Sire Patriark / al 3owre humble chere
Ne quyte 3ow not / ne 3owre humylite 3owre dowble cros / of golde & stones clere 3owre power hole / and al 3owre dignyte
Somme other shal / of verrei equyte
Possede a-noon / as I reherce can
Trusteth neuere / that 3e shul pope be
For foli hope / deceyueth many a man.
Worldli honowre / grete tresowre and richesse
Haue me deceyued / sothfastli in dede
Myne olde Joies / ben turned to tristesse
What vaileth hit / suche tresowr to possede
Hi[e] clymbyng vp / [a f]alle hathe for his mede
Grete estates folke / wasten owte of nombre
Who mounteth hye / hit is sure & no drede
Grete burdoun / dothe hym ofte encombre.
Patriarken svarer
sothfastli in dede: truthfully indeed
What vaileth hit: Hvad hjælper det mede: belønning
no drede: uden tvivl
dothe: does
Dethe to the Constable
Hit is my right / to reste & yow constrayn
With vs to daunce / my maiester sire Conestable
For more stronge / than euer was Charlemayn
Dethe hathe a-forced / & more worshipable
For hardynesse [n]e kny3thode / this is no fable
Ne stronge armoure / of plates ne of maile
What geyneth armes / of folkes most notable
Whan cruel deth / luste hem to assaile.
Mi purpose was / & hole entencioun
To assaille castelles / and my3ty [forteresses]
And brynge folke / vn-to subieccioun
To seke honowre / fame & grete richesses
But I se welle / that alle wordli prowesses
Deth can a-bate / whiche is a grete despite
To hym al-on sorowe / & eke swetenesse[s]
For a3eyne deth / is founden no respite.
Konnetablen svarer
eke: også a3eyne: against
(1)Patriark: En gejstlig i den Romerske Kirke, der i rang står over ærkebiskoppen.
(2)Konnetable: Selvom Døden siger "constable", er der ikke tale om en britisk politimand.
En konnetabel er en officer af høj rang i middelalderlige monarkier,
som regel leder af alle bevæbnede styrker, især i regentens fravær.
Det med "regentens fravær" er interessant, når man tænker på, at i 1424 var Frankrig under engelsk herredømme,
og Henry VI var kun 3 år gammel!
Døden fra Lübeck
St. Pauls i London