Bleibach, The abbot

The abbot

Death to the abbot
Zuem Abt. Auff meinem kopff dein inffel hab, und auff dem Rückhen trag den stab, dein stundt ist aus, du muest darvon, bey der kutten hab dich schon.	To the Abbot. I have your miter on my head and I carry my staff on my back. Your time is up, you must go, I've already got you by the cowl.
The abbot
Antwort Bei der Kutten hast mich erwischt, Keine Gnad' bei Dir zu finden ist. Gut und Geld siehst Du nicht an, Zum Tanz willst Du mich jetz fahn?	Answer. You have caught me by my cowl, There is no mercy to be found with you. You don't care about money or property, Do you want to take me to the dance now?

Basel, Abbot (Merian)

Basel, Abbot (Büchel)

Part of the dialogue is taken from Basel, where Death says that he is in the process of pulling the abbot's hat off, and is about to steal his staff: »HErr Apt ich zieh euch die Yfflen ab, / Deßhalb nutzt euch nicht mehr der Stab«:

The funny thing (in Basel) is that if one is to trust Merian's engraving, Death had already stolen the abbot's miter, while Büchel's watercolors show that this has not yet happened.