The Dead Man's SONG,
WHOSE
Dwelling was near BASING-HALL, in the City of LONDON.
To an Exellent Tune, call'd, Flying Fame, etc.
Licens'd and Enter'd according to Order.
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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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In 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 disclos'd,
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would banish all delights:
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Yet sith the Lord restor'd 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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Methoughts upon a l[ovely green,]
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wh[ere plea]san[t 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 wa]s fair,
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[and lovely to behold,
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And full of fruit was e]very twig,
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[which shin'd like] glistering gold.
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[My chearful hear]t 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 nigh re]pair:
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'Touch not, said he, 'tis none of thine,
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wend and walk with me,
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'And see thou mark each several thing,
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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 stone,
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it seems the walls were made,
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The houses all with beaten gold,
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where til'd and over-laid.
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Far 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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[G]illiflowers 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 l[i]ving 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 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 imbrace,
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But in my heart I long'd to be
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within that blessed place;
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The more I gaz'd the more I might,
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the sight pleas'd 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 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 had me view and mark as much,
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what things were to be spy'd:
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With that I saw a cole-black den
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all tan'd 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 corpse were washt;
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About his neck were sundry ruffs
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that flam'd on every side;
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I askt, and so the young man said,
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that he was damn'd 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 rore.
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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 plagu'd 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 gold,
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were poured down their throats;
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And these were set, it seem'd 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 lucre's sake
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his Lord and Master sold;
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For covetousness he was condem'd,
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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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stabb'd 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 holes of corrupt blood,
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was brought for them to drink;
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And these men were for murther plagu'd,
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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 and nose,
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and from the 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 quoth he, wounds, heart and blood,
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all the oaths they made.
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And there withal 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 bade me not farewell:
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Wherefore unto my body streight,
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my spirit return'd 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 myself,
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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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