The Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis

Off Februar the fyiftene nycht,
Full lang befoir the dayis lycht,
I lay in till a trance ;
And then I saw baith hevin and hell :
Me thocht, amangis the feyndis fell,
Mahoun gart cry ane dance

Off schrewis that wer nevir schrevin,
Aganiss the feist of Fasternis evin,
To mak thair observance ;
He bad gallandis ga graith a gyiss,
And kast vp gamountis in the skyiss,
That last came out of France.

" Lat se," quod he, " Now quha begynnis ;
With that the fowll Sevin Deidly Synnis
Begowth to leip at anis.
And first of all in dance wes Pryd,
With bair wyld bak and bonet on syd,
Lyk to mak vaistie wanis ;

And round abowt him, as a quheill,
Hang all in rumpillis to the heill
His kethat for the nanis :
Mony prowd trumpour with him trippit
Throw skaldand fyre, ay as thay skippit
Thay gyrnd with hiddouss granis.

Heilie harlottis on hawtane wyiss
Come in with mony sindrie gyiss,
Bot ȝit luche nevir Mahoun ;
Quhill preistis come in with bair schevin nekkis,
Than all the feyndis lewche, and maid gekkis,
Blak Belly and Bawsy Brown.

Than Yre come in with sturt and stryfe ;
His hand wes ay vpoun his knyfe,
He brandeist lyk a beir :
Bostaris, braggaris, and barganeris,
Eftir him passit in to pairis,
All bodin in feir of weir ;

In iakkis, and stryppis and bonettis of steill,
Thair leggis wer chenȝeit to the heill,
Ffrawart wes thair affeir :
Sum vpoun vdir with brandis beft,
Sum jaggit vthiris to the heft,
With knyvis that scherp cowd scheir.

Nixt in the dance followit Invy,
Fild full of feid and fellony,
Hid malyce and dispyte;
Ffor pryvie hatrent that tratour trymlit.
Him followit mony freik dissymlit,
With feneit wirdis quhyte ;

And flattereris in to menis facis ;
And bakbyttaris of sindry racis,
To ley that had delyte ;
And rownaris of fals lesingis;
Allace ! that courtis of noble kingis
Of thame can nevir be quyte.

Nixt him in dans come- Cuvatyce,
Rute of all evill and grund of vyce,
That nevir cowd be content ;
Catyvis, wrechis and okkeraris,
Hud-pykis, hurdaris and gadderaris,
All with that warlo went :

Out of thair throttis thay schot on vdder
Hett moltin gold, me thocht a fudder,
As fyreflawcht maist fervent ;
Ay as thay tomit thame of schot,
Ffeyndis fild thame new vp to the thrott
With gold of allkin prent.

Syne Sweirnes, at the secound bidding,
Come lyk a sow out of a midding,
Full slepy wes his grunȝie :
Mony sweir bumbard belly huddroun,
Mony slute daw and slepy duddroun,
Him serwit ay with sounȝie ;

He drew thame furth in till a chenȝie,
And Belliall, with a brydill renȝie,
Evir lascht thame on the lunȝie :
In dance thay war so slaw of feit,
Thay gaif thame in the fyre a heit,
And maid thame quicker of counȝie.

Than Lichery, that lathly corss,
Berand lyk a bagit horss,
And Ydilness did him leid ;
Thair wes with him ane vgly sort,
And mony stynkand fowll tramort,
That had in syn bene deid.

Quhen thay wer entrit in the dance,
Thay wer full strenge of countenance,
Lyk turkass birnand reid ;
All led thay vthir by the tersis,
Suppoiss thay fycket with thair ersis,
It mycht be na remeid.

Than the fowll monstir Glutteny,
Off wame vnsasiable and gredy,
To dance he did him dress ;
Him followit mony fowll drunckart,
With can and collep, cop and quart,
In surffet and excess ;

Full mony a waistless wallydrag,
With wamiss vnweildable, did furth wag,
In creische that did incress ;
Drynk ! ay thay cryit, with mony a gaip,
The feyndis gaif thame hait leid to laip,
Thair lovery wes na less.

Na menstrallis playit to thame but dowt,
Ffor glemen thair wer haldin owt,
Be day, and eik by nycht ;
Except a menstrall that slew a man,
Swa till his heretage he wan,
And entirt be breif of richt.

Than cryd Mahoun for a Heleand padȝane ;
Syne ran a feynd to feche Makfadȝane,
Ffar northwart in a nuke ;
Be he the correnoch had done schout,
Erschemen so gadderit him abowt,
In Hell grit rowme thay tuke.

Thae tarmegantis, with tag and tatter,
Ffull lowd in Ersche begowth to clatter,
And rowp lyk revin and ruke :
The Devill sa devit wes with thair ȝell,
That in the depest pot of hell
He smorit thame with smvke.