HECASTUS. How blessed is that man who regulates his life so excellently that at the onset of death he has no fear, but of his own accord dares to meet his judge; alas, this is what I am considering too late, to my very great unhappiness. For so many worries oppress my heart, that I do not know precisely what is expedient for me to try first of all. When I think of my former life, a dreadful conscience frightens me more than hell. If I were to promise to improve my ways in the future--ouch, my disease grows worse; death is imminent; God also hounds me as an angry judge. Indeed, I shudder at the thought that I must soon approach his court alone. And I do not know if, of all my friends, there is any one who would be willing to accompany me. Yet it is very necessary to try to find one, because I should not dare to face this judge alone. Daemones is the first to force himself upon me with his friends. He is the first who must now be faced by me.
DAEMONES. Let's go and see how our old friend Hecastus is doing.
FRIEND 1. Let's go. But look, here he comes to meet us.
DAEMONES. How are things, Hecastus? Don't the vintage wines still appeal to your taste? Why are you gloomy? What is the pain that grips you in your side?
HECASTUS. Daemones, my friend, why do you bring wines to me? A pain does weigh very heavily on me, but it is something else that presses on me more violently than the pain. In this I call on you and the rest of my many friends for counsel and help.
DAEMONES. Be of good courage. For there is nothing which by our powers, wealth and prudence we your well-wishers cannot willingly pay for you. Come, tell us your case; it shall be for us to help.
HECASTUS. The Prince and very great King orders me to attend his court and to give an account to the last item of all my deeds, my words and also of all the possessions entrusted to me. But since I dare not face the highest judge alone, I plead with you that for the sake of our friendly and long-standing companionship you all together, or any one of you, set out with me for the court of our judge and be my advocate or my defence counsel.
DAEMONES. Trust us, for each of us will help you there according to his ability. Put your trust in us. When must we set forth? In what manner? To what place? To what judge?
HECASTUS. Alas for me, without delay or before the evening, up to the fearful place that separates life from death, into the dark and pathless region we must go and stand before the high judge.
DAEMONES. This task, Hecastus, is very much larger than you indicated; it is also beyond our strength. If it were in the next village or even the nearest city, without danger and before a well- known judge, this request you make of us would be granted. But now it is not in my power to stand by you. (What the others can do I do not know.)
FRIEND 1. I also am not free at present, because I have engaged myself to others.
FRIEND 2. Nor can I go with you, because of my very many business deals.
HECASTUS. Is this my trust in your friendship? Is this the thanks? Do you thus desert me in my time of trouble, the one whom you once celebrated so heartily in his time of glory?
DAEMONES. At this time it is what fortune decrees for us. But I will take counsel for you honestly and as a friend. Look, you have kinsmen and relations. They will willingly support you. Explain your case to them. There is nothing they would refuse you. Goodbye.
HECASTUS. How cold is the comfort of my friend.
KINSMAN. My dear Hecastus, why is there such a crowd in your house? Why are your wife and children weeping at home? How is it that you have suddenly been summoned abroad by royal decree?
HECASTUS. O, O, cousin dear, I have been summoned before the court of the highest judge and have been ordered to appear, and there is no one who will set out with me and pacify the judge, defend my case or take counsel for me, unless you should now offer me some comfort.
KINSMAN. Cousin, we will not desert you. Put your trust in us.
COUSIN 1. I will not abandon you.
COUSIN 2. I won't desert you either, Hecastus. But tell us where we must go and when.
HECASTUS. I am to be taken immediately into the fearful danger of death and set before the stern judge, and when I am in his presence, I cannot even pay back one for a thousand.
KINSMAN. I grieve for your misfortunes (so help me, ye holy gods), but this case appears to me too harsh for us to handle for you, so that none of the dangers of death may terrify you. Therefore, I pray you to listen to us calmly, because we desire to take counsel for your salvation. You have abundant wealth, most faithful servants and very active children. Pick out a very large sum of silver and gold, take your servants and your children and, free from worry, approach the stern judge; if your children cannot defend you in any way, you may be redeemed very easily by your money (to which all things yield). We will take care of your wife and your domestic affairs, as we are very close to you.
COUSIN 1. We will take care of her.
COUSIN 2. We will take care of her.
KINSMAN. In addition, when we know that you are ready, we will escort you in style up to the gate.
COUSIN 1. Yes, we will escort you.
COUSIN 2. We will escort you at the same time with the highest honours and in style.
HECASTUS. Ah, me. Empty and fleeting are the ties of blood. Is it thus you help your nearest kin?
KINSMAN. Cousin (if you wish), think about this good we offer. Goodbye.
HECASTUS. I wished to spare my children but, abandoned by all, I shall be forced to make them yield to my wishes and go as my companions. Here they are, weeping tears through my misfortune.
PHILOCRATES. Although each of us has now passed from the days of youth, I cannot nevertheless help weeping when I listen to my worried father.
PHILOMATHES. Although I am from now on able to live without my father's help, nevertheless the same emotion stirs me and moves me to tears.
HECASTUS. Come here, my very dear sons. Be here with your father in this dubious business.
PHILOCRATES. If we can be of help to you, father, in any way, or if either of us can pay for any advice, believe us, we shall not fail you. Whatever I can do with the sword and strength of body or with an active mind, I shall not hesitate to do for you.
PHILOMATHES. As far as it relates to me, father, whatever I know either in the sacred or secular laws or in the art of distinguishing between them or in my total philosophy, take it all by right for yourself. That in the meantime I remain silent is because I owe myself completely to you. Nature persuades me of this; the law teaches it; reason demands it.
HECASTUS. You speak well, my sons, and you comfort me a little. Since, then, I am being deserted by my relations and friends--all of them to the last one--at a time when the inevitable verdict of the judge demands me, and since with my bad conscience I dare not go alone to the fearful judge, I beg you, to whom I have been accustomed to give orders, that you be willing to finish this journey with me and approach the judge.
PHILOMATHES. Who is that judge, father, to whom you are referring?
HECASTUS. The greatest Prince of heaven and earth.
PHILOCRATES. He is to be feared. Who would dare approach him? Nevertheless, by what way or to what place must we go to this Prince?
HECASTUS. Through death into the fearsome and pathless region, where for each of my words and deeds I now shall receive the consequences.
PHILOCRATES. Away with you, father. You are about to die?
HECASTUS. I shall die.
PHILOCRATES. Today?
HECASTUS. This day, son.
PHILOCRATES. How do you know, father?
HECASTUS. The ambassador of the eternal God has made known my death to me by this document.
PHILOCRATES. Why do you not ask for some deferment, father? Why have you not appealed to the higher judge?
HECASTUS. No deferment and no appeal is allowed by our most fair and very great judge. Therefore I pray and beseech you, my sons, to be with your father in his hour of danger and by your help and pleading make my case a little better than its present very weak state.
PHILOCRATES. Father, if you order me to take my sword against your enemies with all my strength, in Philocrates there would be no fear, no dread, by God, or any shrinking from war, but to go with you into the dangers of death, a course from which the mind and nature shrink, I refuse. But if my brother, Philomathes, knows how to do anything more, if he wishes or if he can, he is at liberty to do it.
PHILOMATHES. My will is ready, father, to help you as much as possible by my knowledge and industry, but I cannot undergo the perils of death for you and I ought not to do so, especially because I do not know whether I could help you or defend you in the presence of this judge. Therefore rely on my advice, father: take your servants and much treasure, which you may order them to provide very freely, so that if anyone brings violence against you, the members of your household may defend you and make your case (unless you can defend it) a mild one and one which may be paid for by a fine of money. Usually nothing influences the minds of judges more than money.
PHILOCRATES. My brother has spoken and has agreed with my opinion. It is more suitable that your servants should be thrown into danger than your children, lest with the children lost there should be no one to divide up your legacy.
HECASTUS. Is it thus, my sons, is it thus you desert your father and cheat him too, your father who has been so kind and easy with you, who fathered you, nourished you and put you in good positions? Is it thus you scorn him?
PHILOCRATES. We do not scorn you.
PHILOMATHES. We do not scorn you, but we properly refuse to carry out an immoral order.
HECASTUS. Alas. Goodbye. What hope is now left for me? If my sons abandon their father, what can I expect of the rest of the family? I will try to extort it from them by orders. All my servants, come here quickly. We are going out on a journey.
PHILOPONUS. You called us, master?
HECASTUS. I called not only you but also my other servants.
PHILOPONUS. What orders are you giving us to follow?
HECASTUS. Bring out here my treasure, my riches and whatever is precious in the house--bring it out of doors.
PANOCNUS. We are bringing it out.
HECASTUS. Without delay.
PHILOPONUS. Without any delay.
HECASTUS. I could call on my wife, her young maidservants and on my enticing lady-friends, whose sweet company hitherto I have enjoyed no less than my wife's, as I catered to my appetites and my desires, and they loved me very much; yet I am afraid lest perchance such a plan would fall to pieces. Why should these very panicky women dare to go where even the bravest man trembles? If my children do not listen to me, why would my saucy wife listen to me? What is that chatter that is coming to us? Who will come out? It is my wife herself, and there is something vexing her mind.
EPICURIA. Husband, why are you ordering your treasure to be brought out of doors from the secret recesses of our house? Has some illness seized you and driven you to madness?
HECASTUS. Allow me, wife, to enjoy my treasures today, since perhaps tomorrow I shall be without these, without glory, without life and everything, and shall also be going trembling to the fearsome realm of death.
EPICURIA. Come, come, husband. What's this you are beginning to tell me? Will you leave me and both your sons, your household and all your goods and run away? Surely I am to think this is the opinion of a madman.
HECASTUS. Be silent, woman, that you may hear that I am in no way insane. A short time ago did you see that gentleman, worthy of honour and most dignified in his manners?
EPICURIA. Yes, I saw him, and in a strange way he terrified me, reminding me of death repeatedly and the keen judgement of the most just God.
HECASTUS. He has now shown me of my death in this handwritten document approved by the great God, and he summons me immediately to the fearsome court of the judge to whom I cannot even pay back one for thousands; and so, my wife, I beg and beseech you, even if you could not defend my case, that you would die with me and set forth with me for my comfort.
EPICURIA. Alas, my husband Hecastus, is death near for you?
HECASTUS. Yes.
EPICURIA. Is deferment absolutely denied to you?
HECASTUS. No deferment at all.
EPICURIA. Then you will meet your death today?
HECASTUS. Today and in a short time you will see death itself approaching me.
EPICURIA. O me, how bitter is death. The word alone, "death," terrifies me. My dear husband, take counsel for yourself. I should not dare to go forth with you. Take the gold and silver and all the household servants. Death terrifies me. I pray to avert it.
HECASTUS. I beseech you then, leave these girls to comfort me.
GIRL 1. Do not allow us to be handed over to death, mistress.
GIRL 2. Do not allow us, I beg you, mistress, to be handed over to death.
EPICURIA. Husband, I beg you let your menservants be your companions; allow me to keep my maidservants. HECASTUS. How unhappy I still am. Let my servants bring my treasure here.
EPICURIA. They will soon bring it. Have faith. I will share among the poor a very large amount of money and of food for the salvation of your soul. Goodbye, my dear husband.
HECASTUS. O feeble comfort, if you will not share anything with me when I am not yet dead.
PHILOPONUS. Put your hand to the work. How lazily you stand by, Wealth.
PANOCNUS. Because he is quite fat and heavy.
WEALTH. Why am I being disturbed? Where am I being carried?
PHILOPONUS. The master calls you. Here is Wealth, sir.
HECASTUS. Put him down that I may say a few words to him. Ho, there, Wealth, are you sleeping?
WEALTH. Sleeping, when so dragged around? For a long time now my limbs have been flattened and dislocated, fatigued and separated by so many pullings about, that scarcely anywhere do they stick together in one piece.
HECASTUS. You must set out with me this day and help my case at the court of the dread judge.
WEALTH. How can I, who am blind and fat, go on a journey? I will put in order anything you like at your home.
HECASTUS. You must travel to another place. Come forth, stupid.
WEALTH. I'm not going with you even if you drag me along.
HECASTUS. Wealth, death is near for me; if you do not wish to go of your own accord, my servants will carry you across against your will.
WEALTH. They shall not carry me across the border. Indeed, before they carry me across, they will have to break my limbs and my flanks. To no one anywhere do I bring help at the time of death. Nay, more than that, I always cross over to another owner.
HECASTUS. I will try to force this rebel to go abroad with me. Bring him inside and quickly prepare strong carrying poles, by which this insolent fellow may be carried further. I will soon follow you.
PHILOPONUS. We obey.
HECASTUS. Alas, unhappy man that I am. How distant is any comfort from me. Now the pain of body and mind grows worse; now my last hour is pressing upon me and, willy nilly, I shall have to hurry along and, abandoned by all, alas, make that very vast journey alone, and alone I must stand before the dread judge and there give my reckoning, unless I could perchance bring Wealth out of doors. Now I will go inside my house, so that when all things have been duly ordered and my robes changed, I may gird myself for this saddest journey of all.
CHORUS. Like the ebbing wave, all of us men, created and brought up in sorrow, slip away at the end in death. Therefore, what do strength or riches, pleasures or honours profit us after death, when we shall be deprived of all these things? The wanton shall then grow rotten; the proud shall be trampled under foot; and the rich man shall be buried naked in the dust, as food for the worms. Let us therefore examine our ways and amend our lives, lest (God forbid) an everlasting death follow heavily on our short-lived lives.
HECASTUS. Go ahead slowly as I ordered you and carry Wealth quite carefully, lest, vexed at the inconvenience, he roar at me. When I have said my last farewell to my servants, and to my neighbours and to my friends, I shall soon follow you. Now a great panic seizes my mind and a chill settles on my limbs.
SERVANT. Death, Death is here. Behind Hecastus.
HECASTUS. Oh-h-h.
FRIEND 1. What's that you are saying?
FRIEND 2. Surely you are not saying that Death is present?
SERVANT. Death himself is here, his feared image, his detestable spectre, a shape so accursed that you would think you were meeting a black devil.
NEIGHBOUR. Is flight more prudent?
SERVANT. If you are wise.
FRIEND. Look.
NEIGHBOUR. Lord help us.
SERVANT. Run, master; he's making for you.
HECASTUS. Where shall I run to? And if I run away, I shall not escape. Unhappy me, I am finished.
DEATH. Criminal. Stand still, stand still, you coward. Why have you so far delayed coming to the court of the highest judge?
HECASTUS. O dread Death, grant me a truce.
DEATH. I grant no delay.
HECASTUS. I beseech you; wait until tomorrow.
DEATH. No. Not till tomorrow.
HECASTUS. Then just one little hour.
DEATH. With difficulty I grant this. After one hour I shall return here, and I shall drag you away even if you are unwilling; I shall deprive you of your life and drag you to the judge, and, if you are guilty, I shall drag you down to Hell.
HECASTUS. By God, now my heart is tortured with much fear of death, as if boiling water were cooking my flesh, so that, alas, ouch, my pain! I cannot make a stand in mind or body. And besides this, the knowledge of my most foul sins terrifies and tortures me; the judge thunders above terrifyingly and the black regions of Hell open for me; also on every side bloody spirits surround me. And there is no one of all my dear friends who offers me a little word of comfort. So what remains for me in my misery, except only despair of life and salvation? All of you who are passing by, come here and see, I beg you, whether any grief is to be compared to this, my very great calamity. O old friend, my noble Virtue, how slowly I see you afar off coming to meet me; if you do not help me, no salvation remains for miserable me. Alas, weakened by illness and in fear of imminent death, I fall down.
VIRTUE. Is this my old friend? Is this Hecastus who worshipped and venerated me (before luxury, wealth, the garlands of pleasure had changed his good character)? I will approach him, although he deserves ill from me, since I remember his former friendship towards me and his companionship. Hecastus, salvation to you.
HECASTUS. My dear Virtue, in this time of crisis nothing is needed more by me than salvation. But my shame forbids me to raise even my eyes to you, and my ingratitude to you does not allow it.
VIRTUE. What crisis has fallen upon you, and what do you need?
HECASTUS. Soon bitter Death will snatch me away, and no one of all the people I know will aid me with counsel and help; if only you alone would be by my side at this time, most unworthy though I am, and would bring succour and then, by going with me, soften the judge of my case.
VIRTUE. You see, Hecastus, to what thinness I have wasted away and how I have been defiled by my situation, because you and others up to now have neglected the worship rightly owed to me. And how shall I be able, dirty and enfeebled as I am, to lead you to the heavenly judge and defend for you your case, which (as you yourself confess) is a very bad one.
HECASTUS. O my friend Virtue, I indeed confess that for your kindness I made a most unworthy return, since the lewd time of my life was flourishing and my fortune thrived. But if you now abandon me, it's all over with me for my salvation, for now gaping Hell will seize me, lost in my desperation, as the food of Hell.
VIRTUE. Hecastus, your prayers impel me and your tears move me, but I have no strength to help you alone, even if I were in good condition. The just judge must be appeased by you differently than you think, and I alone shall not suffice for you. Nevertheless, I will not abandon you (as far as it relates to me indeed) and I will not be absent from you. Meanwhile, give orders to your servants to place you back in your house, and that the priest, a godly learned man, be immediately summoned for you. Let him explain to you the one author of salvation, and let him indicate to you the way through which you will go. I in the meantime will speak to my little sister, Faith, and see if she could be persuaded to visit you; if she agrees to this, and you will receive her, I feel confident that there will be hope for your salvation.
HECASTUS. O my Virtue and my one comfort, you have almost brought back my life from Hell. I will gladly die when you have done this.
VIRTUE. Goodbye. Have faith that I shall return.
HECASTUS. Return. O, how much more grace there is in this one than in all the rest, and greater purity in her faith. How blind and unfortunate I was (while I thought all things were fortunate). I disdained to look for Virtue; lo, she came of her own accord and, while I am abandoned by all mortals, she supplies hope and protection. Now, is there one of my household who will come out and carry me into the house and give me a cup of cold water? Unhappy me! How my lot has changed. I, who not long ago gave out my orders, am now forced to request the smallest of things, and I do not get my wishes granted. My servants, if you have any compassion in you, help me and put me back in the house.
PHILOPONUS. We heard your voice, master--the voice of a sad person groaning, and we look at your calamity with grief and tears.
HECASTUS. Why, my lads, did you leave me and so treacherously run away? Is this the action of my servants? Is this the action of honest men? Is this the action of those faithful to their master?
PHILOPONUS. We were terrified by the great fear of death, so that not only did our troubled minds fail us, but also our knees, limbs and every part of us were ready to fall. Pardon us, we beseech you, and tell us what you want to be provided. Except for the straits of death you could order nothing too difficult for us to plead as an excuse.
HECASTUS. I easily forgive you. For the rest, content me first of all by carrying me into the house and then by cooling my chest with a very large draught of water, because such a raging thirst cooks so much of me that not even Hebrus could extinguish it. Afterwards, tell my children how my situation is, so that each of them may return to me and so that, if indeed they cannot find a remedy for my disease, they may call as quickly as possible a learned man and also a godly pastor, to see if by some words he may be able to find a remedy for my soul.
PHILOPONUS. It shall be done. You go off to find the master's sons. I alone will carry the master inside the house.
PANOCNUS. You could not do it quite alone. I'll help you. I will see to it that your children come to you from the inside rooms. Those who have been frightened of death for a long time are walking with your friends in the garden for the sake of your peace of mind.
PHILOPONUS. Right. Lift him properly, so that his innards are not shaken and do not suffer from the movement.
HECASTUS. Come now, gently.
CHORUS. If the just man be seized by death, he will in no wise be saddened, but will accept death itself with a glad mind, because he will be calm. For the blessed are often reported to be those who fall asleep in God and hence rest from all labours. The death which the holy in a blessed end seek eagerly of their own accord will certainly be precious in the sight of God. Therefore I judge that death is not hideous nor to be feared, because it is the gate to a blessed life for those who live a godly life.
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