Diverus and Lazarus

The poor are always with us. They litter the pavements and destroy the feng-shui of our city streets with their begging. They are a blight on society, and to blame for the economic mess we are in.




As it fell out upon one day,
Rich Divès made a feast,
And he invited all his friends,
And gentry of the best.

Then Lazarus laid him down and down
And down at Divès’ door:
“Some meat and drink, brother, Diverus,
Bestow upon the poor.”

“You ain’t my brother, Lazarus,
Begging at my door;
No meat, no drink I’ll give to thee,
Nor bestow upon the poor.”

Then Lazarus laid him down and down,
All under Divès’ wall:
“Some meat, some drink, brother Diverus,
For hunger starve I shall.”

“You ain’t my brother, Lazarus,
Begging at my gate;
No meat, no drink I’ll give to thee,
For Jesus Christ His sake.”

Then Divès sent his guard dogs,
To bite him as he lay;
They hadn’t the power to bite one bite,
But licked his sores away.

Then Divès sent security,
To worry poor Lazarus away;
They’d not the power to strike one stroke,
But flung their whips away.

As it fell out upon one day,
Poor Lazarus sickened and died;
There came two angels out of heaven,
His soul therein to guide.

“Rise up! rise up! brother Lazarus,
And come along with me;
There is a place for you in heaven,
Sitting on an angel’s knee.”

As it fell out upon one day,
Rich Divès sickened and died;
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.

“Rise up! rise up! brother Diverus,
And come along with me;
There is a place for you in hell
Sitting on a banker’s knee.”

Then Divès looked up with his eyes
And saw poor Lazarus blest;
“A drop of water, Lazarus,
To quench my flaming thirst.”

“O, was I now but alive again
The space of one half hour!
O, that I had my peace again
Then the devil should have no power.”