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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
|
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
|
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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
