8

The Dance of Death.

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Thus ys wryte he hyzte 17 Gerlew ;

Twey maydens were yn here coveyne,

Mayden Merswynde 18 and Wybessyne ;

All these came thedyr for that enchesone, 1 Jogjjf-j

Of the prestes of the toune. | e J*

The prest hyzt Robert as y can ame,

Azone hyzt hys sone by name,

Hys doghter that there men wulde have,

Thus ys wryte that she hyzt Ave.

Echone consented to o wyl,

Who shuld go Ave out to tyl,

They graunted echone out to sende,

Bothe Wybessyne and Merswynde :

These women zede and tolled 19 her oute,

Wyth hem to karolle the cherche aboute,

Benne ordeyned here karollyng,

Gerlew endyted what they shuld syng.

Thys ys the karolle that they sunge,

As telleth the Latyn tunge,

Equitabat Bevo per sylvam frondosam,

Ducebat secum Merwyndam formosam,

Quid stamus cur non imus.

By the levede 20 wode rode Bevolyne,

Wyth hym he ledde feyre Merwyne,

Why stonde we, why go we noght:

Thys ys the karolle that Grysly wroght,

Thys songe sung they yn chercheyerd,

Of foly were they nothyng aferd.

The party continued dancing and carolling all the matinstime, and till the mass began ; when the priest, hearing thenoise, came out to the church porch, and desired them toleave off dancing, and come into the church to hear theservice ; but they paid him no regard whatever, and con-tinued their dance. The priest, now extremely incensed,prayed to God in favour of St. Magnus, the patron of thechurch :

That swych a venjeaunce were on hem sent,

Are they out of that stede 21 were went,

That myz£ ever ryzt so wende,

Unto that tyme twelvemonth ende.

Yn the Latyne that y fonde thore,

He seyth not twelvemonth but evermore.

The priest had no sooner finished his prayer, than the handsof the dancers were so locked together that none couldseparate them for a twelvemonth :

17 Called. 18 A name borrowed from Merwyn, Abbess of Ramsey,temp. Reg. Edgari. 19 Took. 20 Leafy. 21 Place.

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Azone carries litells him the ccafter much lameiit rises out of trises. He buriograve with consthe church thatparty continuedfood or sleepinjthe least affectdceased to grow,discoloured ; bvJ

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To see this <\from Rome, andto enclose themfor what was setcovering could Iof mercy that dthe expiration ihour in whichthem, they wer<jeye " ran into tpavement, whei