Le mort
Sire chanoine prebendez: Le chanoine Cecy guere ne me conforte: |
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«.
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. Le marchant Iay este amont et aval: |