This wall painting incorporates verses from the 15th century poem 'Erthe to Erthe'. In 'The Guild Chapel Wall Paintings at Stratford-upon-Avon', New York: AMS Press by Davidson, C. 1988, the verses are recorded as:
Erth oute of erth ys wondurly wroght
Erth hath gotyn uppon erth a dygnyte of noght (Fisher has gotyu)
Erth ypon erth hath sett all hys thowt
How erth apon erth may be hey browght
Erth upon erth wold be a kyng
But how that erth got to erth he thyngkys nothyng (Fisher has nothing)
When erth byddys erth hys rentys whom bryng
Then schall erth apon erth have hard ptyng
Erth apon erth wynnys castellys and towrys
Then seth erth unto erth thys ys all owrys
When erth apon erth hath bylde his 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 upon erth have a fowll stynke
Lo erth upon erth consedur thow may
How erth comyth to erth nakyd all way
Why schall erth upon erth goo stowte or gay
Seth erth owt of erth schall passe yn pour aray (Fisher has yu)
I counsill erth upon erth that ys wondurly wroght
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
Uploaded by Phil Morris on 26 March 2024
Photo ID: 357483
Building ID: 101204554
Report this photo