Dødedans i London, Lansdowne-manuskriptet

Dette er teksten fra manuskriptet B.M. Lansdowne 699. Manuskriptet er en af de såkaldte B-tekster, der afviger meget fra den parisiske Danse Macabre både med hensyn til deltagerne og deres rækkefølge.

Teksten af transskriberet af Florence Warren i bogen "The dance of death : edited from Mss. Ellesmere 26/A.13 and B.M. Lansdowne 699, collated with the other extant Mss" fra 1931.

Som titlen fortæller, er teksten sammenholdt med andre manuskripter fra B-tekst familien, og i en del tilfælde har Warren valgt en anden variant end den, der står i Lansdowne-manuskriptet. Disse afvigelser er markeret med firkantede klammer. I andre tilfælde har Warren besluttet at udelade ord og bogstaver fra Lansdowne-manuskriptet. Disse steder er markerede med †.

Hvis vi sammenligner dette manuskript med Ellesmere-manuskriptet, der tilhører A-tekst familien, er der store forskelle.

  1. John Lydgate havde tilføjet fem vers i starten til oversætterens eget forord og to vers til oversætteren i slutningen. Disse syv vers er ikke med i Lansdowne-manuskriptet.

  2. John Lydgate havde tilføjet seks nye deltagere: prinsesse, abbedisse, nævning, adelsdame, troldmand og (måske) kejserinde. De tre af dem, prinsesse, adelsdame og troldmand, er ikke med i Landsdowne-manuskriptet.
  3. Mange af deltagerne fra Danse Macabre i Paris er heller ikke medtaget. Det drejer sig om borgeren, ågerkarlen og hans kunde, frieren, advokaten, sognepræsten og degnen. Desuden mangler Dødens svar tilbage til eremitten, og i autoritetens afsluttende tale er det ene vers (»ȝitte ther be folke / mo than sixe or seuene«) blevet erstattet af et nyt: »Be nat a-fferd / this scriptur in tyme of pley«

  4. En masse nye deltagere er tilføjet: Imperatrix, Sergeant in lawe, Generosa, Iudex, Doctor vtriusque Juris, Maior, Canonicus Regularis, Famulus og Artifex.
  5. Teksten er kraftigt ændret flere steder. Så meget at det kan være svært at afgøre, hvornår der er tale om en ny person, og hvornår det bare er titlen og teksten, der er ændret.

Rækkefølgen er også anderledes. Især er mange af danserne parvist byttet om, således at den gejstlige kommer før den verdslige. Dette fik Warren til at beskrive en hypotese af Mabel Day, om at skribenten havde kigget i et manuskript, der var indbundet forkert. Hypotesen er ganske kompliceret og involverer også manglende sider, så det tager Warren næsten to sider at forklare den.

En meget enklere forklaring er, at manuskriptet har fået tilføjet en kejserinde, og skribenten måske har ønsket at bibeholde vekslingen mellem gejstlige og verdslige dansere.

Alle deltagerne har latinske titler med undtagelse af "Sergeant in lawe" og "Iurour". Det andet vers i introduktionen udtales af en engel, angelus, ligesom de latinske tekster i Danse Macabre i Paris.

Her kommer teksten i den rækkefølge, manuskriptet angiver. I det omfang danserne er med i Ellesmere-manuskriptet, er der hyper-linket til den relevante side. Illustrationerne er fra La Danse Macabre i Paris.

Autoriteten
Autoriteten

Autoriteten

O creatures [ye] that been resonable
The liff desiryng / which is eternall
Ye may seen heer / doctrine ful notable
Your liff to leede / which that is mortall
5 Therby to lerne / in especiall
How ye shal trace / the daunce which that ye see
To man & wooman / [yliche] naturall
For deth ne sparith / hih nor lowe degre.

Angelus
In this myrrour / euery man may fynde
10 That hym behouyth / to goon vpon this daunce
Whoo goth before / or who goth behynde
All dependith / in goddis ordynaunce
Wher-fore eche man / lowly take his chaunce
Deth spareth nothir / poore nor blood roiall
15 Eche man ther-fore / have this in remembraunce
Off oon mateer / god hath Forgid all.

Døden til paven
Døden til paven

Døden til paven

Papa
Ye that be sett / hih in dignyte
Off all estatis / in erthe spirituall
And lik to Petir / have the souereynte
20 Ovir the chirche most in especiall
Vpon this daunce / ye first begynne shall
As most worthi / lord & gouernour
For al the worship / of your estat papall
And of all lordship / to god is the honour.

Paven

Responsum
25 First me bi-houyth / this daunce with deth to leede
Wich sat in Erthe / hihest in my see
Thestat [ful] per[il]ous / who so takith heede
To occupie / seynt Petris dignyte
But for al that / fro deth I may nat flee
30 Vpon this daunce / with othir for to trace
For sich honour / who prudently can see
Is litel worthe / that doth so soone passe.

Døden til kejseren

Imperator.
Sir Emperour / lord of all the ground
Most souereyn prynce / surmountyng of noblesse
35 Ye must forsake / of gold your appill round
Septre & swerd / & all your hih prowesse.
Behynde yow / lat tresour & richesse
And with othir / to my daunce obeye
Ageyn [my] myth / vaileth non hardynesse
40 Adamis children / all thei must deye.

Kejseren

Responsum
I not to whom / I may appele
Whan deth me sailith / that doth me constreyn
Ther is no gynne / to socour my quarele
But spade & picois / my grave to atteyne
45 A symple shete / ther is no more to seyn
To wrappen in / my body & † visage
Wher-vpon sore / I me compleyn
That lordis grete / have litel avauntage.

Døden til kardinalen
Døden til kardinalen

Døden til kardinalen

Cardinalis
Ye be abaissht / it seemeth & in drede
50 Sir Cardynall / it seemeth bi your cheer
But for al that / ye folwe shal in deede
With othir estates / this daunce [for] to leer
Your gret array / al shal levyn heer
Your hatt of red / your vesture of gret cost
55 Al these thynges / rekenyd weel I-feer
In gret worship / good a[u]ys is lost.

Kardinalen

Responsum
I have gret cause / trewly it is no faile
To been a-baissht / & gr[ete]ly to dreede me
Sith deth is come / me sodeynly tassaile
60 That [I] shal nevir / [here] aftir clothid be
In grise nor Ermyn / lik to my degre
Myn hat of red / levyn heer in distresse
By which † I have / lernyd weel & see
How that al ioie / eendith in hevynesse.

Døden til kejserinden

Imperatrix.
65 Lat se your hand / my lady dame Empresse
Have no disdeyn / with me for to daunce
Ye may a-side / leyn al your richesse
Your fresh attyres / devises of plesaunce
Your soleyn cheeris / your strange countenaunce
70 Your clothis of gold / most vncouthly wrouht
Hauyng of deth / ful litel remembrance
But now [ye] se weel al is come to nouht.

Kejserinden

Responsum.
What availeth / gold richesse o[r] perre
Or what availeth / hih blood or Ientylnesse
75 Or what availeth / freshnesse or beaute
Or what is worth / hih porte o[r] strangenesse
Deth seith chek-mat / to al sich veyn noblesse
All worldly power / now may me nat availe
Raunsoun kyndrede / frenship nor worthynesse
80 Syn deth is come / myn hih estat tassaile.

Døden til patriarken
Døden til patriarken

Døden til patriarken

Patriarcha
Sir Patriarch / ful sad & humble of cheere
Ye mote with othir / gon on this daunce with [me]
Your dowble cros / of gold & stonys cleer
Your power hool / & al your dygnyte
85 Som othir shal / of trouth & equite
Be poss[ess]id / in hast as I rehers can
Trust neuyr that ye / shal pope be
For foly hope / disseiveth many a man.

Patriarken

Responsum
Wordly honour / [grete] tresour & richesse
90 Ha[ue] me disseyved / sothfastly in deede
My ioies old / be turned to distresse
What availeth [it] / sich honour to possede
Hih clymbyng vp / a fall hath to his meed
Gret estat / folk waste out of noumbre
95 Who so montith hihest / stondith most in drede
Such heuy berden / doth hem ofte † encoumbre.

Døden til kongen

Rex
Right noble kyng / most worthi of renon
Cum forth anon / for al your worthynesse
That som-tyme had / so gret possession
100 Rewmys obeyng / vn-to your hih noblesse
Ye most of nature / to this daunce yow dresse
& Fynally your crounne / & sceptre leete
For who-so most haboundith in gret rychesse
Shal bere with hym, but a sengle sheete.

Kongen

Responsum
105 I have nat lernyd / heer-afforn to daunce
No daunce in soth / of Fotyng so savage
Wher-bi I see I ful cleerly in substaunce
What pride is worth / force or hih parage
Deth all for-doth / this is his vsage
110 Gret & smal / that in this world soiourne
Who that is most meek / hath most avauntage
For we shul all / to dede asshis torne.

Døden til ærkebiskoppen
Døden til ærkebiskoppen

Døden til ærkebiskoppen

Archiepiscopus
Sir Archebisshop / whi do ye so with-drawe
Your look your face / as it wer bi disdeyn
115 Yee must obey / to [my] mortal lawe
It to constreyne / it were but in veyn
For day bi day / be right wele certeyn
Deth at hond pursewith / euery coste
Preestes & deth may nat be holden a-geyn
120 For at oon our / men contith wit ther oste.

Ærkebiskoppen

Responsum
Allas I wot nat / what partye for to flee
For dreede of deth / I stonde in sich distresse
Tescape his power / I can no refute see
But who that † knewe / his constreynt & duresse
125 He wolde take reson / to maistresse
And seyn A-dieu / pompe and pride also
My peynted paleys / [my] tresour & richesse
Thyng that be-houyth / nedis must be do.

Døden til connétablen

Princeps
Riht myhty prynce / be rith weell certeyn
130 This daunce to yow / is [not eschewable]
For more myhty / than euer was Carlemayn
Or worthy Arthour / of prowes ful notable
With al his knyhtes / [of] the rounde table
What did ther platis / ther armour or ther maile
135 Ther strong corage / ther sheeldes defensable
A-geyns deth [availe] / whan he hem dide assaile.

Connétablen

Responsum
My purpos was / & myn entencion
To assege † castellis / & myhti [f]orterresses
Rebellis to bryng / vn-to subieccion
140 To seeke worship † / fame & [grete rychesses]
But I se weel / that al wordly prowess[e]s
Deth can abate / wher-of I have despite
To hym allon sorwe / & [eke] swetnesses
For ageyns deth / is founde no respite.

Døden til biskoppen
Døden til biskoppen

Døden til biskoppen

Episcopus
145 Com ner sir bisshop / with your myteer & croos
For al your richesse / soth I yow ensure
For al your tresour / so longe kepte in cloos
Your wordly goodis / & goodis of nature
And of your sheep / the gostly dreedful cure
150 With charge / commytted / to your prelacie
For to [a]counte / ye shal be brouht to lure
No wiht is seur / that clymbith on hih.

Biskoppen

Responsum
Of these tidynges / I am no thyng glaad
Which deth to me / so sodeynly doth bryng
155 It makith my face / & countenaunce ful saad
That for discomfort / me lyst no thyng to syng
The wor[l]d contrary / to me in werkyng
Which al estatis / can so disherite
And needis we must / on-to our departyng
160 And al shal passe / save oonly our merite.

Døden til ridderen/baronen

Comes & Baro
Erl or Baron / which that thourh regiouns
Have sore laboured / for worship & renon
Forget your trompetis / & your clariouns
[This] is no dreem / nor symulacion
165 Som-tyme your custom / & your entencon
Was in estat / & wordly wurship to glade
But often tyme / it happith in conclusion
Oo man brekyth / that a-nothir made.

Ridderen/baronen

Responsum
Ful often tyme / I have ben auttorised
170 To hih empryse / & thyng of gret Fame
Of gret estates / my thank also devised
Cher[i]shid with princes / & lordis hih of name
Nor neuyr on me / was put no diffame
In roial courtes / which that weer notable
175 But deth vnwarly / al power makith lame
And vndir heuene / in erthe is no thyng stable

Døden til abbeden
Døden til abbeden

Døden til abbeden

Abbas & Prior
Sir Abbot and priour / with your brood hatt
To been abassht / ye have a maner riht
Gret is your hed / your bely rounde & fatt
Ye must come daunce / thouh ye be nat liht
180 Leven your lordship / to som othir wiht
You eyer is of age / yo[ur] state to ocupye
Who so is fattest / to hym I have be-hiht
In his grave / sonnest shal putrefie.

Abbeden

Responsum
185 Of thy manace / I haue no gret envye
That I shal leve / al maner governaunce
But that I shal / as a cloistrer die
This doth to me / somwhat the lesse grevaunce
My libertes / nor my gret aboundaunce
190 What may thei availe / in any maner wise
Yit aske I mercy / with devoute repentaunce
Thouh to-forn deth / to late men them avise.

Døden til abbedissen

Abbatissa
And ye my lady / gentyl dame Abbesse
With your mantyl / furryd large & wide
195 Your veile your wympil / your ryng of gret richesse
And beddis softe / ye must now leyne a-side
For to this daunce / I must be your gyde
Thouh ye be tendre / born of gentil blood
Whil that ye live / your silf provide
200 For aftir deth / no man hath [no] good.

Abbedissen

Responsum
Allas that deth / hath [so for me] ordeyned
That in no wise / I may nat hym eschewe
Vnto this [daunce] / of riht I am constreyned
That heer with othir / I must his trace sewe
205 This pilgrymage / to every man is dewe
An ernest mateer / a mateer of no iape
Who that is alwey redy / shal nevir rewe
The hour abydyng / that god hath for hym shape.

Døden til Iudex

Iudex
That hand of youres / my lord Iustice
210 That have rewlid / so long the lawe
Weel may men holde / yow war & wise
So that this drauht / be weel drawe
Escape shal ye nat / wold ye neuer so fawe
Sich dome to have / as ye have youen in soth
215 Wher-fore men seyn / of an old sawe
Weel is hym / that alwey weel doth.

Iudex

Responsum
Allas ne were / that myn entent
Was weele dressid / thouh I othir-while erryd
Now shuld I vttrely / be shamyd & shent
220 For many causes / that I have oftyn d[e]ferrid
Sauff mercy oonly / now were I marrid
Blissid ther-fore / is euery wiht
As bi holy scriptur / may ben averrid
That in all tyme / doth lawe & kepith riht.

Døden til Doctor vtriusque Juris

Doctor vtriusque Juris
225 Com forth doctour / of Canon & Cyvile
In bothe these lawis / of long contynuaunce
Your tyme hath spent / bewar ye did no gile
In your mateers / for to han fortheraunce
Now must ye lerne / with me for to daunce
230 All your lawe / may yow nat a-vaile
Giff me your hand / & make no perturbaunce
Your hour is come / this is withouten faile.

Doctor vtriusque Juris

Responsum
A mercy Ihesu / whow mankynde is freele
And litel tyme / in this worlde abydyng
235 No man of his liff / hath charter nor seele
Ther-fore it may / be likned in all thyng
Vnto a Flour / so amorously floorsshyng
Which with a Froste / bi-gynneth riht sone to fade
Whan cruell deth / his massage list to bryng
240 Al liffly thyng / he bryngeth in the s[h]ade.

Døden til adelsmanden

Miles & Armiger
Knyht or scwyer / riht fressh of your aray
That can of daunses al the newe gise †
Thouh ye bare armes wele horsid yisterday
With speere & sheeld / at your vncouth devise †
245 And took upon yow / many strange emprise †
Dansith with vs / it wole no bettir be
Ther is no socour / in no maner wise
For no man may / from dethis power flee.

Adelsmanden

Responsum
Sith that deth / me holdith in his lace
250 Yit shal I speke a woord / or I pace
Adieu al myrthe / adieu now al solace
Adieu my ladies / som-tyme so fresshe of face
Adieu beaute / that lastith but short space
Of dethis chaunge / euery day is pryme
255 Thynk on your sowlis / or that deth manace
For al shal rote / & no man † wot what tyme.

Døden til borgmesteren

Maior
Com forth sir Mayr / which had gouernaunce
Bi pollicie / to rewle this cite
Thouh your power / were notable in substaunce
260 To flee my daunce / ye have no liberte
Estate is noon / nor wordly dygnyte
That may escape / out of my daungeris
To fynde rescew / exaumple ye may se
Nouthir bi richesse / nor force of officeres.

Borgmesteren

Responsum
265 What helpith now / thestat in which I stood
To rewle Cites / or Comouns to gouerne
Plente of richesse / or increce of good
Or olde wynnyng / that cometh to me so yerne
Deth al defaceth / who so list to lerne
270 Me for tareste / he comyth on so faste
Eche man ther-fore / shold a-fore discerne
Prudently / to thynk vpon his laste.

Døden til Canonicus Regularis

Canonicus Regularis
Lat see your hand / sir chanon Reguler
Som-tyme [y]sworn / to religion
275 As humble soget / & obedienceer
Chastly to live / lik your profession
But ther may be / no consolacion
Ageyn my sawes / sodeyn & cruell
Except oonly / for short conclusion
280 Who liveth in vertu / mot nedis dey weel.

Canonicus Regularis

Responsum
Whi shulde I grutche / or disobeye
The thyng [to] which / of verrey kyndly riht
Was I ordeyned / & born for to deye
As in this world / is ordeyned euery wiht
285 Which to remembre / is no thyng liht
Prayng the lord / that was sprad on the roode
To medle mercy / with his eternal myht
And save the sowles / that he bouht with his blood.

Døden til kannikken
Døden til kannikken

Døden til kannikken

Decanus
Sir dean or Chanon / with many gret prebend.
290 Ye may no lenger / ha distribuciouns
In gret array / your tresour to dispende
With all your richesse / & your possessiouns
For kynde hath sett / hir revoluciouns
Eche man som day / to daunce on dethis brynk
295 Ther-of ye may / have no dilaciouns
For deth cometh / evir whan men lest on hym thynke.

Kannikken

Responsum
My divers cures / my riche personages
Allas ful litel / thei may me now comforte
Deth vpon me / hath geten his avantages
300 All my richesse / can make me now no sporte
Amys of grey / thei must a-geyn resorte
Vnto the world / with many a gret prebende
For which trewly / as clerkis can reporte
To deye weel, eche man sholde entende.

Døden til munken
Døden til munken

Døden til munken

Monialis
305 Thouh ye be barbid / & claad in clothis blaake
Chastly receyued / the mantil & the ryng
Ye may nat the cours / of nature for-sake
To daunce with othir / now at my comyng
In this world / is non abidyng
310 Nouthir of maide / widewe nor wiff
As ye may seen / heer cleerly bi wrytyng
That a-geyns deth / is founde no preseruatiff.

Munken

Responsum
It helpith nat / to stryve a-geyn nature
Namely whan deth / bi-gynneth tassaile
315 Wher-fore I counseill euery creature
To been redy / a-geyn this fel batayle
Vertu is sewrer / than othir plate or maile
Also no thyng / may helpe [more] at sich a nede
Than to provide / a sur acquytaile
320 With the hand of almesse / to love god & drede.

Døden til karteuseren
Døden til karteuseren

Døden til karteuseren

Chartreux
Yeve me your hand / with chekis ded & pale
Causid of watche / & long abstynence
Sir Chartreux / [and] doth your chyne vale
Vn-to this daunce / with humble pacience
325 To stryve ageyn / may be no resistence
Lenger to live / set nat your memorie
Thouh I be lothsom / outward in apparence
Above all men / deth hath the victorie.

Karteuseren

Responsum
Vn-to this world / I was de[d] ago ful longe
330 Bi myn ordre / & my profession
[Thowgh] euery man / be he neuyr so strong
Dredith † to deye / bi naturall mocion
Afftyr his Flesshly / inclynacion
Plese it [the] lorde / my sowle for to borwe
335 Fro feendis myht / & fro dampnacion
Som arn to-day / that shal nat be to-morwe.

Døden til Sergeant in lawe

Sergeant in lawe
Come neer sir Sergeant / short processe for to make
Ye must cum pleete / afore the Iu[ge] on hihe
Many a quarell / thouh ye have vndir-take
340 And for lucre / doon folk gret remedie
Ther shal your sotil wittis / be deemyd [foly]
Yiff sleathe / & covetise be nat exiled
Be war bi-tymes / & labour for mercy
For thei that trust most them silff / ar sonnest bigiled

Sergeant in lawe

Responsum
345 Of riht & reson / bi natures † lawe
I can alleggen / nor make no diffence
Nor bi sleihte / nor statute me with-drawe
Tescape a-way / from this dreedful sentence
For al my witt / nor gret prudence
350 No thyng [i]n erthe / may no man preserve
A-geyns his myht / to make resistence
[God qwyteth al men / lyke as they deserve.]

Døden til Generosa

Generosa
Com forth maistresse / of yeeres yong & grene
Which hold your silff / of beaute sovereyn
355 As-fair as [ye was] / whilom Pollixene
Penolope / [and] the queen Eleyn
Yit on this daunce / [thei went] bothe tweyn
And so shal ye for al your strangenesse
Thouh deynous daungeer / longe hath lad your reyn
360 Vnto this daunce / ye mote your fotyng dresse.

Generosa

Responsum
O cruel deth / that sparist non estat
To old & yong / thou art indifferent
To my beaute thou hast seyd chek-mat
So hasty is / thi mortall jugement
365 For in my youthe / this was myn entent
To my servise / many a man to have lurid
But she is a fool / shortly in sentement
That in her beaute / is to myche assurid.

Døden til astrologen
Døden til astrologen

Døden til astrologen

Magister in Astronomia
Com forth [mayster] / that loken vp so ferre
370 With instrumentis / of Astronomye
To take the grees / & hithe of euery sterre
What may availe / al your Astrologye
Sith of Adam / al the genealogie
Maade first of god / to walk[e] vpon [the] grounde
375 Deth doth arrest / thus seith theologie
And alle shul deie / for an appyll rounde.

Astrologen

Responsum
For al my craft / connyng or science
I can fynde / no provision
Nor in [the] sterris / serche out no difference
380 Bi domofyeng / [n]or calculacion
Sauff fynaly / in conclusion
For to descrive † / our connyng euery deel
Ther is no more / bi sentence of reson
[Who livith a-ryght] / most nedis deye weel.

Døden til franciskaneren
Døden til franciskaneren

Døden til franciskaneren

Frater
385 Com forth thou frere / to the myn hand is rauht
Vpon this daunce / the to conveie & lede
Which in thi [pr]echyng / haste ful ofte † tauht
How that I am / gastfull for to dreede
Al-thouh that folk / take ther-of non heede
390 Yit is ther non / so strong nor so hardy
But I dar arrest hym / & lett for no meede
For deth eche hour / is present & redy.

Franciskanermunken

Responsum
What may this be / that in this world no man
Heer for tabide / may have no surete
395 Strengthe † richesse / nor what [so] that he can
O[f] wordly wisdam / al is but vanite
In gret estate / nor in poverte
Is no thyng founde / that may fro deth deffende
For which I sei / to hih & lowe degre
400 Wis is the synner / that doth his liff amende.

Døden til sergenten

Sergant
Com forth [thou] sergeant / with thi stately maas
Make no deffence / nor no rebellion
Nouht may availe / to grotchen in this caas
Thouh thou be deynous / of condicion
405 For nouthir appele / nor protection
May the franchise / to do nature wrong
For thar is non / so sturdi a champion
Thouh he be myhty / deth is yit mor strong.

Sergenten

Responsum
Howe darst thou deth / set on me arrest
410 Which am the kyngis / chosen officeer
And yistirday / walkyng est & west
Myn office did / with ful dispitous cheere
But now this day / I am arrest[ed] heere
And may nat flee / thouh I hadde it sworn
415 Eche man is loth / to deie ferr or neer
That hath nat lernyd / [for] to deie afforn

Døden til nævningen

Iurour
Maister Iurour / which that at assises
And at shiris / questis didist embrace
Departist lond / aftir thi devises
420 And who most gaff / most stood in thi grace
The poore man / lost bothe lond & place
For gold thou coudist / folk disherite
But lat se now / that withynne so short a space
Before the Iuge / how thow canst the acquyte.

Nævningen

Responsum
425 Som tyme I was callid / in my contre
The bellewedir / & that was nat a lite
Nat lovid but drad / of hih & lowe degre
For [whom] me list bi craft / I coude endite
Hang the trewe / & the theeff acquyte
430 Al the contre / bi my woord was lad
But I dar say / shortly for to write
Of my deth / many oon wole be ful glad.

Døden til troubadouren

Mimus
Gentil menstral / shewe [me] now thi witt
How thou canst pleye / or foote ariht this daunce
435 I dar weel sei / that an harder fitt
Than this / fil neuyr [vn]to thi chaunce
Look ther-fore / what may best avaunce
Thi sowle as now / & vse that I reede
Refuse nyce play / & veyn plesaunce
440 Bettir late / than neuyr to do good deede.

Troubadouren

Responsum
Ey benedicite / this world is freele
Now glad / now sory / what shal men vse
Harpe lute phidil / pipe farwell
Sautry Sithol / & Shalmuse
445 Al wordly myrthe / I here refuse
God graunte me grace / of sich penaunce
As may myn old / synnes excuse
For alle be nat mery / that othir whyle daunce.

Døden til Famulus

Famulus
Seruant or officer / in thyn office
450 Yiff thou hast ben / as god wold & riht
To pore & riche / doon pleyn Iustice
Fled extorcioun / with al thy myht
Than maist thou / in this daunce go liht
Or elles ful hevy / shalt thou be thanne
455 Whan alle domys / shal fynaly be diht
Go we hens / the tyde a-bidith no man.

Famulus

Responsum
Shal I so sone / to dethis daunce
That wend / to have lyved yeeris many mo
And sodeynly / forsake al my plesaunce
460 Of offices / & profites [that] long ther-to
Yit oon thyng / I consel or I go
In office lat no man doon outrage
For dreede of god / & peyn also
Also service / is noon heritage.

Døden til lægen
Døden til lægen

Døden til lægen

Phisicus
465 Ye phisiciens / for mony that loken so fast
In othir mennys watris / what thei eyle
Look weel to your silf / or att[e] last.
I not what your medicynes / nor crafte may availe
For deth comyng / sodeynly doth assaile
470 As weel lechis / as othir that shal ye knowe
Atte last Iugement / withouten any faile
Whan al men shal repe / as thei have sowe.

Lægen

Responsum
Allas to long / and to myche in phisik
For lucre I plye[d] / al my bisynesse
475 Bothe in speclacion / & in practik
To knowe & konne / al bodely siknesse
But of gostly helthe / I was reklesse
Wher-fore shal helpe nother herbe nor roote
Nor no medicyne / sauff goddis goodnesse
480 For a-geyns deth / is fynaly no boote.

Døden til købmanden

Mercator
Come riche marchant / & looke hidirward
Which hast passid / (thorow] many dyvers lond
On hors on foote / havyng most reward
To lucre & wynnyng / as I vndirstonde
485 But now to daunce / thou must yeve me thyn hond
Al thyn old labour / wher is it be-come now
A-dieu veynglorie / bothe of fre & bonde
Non more coveitith / than he that hath I-now.

Købmanden

Responsum
Bi many an hille & many a strong[e] vale
490 I have travailid / with [my] marchaundise
Bi straunge seeis / carried many a bale
To sondri Iles / more than I can devise
Myn hert in-ward / evir frett with covetise
But al for nouht / deth doth me constreyne
495 For which I sei / bi record of the wise
Who al enbracith / he lityl shal restreyn

Døden til Artifex

Artifex
Yeve hidir thyn hand / thou Artificeer
For ther is founde / no subtilite
Bi witt of man / that fro my daungeer
500 To save hym silff / can have no liberte
My strook is sodeyn / fro which no man may flee
Bi coriouste / nor cunnyng of fressh devise
Kynde hath ordeyned / it will non othir be
Eche man mote passe / whan deth settith assise.

Artifex

Responsum
505 Ther is no craft / serchid out nor souht
Cast nor compassid / bi old nor newe entaile
I se ful weel / withynne myn owen thouht
A-geyns deth / [whiche that may] availe
She pershith sheeldis / she pershith plate & maile
510 A-geyns her strok / cunnyng nor science
Whan that hir list / mortally to assaile
Allas allas / ther may be no deffence.

Døden til bonden

Laborarius
Thou labourer / which in sorwe & peyn
Hast lad thi liff / & in gret travaile
515 Thou must here daunce / & ther-fore nat disdeyn
For thouh thou do / it may the nat availe
And cause whi / that I the assaile
Is oonly [fro] the / for to dissevire
This fals world / that causith folk to faile
520 For he is a foole / that wenyth to liven evir

Bonden / arbejderen

Responsum
I have wisshid / aftir dethe ful oft
Al-thouh I wold / have fleed hym now
I had levir / to ha leyn vnsofft
In wynde & reyn / & go[n] forth at [the] plouh
525 With spade & picoys / laboured for my prouh
Dolvyn & dikid / & atte cart goon
For I may seyn / & pleynly avow
In this world here / rest is ther noon.

Døden til barnet

Infans
Litil child / that were but late born
530 Shape in this word / to have no plesaunce
Thou must with othir / that goon her to-forn
Be lad with hem / with sotyl ordynaunce
Lerne of newe to [gon] / on this daunce
Ther may non age / in soth skape ther-fro
535 Lat euery wiht / have this in remembraunce
Who † lengest levith / most shal sofren woo.

Barnet

Responsum
A. A. A. o worde I can nat speke
I am ful yong / I was born † yisterday
Deth is ful hasty / on me to been wreke
540 And of his strok / list make no delay
I cam but now / & now I go my way
O[f] me [no] more / no tale shal be tolde
The will of god / no man withstond may
For as sone deieth a yong sheep / as an olde.

Døden til eremitten

Heremita
545 Ye that have lived / long in wildirnesse
And contynued / long in abstynence
Tyme is come / that ye m[o]te yow dresse
Of my daunce / to have thexperience
For ther a-geyns / is no resistence
550 Take now leve / of thyn her[m]itage
Wher-fore eche man / advertise this sentence
That this liff heer / is but a pylgrymage.

Eremitten

Responsum
Liff in deserte / callid solitarye
May a-geyns deth / have no respite nor [sp]ace
555 At vnsett howr / his comyng doth nat tarye
And for my part / welcom be goddis grace
Thankyng my lord / with humble cheer & face
Off his yiftis / such as I have assayed
Fynally / affermyng in this place
560 No man is riche / but he that halt hym payed.

Den døde konge
Den døde konge

Den døde konge

Conclusio
Ye † folk that loken / vpon this scripture
Conceyveth heer / that al estatis daunce
Seth what ye be / & what is your nature
Mete vnto wormys / nat ellis in substaunce
565 And have this myrrour / ay in remembraunce
Be-fore your mynde / a-boven al thyng
To all estatis / a trew resemblaunce
That wormes foode / is ende of your lyvyng.

What is mannys liff / but a countenaunce
570 Or [as] a puff of wynde / that is transitorie
As may be weel / perceived bi this daunce
Ther-fore ye / that reden this storye
Keepe thentent / in your memorye
And it shal steer yow / in-to gostly liff
575 Teschewe peyn / & come vnto glorie
And be your socour / in al gostly stryff.

Be nat a-fferd / this scriptur in tyme of pley
In your mynde / to revolve & reede
For trust trewly / ye shal nevir the sonner deye
580 But it shal cause yow / synne for to dreede
The which refusid / ye shal have gret meede
Ther-fore a-mong / have mynde on this lettir
And vse vertu / prayer & almesse deede
And than I dar sey / ye shal doon the bettir.

Explicit

Ressourcer