“Recipe, recipe, recipe, recipe senne,
Dragmas duas, dragmas duas, dragmas duas,
Semi-dragmum rhei electac,
Scrupulum unum polychresti,
Infundantur, percolentur, hauriantur,
Horâ sextâ matutinâ,
Recipe, recipe, recipe, etc.”
Two surgeons answered to that, seca; ure; that is to say, cut, burn; and directly both joined in chorus—these repeating recipe, the others ure, and the last dancing.
This troop having sat, there entered another composed of newsmongers, and people who followed them to learn what was transacted abroad in England, France, Holland, Italy, and other places. After these entered solicitors, stewards of noble estates, soldiers, priests, and other persons whom I did not know. This cavalcade was terminated by a woman of monstrous stature, meagre, pale, and having a very extraordinary equipage. Her head dress consisted of crowns, tiaras, electoral bonnets, mitres, red and black hats, hats of straw, turbans, and bonnets of wool and silk: upon one side of the head, she had her hair curled and powdered; upon the other, shaven after the fashion of monks. Her robe was tissue of thread, wool, and silk, ornamented with trimmings of gold and silver, chaplets, precious stones, and pearls: she had upon her feet and legs, shoes of iron, wood, and leather: she bore upon a sceptre, a shepherd’s crook, a scythe, and a great club: she had one eye open, and the other shut; and carried, pendant from her neck, a sand box, with crosses of the order of Saint James, of the Holy Ghost, and the medals of other military orders: her gait was alternately slow, then quick and precipitate. She approached my bed, and said, “Arise, Chevalier, follow me!”
“But, before I follow thee,” replied I, “inform me who you are.”
“I am Death,” answered she; “follow me!”
“Is it your pleasure, then, that I should die?”
“No, no! follow me, and leave behind thy garment; for a person is not to be clothed when he follows Death. I will show you my empire, and my subjects. I am the queen of queens, the empress of sovereigns, the sovereign of the human race; and the powers of earth are but my inspectors.”
“How!” exclaimed I, “dare you to say the king of Spain is your inspector? he who possesses so many territories in the world?”
“Follow, follow,” said Death; “I will show you.”
Immediately all those who were there, went out in the same order they had entered: Death following the rear of the procession, and I following Death.