ancient poems-第6章

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e　thee；　All　earthly　treasure　cannot　help　or　save　thee。

EXCISEMAN。

Then　woe　is　me！　ah！　how　was　I　befooled！　I　thought　that　gold　（which　answereth　all　things）　could　Have　stood　my　friend　at　any　time　to　bail　me！　But　grief　grows　great；　and　now　my　trust　doth　fail　me。　Oh！　that　my　conscience　were　but　clear　within；　Which　now　is　racked　with　my　former　sin；　With　horror　I　behold　my　secret　stealing；　My　bribes；　oppression；　and　my　graceless　dealing；　My　office…sins；　which　I　had　clean　forgotten；　Will　gnaw　my　soul　when　all　my　bones　are　rotten：　I　must　confess　it；　very　grief　doth　force　me；　Dead　or　alive；　both　God　and　man　doth　curse　me。　LET　ALL　EXCISEMEN　hereby　warning　take；　To　shun　their　practice　for　their　conscience　sake。



Poem：　THE　MESSENGER　OF　MORTALITY；　OR　LIFE　AND　DEATH　CONTRASTED　IN　A　　DIALOGUE　BETWIXT　DEATH　AND　A　LADY。



＇ONE　of　Charles　Lamb's　most　beautiful　and　plaintive　poems　was　　suggested　by　this　old　dialogue。　　The　tune　is　given　in　Chappell's　　POPULAR　MUSIC；　p。　167。　　In　Carey's　MUSICAL　CENTURY；　1738；　it　is　　called　the　'Old　tune　of　DEATH　AND　THE　LADY。'　　The　four　concluding　　lines　of　the　present　copy　of　DEATH　AND　THE　LADY　are　found　inscribed　　on　tomb…stones　in　village　church…yards　in　every　part　of　England。　　　They　are　not　contained；　however；　in　the　broadside　with　which　our　　reprint　has　been　carefully　collated。＇


DEATH。

FAIR　lady；　lay　your　costly　robes　aside；　No　longer　may　you　glory　in　your　pride；　Take　leave　of　all　your　carnal　vain　delight；　I'm　come　to　summon　you　away　this　night！

LADY。

What　bold　attempt　is　this？　pray　let　me　know　From　whence　you　come；　and　whither　I　must　go？　Must　I；　who　am　a　lady；　stoop　or　bow　To　such　a　pale…faced　visage？　　Who　art　thou？

DEATH。

Do　you　not　know　me？　well！　I　tell　thee；　then；　It's　I　that　conquer　all　the　sons　of　men！　No　pitch　of　honour　from　my　dart　is　free；　My　name　is　Death！　have　you　not　heard　of　me？

LADY。

Yes！　　I　have　heard　of　thee　time　after　time；　But　being　in　the　glory　of　my　prime；　I　did　not　think　you　would　have　called　so　soon。　Why　must　my　morning　sun　go　down　at　noon？

DEATH。

Talk　not　of　noon！　you　may　as　well　be　mute；　This　is　no　time　at　all　for　to　dispute：　Your　riches；　garments；　gold；　and　jewels　brave；　Houses　and　lands　must　all　new　owners　have；　Though　thy　vain　heart　to　riches　was　inclined；　Yet　thou　must　die　and　leave　them　all　behind。

LADY。

My　heart　is　cold；　I　tremble　at　the　news；　There's　bags　of　gold；　if　thou　wilt　me　excuse；　And　seize　on　them；　and　finish　thou　the　strife　Of　those　that　are　aweary　of　their　life。　Are　there　not　many　bound　in　prison　strong；　In　bitter　grief　of　soul　have　languished　long；　Who　could　but　find　the　grave　a　place　of　rest；　From　all　the　grief　in　which　they　are　oppressed？　Besides；　there's　many　with　a　hoary　head；　And　palsy　joints；　by　which　their　joys　are　fled；　Release　thou　them　whose　sorrows　are　so　great；　But　spare　my　life　to　have　a　longer　date。

DEATH。

Though　some　by　age　be　full　of　grief　and　pain；　Yet　their　appointed　time　they　must　remain：　I　come　to　none　before　their　warrant's　sealed；　And　when　it　is；　they　must　submit　and　yield。　I　take　no　bribe；　believe　me；　this　is　true；　Prepare　yourself　to　go；　I'm　come　for　you。

LADY。

Death；　be　not　so　severe；　let　me　obtain　A　little　longer　time　to　live　and　reign！　Fain　would　I　stay　if　thou　my　life　will　spare；　I　have　a　daughter　beautiful　and　fair；　I'd　live　to　see　her　wed　whom　I　adore：　Grant　me　but　this　and　I　will　ask　no　more。

DEATH。

This　is　a　slender　frivolous　excuse；　I　have　you　fast；　and　will　not　let　you　loose；　Leave　her　to　Providence；　for　you　must　go　Along　with　me；　whether　you　will　or　no；　I；　Death；　command　the　King　to　leave　his　crown；　And　at　my　feet　he　lays　his　sceptre　down！　Then　if　to　kings　I　don't　this　favour　give；　But　cut　them　off；　can　you　expect　to　live　Beyond　the　limits　of　your　time　and　space！　No！　I　must　send　you　to　another　place。

LADY。

You　learned　doctors；　now　express　your　skill；　And　let　not　Death　of　me　obtain　his　will；　Prepare　your　cordials；　let　me　comfort　find；　My　gold　shall　fly　like　chaff　before　the　wind。

DEATH。

Forbear　to　call；　their　skill　will　never　do；　They　are　but　mortals　here　as　well　as　you：　I　give　the　fatal　wound；　my　dart　is　sure；　And　far　beyond　the　doctor's　skill　to　cure。　How　freely　can　you　let　your　riches　fly　To　purchase　life；　rather　than　yield　to　die！　But　while　you　flourish　here　with　all　your　store；　You　will　not　give　one　penny　to　the　poor；　Though　in　God's　name　their　suit　to　you　they　make；　You　would　not　spare　one　penny　for　His　sake！　The　Lord　beheld　wherein　you　did　amiss；　And　calls　you　hence　to　give　account　for　this！

LADY。

Oh！　heavy　news！　must　I　no　longer　stay？　How　shall　I　stand　in　the　great　judgment…day？　＇Down　from　her　eyes　the　crystal　tears　did　flow：　She　said＇；　None　knows　what　I　do　undergo：　Upon　my　bed　of　sorrow　here　I　lie；　My　carnal　life　makes　me　afraid　to　die。　My　sins；　alas！　are　many；　gross　and　foul；　Oh；　righteous　Lord！　have　mercy　on　my　soul！　And　though　I　do　deserve　thy　righteous　frown；　Yet　pardon；　Lord；　and　pour　a　blessing　down。　＇Then　with　a　dying　sigh　her　heart　did　break；　And　did　the　pleasures　of　this　world　forsake。＇


Thus　may　we　see　the　high　and　mighty　fall；　For　cruel　Death　shows　no　respect　at　all　To　any　one　of　high　or　low　degree　Great　men　submit　to　Death　as　well　as　we。　Though　they　are　gay；　their　life　is　but　a　span　…　A　lump　of　clay　…　so　vile　a　creature's　man。　Then　happy　those　whom　Christ　has　made　his　care；　Who　die　in　the　Lord；　and　ever　blessed　are。　The　grave's　the　market…place　where　all　men　meet；　Both　rich　and　poor；　as　well　as　small　and　great。　If　life　were　merchandise　that　gold　could　buy；　The　rich　would　live；　the　poor　alone　would　die。



Poem：　ENGLAND'S　ALARM；　OR　THE　PIOUS　CHRISTIAN'S　SPEEDY　CALL　TO　　REPENTANCE

For　the　many　aggravating　sins　too　much　practised　in　our　present　　mournful　times：　as　Pride；　Drunkenness；　Blasphemous　Swearing；　　together　with　the　Profanation　of　the　Sabbath；　concluding　with　the　　sin　of　wantonness　and　disobedience；　that　upon　our　hearty　sorrow　and　　forsaking　the　same　the　Lord　may　save　us　for　his　mercy's　sake。



＇FROM　the　cluster　of　'ornaments'　alluded　to　in　the　ninth　verse　of　　the　following　poem；　we　are　inclined　to　fix　the　date　about　1653。　　　The　present　reprint　is　from　an　old　broadside；　without　printer's　　name　or　date；　in　possession　of　Mr。　J。　R。　Smith。＇


YOU　sober…minded　christians　now　draw　near；　Labour　to　learn　these　pious　lessons　here；　For　by　the　same　you　will　be　taught　to　know　What　is　the　cause　of　all　our　grief　and　woe。

We　have　a　God　who　sits　enthroned　above；　He　sends　us　many　tokens　of　his　love：　Yet　we；　like　disobedient　children；　still　Deny　to　yield　submission　to　His　will。

The　just　command　which　He　upon　us　lays；　We　must　confess　we　have　ten　thousand　ways　Transgressed；　for　see　how　men　their　sins　pursue；　As　if　they　did　not　fear　what　God　could　do。

Behold　the　wretched　sinner　void　of　shame；　He　values　not　how　he　blasphemes　the　name　Of　that　good　God　who　gave　him　life　and　breath；　And　who　can　strike　him　with　the　darts　of　death！

The　very　little　children　which　we　meet；　Amongst　the　sports　and　pastimes　in　the　street；　We　very　often　hear　them　curse　and　swear；　Before　they've　learned　a　word　of　any　prayer。

'Tis　much　to　be　lamented；　for　I　fear　The　same　they　learn　from　what　they　daily　hear；　Be　careful　then；　and　don't　instruct　them　so；　For　fear　you　prove　their　dismal　overthrow。

Both　young　and　old；　that　dreadful　sin　forbear；　The　tongue　of　man　was　never　made　to　swear；　But　to　adore　and　praise　the　blessed　name；　By　whom　alone　our　dear　salvation　came。

Pride　is　another　reigning　sin　likewise；　Let　us　behold　in　what　a　strange　disguise　Young　damsels　do　appear；　both　rich　and　poor；　The　like　was　ne'er　in　any　age　before。

What　artificial　ornaments　they　wear；　Black　patches；　paint；　and　locks　of　powdered　hair；　Likewise　in　lofty　hoops　they　are　arrayed；　As　if　they　would　correct　what　God　had　made。

Yet　let　'em　know；　for　all　those　youthful　charms；　They　must　lie　down　in　death's　cold　frozen　arms！　Oh　think　on　this；　and　raise　your　thoughts　above　The　sin　of　pride；　which　you　so　dearly　love。

Likewise；　the　wilful　sinners　that　transgress　The　righteous　laws　of　God　by　drunkenness；　They　do　abuse　the　creatures　which　were　sent　Purely　for　man's　refreshing　nourishment。

Many　diseases　doth　that　sin　attend；　But　what　is　worst　of　all；　the　fatal　end：　Let　n