Bishop and Nobleman

Bishop & squire.
Bishop and squire

Dethe to the Bysshoppe

Mi lorde Sire Bisshop / with ȝowre mitre & crose
For al ȝowre riches / sotheli I ensure
For al ȝowre tresowre / so longe kepte in clos
Ȝowre worldli godes / & godes of nature
And of ȝowre shepe / the gostli dredeful cure
With charge comytted / to ȝowre † prelacie
For to accounte(1) / ȝe shul be browȝt to lure
No wight is sure / that clymbeth ouer hye.

ȝowre: your
sotheli: truthfully




browȝt to lure: compelled to come(2)
wight: man, person

The Bysshop answereth

Mi herte trewly / is nowether glad ne meri
Of sodeyne tidinges / whiche that ȝe bringe
Mi festes turned / in to simple ferie
That for discomforte / me liste no thyng synge
The worlde contrarie / now to me In werkynge
That al folkes / can so disherite
He that al with-halte / allas atte owre partynge(3)
And al shal passe / safe oneli owre merite.



ferie: [ordinary] weekday

Dethe to the Squyere

Come † forthe Sire Squyer / right fressh of ȝowre arai
That can of daunces / al the newe gyse
Thowȝ ȝe bare armes / fressh horsed ȝisterdai
With spere & shelde / atte ȝowre vncouthe deuyse
And t[o]ke on ȝow / so many hye Emprise
Daunceth with vs / hit wille no better be
Ther is no sokoure / in no maner wise
For no man mai / fro dethes stroke fle.


gyse: fashion




hit: it

fro: from

The Squyere answereth

Sitthen that dethe / me holdeth in his lace
Ȝitte shal I speke / oo worde or I pace
Adieu al myrthe / adieu [now ] al solace
Adieu my ladyes / somme-tyme so fressh of face
Adieu beaute / plesaun[ce] & solace
Of dethes chaunge / eueri dai is pryme
Thynketh [o]n ȝowre sowles / or that deth manace
For al shal rote / & no man wote what tyme.

Sitthen: since, after, lace: noose, snare
ȝitte: yet, oo: a, or: before, pace: go

somme-tyme: formerly


or: before, manace: threatens
wote: knows

Variants

Footnotes: (1) (2) (3)

account . . .: A factual report of one's life, works, duty, actions, & accomplishments;. Compare with Romans 14,12: "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" and 1st Peter 4,5: "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead".
browȝt to lure...: The "lure" was the apparatus used by falconers to recall hawks (browȝt = brought).

Elizaveta Strakhov suggests that "he that withholds everything at our parting", is the World.

In French, Le Monde is masculine, and in the French text, "Il retient tout" (it retains everything), refers back to "Le monde aussi" two verses before.

London Medieval dances of death St. Paul's, London Bishop & Nobleman