Dives And Lazarus

As it fell out upon one day,

Rich Divès made a feast,

And he invited all his friends,

And gentry of the best.

Then Lazarus laid him down and down

And down at Divès' door:

"Some meat and drink, brother, Diverus,

Bestow upon the poor."

"Thou'rt none of my brothers, Lazarus,

That liest begging at my door;

No meat, nor drink will I give thee,

Nor bestow upon the poor."

Then Lazarus laid him down and down,

All under Divès' wall:

"Some meat, some drink, brother Diverus,

For hunger starve I shall."

"Thou'rt none of my brothers, Lazarus,

That liest begging at my gate;

No meat, no drink will I give thee,

For Jesus Christ His sake."

Then Divès sent out his hungry dogs,

To bite him as he lay;

They hadn't the power to bite one bite,

But licked his sores away.

Then Divès sent to his merry men,

To worry poor Lazarus away;

They'd not the power to strike one stroke,

But flung their whips away.

As it fell out upon one day,

Poor Lazarus sickened and died;

There came two angels out of heaven,

His soul therein to guide.

"Rise up! rise up! brother Lazarus,

And go along with me;

For you've a place prepared in heaven,

To sit on an angel's knee."

As it fell out upon one day,

Rich Divès sickened and died;

There came two serpents out of hell,

His soul therein to guide.

"Rise up! rise up! brother Diverus,

And come along with me;

There is a place provided in hell

For wicked men like thee."

Then Divès looked up with his eyes

And saw poor Lazarus blest;

"Give me one drop of water, brother Lazarus,

To quench my flaming thirst."

"O, was I now but alive again

The space of one half hour!

O, that I had my peace again

Then the devil should have no power."