A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume I Part 57

MANHOOD. Nay, sir, in faith my name is not so.

Why, frere, what the devil hast thou to do, Whether I go or abide?

CONSCIENCE. Yes, sir, I will counsel you for the best

MANHOOD. I will none of thy counsel, so have I rest: I will go whither me lest,[261]

For thou canst nought else but chide.

CONSCIENCE. Lo, sirs, a great ensample you may see, The frailness of mankind, How oft he falleth in folly Through temptation of the fiend: For when the fiend and the flesh be at one a.s.sent, Then Conscience clear is clean outcast.

Men think not on the great judgment, That the seely soul shall have at the last, But would G.o.d all men would have in mind Of the great day of doom, How he shall give a great reckoning Of evil deeds that he hath done: But [it is] needless, sith it is so, That Manhood is forth with Folly wende, To seech[262] Perseverance now will I go, With the grace of G.o.d omnipotent.

His counsels been in fere: Perseverance' counsel is most dear, Next to him is Conscience, clear From sinning.

Now into this presence to Christ, I pray, To speed me well in my journey: Farewell, lordings, and have good day: To seek Perseverance will I wend.

PERSEVERANCE. Now, Christ, our comely creator,[263] clearer than crystal clean, That craftly made every creature by good recreation, Save all this company that is gathered here bi-dene,[264]

And set all your souls into good salvation.

Now, good G.o.d, that is most wisest and welde of wits, This company counsel, and comfort, and glad, And save all this simplitude that seemly here sits.

Now, good G.o.d, for his mercy, that all men made: Now, Mary mother, meekest that I mean, s.h.i.+eld all this company from evil inversation, And save you from our enemy, as she is bright and clean, And at the last day of doom deliver you from everlasting d.a.m.nation, Sirs, Perseverance is my name, Conscience born brother [that] is, He sent me hither mankind to indoctrine, That they should to no vices incline: For oft mankind is governed amiss, And through Folly mankind is set in shame, Therefore in this presence to Christ I pray, Ere that I hence wend away, Some good word that I may say To borrow[265] man's soul from blame.

AGE. Alas! alas! that me is woe!

My life, my liking, I have forlorn My rents, my riches, it is all y-go: Alas the day that I was born!

For I was born Manhood most of might, Stiff, strong, both stalwart and stout, The world full worthily hath made me a knight: All bowed to my bidding b.o.n.e.rly about: Then Conscience, clear, comely and kind, Meekly he met me in seat, there I sat, He learned me a lesson of his teaching, And the seven deadly sins full loathly he did hate: Pride, wrath, and envy, and covetise in kind, The world all these sins delivered me until,[266]

Sloth, covetise, and leechery, that is full of false flattering, All these Conscience reproved both loud and still.

To-Conscience I held up my hand,[267]

To keep Christ's commandments.

He warned me of Folly, that traitor, and bad me beware, And thus he went his way: But I have falsely me forsworn, Alas the day that I was born!

For body and soul I have forlorn.

I clang, as a clod in clay, In London many a day; At the pa.s.sage I would play, I thought to borrow and never pay.

Then was I sought and set in stocks, In Newgate I lay under locks, If I said aught, I caught many knocks.

Alas where was Manhood tho?

Alas, my lewdness hath me lost.

Where is my body so proud and prest?

I cough and rought,[268] my body will burst, Age doth follow me so.

I stare and stacker[269] as I stand, I groan glisly upon the ground.

Alas, death, why lettest thou me live so long?

I wander as a wight in woe and care; For I have done ill.

Now wend I will My self to spill, I care not whither nor where.

PERSEVERANCE. Well y-met, sir, well y-met; and whither away?

AGE. Why, good sir, whereby do ye say?

PERSEVERANCE. Tell me, sir, I you pray, And I with you will wend.

AGE. Why, good sir, what is your name?

PERSEVERANCE. Forsooth, sir, Perseverance, the same.

AGE. Sir, ye are Conscience' brother, that me did blame, I may not with you linger.

PERSEVERANCE. Yes, yes, Manhood, my friend in fere.

AGE. Nay, sir, my name is in another manner.

For Folly his own self was here, And hath cleped me Shame.

PERSEVERANCE. Shame?

Nay, Manhood, let him go: Folly and his fellows also, For they would thee bring into care and woe, And all that will follow his game.

AGE. Yea, game who so game: Folly hath given me a name, So, wherever I go, He cleped me Shame.

Now Manhood is gone, Folly hath followed me so.

When I first from my mother came, The world made me a man, And fast in riches I ran, Till I was dubbed a knight; And then I met with Conscience clear, And he me set in such manner, Me thought his teaching was full dear, Both by day and night.

And then Folly met me, And sharply he beset me, And from Conscience he fet[270] me: He would not fro me go, Many a day he kept me, And to all folks he cleped me Shame:[271]

And unto all sins he set me, Alas, that me is woe!

For I have falsely me forsworn.

Alas, that I was born!

Body and soul, I am but lorn, Me liketh neither glee nor game.

PERSEVERANCE. Nay, nay, Manhood, say not so.

Beware of Manhood, for he is a foe.

A new name I shall give you too: I clepe you Repentance, For, and you here repent your sin, Ye are possible heaven to win: But with great contrition ye must begin, And take you to abstinence: For though a man had do alone The deadly sins everychone, And he with contrition make his moan To Christ our heaven king, G.o.d is all so glad of him, As of the creature that never did sin.

AGE. Now, good sir, how should I contrition begin?

PERSEVERANCE. Sir, in shrift of mouth without varying; And another ensample I shall show you too.

Think on Peter and Paul, and other mo: Thomas, James, and John also, And also Mary Magdalene.

For Paul did Christ's people great villainy, And Peter at the pa.s.sion forsook Christ thrice, And Magdalene lived long in lechery, And St Thomas believed not in the resurrection: And yet these to Christ are darlings dear, And now be saints in heaven clear.

And therefore, though ye have trespa.s.sed here, I hope ye be sorry for your sin.

AGE. Yea, Perseverance, I you plight, I am sorry for my sin both day and night.

I would fain learn with all my might, How I should heaven win.

PERSEVERANCE. Sir,[272] to win heaven five necessary things there been, That must be knowen to all mankind.

The five wits doth begin, Sir, bodily and spiritually.

AGE. Of the five wits I would have knowing.

PERSEVERANCE. Forsooth, sir, hearing, seeing, and smelling, The remanant tasting and feeling: These being the five wits bodily, And, sir, other five wits there been.

AGE. Sir Perseverance, I know not them.

PERSEVERANCE. Now, Repentance, I shall you ken.

They are the power of the soul: Clear in mind, there is one, Imagination and all reason, Understanding and compa.s.sion: These belong unto Perseverance.

AGE. Gramercy, Perseverance, for your true teaching.

But, good sir, is there any more behind That is necessary to all mankind, Freely for to know?

PERSEVERANCE. Yea, Repentance, more there be, That every man must on believe: The twelve articles of the faith, That mankind must on trow.

The first, that G.o.d is in one substance, And also that G.o.d is in three persons, Beginning and ending without variance, And all this world made of nought.

The second, that the Son of G.o.d sickerly Took flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, Without touching of man's flesh-company: This must be in every man's thought.

The third, that the same G.o.d-Son, Born of that holy virgin, And she after his birth maiden as she was beforne, And clearer in all kind.

Also the fourth, that same Christ, G.o.d and man, He suffered pain and pa.s.sion, Because of man's soul redemption, And on a cross did hing.