Death Triumphant .
The Mighty Prince and Peasant too
To Conquering Death must bow ;
Great Hanniball and Scipio too,
Alas what are they now .
Tune of, Come here is a carrousing Health, etc .
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I Lay one night upon my bed,
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opprest with grief and pain,
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and careful thoughts came in my head
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how I should my self maintain;
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And in a fret my Brains I beat,
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studying to care times along,
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At last thought I, I'le cast all by,
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and instead i'le make a song.
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Then mighty Jove assist me now,
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and Mercury draw near,
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But Cupid thou throw down thy Bow,
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for thou hast no business here:
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For cruel Mars he will divorse
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shortly betwixt my friends and I;
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Then like a Swan if that I can
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I will sing before I dye.
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For why should I be thus cast down
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and fret at Poverty?
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The greatest King that weares a Crown
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was once as poor as I;
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Dukes, Lords, & Earls, & beautious girls,
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and Ladies that are now so gay,
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Were naked born, poor and forlorn,
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then I was as rich as they.
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Though now they are advanced high,
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and are in great estate,
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And I opprest with Poverty,
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and am cast down by fate;
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Yet a few years will end my cares,
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and so it will their wealths also;
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For they must die as well as I
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whether they will or no.
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This by experience I have seen,
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and know it to be true,
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For never was there King or Queen
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Pope, Pagan , Turk , or Jew ,
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That could withstand Deaths heavy hand
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but it on them did fal;
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Death cares no more for Rich than Poor,
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for he doth smite down all.
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The high the low, the young, the old,
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the fair, the foul, and all,
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Must quickly turn unto the Mould
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when once grim death doth call:
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Kings must obey as well as they
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that are needy and poor,
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For none's ne'r mist, nor can resist
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this potent Conquerer.
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Samson the strong could not resist
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nor Solomon the wise;
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Death Alexanders neck did arrest,
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and it pull'd out Pompy 's eyes;
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And it has slain brave Tamberlain ,
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and Scanderbag also;
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And valiant Guy at last did dye
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by this same potent foe.
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Great Hercules fought with his Club,
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and none could him outbrave;
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Diogenes lived in a Tub,
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but both are now in Grave:
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And Hanibal was not of small
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account in Italy ,
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For why? the Alpes doth shew his walks
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yet he at last did die,
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Bold Hector was a Noble Prince,
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and so was Titus too,
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And so was Julius Caesar since,
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but see what Death can do:
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They in the Field made many yield,
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but now their Arms doth rust;
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For death their Crown has tumbled down
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and laid them in the Dust.
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Aeneus was a man of fame,
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he courage did not lack,
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He carry'd his father through the flan
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when foes Troy Town did sack:
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Yet he by Death was took from earth,
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for all his courage brave;
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And there's no man living that can
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resist Death and the Grave.
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For 'tis appointed all must dye,
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saith the Apostle Paul ,
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And after that the Judgments nigh,
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where every mortal shall
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An account give how he did live,
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and how his time he spent,
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And there's no man living that can
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his being there prevent.
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Then Lyers that doth cog and cheat,
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and Usurers that grind,
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And all that seeks for to defeat,
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and are to sin inclin'd,
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Must thither come, both all and some,
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and their accounts up give,
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Of all their waies and all their days
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whilst they on earth did live.
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Then happy those that hath done well
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for they to Heaven shall go;
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And wicked ones be turn'd to Hell,
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where nothing is but woe:
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And this will be as sure as we
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are living on the Earth;
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O happy then will be those men
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that doth provide for Death.
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And now my soul since it is so,
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that all things are so vain,
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Do not torment thy self with woe,
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although I live in pain,
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But learn to mend and God will send
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a maintenance on Earth;
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And after this eternal bliss
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when I do meet with Death.
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