The Dead Mans Song,
VVhose dwelling was neere unto Bassings Hall in London. to the tune of, Flying Fame.

[figure]

[figure]
SOre sick deare friends, long time I was
and weakely laid in bed;
And for five houres in all mens sight,
at length I lay as dead:
The bel rung out, my friends came in,
and I key cold was found,
Then was my carkasse brought from bed,
and cast upon the ground:
My loving wife did wéepe full sore,
and children loud did cry,
My friends did mourne, yet thus they said
all flesh is borne to dye:
My winding sheet prepared was,
my grave was also made,
And five long houres by iust report,
in this same case I laid:
During which time my soule did see
such strange and fearefull sights,
That for to heare the same disclos'd,
would banish all delights.
Yet sith the Lord restor'd my life,
which from my body fled,
I will declare what sights I saw,
that time that I was dead.
Me thought along a gallant greene,
where pleasant flowers sprung,
I tooke my way, whereas I thought,
the Muses sweetely sung,
The grasse was swéet the trées ful fair,
and lovely to behold,
And full of fruit was every twig,
which shin'd like glistering gold,
My cheerefull heart desired much
to taste the fruit so faire:
But as I reacht a faire young man,
to me did fast repaire.
Touch not (qd. he) that's none of thine,
but wend and walke with me,
And see thou marke each severall thing
which I shall show to thée:
I wondred greatly at his words,
yet went with him away:
Till on a goodly pleasant banke,
with him he had me stay.
With branches then of Lillies white,
mine eyes there wiped he.
When this was done he bad me look,
what I farre off could see.
I looked up and loe at last,
I did a City see,
So faire a thing did never man
behold with mortall eye;
Of Diamonds, pearles, and precious stones
it seem'd the wals were made:
The houses all with beaten gold,
were til'd and overlaid.
More brighter than the morning Sun,
the light thereof did show,
And every creature in the same,
like crowned Kings did goe.
The fields about this City faire,
were all with Roses set:
Gilly-flowers, and Carnation faire,
which canker could not fret:
And from these fields there did procéed
the swéet'st and pleasant'st smell,
That ever living creature felt,
the scent did so excell:
Besides such sweet triumphant mirth,
did from the City sound,
That I there with was ravished,
my ioy did so abound.
With musick, mirth, and melody,
Princes did there embrace,
And in my heart I long'd to be,
within that ioyfull place.
The more I gaz'd, the more I might,
the sight pleas'd me so well.
For what I saw in every thing,
my tongue can no way tell:
Then of the man I did demand,
what place the same might be,
Whereas so many Kings do dwell
in ioy and melody?
Quoth he, that blessed place is heaven,
where yet thou must not rest,
And those that do like Princes walke,
are men whom God hath blest.
Then did he turne me round about,
and on the other side,
He bad me view and marke as much,
what things are to be spide.
With that I saw a cole-blacke den,
all tand with soot and smoake
Where stinking Brimstone burning was
which made me like to choake,
An ugly creature there I saw,
whose face with knives was slash [...],
And in a caldron of poyson'd filth.
his ugly corps were washt.
About his necke were fiery ruffes,
that flam'd on every side,
I askt, and lo the Young man said,
that he was damn'd for pride,
Another sort then did I see,
whose bowels Vipers tore,
And grievously with gaping mouth,
they did both yell and rore.

The second part, to the same Tune.

[figure]
A Spotted person by each one,
stood gnawing on their hearts,
And this was conscience I was told,
that plagu'd their envious parts.
These were no sooner out of sight,
but straight came in their place,
A sort still throwing burning fire,
which fell against their face.
And ladles full of melted gold,
were poured downe their throats,
And these were set (it séem'd to me)
in midst of burning boats:
The formost of this company,
was Iudas I was told,
Who had for filthy lucres sake,
his Lord and Master sold,
For covetousnesse these were condemn'd,
so it was told to me,
And then methought another rout,
of Hel-hounds I did see:
Their faces they séem'd sat in sight,
yet all their bones were bare.
And dishes full of crawling Toades,
was made their finest fare:
From armes, from hands, from thighs and féete,
with red hot pincers then,
The flesh was pluckt even from the bone,
of those vile gluttonous men:
On cole-black beds another sort,
in grievous sort did lye,
And nnderneath them burning brands,
their flesh did burne and fry.
With brimstone fierce their pillowes eke,
whereon their heads were laid,
And fiends with whips of glowing fire,
their lecherous skins off flaid.
Then did I see another come,
stab'd in with daggers thicke,
And filthy fiends with fiery darts,
their hearts did wound and pricke,
And mighty bowles of corrupt blood,
was brought for them to drink,
And these men were for murther plagu'd,
from which they could not shrinke.
I saw when these were gone away,
the Swearer and the Lier,
And these were hung up by the tongues,
right over a flaming fire.
From eyes, from eares, from Navell & nose
and from the lower parts,
The blood me thought did gushing runne,
and clodded like mens hearts.
I asked why that punishment,
was upon swearers laid:
Because, quoth one, wounds, blood & heart,
was still the oath they made.
And there withall from ugly Hell,
such shriekes and cryes I heard,
As though some greater griefe and plague
had vext them afterward.
So that my soule was sore afraid,
such terrour on me fell:
A way then went the young man quite,
and bad me not farewell.
Wherefore unto my body straight,
my spirit return'd againe,
And lively blood did after wards
stretch forth in every veine.
My closed eyes I opened,
and raised from my swound,
I wondred much to see my selfe
laid so upon the ground:
Which when my neighbours did behold,
great feare upon them fell,
To whom soone after I did tell,
the newes from heaven and hell.

Printed at London for F. Coules.

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.