Skip to main content Show glosses Glosses Show glosses Glosses Acknowledgments Abbreviations List General Introduction Introduction to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: A Version (Selden) John Lydgate, Dance of Death: A Version (Selden) Introduction to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: B Version (Lansdowne) John Lydgate, Dance of Death: B Version (Lansdowne) Introduction to John Lydgate, "Death's Warning to the World" (DIMEV 4905) John Lydgate, "Death's Warning to the World" (DIMEV 4905) Introduction to "Three Messengers of Death" (DIMEV 5387) "Three Messengers of Death" (DIMEV 5387) Introduction to "A Warning Spoken by the Soul of a Dead Person" (DIMEV 3624) "A Warning Spoken by the Soul of a Dead Person" (DIMEV 3624) Introduction to "A Mirror for Young Ladies at their Toilet" (DIMEV 3454) "A Mirror for Young Ladies at their Toilet" (DIMEV 3454) Introduction to "The Ressoning betuix Deth and Man," Ascribed to Robert Henryson (DIMEV 4000) "The Ressoning betuix Deth and Man" (DIMEV 4000) Introduction to "The Dawnce of Makabre" (DIMEV 4104) "The Dawnce of Makabre" (DIMEV 4104) Introduction to "Can Ye Dance the Shaking of the Sheets" (DIMEV 956) "Can Ye Dance the Shaking of the Sheets" (DIMEV 956) Introduction to La Danse macabre La Danse macabre Explanatory and Textual Notes Notes to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: A Version (Selden) Notes to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: B Version (Lansdowne) Notes to John Lydgate, "Death's Warning to the World" Notes to "Three Messengers of Death" Notes to "A Warning Spoken by the Soul of a Dead Person" Notes to "A Mirror for Young Ladies at their Toilet" Notes to "The Ressoning betuix Deth and Man" Notes to "The Dawnce of Makabre" Notes to "Can Ye Dance the Shaking of the Sheets" Notes to La Danse macabre Bibliography Acknowledgments Abbreviations List General Introduction Introduction to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: A Version (Selden) John Lydgate, Dance of Death: A Version (Selden) Introduction to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: B Version (Lansdowne) John Lydgate, Dance of Death: B Version (Lansdowne) Introduction to John Lydgate, "Death's Warning to the World" (DIMEV 4905) John Lydgate, "Death's Warning to the World" (DIMEV 4905) Introduction to "Three Messengers of Death" (DIMEV 5387) "Three Messengers of Death" (DIMEV 5387) Introduction to "A Warning Spoken by the Soul of a Dead Person" (DIMEV 3624) "A Warning Spoken by the Soul of a Dead Person" (DIMEV 3624) Introduction to "A Mirror for Young Ladies at their Toilet" (DIMEV 3454) "A Mirror for Young Ladies at their Toilet" (DIMEV 3454) Introduction to "The Ressoning betuix Deth and Man," Ascribed to Robert Henryson (DIMEV 4000) "The Ressoning betuix Deth and Man" (DIMEV 4000) Introduction to "The Dawnce of Makabre" (DIMEV 4104) "The Dawnce of Makabre" (DIMEV 4104) Introduction to "Can Ye Dance the Shaking of the Sheets" (DIMEV 956) "Can Ye Dance the Shaking of the Sheets" (DIMEV 956) Introduction to La Danse macabre La Danse macabre Explanatory and Textual Notes Notes to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: A Version (Selden) Notes to John Lydgate, Dance of Death: B Version (Lansdowne) Notes to John Lydgate, "Death's Warning to the World" Notes to "Three Messengers of Death" Notes to "A Warning Spoken by the Soul of a Dead Person" Notes to "A Mirror for Young Ladies at their Toilet" Notes to "The Ressoning betuix Deth and Man" Notes to "The Dawnce of Makabre" Notes to "Can Ye Dance the Shaking of the Sheets" Notes to La Danse macabre Bibliography Rubric
C’est le myrroure . . . testes bealment adressere . There seems to be a play on words here as adressere can have both a literal meaning of arranging something, such as hair, as well as a more figurative meaning of moral rectitude, apt for a work suggesting leaving behind worldly vanity for spiritual progress. Thus, we could gloss the second half of the rubric as “instructing/rectifying their heads (i.e., minds) virtuously.” ↩ back to note source 13
Ne . The text seems somewhat corrupt here, as the only manuscript reads “Be” for “Ne”, which ruins the acrostic (see Textual Note to this line ). ↩ back to note source
lace . The poem’s use of the imagery of a snare seems to be playing with the idiomatic expression dethes las , which the MED defines as “death’s grasp” ( las (n.), sense 4). ↩ back to note source
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