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Home  »  The Oxford Book of Ballads  »  109. Dives and Lazarus

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944). The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.

109

109. Dives and Lazarus

I

AS it fell out upon a day,

Rich Dives he made a feast,

And he invited all his friends

And gentry of the best.

II

Then Lazarus laid him down and down,

And down at Dives’ door;

‘Some meat, some drink, brother Dives,

Bestow upon the poor!’—

III

‘Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,

That lies begging at my door;

No meat nor drink will I give thee,

Nor bestow upon the poor.’

IV

Then Lazarus laid him down and down,

And down at Dives’ wall,

‘Some meat, some drink, brother Dives,

Or with hunger starve I shall!’—

V

‘Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,

That lies begging at my wall;

No meat nor drink will I give thee,

But with hunger starve you shall.’

VI

Then Lazarus laid him down and down,

And down at Dives’ gate:

‘Some meat, some drink, brother Dives,

For Jesus Christ his sake!’—

VII

‘Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus,

That lies begging at my gate;

No meat nor drink will I give thee,

For Jesus Christ his sake.’

VIII

Then Dives sent out his merry men,

To whip poor Lazarus away;

They had no power to strike a stroke,

But flung their whips away.

IX

Then Dives sent out his hungry dogs,

To bite him as he lay;

They had no power to bite at all,

But lickéd his sores away.

X

As it fell out upon a day,

Poor Lazarus sicken’d and died;

Then came two angels out of heaven

His soul therein to guide.

XI

‘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.’

XII

As it fell out upon a day,

Rich Dives sicken’d and died;

Then came two serpents out of hell,

His soul therein to guide.

XIII

‘Rise up, rise up, brother Dives,

And go with us to see

A dismal place, prepared in hell,

To sit on a serpent’s knee.’

XIV

Then Dives look’d up with his eyes,

And saw poor Lazarus blest:

‘Give me one drop of water, brother Lazarus,

To quench my flaming thirst.

XV

‘Oh had I as many years to abide

As there are blades of grass,

Then there would be an end, but now

Hell’s pains will ne’er be past!

XVI

‘Oh was I now but alive again,

The space of one half hour!

Oh that I had my peace secure!

Then the devil should have no power.’