THERE dwelt a man in Babylon, | |
| of reputation great by fame; | |
| He took to wife a fair woman, | |
| Susanna she was call’d by name; | |
| A woman fair and virtuous: | 5 |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| Why should we not of her learn thus | |
| to live godly? | |
| |
| Virtuously her life she led, | |
| she feared God, she stood in awe, | 10 |
| As in the story we have read, | |
| was well brought up in Moses’ Law. | |
| Her parents they were godly folk, | |
| Lady, Lady; | |
| Why should we not then sing and talk | 15 |
| of this Lady? | |
| |
| That year two Judges there was made, | |
| which were the Elders of Babylon; | |
| To Joachim’s house was all their trade, | |
| who was Susanna’s husband then: | 20 |
| Joachim was a great rich man, | |
| Lady, Lady; | |
| These Elders oft to his house came | |
| for this Lady. | |
| |
| Joachim had an Orchard by, | 25 |
| fast joining to his house or place, | |
| Whereas Susanna commonly | |
| her self did daily there solace: | |
| And that these Elders soon espied, | |
| Lady, Lady; | 30 |
| And privily themselves did hide | |
| for that Lady. | |
| |
| Her chaste and constant life was tried | |
| by these two Elders of Babylon; | |
| A time convenient they espied | 35 |
| to have this Lady all alone. | |
| In his Orchard it came to pass, | |
| Lady, Lady; | |
| Where she alone her self did wash | |
| her fair body. | 40 |
| |
| These Elders came to her anon, | |
| and thus they said, “Fair dame, God speed! | |
| Thy doors are fast, thy Maids are gone, | |
| consent to us and do this deed; | |
| For we are men of no mistrust, | 45 |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| And yet to thee we have a lust, | |
| O fair Lady! | |
| |
| “If that to us thou dost say ‘nay,’ | |
| a testimonial we will bring; | 50 |
| We will say that one with thee lay,— | |
| how canst thou then avoid the thing? | |
| Therefore consent, and to us turn, | |
| Lady, Lady; | |
| For we to thee in lust do burn, | 55 |
| O fair Lady!” | |
| |
| Then did she sigh, and said, “Alas! | |
| now woe is me on every side; | |
| Was ever wretch in such a case? | |
| shall I consent and do this deed? | 60 |
| Whether I do or do it not,” | |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| “It is my death, right well I wot.” | |
| O true Lady! | |
| |
| “Better it were for me to fall | 65 |
| into your hands this day guiltless, | |
| Then that I should consent at all | |
| to this your shameful wickedness.” | |
| And even with that (whereas she stood), | |
| Lady, Lady, | 70 |
| Unto the Lord she cried aloud | |
| pitifully. | |
| |
| These Elders both likewise again | |
| against Susanna aloud they cried, | |
| Their filthy lust could not obtain, | 75 |
| their wickedness they sought to hide; | |
| Unto her friends they then her brought, | |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| And with all speed the life they sought | |
| of that Lady. | 80 |
| |
THE SECOND PART ON the morrow she was brought forth | |
| before the people there to stand, | |
| That they might hear and know the truth, | |
| how these two Elders Susanna found. | |
| The Elders swore, and thus did say, | 85 |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| How that they saw a young man lay | |
| with that Lady. | |
| |
| Judgment there was, for no offence, | |
| Susanna causeless then must die;— | 90 |
| These Elders bore such evidence, | |
| against her they did verify, | |
| Who were believed then indeed, | |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| Against Susanna to proceed, | 95 |
| that she should die. | |
| |
| Susanna’s friends that stood her by, | |
| they did lament, and were full woe, | |
| When as they saw no remedy, | |
| but that to death she then must go. | 100 |
| Then unto him that is so just, | |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| (In God was all her hope and trust) | |
| to him did cry. | |
| |
| The Lord her voice heard, and beheld | 105 |
| the Daughter’s cry of Israel; | |
| His spirit he raised in a child, | |
| whose name was called young Daniel, | |
| Who cried aloud whereas he stood, | |
| Lady, Lady, | 110 |
| “I am clear of the guiltless blood | |
| of this Lady.” | |
| |
| “Are you such fools?” quoth Daniel then; | |
| “in judgment you have not done well, | |
| Nor yet the right way have you gone | 115 |
| to judge a daughter of Israel | |
| By this witness of false disdain; | |
| Lady, Lady, | |
| Wherefore to judgment turn again, | |
| for that Lady.” | 120 |
| |
| And when to judgment they were set, | |
| he called for those wicked men, | |
| And soon he did them separate, | |
| putting the one from the other, then | |
| He asked the first where he did see | 125 |
| that fair Lady; | |
| He said “under a mulberry tree;” | |
| who lied falsely. | |
| |
| “Thou liest,” said Daniel, “on thy head | |
| thy sentence is before the Lord!” | 130 |
| He bade that forth he might be led, | |
| and bring the other that bore record, | |
| To see how they two did agree | |
| for this Lady; | |
| He said, “under a pomegranate tree;” | 135 |
| who lied falsely. | |
| |
| Said Daniel, as he did before, | |
| “behold the messenger of the Lord | |
| Stands waiting for you at the door, | |
| even to cut thee with a sword.” | 140 |
| And, even with that, the multitude | |
| aloud did cry, | |
| “Give thanks to God, so to conclude, | |
| for this Lady.” | |
| |
| They dealt like with these wicked men | 145 |
| according as the Scripture saith, | |
| They did, as with their neighbour, then, | |
| by Moses’ law were put to death! | |
| The innocent preserved was, | |
| Lady, Lady, | 150 |
| As God by Daniel brought to pass | |
| for this Lady. | |
| |
