Midnight Messenger, The

DESCRIPTION: Death: "the time is come that thou shalt be no more." Rich man: "sure it cannot be; Depart therefore, you are not sent for me." Convinced, rich man says "serve ye the Lord, obey his holy will"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1846 (Dixon-AncientPoemsBalladsSongsOfThePeasantryOfEngland)
KEYWORDS: virtue money death dialog religious
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Dixon-AncientPoemsBalladsSongsOfThePeasantryOfEngland, Poem #4, pp. 12-19, "The Midnight Messenger" (1 text)
Bell-Combined-EarlyBallads-CustomsBalladsSongsPeasantryEngland, pp. 244-249, "The Midnight Messenger" (1 text)
Roud #V2951
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Fortune My Foe (Aim Not Too High)" (tune) and references there
NOTES [61 words]: Dixon-AncientPoemsBalladsSongsOfThePeasantryOfEngland prints the following, apparently from his source: "A sudden call from an earthly glory to the cold grave in a dialogue between Death, and a Rich Man; who in the midst of all his Wealth, received the tidings of his Last Day, to his unspeakable and sorrowful Lamentation. To the tune of 'Aim not too high,' &c." - BS
Last updated in version 5.0
File: DixP004

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