Canon and Merchant

Canon and Merchant
Guy Marchant, Canon and merchant

       Le mort

Sire chanoine prebendez:
Plus ne aures distribucion:
Ne gros: ne vous il acttendez:
Prenez cy consolacion.
Pour toute retribucion
Mourir vous convient sans demeure
Ia ny aurez dilation.
La mort vient quon ne garde leure

       Le chanoine

Cecy guere ne me conforte:
Prebende fus en mainte eglise.
Or est la mort plus que moy forte
Que tot en mainne: cest sa guise.
Blanc surpelis et amusse grise
Me fault laissier: et a mort rendre.
Que vault gloire sy tost bas mise.
A bien morir doit chascun tendre.

A canon is a priest who's attached to a cathedral. A prebend is a stipend allotted from the revenues of a cathedral or a collegiate church to a canon or a member of the chapter (Webster).

In John Lydgate's translation Death greats the canon: »And ȝe Sire Chanoun / with many grete prebende«.

Holbein: The canon
Holbein Proofs, Canon

The canon is sad that he must leave his grey fur almuce (a[u]musse) behind. An almuce (also called amess or amice) was a fur hood-like shoulder cape worn as a choir vestment in the Middle Ages. It's a recurring theme in the dance of death that the canon wears a fur amess. In Holbein's dance of death (picture to the right) the canon wears a fur-coat lined with animals' tails, and the same is true for Holbein's initial L and in Basel's dance of death.

In Paris' danse macabre, Death mentions the »amusse grise« (grey almuce) of the canon; in London's dance of death it's translated as »Amys of gris«, and in Copenhagen's dance of death, Death makes a comment on the canon's »grey fur cloak« — presumably a cloak that's furred with grey fur.

       Le mort

Marchant: regardez par deca.
Pleuseurs pays avez cerchie
A pie: et a cheval de pieca:
Vous nen seres plus empeschie.
Vecy vostre dernier marchie.
Il convient que par cy passez.
De tout soing seres despeschie.
Tel couvoite qui a assez.

       Le marchant

Iay este amont et aval:
Pour marchander ou ie povoye.
Par long temps a pie: a cheval:
Mais maintenant pers toute ioye
De tout mon povoir acqueroye:
Or ay ie assez. mort me contraint.
Bon fait aller moyenne voye.
Qui trop embrasse peu estraint.

Variants

Various Artists

Guy Marchant (1486)
Guy Marchant 1486: Canon and merchant
Markus Reinhart (1490)
Markus Reinhart 1490: Reinhart 06
Markus Reinhart (1490)
Markus Reinhart 1490: Canon
Markus Reinhart (1490)
Markus Reinhart 1490: Merchant
Antoine Vérard (1492)
Antoine Vérard 1492: Canon and merchant
Petit Laurens (1495)
Petit Laurens 1495: Canon and merchant
Simon Vostre (1498)
Simon Vostre 1498: Canon
Simon Vostre (1498)
Simon Vostre 1498: Merchant
Jacobinus Suigus (1499)
Jacobinus Suigus 1499: Suigus 05
Jacobinus Suigus (1499)
Jacobinus Suigus 1499: Canonicus
Jacobinus Suigus (1499)
Jacobinus Suigus 1499: Merchator
Jean Belot (1500)
Jean Belot 1500: Canon
1945-65-13 (1500)
1945-65-13 1500: Canon
Carlos V (1500)
Carlos V 1500: Canon
Carlos V (1500)
Carlos V 1500: Merchant
Barre (1500)
Barre 1500: Canon
Lewis E 113 (1500)
Lewis E 113 1500: Merchant
Lewis E 113 (1500)
Lewis E 113 1500: Canon
Beinecke MS 411 (1500)
Beinecke MS 411 1500: Canon
Beinecke MS 411 (1500)
Beinecke MS 411 1500: Merchant
Thielmann Kerver (1508)
Thielmann Kerver 1508: Canon
Thielmann Kerver (1508)
Thielmann Kerver 1508: Merchant
Thielmann Kerver (1509)
Thielmann Kerver 1509: Canon
Thielmann Kerver (1509)
Thielmann Kerver 1509: Merchant
Thielman Kerver (1511)
Thielman Kerver 1511: Canon
Thielman Kerver (1511)
Thielman Kerver 1511: Merchant
Guillaume Godard (1514)
Guillaume Godard 1514: Canon
Guillaume Godard (1514)
Guillaume Godard 1514: Merchant
Nicolas Oudot (1641)
Nicolas Oudot 1641: Canon and merchant
Garnier (1766)
Garnier 1766: Canon and merchant
Leon le Maire (1856)
Leon le Maire 1856: Astrologer
Leon le Maire (1856)
Leon le Maire 1856: Citizen
d'Aligny (1858)
d'Aligny 1858: Canon
d'Aligny (1858)
d'Aligny 1858: Merchant