The Dead Mans Song,
Whose dwelling was neere unto Bassings Hall in London.
to the tune of, Flying Fame.
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SOre sick deare friends, long time I was
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and weakely laid in bed;
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And for five houres in all mens sight,
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at length I lay as dead:
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The bel rung out, my friends came in,
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and I key cold was found,
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Then was my carkasse brought from bed,
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and cast upon the ground:
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My loving wife did weepe full sore,
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and children loud did cry,
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My friends did mourne, yet thus they said
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all flesh is borne to dye:
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My winding sheet prepared was,
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my grave was also made,
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And five long houres by just report,
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in this same case I laid:
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During which time, my soule did see
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such strange and fearefull sights,
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That for to heare the same disclosd,
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would banish all delights.
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Yet sith the Lord restord my life,
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which from my body fled,
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I will declare what sights I saw,
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that time that I was dead.
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Me thought along a gallant greene,
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where pleasant flowers sprung,
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I tooke my way, whereas I thought,
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the Muses sweetely sung,
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The grasse was sweet the trees ful fair,
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and lovely to behold,
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And full of fruit was every twig,
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which shind like glistering gold,
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My cheerefull 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) thats none of thine,
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but wend and walke with me,
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And see thou marke each severall thing
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which I shall show to thee:
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I wondred greatly at his words,
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yet went with him away:
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Till on a goodly pleasant banke,
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with him he bad 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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When this was done he bad me look,
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what I farre off could see.
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I looked up and loe at last,
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I did a City see,
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So 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 seemd the wals were made:
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The houses all with beaten gold,
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were tild and overlaid.
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More brighter than the morning Sun,
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the light thereof did show,
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And every creature in the same,
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like crowned Kings did goe.
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The fields about this City faire,
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were all with Roses set:
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Gilly-flowers, and Carnation 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 sweetst and pleasantst smell,
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That ever living creature felt,
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the scent did so excell:
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Besides such sweet triumphant mirth,
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did from the City sound,
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That I there with was ravished,
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my joy did so abound.
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With musick, mirth, and melody,
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Princes did there embrace,
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And in my heart I longd to be,
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within that joyfull place.
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The more I gazd, the more I might,
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the sight pleasd 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 do 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 he turne me round about,
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and on the other side,
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He bad 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 cole-blacke den,
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all 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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An ugly creature there I saw,
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whose face with knives was slasht,
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And in a caldron of poysond filth,
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his ugly corps were washt.
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About his necke were fiery ruffes,
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that flamd on every side,
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I askt, and lo the Young man said,
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that he was damnd 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 rore.
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The second part, to the same Tune.
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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 plagud 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 ladles full of melted gold,
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were poured downe their throats,
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And these were set (it seemd to me)
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in midst of burning boats:
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The formost of this company,
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was Indas I was told,
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Who had for filthy lucres sake,
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his Lord and Master sold,
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For covetousnesse these were condemnd,
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so it was told to me,
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And then methought another rout,
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of Hel-hounds I did see:
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Their faces they seemd fat in sight,
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yet all their bones were bare,
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And dishes full of crawling Toades,
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was made their finest fare:
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From armes, from hands, from thighs and feete,
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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 those vile gluttonous men:
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On cole-black beds another sort,
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in grievous sort did lye,
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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 pillowes 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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stabd in with daggers thicke,
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And filthy fiends with fiery darts,
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their hearts did wound and pricke,
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And mighty bowles of corrupt blood,
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was brought for them to drink,
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And these men were for murther plagud,
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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 Lier,
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And 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 Navell & nose
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and from the lower parts,
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The blood me thought did gushing runne,
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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, quoth one, wounds, blood & heart,
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was still the oath they made.
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And there withall 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 young man quite,
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and had me not farewell.
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Wherefore unto my body straight,
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my spirit returnd againe,
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And lively blood did after wards
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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 swound,
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I wondred much to see my selfe
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laid so upon the ground:
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Which when my neighbours did behold,
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great feare upon them fell,
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To whom soone after I did tell,
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the newes from heaven and hell.
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