 | Death and Liffe |  |
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DEATH AND LIFFE
[PROLOGUE]
Christ, christen King, þat on the crosse tholedHa[r]d paines and passyons, to [prouen] our soules,
Giue vs grace on the ground The gre[ith]lye to serve,
For þat royall red blood þat rann ffrom thy side,
& [wond] of winne wor[ship] as the world asketh,
Þat is riche[s] o[r] renowne, rents or others;
For [nis] boldnesse of body, nor blythenesse of hart,
Coninge of clearkes, ne cost vpon earth,
But all wasteth away, & worthes to nought,
When Death driueth att the doere, with his darts keene;
Then noe truse can be taken, noe treasure on earth;
But all lordshipps be lost, and the liffe both.
If thou haue pleased the Prince þat paradice weldeth,
There is noe bearne borne þat may thy blisse recon;
But if thou haue wrongffully wrought, & will not amend,
Thou shalt byterlye bye; or else the booke ffal[s]eth.
Therfore begin [we] in God to gre[ith]en our workes,
& in his ffaythffull [F]o[d]e, þat ffreelye him ffolloweth,
In hope of the Holy Ghost þat [h]eeld shall neuer.
God þat is gracyous and gouerne[s] all,
Bringe vs into blisse, þat brought vs out of bal[e]!
[FITT I]
Thus ffared I through a ffryth w[h]erefflowers were manye,Bright bowes in the banke breathed ffull sweete,
The red rayling roses, the riche[s]t of fflowers,
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& a riuer þat was rich r[o]nn ouer the greene,
With still sturring str[ynd]es þat streamed ffull bright
Over the glittering ground, as I [glode there.]
Methought itt lengthened my liffe to looke on the bankes.
Then among the fayre [f]lowers I [f]ettled me to sitt,
Vnder a huge hawthorne þat hore was of blossomee;
I bent my backe to the bole, & blenched to the streames.
Thus prest I [o-pe]ce [on] the [prayere] greene,
For breme of the birds & breath of the fflowers:
& what for waching & wakinge & wandering about,
In my seate where I sate I sayed a-sleepe,
Lying edge-long on the ground, li[f]t all my seluen.
Deepe dreames and dright droue mee to hart.
Methought walking þat I was in a wood str[a]nge,
Vpon a [main] mountaine, / where mores were large,
Þat I might see on euerye side [seuentene] miles,
Both of woods & wasts, & walled townes,
Comelye castles & cleare, with caruen towers,
Parkes and pallaces, & pastures ffull many,
All the world full of welth, [wi]nlye to behold.
I sett me downe softlye, and sayd these words:—
‘I will not kere out of kythe before I know more.’
& I wayted [wide] me about, wonders to know;
& [me a ffe]rlye beffell, soe fayre [it] me thought.
I saw on the south syde a seemelye sight,
Of comelye k[ing]s full keene, & knights ffull noble;
Princes in the presse, proudlye attyred;
Dukes þat were doughtye, & many deere erles;
Sweeres & swaynes, þat swarmed ffull thicke;
There was neither hill nor holte, nor haunt there beside,
But itt was planted ffull of people, the plaine and the roughe.
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Into a b[e]lish[t] banke, the brightest of other,
Þat shimered and shone as the sheere heauen,
Throughe the light of a Ladye þat l[e]nged therin.
Shee came [k]eereing ffull comlye, with compa[n]ye noble,
Vpon cleare clothes, were all of clea[n]e gold,
Layd brode vpon the bent, with brawder[y] ffull riche,
Before þat ffayre on the ffeeld, where shee fforth passed:
Shee was brighter of her blee then was the bright sonn;
Her rudd redder then the rose, þat on the rise hangeth;
Meekely smiling with her mouth, & merry in her lookes;
Euer laughing for loue, as shee like wold.
& as shee [bowed] by the bankes, the boughes eche one
They lowted to þat Ladye & layd forth their branches;
Blossomes & burgens breathed ffull sweete;
Fflowers fflourished in the [f]rith, where shee fforth stepedd;
& the grasse þat was gray greened beliue;
Breme birds on the boughes busilye did singe;
& all the wild in the wood winlye the ioyed,
Kings kneeled on their knees, knowing þat Ladye,
& all the princes in the presse, & the proud dukes,
Barrons & bachelours, they bowed ffull lowe;
All profere[s] her to please, the pore and the riche.
Shee welcometh them ffull winlye / with words ffull hend,
Both barnes & birds, beastes & fowles;
Then þat lo[v]ly Ladye, on land [t]here shee standeth,
Þat was comelye cladd in kirtle & mantle
Of goodlyest greene þat euer goome ware;
For the kind of þat cloth can noe clarke tell;
& shee the most gracyous g[ay]e þat on the ground l[e]nged.
Of her druryes to deeme to dull be my witts;
& the price of her [perrye] can no person tell;
& the colour of her kirtle was caruen ffull lowe,
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With a naked necke [she] neighed [t]her-till,
Þat gaue light on the land as [l]eames of the sunn;
All the King[s] christened with their cleere gold
Might not buy þat ilke broche þat buckeled her mantle;
& the crowne on her head was caruen in heauen;
With a scepter sett in her hand of selcoth gemmes.
Thus louelye to looke vpon on land shee abydeth.
Merry were the meanye of men þat shee had,
Blyth bearnes of blee, bright as the sunn,—
Sir Comfort þat k[erf] when the court dineth,
Sir Hope & Sir Hind, þee [ha]rdye beene both,
Sir Li[st]e & Sir Likinge, & Sir Loue alsoe,
Sir Cun[n]inge and Sir Curtesye, þat c[oint] were of deeds,
& Sir Honor ouer all, vnder her seluen,
A stout man & a staleworth, her steward i-wisse.
Shee had Ladyes of loue l[e]nged her about,
Dame Mirth, & Dame Meekenes, & Dame Mercy the hynd,
Dallyance & Disport, [two] damsells ffull sweete,
With all beawtye [&] blisse, bearnes to behold.
There was minstrelsye made in full many a wise,
Who-soe had craft or cuninge kindlye to showe;
Both b[earne]s & beastes, & b[ird]s in the leaues,
& ffishes of the fflood, ffaine of her were;
Birds made merrye with their mouth, as they in mind cold.
Tho I was moued with þat mirth þat maruell mee thought;
What woman þat was that all the world lowted,
I thought speedylye to spye, speede if I might.
Then I kered to a knight, Sir Comfort the good,
Kneeling low on my knees, curteouslye him praysed.
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Of yonder Ladye of loue & of her [l]oyall meanye.
Hee cherished me chee[f]lye, by cheeke & by chin,
& sayd,—‘Certes, my sonne, the sooth thou shalt knowe.
This is my Lady Dame Liffe þat leadeth vs all;
Shee is worthy & wise, the welder of joye;
Gre[ith]lye gouerneth the ground & the greene grasse;
Shee hath ffostered & ffed thee sith thou was ffirst borne,
& yett beffore thow wast borne, shee bred in thy hart.
Thou art welcome, i-wisse, vnto my winn Ladye.
If thou wilt wonders witt, [wond] not to ffraine,
& I shall kindlye thee ken, care thou noe more.’
Then I was fear[lilye fain], & ffaythffullye thought
Þat I shold l[e]ng with Dame Liffe, & loue her for euer.
There shall no man vpon mold my mind from her take,
For all the glitteringe gold vnder the God of heauen.
Thus in liking liuinge, the longer the more,
Till þat itt neighed neere noone, & one hower after,
There was rydinge & revell þat ronge in the bankes;
All the world was full w[eli], winne to behold.
Or itt turned from [twelue] till [two] of the clocke,
Much of this melodye was maymed & marde.
In a nooke of the north there was a noyse hard,
As itt had beene a horne, the highest of others,
With the biggest bere þat euer bearne wist;
& the burlyest blast þat euer blowne was
Throughe the rattlinge rout r[o]nge ouer the ffeelds.
The ground gogled for greeffe of þat grim da[nc]e;
I went nere out of my witt for wayling care;
Yett I bode on the bent & boldlye looked,
[Anon] into the north mine eye then I cast.
I there saye a sight was sorrowfull to behold,
One of the vglyest ghosts þat on the earth gone.
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Soe grislye & great, & grim to behold;
And a qu[e]tfull queene came quakinge be[den]e,
With a carued crowne on her head all of [cle]re gold,
& shee the ffoulest ffreake þat formed was euer,
Both of hide & hew & heare alsoe.
Shee was naked as my nayle, [the navele] aboue;
& below she was lapped about in linenn breeches;
A more fearffull face no freake might behold,
For shee was long & leane, & lodlye to see;
There was noe man on the mold soe mightye of strenght
But a looke of þat Lady & his liffe passed,
H[er] eyes farden as the fyer þat in the furnace burnes;
They were hollow in her head, with full heauye browes;
Her [ler]es were leane, with lipps full side;
With a maruelous mouth, full of [main] tushes;
& the nebb of her nose to her navell hanged,
& her lere like the lead þat latelye was beaten.
Shee [raught] in her right hand [ane] vnrid weapon,
A bright burnisht blade, all bloody be-ronen,
And [a lome] in the left hand like the legg of a grype
With the talents þat were t[ang]inge & teenfull enoughe.
With þat shee burnisht vp her brand & brad[e] out her geere.
& I, for feare of þat freake, ffell in a swond.
Had not Sir Comfort come, & my care stinted,
I had beene slaine with [the] sight of þat sorrowfull Ladye.
Then he lowted to me low, & learned me well:—
Sayd,—‘Be thou not abashed, but abyde there a while;
Here may thou sitt & see selcothes ffull manye.
Yonder damsell is Death, þat dresseth her to smyte.
Loe, Pryde passeth before, & the price beareth;
Many sorrouffull souldiers [sue] her fast after,—
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Morninge & Mone, Sir Misheefe his ffere,
Sorrow & Sicknesse, & Sikinge in Hart,
All þat were lothinge of their liffe were lent to her court.
When shee draweth vp her darts & dresseth her to smite,
There is no goome vnder God may garr her to stint.’
Then I blushed to þat bearne [þat] balefullye looked;
[S]he [bow]ed forth barefooted on the bents browne;
The greene grasse in her gate shee grindeth all to powder,
Trees tremble for ffeare, & tipen to the ground,
Leaues lighten downe lowe & le[s]en their might;
Fowles faylen to fflee when the [f]eard waxen,
& the ffishes in the fflood ffaylen to swim[m]e,
Ffor dread of Dame Death þat dolefullye threates.
With þat shee hyeth to the hill & the heard ffindeth;
In the roughest of the rout shee reacheth forth darts;
There shee fell att the first fflappe [fiftene hundred]
Of comelye queenes with crowne, & kings full noble;
Proud princes in the presse prestlye shee quellethe;
Of dukes þat were doughtye shee dang out the braynes;
Merry maydens on the mold shee mightilye killethe;
There might no weapon them warrant nor no walled towne;
[Crism]-children in their craddle [shee craddant]lye d[ighteth]
Shee spareth ffor no specyaltye, but spilleth the gainest;
The more woe shee worketh, more [wlonk] shee seemeth.
When my Lady Dame Liffe looked on her deeds,
& saw how dolefullye shee d[o]nge downe her people,
Shee cast vp a crye to the hye King of heauen,
& he hearkneth itt hendlye in his hye throne;
Hee called on Countenance, & bade his course take,—
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Hee was bowne att his bidd[ing], & brad[e] on his way
[As] wight as the wind þat wappeth in the skye,
He ran out of the rainebow through the ragged clowds,
& light on the land where the lords laine;
& vnto dolefull Death he dresses him to speake,—
Sayth,—‘Thou wratheful [woman] þat euer woe worketh;
Cease of thy sorrow, thy soueraigne commandeth,
& let thy burnished blade on the bent rest,
Þat my Lady Dame Liffe her likinge may haue!’
Then Death glowed & gran, for gryme of h[is] talke;
But shee did as shee dained, durst shee noe other.
Shee pight the poynt of her sword in the plaine earth,
& with a looke full layth[e] shee lo[ut]ed on the hill[e].
Then my Lady Dame Liffe shee looketh full gay,
Kyreth to Countenance, & him comelye thankes,
Kissed kindlye þat knight, then carped shee no more;
But vnto dolefull Death shee dresseth her to speake;
Sayth,—‘Thou woefull wretch, wakn[er]esse of care,
Bold bir[d] full of bale, bringer of sorrowe,
Dame Daughter of the Devill, Death is thy name.
But if thy fare be th[e] fairer, the feend haue thy soule!
Couldest thou any cause ffind, thou kaitiffe wretch,
That neither reason nor right may raigne with thy name?
Why kills thou the [careyne] þat neuer [the] care rought?
The grasse nor the greene trees greeued thee neuer,
But come fforth in their kinds christyans to helpe,
With all beawtye & blisse þat [be]ar[n]e might devise.
But of my meanye thou marre[s], marveil[e] I haue
How thou dare doe them to death eche day soe manye,
& [the] the handy-worke of him þat heauen weldeth;
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Wheras banely hee them blessed, & biddeth them thriue,
Waxe fforth in the word and worth vnto manye;
[But] thou lett them of their leake with thy lidder turnes.
[&] with wondr[ed] & with woe thou waite[s] them full yorne;
& as a theefe in [the thester] thou thronge[s] the[m] to death,
Þat neither Nature nor I, ffor none of thy deeds,
May bring vp our bearnes, their bale the betyde[th].
But if thou blinn of þat bi[rr]e, thou buy must full deere.
Th[ou] may wary the weeke þat euer thou wast fformed.’
Then Death dolefullye drew vp her browes,
Armed her to answer, & vpright shee standeth,
& sayd,—‘O louelye Liffe, [l]ea[u]e thou such wordes!
Thou payne[s] thee with pratinge to pray me to cease.
Itt is reason & right þat I may rent take,
Thus to kill of the kind both kings and dukes,
Loyall lad[ie]s & l[o]uelye, [&] [e]ke [litlings] some,
All shall dye with the dints þat I deale with my hands.
I wold haue kept the commandement of the hye king of heauen,
But the bearne itt brake þat thou bred vp ffirst;
When Adam & Eue of the earth were shapen,
& were put into paradice to play with their selues,
& were brought into blisse, bid[e] if the wold.
He warned them nothing in the world but a wretched branche
Of the ffayntyest ffruit þat euer in ffrith grew;
Yett his bidding they brake, as the booke recordeth,
When Eue ffell to the ffruite with ffingars white,
& plucked them of the plant, & poysoned them both.
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& delt Adam such a dint þat hee dolue euer after;
Eue & her ofspring, I hitt them I hope,
For all the musters þat they made, I mett with them once.
Therfore, Liffe, thou me leaue, I loue thee but a litle.
I hate thee & thy houshold & thy hyndes all;
Mee gladdeth not of their glee nor of their gay lookes,
Att thy dallyance & thy disport noe dayntye I haue,
Thy ffayre liffe & thy ff[raunch]esse ffe[in]eth me but litle;
Thy blisse is my bale, breuelye of other[e];
There is no game vnder [God] soe gladlye I wishe,
As to haue a [f]lapp with my ffawchyon att thy fayre state.’
[FITT II]
Then Liffe on the land lady-like shee speakes:—Sayth,—‘These words thou hast wasted; wayte thou no other;
Shall thy bitter brand neuer on my body byte;
I am grounded in God, & grow for euer more;
But to these men of the mold marvell me thinketh
In whatt hole of thy hart thou thy [hate] keepe[s].
Where ioy & gentlenesse are ioyned together
Betweene [a] wight & his wiffe & his winne children,
& when ffaith & ffellowshipp are ffastened ffor aye,
Loue & [leau]tye which our Lord likethe,
Then thou wale[s] them with wracke & wratheffully beginne[s];
Vncurteouslye thou come[s], vnknowne of them all,
And lache[s] away the l[or]d þat the l[an]d holdeth,
Or woryes his wiffe, or walts downe his children.
Mikle woe thus thou wake[s], where [winne] was before!
This is a deed of the devill, Death, [þat] thou vsest;
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Thou wilt lach att the last a lothelich name.’
‘Doe away, Damsell,’ quoth Death, ‘I dread thee nought!
Of my losse þat I losse lay thou noe thought:
Thou [re]prouet mee full prestlye of many proper thinge;
I haue not all kinds soe ill as thou me vpbraydest.
Were I w[a]nd[isht] [a]-way, the world w[o]l[d] dep[aire];
Bearnes wold be ouer bold, bales ffor to want,
The [Seuen] Sinnes for to serue, & sett them full eu[re],
& giue no glory vnto God þat [vs all grace sendeth.]
If the dint of my dart deared them neuer,
To lett them worke all their will, itt were litle joy.
Shold I [fain] for their fayrnesse their ffoolishnes allowe?
My Liffe, giue thou me leaue, n[is] leed vpon earth
But I shall master his might, mauger his cheekes,
As a conquerour keene, [kidd]est of other,
To deale dolefull dints, & doe as m[e] list.
For I fayled neuer in fight but I the ffeild wan
Sith the ffirst ffreake þat formed was euer,
& will not leaue till the last bee [layd on the beere.]
But sitt sadlye, [m]y Liffe, & th[e] soothe thou shalt know.
[N]euer any man vpon mold any mirth had,
Þat leaped away with thee, Liffe, & laughed me to scorne,
But I dang them with my dints vnto the deaffe earthe;
Both Adam & Eue & Abell I killed,
Moyses & Methasula & the meeke Aroun,
Josua & Joseph, & Jacob the smoothe,
Abraham & Isace, & Esau the roughe,
Saul for all his [sl]ingers I slew with my hands,
And Jonathan, his gentle sonne, in Gilboa hills;
Dauid dyed on the dints þat I delt oft;
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& Alexander alsoe to whom all the world lowted,—
In the middest of his mirth I made him to bow;
The hye honor þat he had helped him but litle;
When I swang him on the swire, to swelt him behoued.
Arthur of England, & Hector the keene,
Both Lancelott & Leonades, with other leeds manye,
& Galla[h]a[ult] the good Knight, and Gawaine the hynde,
& all the rowte I rent ffrom the Round Table.
Was none soe hardye nor soe hye, soe holy nor soe wi[ght],
But I burst them with my brand, & brought them assunder.
How shold any wight weene to winn me on ground?
Haue not I justed gentlye with Jesu of heauen?
He was frayd of my fface in ffreshest of time,
Yett I knocked him on the crosse & carued throughe his hart.’
And with þat shee cast of her crowne, & kneeled downe lowe,
When shee [nemn]ed the name of þat noble prince;
Soe did Liffe vpon land, & her leeds all
Both of heauen and of earth, & of helle ffeends,
All they lowted downe lowe their Lord to honor.
Then Liffe kneeled on her knees, with her crowne in her hand,
& looketh vp a long while [the lifte] towards;
Shee riseth vpp r[a]dlye & [richeth] her to speake;
Shee calleth to her companye, & biddeth them come neere,
Both Kings and queenes, & comelye dukes,
‘Worke wiselye by your witts my words to heare
Þat I speake ffor your speed, & spare itt noe longer!’
Then shee turneth to he[r], & talketh these words,—
Shee sayth,—‘Dame Death, of thy deeds now is thy doome shapen,
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Which thou m[eal]est with thy mouth, & mightylye avowes.
Thou hast blowen thy blast bree[m]lye abroade.
How [thou hast] wasted this world sith wights were first,
Euer murthered and marde, thou makes thy avant.
Of one point lett vs proue or wee part in-sunder.
How didest thou just att Jerusalem with Jesu my Lord,
Where thou deemed his deat[h] in one dayes time?
There was thou shamed & shent & stripped ffor aye.
When thou saw the King come with the crosse on his shoulder,
On the [c]op of Caluarye thou camest him against.
Like a traytour vntrew treason thou thought.
Thou layd vpon my leege Lord lotheliche hands,
Sithen beate him on his body & buffetted him rightlye,
Till the railinge red blood ran from his sides;
Sith rent him on the rood with ffull red wounds.
To all the woes þat him wasted, I wott not ffew,
Tho[u] deemedst [him] to haue beene dead & dressed for euer.
But, Death, how didst thou then, with all thy derffe words,
When thou prickedst att his pappe with the poynt of a speare,
& touched the tabernackle of his trew hart,
Where my bower was bigged to abyde for euer?
When the glory of his godhead glented in thy face,
Then was thou feard of this fare in thy false hart;
Then thou hyed into hell-hole to hyde thee beliue;
Thy fawchion flew out of thy fist, soe fast thou thee hyed;
Thou durst not blushe once backe, for better or worsse,
But drew thee downe [dred]ffull in þat deepe hell,
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Then th[ou] told them tydands þat teened them sore,
How þat [the] King came to kithen his strenght,
& how hee had beaten thee on thy bent, & thy brand taken,
With euerlasting liffe þat longed him till.
Then the sorrow was ffull sore att Sathans hart;
[There] threw ffeends in the ffyer, many ffell thousands;
&, Death, thou dange itt on, whilest thou dree might;
For ffalte of thy ffawchyon, thou fought with thy hand.
[R]os[e] th[ee] neuer of thy[s] re[the] deed, thou ravished bitche,
Thou may shrinke for shame when thou the sooth heares.
Then I leapt to my Lord, þat [l]aught me vpp soone,
& all wounded as hee was, with weapon in hand,
He fastened ffoote vpon earth, & ffollowed thee ffast,
Till he came to the caue þat cursed was holden;
He abode before Barathron, þat bearne while he liked,
Þat was euer merke as midnight, with mour[n]inge & sorrowe;
He cast a light on the land as [l]eames o[f] the sunn.
Then cryed þat King with a cleere steuen,—
“Pull open your ports, you princes with-in!
Here shall come in the King, crowned with ioy,
Which is the [breem]est burne in battell to smite.”
There was ffle[m]inge of ffeends throughe the fyer gaynest,
Hundreds hurled on heapes in holes about,
The broad gates all of brasse brake all in-sunder,
& the King with his crosse came in before.
He leapt vnto Lucifer, þat Lord himselfe,
& bound him so biglye þat hee for bale rored.
Death, thou daredst þat day, & durst not be seene
Ffor all the glitering gold vnder God himseluen.
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Hee tooke Adam & Eue out of the old world,
Abraham & Isacc, & all þat hee wold,
David & Danyell, & many deare bearnes,
Þat were put into prison, & pained ffull long.
He betooke me the treasure [traystly bedene],
Þat neuer danger of death shold me deere after.
Then wee wenten fforth [our way] winlye together,
& left the dungeon of devills, & thee, Death, in the middest;
& now thou prickes ffor pride, praising thy seluen.
Therfore bee not abashed, my barnes soe deere,
Of her ffauchyon soe ffeirce nor of her ffell words.
Shee hath noe might n[e] no meane no more you to greeue,
Nor on your comelye corsses to clapp once her hands.
I shall looke you ffull liuelye, and latche [you] ffull well,
& keere y[ou], ffurthe of this kithe, aboue the cleare skyes.
If yee [loue] well the L[ord] þat light in the mayden,
& be christened with creame & in your creede beleeue,
Haue no doubt of yonder Death, my deare children;
For yonder [Death] is damned with devills to dwell,
Where is wondr[ed] & woe & wayling ffor sorrow.
Death was damned þat day, daring ffull still;
Shee hath no might n[e] no maine to meddle with yonder ost
Against Euerlasting Liffe þat Ladye soe true.’
Then my Lady Dame Liffe with lookes soe gay,
Þat was comelye cladd with [kirtle] and mantle,
Shee crosses the companye with her cleare ffingers;
All the dead on the [d]oun doughtilye shee rayseth,
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With þat shee hyeth ouer the hills with hundreds ffull ma[n]ye:
I wold haue ffollowed on þat faire, but no further I might;
What with wandr[ed] & with woe I waked beliue.
Thus fared I throw a ffrith in a ffresh time
Where I sayd a-sleepe in a slade greene.
There dreamed I the dreame which dread all be-frighted;
But hee þat rent was on the rood riche itt himseluen,
& bring vs to his blisse with blessings enowe!
Therto, Jesu of Jerusalem, grant vs thy grace,
& [haunce] here our howse, Holy for euer! Amen.
ffinis.
| Death and Liffe | |