Her biginneth a tretis Here treatise Of threo messagers of deth, iwis. three certainly

The mon that is of wommon ibore, man woman born His lyf nis heere but a throwe. is not little while So seithJob us heer bifore says Al in a bok that I wel knowe.

line5 He hedde is muynde al of his deth; occupied his mind entirely with Wel sore he con grone and grunte, can groan (complain) And seide his lyf nas bote a breth. was not but a breath Heer mou we none stounde stunte. never tarry briefly

From Deth may no mon be fre; freeline10 For his righte wol he not lete. will surrender Now beoth ther messagers thre there are three Among monkuynde for to meete: With mankind clash

Aventures,Seeknesse, and Elde, Chance (Accident) Sickness Old Age Theos beoth messagers of Deth. These areline15 To hem we moten us alle yelde must yield And louten ther ur maystres geth.

Whon Deth cometh that is so derk, dismal (wicked) Ther may no mon him withstonde; I take witnesse on a noble clerk appeal for reference toline20 That wrot theos vers with his honde: wrote hand

Mors vetat athletas; Ego mortis nescio metas; Inter res letas Caveat sibi quelibet etas.

line25 Deth, he sleth this kempes kene, slays stalwart wrestlers And kynges in heore worthly won, their splendid abode Riche and pore alle bidene, together Yong ne old, spareth he non. spares

Ther is on of this messagers oneline30 That of no mon wol take mede. reward He is so hardi and so fers brave fierce That alle men of him have drede. fear

The messager hette Aventours. is named Chance (Accident) Ageynes him may beo no strif;line35 Whon he cometh to a monnes hous, man’s He taketh bothe hosebonde and the wyf. both husband

He taketh the child in his cradel, Theih he beo bot o niht old; Though but one night The kniht and horse in his sadel saddleline40 I-armed, beo he never so bold.

Of him beo uche mon iwar each vigilant And mak him clene, ar he beo hent. himself guiltless, lest he be snatched For ther nis no geynchar is no escape Whon Aventures cometh to tornement. challenge

line45 Mony mon lihth in dedly synne lies sin And weneth that he beo not veyghe, believes doomed And Aventures cometh with his ginne And hontuth til he have his preye. hunts has

In dedly sunne he is ifounde sin foundline50 Withouten schrift and repentaunce. confession He geth in to helle grounde, goes grounds of hell Ther to suffre his penaunce.

Seint Poul bit we schulden awake — bids should This clerkes witen as wel as I — knowline55 That we schulden us clene make make ourselves pure (i.e., confess) And of ur sinnes ben sori. our be repentant

And bote we ben, we schulen abugge; Ther schal no pledur plede that. advocate plead Ther God us fynt, he wol us jugge — finds judgeline60 Nou uche mon be war bi that. Now each mindful of that

For Aventures wol come as a thef will thief Be nihte, whon mon ben aslepe, By night And taken awey that him is leef. that which pleases him Nou awaketh, that ye mowe him kepe. you may ward off

line65 Another messager ther is Of Deth, whon Crist wol him sende — wishes to send him Seknesse — ic have iherd ar this heard before The messager is swithe hende. exceedingly skilled (crafty)

Whon Seeknesse cometh to a mon,line70 He may bewar yif he is sleih, clever And greithen his in, yif that he con, make ready his home can And thenken that Deth is swithe neih. think very nigh

For Seknesse cometh apertely; openly (without hesitation) He ne dareth not in his den. lurk lairline75 Hit is ure lordes cortesy our With Seknesse for to warne men.

Mony men, whon that heo beoth seke, they are sick To Jhesu Crist a clepen and criye call cry And to his mylde mooder eke his gentle mother alsoline80 And sigge: “Now thou help, Marie! say

Yif that we mowe be sound and save may safe And kevere, that we mowen habben ur hele, delivered may have salvation Al the good that we have For Godes love we wolen hit dele.” distribute [as alms]

line85 We love wel God in al ur thought While we beo seeke and sore smerte. are sick in pain Whon we beoth hol, we loven him nought, are healthy love He nis no lengor in ure herte. longer our

Cum fero langorem,line90 Fero religionis amorem; Expers langoris Non sum memor huius amoris.

Of Crist ne taketh he non hede; He nath no more with him to donne. Nor has to doline95 To thonken him for his goode dede; thank He thenketh no more theruppone. thinks

Suche men ben ofte alone ilet are left To pleye as the foul in the lift, bird air Til Aventures have with hem met,line100 Bereveth hem bothe hosel and schrift. Deprives Eucharist confession

Men oughten holden up bothe heore honden their hands To God, while heo ben hol and feere, they are hale and hearty To sende, whon he wol hem fonden, wishes to find Seeknesse to ben heore messagere. be their

line105 Seynt Poul seith, ure Lordes kniht, In a pistel that he wrot, epistle That he was strengest and most of miht strongest might Whon God him with Seknesse smot.

Now ichulle siggen ou of Elde; I wish to speak to youline110 Of messagers he is the thridde. third Whon monnes hed biginneth to elde, When man’s attention (head) to grow old He may not do but beodes bidde. recite prayers

And he leoneth uppon his crucche, leans Whon Deth him bekneth, comen he mot. beckons mustline115 Hit helpeth nought thauh he grucche, though he grumbles He schal withstonde never a fot. not even a foot

Also farethElde as doth a sweyn behaves servant That stondeth at his lordes yate gate And mot not wenden in ageyn, may not walkline120 For the porter that is therate. Because of right there

For no yiftes that he may yiven, gifts give Ne feire wordes that he mai speken, fair speak He worth out atte yate idriven; shall at [the] gate be driven out Anon the yate for him is steken. shut

line125 Yif a mon may libben heer If live here And ben of pouwer for to go be power to reach The elde of fourescore yer, old age eighty years That other del is serwe and wo. remainder [of his life] sorrow

For hose wole his lyf beholde he who wishes toline130 From biginnynge to the ende, Wel ofte may his herte colde grow cold [with fear] That not what wey he schal wende. does not know way

Wel we witen we schule be ded; know shall Ur dwellyng her nis bote a while. here is not butline135 Jhesu Crist us wisse and rede, instructs teaches That never the Fend ne do us gyle. [So] that the Devil never can deceive us

Nou is Deth a wonder thing Now strange And grislich for to thenken on. horrible think He ne spareth emperour ne kyng, sparesline140 Ne pope for al the good that he con. knows

Wher ben heo that biforen us weoren, are they who were before us That weore so mihti in heore deden? their deeds Houndes ladden and haukes beeren led hawks bore An hontyng heighe uppon heore steeden? hunting loftily their steeds

line145 Deth hit hath hem al byraft, it them all snatched away With hem ther nis no more pley. action (activity) And al that bereth monnes schaft, bear human shape Schal go that ilke selve wey. very same

Uche mon may be sore aferd afraidline150 That hath a soule for to save, Whon he geth bi a chirche yerd goes yard And seoth wher dede men beth igrave. sees dead are buried

Riche men habbeth riche stones, have elaborate gravestones That alle men mouwe biholde: So that mayline155 Therunder liggeth foule bones, lie Ibeddet al in cloth of colde.

Wel pore halle ther is imaked Very poor made Withouten eny worldes winne; any worldly wealth Save a clout, men beoth al naked,line160 Whon Deth is comen, icast therinne.

The halle roof is cast ful lowe, Ther beoth none chaumbres wyde; are no Me may reche the helewowe Men touch (reckon) end wall And the wal on uche a syde. each

line165 Heore bodies that weoren so softe ibathen Their were so gently bathed And ibrought forth with mete and drynk, reared Ther hit schal crepe ful of mathen — creep maggots In al this world nis foulore stynk. there is no fouler

A mon that such a bodi seye, seesline170 Whon wormes hit hath thorwsouht, dug through He oughte wepe with his eye weep And evere have him in his thouht. always thought

Ther nis non so luyte ne so muche, is no one so slender or so big That is of flesch, blod, and bon,line175 That we ne schule ben alle suche, all the same Whon we ben huled under a ston. are kept

Hou may eny mon be proud How any For eny thing that he may gete, get Whon he is huled under a schroud, kept shroudline180 That thing that is wormes mete? meat

That thing that is ur moste fo — our greatest foe Therfore we don a gret folye do folly To love that thing that doth us wo, causes us woe And eke ur dedliche enemye. also [is] our mortal

line185 Yif a mon may libben heer live here As longe as dude Matussalé — did Methuselah Nighene hundred and nyne and sixti yer Nine So longe on eorthe livede he —

That nis not also muche tyme is not as muchline190 Ageynes the tyme that cometh afterward In comparison with As fro the sonne rysing to prime: the time between six and nine a.m. To sunfol men that is ful hard. sinful difficult

That, I schal seye, nou taketh kepe, So that take heed I drawe to witnesse seynt Austyn: Augustineline195 That a mon schal more wepe weep That damned is to helle pyn pains of hell

Then is water under the sonne, Than [there is] sun And he wepe uche day a ter. each tear Aviseth ow now, yif that ye cunne, Contemplate if you canline200 And doth that ye ne come not ther. act so that

A mon that dampned is to helle, His peyne may not ben forbought, punishment redeemed Ac endeles he schall ther dwelle; But rather Almes dede helpeth him nouht. Alms-giving not at all

line205 Thei alle men that libbeth nouthe Even if live now Weore prestes masses to synge, Were to sing priests’ Masses And duden al that thei ever couthe, did could Ne scholden him of pyne bringe.

That ilke soule that is dryven same drivenline210 With fendes in atte helle yate, fiends hell’s gate And his juggement be him yiven, is given to him To bidde merci hit is to late. it too

Hevene hit is ure heritage, it (Heaven) our inheritance To ure bihove hit is diht. sake preparedline215 We han do feuté and homage have done fealty To ure Lord, as hit is riht. our right

Synful mon, yif that he falleth, falls Arys up and mak thi pees, make your peace And cum to Crist, whon that he calleth callsline220 To joye that is endeles.

He that is almihti kyng, almighty That heighe sitteth in Trinité, sits aloft Graunt us alle his blessyng. Amen, Amen, par charité. by charity