the Earth Glistring like gold, The Earth goeth to the Earth Sooner than it wold; The Earth builds on the Earth Castles & Towers, The Earth says to the Earth: ‘All shall be ours.’

This was translated into German by Theodor Fontane (_Poems_, 4th edit., Berlin, 1892, p. 447). Cf. Fiedler, _Mod. Lang. Review_, April 1908.

Other inscriptions are as follows:--

On an old brass, quoted by W. Williams, _Notes and Queries_, I. vii. 577, and thought by him to belong to the Church of St. Helen’s, London[25]:--

‘Here lyeth y^e bodyes of James Pomley, y^e sonne of ould Dominick Pomley and Jane his wyfe: y^e said James deceased y^e 7th day of Januarie Anno Domini 1592 he beyng of y^e age of 88 years, & y^e sayd Jane deceased y^e -- day of -- D --

Earth goeth upõ Earth as moulde upõ moulde; Earth goeth upõ Earth all glittering as golde, As though earth to y^e earth never turne sholde; And yet shall earth to y^e earth sooner than he wolde.

On a tomb at Edmonton of unknown date (possibly sixteenth century), mentioned by Weever (_Ancient Funerall Monuments_) in 1631, and by Pettigrew (_Chronicles of the Tombs_, p. 67) in 1857:--

Erth goyth upon erth as mold upon mold, Erth goyth upon erth al glisteryng in gold, As though erth to erth ner turne shold, And yet must erth to erth soner than he wolde.

Formerly on a headstone in St. James’s Churchyard, Clerkenwell, deciphered about 1812, but already lost in 1851, probably owing to the dismantling of the churchyard. (Cf. _Notes and Queries_, III. i. 389):--

Earth walks on Earth like glittering gold; Earth says to Earth ‘We are but mold’. Earth builds on Earth castles & towers; Earth says to Earth, ‘All shall be ours!’

Formerly on a tombstone at St. Martin’s, Ludgate, to Florens Caldwell esq. of London & Ann Mary Wilde, his wife (Pettigrew, p. 67)[26]:--

Earth goes to Earth, as mold to mold; Earth treads on Earth, glittering in gold: Earth as to Earth returne ne’er shoulde; Earth shall to Earth goe e’er he wolde. Earth upon Earth consyder may; Earth goes to Earth naked away. Earth though on Earth be stowt & gay Earth shall from Earth passe poore away. Be mercifull & charitable, Relieve the poor as thou art able. A shrowd to the grave Is all thou shalt have.

This interesting monument has unfortunately disappeared. Doubtless there are many other traces of the poem to be found, but it appears to have been rarely used on tombstones after 1700,[27] and earlier monuments, unless specially preserved, are rarely decipherable at the present day.