And 3e Sire Chanoun / with many grete prebende 3e mai no lenger / haue distribucioun
Of golde & siluer / largeli to dispende
For ther is now / no consolacioun
But daunce with vs / for al 3owre hye renoun
For 3e of dethe / stonde vp on the brinke 3e mai ther of / haue no dilacioun
Dethe cometh ai / when men leste on hym thenke.
Mi benefices / with many a personage
God wote ful lite / mai me now comforte
Dethe hathe of me / so grete a-vantage
Al my richesse / mai me not disporte
Amys o[f] gris / thei wille a3en resorte
Vnto the worlde / surplus & prebende
Al is veyneglorie / treuli to reporte
To dei welle / eche man shulde entende.
wote: knows
Amys of gris: costly grey fur
each man should intend to die well
Dethe to the Marchaunde
3e riche marchaunt / 3e mote loke hiderwarde
That passed haue / ful many dyuerse londe
On hors on fote / hauyng moste rewarde
To lucre & wynnynge / as I vndurstonde
But now to daunce / 3e mote 3eue me 3owre honde
For al 3owre laboure / ful litel a-vaileth now
A-dieu veyneglorie / bothe of fre and bonde
No[ne] more coueite / than thei that haue ynow.
...you must give me your hand
ynow: enough
The Marchaunte answereth
Be many an hille / and many [a] straunge vale
I haue trauailed / with my marchaundise
Ouer the see / do carye many a bale
To sundri Iles / mo than I can deuyse
Myn herte inwarde / ai frette with couetise
But al for nowght / now dethe [dothe] me constreyne
Be whiche I seie / be recorde of the wise
Who al embraceth / litel schal restreyne.
(1)Prebend...: A stipend allotted from the revenues
of a cathedral or a collegiate church to a canon or a member of the chapter
(thank you, Mr. Webster)
Medieval dances of death
St. Paul's, London