The Dead MANs Song:
Whose Dwelling was near Basing-Hall Street, in LONDON.
Tune of, Flying Fame.
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SOre sick, dear Friends, long time I was,
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and weakly laid in Bed,
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And for five Hours in all Mens sight,
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at length I lay as dead:
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The Bell rung out, my Friends came in,
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and I Key cold was found.
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Then was my Carcass brought from Bed,
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and laid upon the Ground:
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My loving Wife did weep full sore,
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my Children loud did cry,
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My Friends did mourn, yet this they said,
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All Flesh is born to Die.
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My Winding-sheet prepared was,
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my Grave was also made,
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And for five Hours in all Mens sight,
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in this same case I laid.
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During which time my Soul did see
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such strange and fearful sights,
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That for to hear the same disclosd,
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would Banish all delights:
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Yet since the Lord restord my Life,
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which from my Body fled,
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I will declare the sight I saw,
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the time that I was Dead.
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Me thought upon a lovely Green,
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where pleasant Flowers sprung,
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I took my way, whereas I thought
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the Muses sweetly sung;
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The Grass was sweet, Trees was 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 chearful heart desired much,
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to taste the Fruit so fair,
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But as I reacht a fair young Man,
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to me did make repair.
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Touch not, said he, tis none of thine,
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but turn and walk with me,
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And see thou mark each several thing,
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which I shall shew 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 gallant goodly Bank,
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with him he bid 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 far 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 fair a thing did never Man
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behold with Mortal Eye:
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Of Diamonds, Pearls and Precious Stones,
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it seems the walls were made:
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The Houses all with beaten Gold,
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were tild and over-laid.
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More brighter than the Mornsng 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 crownd Kings did go:
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The Fields about the City fair,
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were all with Roses set,
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Gilliflowers and Carnations fair,
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whom Canker could not fret.
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And from the Fields there did proceed,
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a sweet and pleasant 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 and pleasant mirth,
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did from the City sound,
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That I therewith 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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But in my heart I longd to be
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within that blessed 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 no ways can 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 did 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 canst not rest;
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And those that do like Princes go,
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are those whom God hath blest.
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Then did he turn me round about,
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and on the other side,
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He bad me view, and mark as much,
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what things were to be spyd:
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With that I saw a Cole-black Den,
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all tand with soot and smoak,
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Where stinking Brimstone burning was,
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which made me like to choak;
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An ugly Creature there I saw,
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whose Face with Knives was slashd,
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And in a Cauldron of Poisond filth,
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his ugly Corps were washd.
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About his Neck were sundry stuffs,
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that flamd on every side,
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I askd, and loe the Young Man said,
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That he was damnd for Pride.
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Another sort there 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 Roar.
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A Spotted Person by each one,
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stood knawing on their Hearts,
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And this was Conscience I was told,
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which Plagud their inward Parts:
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They 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 Lead
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were poured down 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 foremost of the Company,
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was Judas, 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 Covetousness he was Condemnd,
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so it was told to me.
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And there me thought another Rout
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of Hell-hounds I did see:
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Their Faces seemd flat in my 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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were made their finest fair:
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From Arms, from Hands, from Thighs, from Feet,
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with Red-hot Pincers then,
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The flesh was pluckd even from the bone
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of those vile Gluttonous Men:
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On Coleblack Beds and other 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 burn and fry:
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With Brimstone fierce their Pillows eke,
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whereon their Heads was laid,
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And Friends with glowing whips of fire
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their Lecherous flesh of flead.
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Then did I see another come,
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stabbd in with Daggers thick,
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And filthy Fiends with fiery Darts,
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their Hearts did wound and prick:
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And mighty bowls of corrupt blood,
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was brought for them to drink,
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And these Men were for Murder plagud,
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from which they could not shrink.
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I saw when they were gone away,
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the Swearer and the Liar,
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And they were hung up by the Tongue,
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over a flaming fire.
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From Eyes, from Ears, from Navel and Nose
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and from their lower Parts,
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The blood me thought did gushing run,
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and clogged like Mens Hearts:
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I asked why that punishment,
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was now on Swearers laid,
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Because, quoth he, wounds heart and blood,
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were all the Oaths they made;
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And there withal from ugly Hell,
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such grievous Cries I heard,
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As though some greater grief and care,
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had vext them afterward.
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So that my Soul was sore afraid,
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such Terror on me fell;
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Away then went this Young Man quite
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and bad me not farewell.
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Wherefore unto my Body straight,
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my Spirit returned again,
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And lively blood did afterwards
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stretch forth in every Vein.
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My closed Eyes I opened,
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and raised from my swound,
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I wondered much to see my self,
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so laid upon the Ground;
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Which when my Neighbours did behold,
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great fear upon them fell,
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To whom soon after I did tell,
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the News from Heaven and Hell.
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