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The Dance of Death.
by Death. On the spectator's left hand, Death bringing aman before a judge; with the motto, " The greatest judgethat sits in honour's seat, must come to grave, where't bootsnot to intreate." A man and woman in a brothel, Deathbehind \ with the motto, " Leave, wanton youth, thou mustno longer stay; if once I call all mortals must obey." Onthe opposite side, the Miser and Death; the motto, "Come,worldling, come, gold hath no power to save ; leave it thoushalt, and dance with me to grave." Death and theprisoner; the motto, " Prisoner arise, ile ease thy fetterdfeet, and now betake thee to thy winding sheet." In themiddle of the print sits a minstrel on a stool formed ofbones placed on a coffin with a pick-axe and spade. Heplays on a tabor and pipe ; with this motto, " Sickness,despaire, sword, famine, sudden death, all these do serveas minstrells unto Death; the beggar, king, fool, andprofound, courtier and clown, all dance this round."Under the above figures is a poem of sixty-six lines on thepower of Death, beginning thus :—
" Yea, Adam's brood and earthly wights which breathe now on the earth,Come dance this dance, and mark the song of this most mighty Death.Full well my power is known and seen in all the world about,When I do strike of force do yeeld both noble, wise, and stout, &c.
Printed cullored and sould by R. Walton at the Globe andCompasses at the West end of St. Paules church turningdown towards Ludgate."
XIII. A large anonymous German engraving on copper,in folio. In the middle is a circular Dance of Death, withnine females, from the Empress to the Fool. In the fourcorners, two persons kneeling before a crucifix ; saints inheaven ; the temptation ; and the infernal regions. At top,a frame with these verses :—
Vulneris en nostri certam solamque medelamEn data divina praemia larga manu.
Der Todt Christi zunicht hat gmachtDen Todt und's Leben wider bracht
At bottom in a similar frame :—
Per unius peccatum Mors intravit in mundum>
Den Todt und ewig hellisch peinHat veruhrsagt die Sund allein.