Saint BERNARD's VISION: Or, a brief Discourse, Dialogue Wise.
Between the Soul and Body of a damned Man, newly deceased, laying the Faults one upon
the other. Tune of, Flying Fame.
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AS I lay slumbering on my Bed on Night,
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A fearful Vision did me sore afright,
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Methought I saw the Soul departed late,
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By it the body in a poor estat.
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Wailing with fight the Soul aloud did cry,
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Upon the Body in the Coffin by,
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And thus the Soul to it did make her moan;
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With grievous Sobs any many a bitter groan.
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The Soul speaketh.
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O sinful flesh which now so low doth lie,
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Whom yesterday the world esteem'd so high,
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It was but yesterday the world was thine,
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The Sun is set which yesterday did shine,
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Where is thy train that did attend on thee;
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Where is thy Mirth, where is thy Jollitry,
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Where are thy sumptious buildings and thy treasure,
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Thy pleasant walks wherein thou took'st pleasure
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Gone is thy train, thy mirth to mourning turn'd,
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Thou in a Coffin in a shrine are urn'd,
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For thy rich Cloaths thou hast a winding sheet,
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Thy high built Roof now with thy mouth doth
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But i poor Soul was framed a noble creature meet
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In likeness to my God of heavenly feature,
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But by thy sin while we on Earth abode.
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I am made furthe, than a loathsome Toad,
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O wretched Flesh with me that art forlorn,
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Thou well may wish thou never had'st been born
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Thou would'st never to any one agree,
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For which we evermore shall damned be.
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i am and must forever be in pain,
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No tongue can tell the Torments i sustain,
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But thou and me must desend to Hell.
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That we in frying Flames must ever dwell,
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it was thy Pride, Deceit and Luxury.
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Brought these Torments both on me and thee.
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Thy wife thy children, friends whom thou didst trust.
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Do loth thy Carcass lying in the Dust.
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The book of God which is both true and shure,
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Witness at Large what sinners shall endure,
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Thou that within the Bed of Earth are laid,
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Arise and Answer to the Words i said,
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[T]he Body speaketh.
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I knew thee well my Soul which from me fled,
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Which left my Body senseless cold and dead,
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Cease thou to say the fault was in me,
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When i will prove the fault was most in thee,
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Thou say'st that I have led thee oft astray,
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And from will doing drown thee quite away,
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But if the Flesh the spirits Power can move,
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The soul is thine as i well as plainly prove.
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God you do know created you most fair
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And of celestial Knowledge gave you share
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I was your Servant framed of Earth and Clay
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You to Command and i for to obey
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'Twas in your power for to restrain my will
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And not let me do these things were ill.
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The Body's works are from the soul devided
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And by the soul the Body should be guided.
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The Body of it self no ill hath known
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If i did what thou didst the Guilt thine own
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For without thee the Body resteth dead
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The soul commands it rest upon thy head.
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Soon conclude thy guilt exceedeth mine
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O how the Worms do tare me in my shrine
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And therefore thee well poor sinful Soul
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Thy trespasses pass mine tho' they'r foul.
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The Soul speaketh.
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Most wretched flesh which in the time of Life,
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Wos foolish idle vain and full of strife,
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Though of thy Substance thou did speak to me,
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I do confess i should have bridled thee.
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But thou through love of pleasure foul and i[l]l.
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Still me resisted and would have thy will.
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When i would thee O body have controuled,
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Straight the worlds Vanities did me withould,
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So thou of me didst gain the upper hand,
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inthralling me in world pleasure band,
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That thou and i eternal shall be drown'd.
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in Hell when glorious Saints in Heaven are crown-ed,
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But flatering fancy did my mind so please,
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thought never thoughtest to die till death did cease
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This was thy fault and cursed was our fate,
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Which we repent but now alas! too late.
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The Body speaketh.
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O how i weep being scourg'd with my one rod,
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We both stand Guilty 'fore the Face of God,
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Both are in fault and yet not equally;
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The greatest burthen soul on thee doth lie.
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No wit so mean but this for truth it know
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that were most gift of Virtue God bestows,
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there is most due and ought repayed be.
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And unto this there none but will agree,
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But foolishly thou Yieldest unta mi
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And to my vain desires did'st soon agree
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But oh! i knew not at the latter Hour,
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But thou and i must find a death most sure,
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I greatly fear an everlasting Fire,
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Yet one thing more i do of thee desire,
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Hast thou been yet among the fiends of Hell,
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Is no hopes left that we with Christ may dwell
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False flesh remember Dives was deny'd
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When for one drop of water he so prayed
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thy question senceless body wanteth reason,
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Redemption now is hopeless out of season
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Vile Body go and rot in Bed of Clay
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Until the great and General Judgment day.
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then shalt thou rise and be with me condemn'd
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to Hell hot Lake for ever without end
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So fare thee well i will no longer stay
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Hark how the fiends of Hell call me away.
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The Loss of heavenly joys tormenteth me.
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More than all tortures that in Hell can be.
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The Devil Speaketh.
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Ho are you come whom we expected long
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Now we will make you sing another Song.
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Howling and Yielding still shall be your Note.
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And melted Lead be poured down your throat.
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Such horror we do our Servants load
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Now thou art worse than is the loathsome toad.
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Ten thousand torments thou shalt now abide
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When thou in flaming Sulphre shall be fry'd
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Thou art a soldier of our Camp enrolld
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Never henceforth shalt thou the light behold,
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The pains prepared for thee no tongue can tell,
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Welcome O welcome to the Pit of Hell.
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The Writer speaketh.
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At this the groaning Soul did weep full sore,
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And then the fiends did laugh with joy and roar
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Those deeds seem more black than pitch or night
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Whose horrid shapes did me sorely me afright.
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Siz[e] prickled Forks each in their hands did bear
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Tusked their teeth like crooked mattocks wear
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Fire and Brimstone then they breathed out,
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And from their Nostrils Snakes crawl'd all about
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Foul filthy horns on their black brows they wore,
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Their Nails were like the tushes of a Boar,
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Those Hellish fiends fast bound this wretched sore
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And draged him in, who grivously did howl,
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Then straight methought appeared in my sight
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A beautious young man cloathed all in white,
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His Face did shine most glorious to behold,
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Wings like the rainbow and his hair like gold.
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With a sweet-Voice, All hail all hail quoth he,
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Arise and write what here thou now dost see
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Most heavenly Musick seemed then to Play
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And in a Cloud he vanisht quit away.
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Awaking straight i took my pen in hand
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Ao Write these Lines the man did command
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Tnd so abroad into the World its sent
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That each good Christian may in time repent
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then let us fear the Lord both Night and Day
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Preserve our Souls and Bodies we thee pray
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God grant we may so run this morral Race
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that we in Heaven may have a resting Place
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Preserve the King and all his Progeny
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the Clergy Council and Nobility
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Preserve our Souls and Bodies i thee pray
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Amen with me let all good Christians say.
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