Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 39

SONG 2.

Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, By by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By by, lully, lullay!

O sisters two, How may we do, For to preserve this day This poor youngling, For whom we do sing By by, lully, lullay?

Herod the King, In his raging, Charged he hath this day His men of might, In his own sight All young children to slay,--

That woe is me, Poor child for thee, And ever mourn, and may, For thy parting, Neither say nor sing By by, lully, lullay.

SONG 3.

Down from heaven, from heaven so high, Of angels there came a great company, With mirth and joy and great solemnity, They sang terli, terlow, So merrily the shepherds their pipes can blow.

_Everyman._

[From JOHN SKOT's Editions, c. 1525.]

_Everyman._

Here beginneth a treatise how the High Father of Heaven sendeth Death to summon every creature to come and give a count of their lives in this world, and is in manner of a moral play.

MESSENGER. I pray you all give your audience, And hear this matter with reverence, By figure a moral play.

'The summoning of Everyman' called it is, That of our lives and ending shows How transitory we be all day.

This matter is wondrous precious, But the intent of it is more gracious And sweet to bear away.

This story saith 'man, in the beginning Look well, and take good heed to the ending, Be you never so gay; Ye think sin in the beginning full sweet, Which in the end causeth thy soul to weep, When the body lieth in clay.'

Here shall you see how fellows.h.i.+p and jollity, Both strength, pleasure, and beauty, Will fade from thee as flower in May; For ye shall hear how our heaven king Calleth every man to a general reckoning: Give audience, and hear what he will say.

G.o.d SPEAKETH.

G.o.d. I perceive here in my majesty How that all creatures be to me unkind, Living without dread in worldly prosperity.

Of ghostly sight the people be so blind, Drowned in sin, they know me not for their G.o.d; In worldly riches is all their mind.

They fear not my righteousness, that sharp rod; My law that I showed, when I for them died, They forget clean, and shedding of my blood so red.

I hanged between two thieves, it cannot be denied, To get them life, I suffered to be dead; I healed their feet--with thorns hurt was my head-- I could do no more than I did, truly.

And now I see the people do clean forsake me; They use the seven deadly sins d.a.m.nable; As pride, covetise, wrath, and lechery, Now in the world be made commendable; And thus they leave of angels the heavenly company.

Every man liveth so after his own pleasure, And yet of their life they be not sure.

I see the more that I them forbear The worse they are from year to year.

All that liveth appaireth fast, Therefore I will in all the haste Have a reckoning of every man's person, For, and I leave the people thus alone In their life and wicked tempests, Verily they will become much worse than beasts, For now one would by envy another up eat; Charity they all do clean forget.

I hoped well that every man In my glory should make his mansion, And thereto I had them all elect, But now I see that, like traitors deject, They thank me not for the pleasure that I to them meant, Nor yet for their being that I them have lent.

I proffered the people great mult.i.tude of mercy, And few there be that asketh it heartily; They be so c.u.mbered with worldly riches That needs on them I must do justice, On every man living without fear.

Where art thou, Death, thou mighty messenger?

DEATH. Almighty G.o.d, I am here at your will, Your commandement to fulfil.

G.o.d. Go thou to Everyman And show him, in my name, A pilgrimage he must on him take, Which he in no wise may escape; And that he bring with him a sure reckoning, Without delay or any tarrying.

DEATH. Lord, I will in the world go run over all, And truly outsearch both great and small, Everyman I will beset that liveth beastly, Out of G.o.d's laws, and dreadeth not folly.

He that loveth riches I will strike with my dart, His sight to blind, and from heaven depart, Except that alms-deeds be his good friend, In h.e.l.l for to dwell, world without end.

Lo, yonder I see Everyman walking!

Full little he thinketh on my coming!

His mind is on fleshly l.u.s.ts, and his treasure, And great pain it shall cause him to endure Before the Lord, heaven king.

Everyman, stand still! whither art thou going Thus gaily? Hast thou thy Maker forgot?

EVERYMAN. Why askest thou?

Wouldest thou wot?

DEATH. Yea, sir, I will show you: In great haste I am sent to thee, From G.o.d out of his Majesty.

EVERYMAN. What! sent to me?

DEATH. Yea, certainly.

Though thou hast forgot Him here, He thinketh on thee in the heavenly sphere, As, or we depart, thou shalt know.

EVERYMAN. What desireth G.o.d of me?

DEATH. That shall I shew thee: A reckoning he will needs have, Without any longer respite.

EVERYMAN. To give a reckoning longer leisure I crave; This blind matter troubleth my wit.

DEATH. On thee thou must take a long journey, Therefore thy book of count with thee thou bring-- For turn again thou cannot by no way-- And look thou be sure of thy reckoning; For before G.o.d shalt thou answer, and shew Thy many bad deeds, and good but a few-- How thou hast sped thy life, and in what wise-- Before the chief Lord of Paradise.

Have ado that we were in that way, For wot thou well thou shalt make none attorney.

EVERYMAN. Full unready I am such reckoning to give, I know thee not; what messenger art thou?

DEATH. I am Death, that no man dreadeth, For every man I rest, and none spareth; For it is G.o.d's commandement That all to me should be obedient.

EVERYMAN. O Death, thou comest when I had thee least in mind!

In thy power it lieth me to save; Yet of my good will I give thee, if ye will be kind, Yea, a thousand pound shalt thou have, And defer this matter till another day.

DEATH. Everyman, it may not be by no way: I set not by gold, silver, nor riches, Ne by pope, emperor, king, duke, ne princes; For, and I would receive giftes great, All the world I might get-- All my custom is clean contrary; I give thee no respite; come hence and not tarry.

EVERYMAN. Alas! shall I have no longer respite?

I may say Death giveth no warning.

To think on thee it maketh my heart sick, For all unready is my book of reckoning.

But twelve years, and I might have abiding, My counting book I would make so clear That my reckoning I should not need to fear; Wherefore, Death, I pray thee for G.o.d's mercy, Spare me, till I be provided of remedy.

DEATH. Thee availeth not to cry, weep, and pray, But haste thee lightly that thou were gone the journey, And prove thy friendes if thou can; For wot you well the tide abideth no man, And in the world each living creature, For Adam's sin, must die of Nature.

EVERYMAN. Death, if I should this pilgrimage take, And my reckoning surely make, Show me, for saint charity, Should I not come again shortly?

DEATH. No, Everyman; and thou be once there, Thou must never more come here, Trust me, verily!