[T]he Deadmans Song, whose dwelling was neere unto Basing Hall in London.
To the tune of Flying Fame.
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[sore] sicke, deare friends, long time I was,
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[a]nd weakely laid in bed:
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[?]ve houres in all mens sight
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[?]gth I lay as dead:
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[?] I rung out, my friends came in,
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[a]nd I key-cold was found:
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[?]en was my carkasse brought from bed,
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[a]nd cast upon the ground.
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[?] loving wife did wape full sore,
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[an]d children loud did cry:
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[fr]iends did mourne, yet thus they said,
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[?] fl[e]sh is borne to die:
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[?] winding sheet prepared was,
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[m]y grave was also made:
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[?] long houres by just report,
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[?] this same case I laid.
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[?]ing which time, my soule did see
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[?]h strange and fearefull sights,
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[?] for to heare the same disclosd,
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[?]uld banish all delights.
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[?]th the Lord restor'd my life,
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[?][h]ich from my body fled:
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[?]ll declare what sights I saw,
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[?]e times that I was dead.
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[?] thought along a gallant greene,
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where pleasant flowers sprang,
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tooke my way whereas me thought,
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the Muses sweetly sung.
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[T]he grasse was sweet, the trees full faire,
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and lovely to behold,
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no fall of fruits was every twig,
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which shinde like glistering gold.
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[M]y chearefull heart desired much
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to taste the fruit so faire:
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But as I reacht, a faire young-man
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to me did fast repaire.
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Touch not, (quod he) that's none of thine,
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but wend and walke with me:
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[a]nd marke full wel each severall thing,
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which I shall shew to thee.
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[?] wondred greatly at his words,
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yet went with him away:
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[?]ll on a goodly pleasant bancke,
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with him he bade me stay.
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With branches then of Lillies white,
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mine eyes there wiped he:
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[?]hen this was done, he made me look,
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what I farre off could see.
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[?] [l]ooked up and loe, at last,
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I did a Citty see:
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[?][o] faire a thing did never man
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behold with mortall eye:
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[of] Diamonds, Pearles, and Precious stones
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it seemed the walls were made:
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[t]he houses all with beaten gold,
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[?]e tilde and over-laid.
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[?]e brighter then the morning Sun,
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[?]e light thereof did shew:
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[?] every creature in the same
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[?][k][?] crowned Kings did goe.
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[?]lds about the Citty faire,
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[?] all with Roses set:
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Gilliflowers and Carnations faire,
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which canker could not fret:
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And from these fields there did proceed
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the sweetest and pleasantst smell,
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That ever living creature felt,
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the sent did so excell:
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Besides such sweet triumphant mirth
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did from the Citty sound,
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That I therewith was ravished,
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my joy did so abound.
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With musicke, mirth, and melody,
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Princes did there imbrace:
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And in my heart I long to be
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within that joyfull place.
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The more I gaz'd, the more I might,
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the sight pleas'd me so well:
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For what I saw in every thing,
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my tongue can no way tell:
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Then of the man I did demand,
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what place the same might be:
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Whereas so many Kings doe dwell,
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in joy and melody?
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Quoth he, that blessed place is heaven,
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where yet thou must not rest,
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And those that do like Princes walke,
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are men whom God hath blest.
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Then did I turne me round about,
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and on the other side,
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He bade me view and marke as much,
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what things are to be spide.
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With that I saw a coale blacke den,
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and tand with soot and smoake
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Where stinking brimstone burning was,
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which made me like to choake.
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And [?]ly creature there I saw,
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whose face with knives was slasht,
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And in a Caldron of poyson'd filth,
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his ugly corps was washt
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About his necke were fiery ruffes,
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that flam'd on every side.
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I askt, and loe, the young-man said,
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that he was damn'd for pride.
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Another sort then did I see,
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whose bowels Vipers tore:
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And grievously with gaping mouth,
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they did both yell and roare.
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A spotted person by each one
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stood gnawing on their hearts:
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And this was conscience I was told,
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that plagu'd their envious parts.
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These were no sooner out of sight,
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but straight came in their place,
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A sort still throwing burning fire,
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which fell against their face.
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And ladies full of melted gold,
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were powred downe their throats:
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And these were set (as seem'd to me)
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in midst of burning boats:
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The formost of the company,
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was Judas I was told,
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Who had for filthy lucre sake;
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his Lord and Master sold.
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For covetousnes those were condemn'd
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so it was told to me,
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And then, me thought another [r]out
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of Hell-hounds I did see:
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Their faces they seem'd fat in sight,
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yet all their bones were bare,
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And dishes full of crawling toads,
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was made their finest fare.
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From armes, from hands, from thighes & feet,
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with red hot pincers then,
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The flesh was pluckt even from the bone
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of these vile g[l]uttonous men.
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On coale blacke beds, another sort,
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in grievous sort did lie,
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And underneath them burning brands;
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their flesh did burne and fry.
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With brimstone fierce their Pillows, eke,
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whereon their heads were laid,
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And fiends with whips of glowing fire
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their lecherous skins off flaid.
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Then did I see another come,
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stebb'd in with daggers thicke:
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And filthy fien[d]s with fiery darts,
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their hearts did wound and pricke:
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And mighty bowls of corrup[t] blood,
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were brought them for to drinke,
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& these men were for murther pla[g]u'd,
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from which they could not shrinke.
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I saw when these were gone away,
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the Swearer and the Lyer,
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& these were hung up by the tongues,
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right over a flaming fire.
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From eyes, from eares, from navill, & nose;
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and from the lower parts,
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The blood me thought did gushing run
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and clodded like mens hearts,
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I asked why that punishment,
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was upon Swearers laid:
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Because quod one, wounds, blood & hearts
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was still the oath they made.
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And therewithall from ugly Hell,
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such shriekes and cryes I heard,
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As though some greater griefe and plague
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had vext them afterward.
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So that my soule was sore afraid,
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such terrour on me fell:
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Away then went the yong-man quite,
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and bade me not farewell.
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Wherefore unto my body straight,
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my spirit retu[r]n'd againe,
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And lively blood did afterward
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stretch forth in every veine.
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My closed eyes I opened,
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and raised from my sound:
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And wondred much to see my self
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laid so upon the ground.
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Which when my neighbors did behold,
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great feare upon them fell.
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To whom soone after I did show,
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the newes from Heaven and Hell.
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