The Lyke-Wake Dirge

(Lansdowne MS., 231, fol. 114 recto.)

1. This ean night, this ean night, eve[r]y night and awle: Fire and Fleet and Candle-light and Christ recieve thy Sawle.

2. When thou from hence doest pass away every night and awle To Whinny-moor thou comest at last and Christ recieve thy [thy silly poor] Sawle.

3. If ever thou gave either hosen or shun every night and awle Sitt thee downe and putt them on and Christ recieve thy Sawle.

4. But if hosen nor shoon thou never gave nean every night &c: The Whinnes shall prick thee to the bare beane and Christ recieve thy Sawle.

5. From Whinny-moor that thou mayst pass every night &c: To Brig o’ Dread thou comest at last and Christ &c: [fol. 114 verso] no brader than a thread.

6. From Brig of Dread that thou mayst pass every night &c: To Purgatory fire thou com’st at last and Christ &c:

7. If ever thou gave either Milke or drinke every night &c: The fire shall never make thee shrink and Christ &c:

8. But if milk nor drink thou never gave nean every night &c: The Fire shall burn thee to the bare bane and Christ recive thy Sawle.

[Annotations: 1.1: ‘ean,’ one. 1.3: ‘Fleet,’ water. --Aubrey’s marginal note. See above. 2.3: Whin is a Furze. --Aubrey. 2.4: This line stands in the MS. as here printed. 3.1: Job cap. xxxi. 19. If I have seen any perish for want of cloathing, or any poor without covering: 20. If his loyns have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, &c. --Aubrey. 3.3: There will be hosen and shoon for them. --Aubrey. 4.3: ‘beane.’ The ‘a’ was inserted by Aubrey after writing ‘bene.’ 6.1: ‘no brader than a thread.’ Written by Aubrey as here printed over the second half of the line. Probably it indicates a lost stanza. See Appendix. 8.3: ‘bane’ might be read ‘bene.’]