The Dead Mans Song
Whose Dwelling was near Basing-Hall, in London
Tune is, 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 carkass 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 dye.
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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 sith the Lord restord my Life,
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which from my body fled
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I will declare the sights I saw,
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the time that I was dead.
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Methought 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, the 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 wend and walk with me,
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And see thou mark each several thing,
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which I sahll 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 had 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 then 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 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 every living creature felt,
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the scent did so excel:
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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 imbrace;
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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 way 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 these 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 had 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 slasht,
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And in a Cauldron of poyson filth
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his ugly corps were washt,
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About his neck were sundry Ruffs
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that flamd on every side,
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I askt, 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 gnawing 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 streight 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 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 covetousnesse he was condemnd
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so it was told to me,
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And there methought another Rout
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of Hell-hounds I did see.
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Their faces seemed 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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were made their finest fare:
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From arms, from hands, from thighs, and 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 gluttenous 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 burn 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 glowing whips of fire,
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their Lecherous flesh off flaid.
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Then did I see another come,
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stabd 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 boles 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 Lyar,
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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, & nose
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and from their lower parts,
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The blood methought 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, quod he, wounds, heart, and blood
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were all the Oaths they made:
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And therewithal from ugly hell,
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such Grievous crys 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 farewel:
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Wherefore unto my body streight,
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my spirit Returnd 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 wondred much to see my self,
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so laid upon the Ground:
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Which when my Neighbors 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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