A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume I Part 59

PATER COELESTIS. Then thou art blameless, and the fault thou layest to me?

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Nay, all I ascribe to my own imbecility.

No fault in thee, Lord, but in my infirmity, And want of respect in such gifts as thou gavest me.

PATER COELESTIS. For that I put thee at thine own liberty, Thou oughtest my goodness to have in more regard.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Avoid it I cannot: thou layest it to me so hard.

Lord, now I perceive what power is in man, And strength of himself, when thy sweet grace is absent.

He must needs but fall, do he the best he can, And danger himself, as appeareth evident; For I sinned not too long as thou wert present; But when thou wert gone, I fell to sin by and by, And thee displeased. Good Lord, I axe thee mercy.

PATER COELESTIS. Thou shalt die for it, with all thy posterity.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. For one fault, good Lord, avenge not thyself on me, Who am but a worm or a fleshly vanity.

PATER COELESTIS. I say thou shalt die, with thy whole posterity.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Yet mercy, sweet Lord, if any mercy may be.

PATER COELESTIS. I am immutable, I may change no decree; Thou shalt die, I say, without any remedy.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Yet, gracious Father, extend to me thy mercy, And throw not away the work which thou hast create To thine own image, but avert from me thy hate.

PATER COELESTIS. But art thou sorry from bottom of thy heart?

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Thy displeasure is to me most heavy smart.

PATER COELESTIS. Then will I tell thee what thou shalt stick unto: Life to recover, and my good favour also.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Tell it me, sweet Lord, that I may thereafter go.

PATER COELESTIS. This is my covenant to thee and all thy offspring.

For that thou hast been deceived by the serpent, I will put hatred betwixt him for his doing And the woman kind. They shall hereafter dissent; His seed with her seed shall never have agreement; Her seed shall press down his head unto the ground, Slay his suggestions, and his whole power confound.

Cleave to this promise with all thy inward power, Firmly inclose it in thy remembrance fast; Fold it in thy faith with full hope day and hour, And thy salvation it will be at the last.

That seed shall clear thee of all thy wickedness past, And procure thy peace with most high grace in my sight.

See thou trust to it, and hold not the matter light.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Sweet Lord, the promise that thyself here hath made me Of thy mere goodness, and not of my deserving, In my faith I trust shall so established be By help of thy grace, that it shall be remaining, So long as I shall have here continuing, And show it I will to my posterity, That they in like case have thereby felicity.

PATER COELESTIS. For a closing up, take yet one sentence with thee.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. At thy pleasure, Lord, all things might ever be.

PATER COELESTIS. For that my promise may have the deeper effect In the faith of thee and all thy generation, Take this sign with it as a seal thereto connect.

Creep shall the serpent for his abhomination; The woman shall sorrow in painful propagation.

Like as thou shalt find this true in outward working.

So think the other, though it be an hidden thing.

ADAM PRIMUS h.o.m.o. Incessant praising to thee, most heavenly Lord, For this thy succour and undeserved kindness: Thou bindest me in heart thy gracious gifts to record, And to bear in mind now, after my heaviness, The bruit of thy name with inward joy and gladness.

Thou disdainest not, as well appeareth this day, To fetch to thy fold thy first sheep going astray.

Most Mighty Maker, thou castest not yet away Thy sinful servant, which hath done most offence.

It is not thy mind for ever I should decay, But thou reservest me of thy benevolence, And hast provided for me a recompense By thy appointment, like as I have received In thy strong promise, here openly p.r.o.nounced.

This goodness, dear Lord, of me is undeserved, I so declining from thy first instruction At so light motions. To one that thus hath swerved, What a Lord art thou to give such retribution!

I, d.a.m.nable wretch, deserved execution Of terrible death without all remedy, And to be put out of all good memory.

I am enforced to rejoice here inwardly, An imp though I be of h.e.l.l, death, and d.a.m.nation, Through my own working: for I consider thy mercy And pitiful mind for my whole generation.

It is thou, sweet Lord, that workest my salvation And my recover. Therefore of a congruence From hence thou must have my heart and obedience.

Though I be mortal by reason of my offence, And shall die the death,[289] like as G.o.d hath appointed: Of this am I sure, through his high influence, At a certain day again to be revived.

From ground of my heart this shall not be removed.

I have it in faith, and therefore I will sing This anthem to him that my salvation shall bring.

_Tunc sonora voce, provolutis genibus, Antiphonam incipit_, O sapientia, _quam prosequetur chorus c.u.m organis, eo interim exeunte_.

_Vel sub eodem tono poterit sic Anglice cantare_.

O eternal sapience, that proceedest from the mouth of the highest, reaching forth with a great power from the beginning to the end, with heavenly sweetness disposing all creatures, come now and instruct us the true way of thy G.o.dly prudence.

_Finit Actus primus_.

ACTUS SECUNDUS.

PATER COELESTIS. I have been moved to strike man diversely.

Since I left Adam in this same earthly mansion; For why he hath done to me displeasures many, And will not amend his life in any condition: No respect hath he to my word nor monition, But doth what him l.u.s.t without discreet advis.e.m.e.nt, And will in no wise take mine advertis.e.m.e.nt.

Cain hath slain Abel his brother, an innocent, Whose blood from the earth doth call to me for vengeance: My children with men so carnally consent, That their vain working is unto me much grievance: Mankind is but flesh in his whole dalliance.

All vice increaseth in him continually, Nothing he regardeth to walk unto my glory.

My heart abhorreth his wilful misery, His cankered malice, his cursed covetousness, His l.u.s.ts lecherous, his vengeable tyranny, Unmerciful murther and other unG.o.dliness.

I will destroy him for his outrageousness.

And not him only, but all that on earth do stere,[290]

For it repenteth me that ever I made them here.

JUSTUS NOAH. Most Gentle Maker, with his frailness somewhat bear; Man is thy creature, thyself cannot say nay.

Though thou punish him, to put him somewhat in fear, His fault to knowledge,[291] yet seek not his decay.

Thou mayest reclaim him, though he goeth now astray, And bring him again, of thy abundant grace, To the fold of faith, he acknowledging his trespa.s.s.

PATER COELESTIS. Thou knowest I have given to him convenient s.p.a.ce, With lawful warnings, yet he amendeth in no place.

The natural law, which I wrote in his heart, He hath outrased, all goodness putting apart: Of health the covenant, which I to Adam made, He regardeth not, but walketh a d.a.m.nable tread.[292]

JUSTUS NOAH. All this is true, Lord, I cannot thy words reprove, Let his weakness yet thy merciful goodness move.

PATER COELESTIS. No weakness is it, but wilful working all, That reigneth in man through mind diabolical.

He shall have therefore like as he hath deserved.

JUSTUS NOAH. Lose him not yet, Lord, though he hath deeply swerved.

I know thy mercy is far above his rudeness, Being infinite, as all other things are in thee.

His folly therefore now pardon of thy goodness, And measure it not beyond thy G.o.dly pity.

Esteem not his fault farther than help may be, But grant him thy grace, as he offendeth so deeply, Thee to remember, and abhor his misery.

Of all goodness, Lord, remember thy great mercy To Adam and Eve, breaking thy first commandment.

Them thou relieved with thy sweet promise heavenly, Sinful though they were, and their lives negligent.