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Here begynneth a treatyse how the hye
Fader of heuen sendeth Dethe to
somon euery creature to come and
gyue a-counte of theyr lyues in
this worlde / and is in maner
of a morall playe.
001 MESSENGER. I pray you all gyue your audyence,
002 And here this mater with reuerence,
003 By fygure a morall playe.
004 The Somonynge of Eueryman called it is,
005 That of our lyues and endynge shewes
006 How transytory we be all daye.
007 This mater is wonders precyous;
008 But the entent of it is more gracyous,
009 And swete to bere awaye.
010 The story sayth: Man, in the begynnynge
011 Loke well, and take good heed to the endynge,
012 Be you neuer so gay!
013 Ye thynke synne in the begynnynge full swete,
014 Whiche in the ende causeth the soule to wepe,
015 Whan the body lyeth in claye.
016 Here shall you se how Felawshyp / and Iolyte,
017 Bothe / Strengthe / Pleasure / and Beaute,
018 Wyll fade from the as floure in Maye;
019 For ye shall here how our Heuen Kynge
020 Calleth Eueryman to a generall rekenynge.
021 Gyue audyence, and here what he doth saye.
God speketh.
022 GOD. I perceyue, here in my maieste
023 How that all creatures be to me vnkynde,
024 Lyuynge without drede in worldly prosperyte.
025 Of ghostly syght the people be so blynde,
026 Drowned in synne, they know me not for theyr God.
027 In worldely ryches is all theyr mynde;
028 They fere not my ryghtwysnes, the sharpe rod.
029 My law that I shewed, whan I for them dyed,
030 They forgete clene / and shedynge of my blode rede.
031 I hanged bytwene two theues, it can not be denyed;
032 To gete them lyfe I suffred to be deed;
033 I heled theyr fete / with thornes hurt was my heed.
034 I coude do no more than I dyde, truely;
035 And nowe I se the people do clene for-sake me.
036 They vse the seuen deedly synnes dampnable,
037 As pryde, coueytyse, wrath, and lechery
038 Now in the worlde be made commendable;
039 And thus they leue of aungelles the heuenly company.
040 Euery man lyueth so after his own pleasure,
041 And yet of theyr lyfe they be nothynge sure.
042 I se the more that I them forbere,
043 The worse they be fro yere to yere.
044 All that lyueth appayreth faste;
045 Therfore I wyll, in all the haste,
046 Haue a rekenynge of euery mannes persone;
047 For, and I leue the people thus alone
048 In theyr lyfe and wycked tempestes,
049 Veryly they wyll become moche worse than beestes,
050 For now one wolde by enuy another vp ete;
051 Charyte they do all clene forgete.
052 I hoped well that euery man
053 In my glory sholde make his mansyon,
054 And therto I had them all electe;
055 But now I se, lyke traytours deiecte,
056 They thanke me not for the pleasure that I to them ment,
057 Nor yet for theyr beynge that I them haue lent.
058 I profered the people grete multytude of mercy,
059 And fewe there be that asketh it hertly.
060 They be so combred with worldly ryches
061 That nedes on them I must do iustyce,
062 On euery man lyuynge without fere.
063 Where arte thou, Deth, thou myghty messengere?
Dethe.
064 DETHE. Almyghty God, I am here at your wyll,
065 Your commaundement to fulfyll.
066 GOD. Go thou to Eueryman
067 And shewe hym, in my name,
068 A pylgrymage me must on hym take,
069 Whiche he in no wyse may escape;
070 And that he brynge with hym a sure rekenynge
071 Without delay or ony taryenge.
072 DETHE. Lorde, I wyll in the worlde go renne ouer-all
073 And cruelly out-serche bothe grete and small.
074 Euery man wyll I beset that lyueth beestly
075 Out of Goddes lawes, and dredeth not foly.
076 He that loueth rychesse I wyll stryke with my darte,
077 His syght to blynde, and fro heuen to departe--
078 Excepte that almes be his good frende--
079 In hell for to dwell, worlde without ende.
080 Loo, yonder I se Eueryman walkynge.
081 Full lytell he thynketh on my comynge;
082 His mynde is on flesshly lustes and his treasure,
083 And grete payne it shall cause hym to endure
084 Before the Lorde, Heuen Kynge.
085 Eueryman, stand styll! Whyder arte thou goynge
086 Thus gayly? / Hast thou thy Maker forgete?
Eueryman.
087 EUERYMAN. Why askest thou?
088 Woldest thou wete?
089 DETHE. Ye, Syr. I wyll shewe you:
090 In grete hast I am sende to the
091 Fro God out of his mageste.
092 EUERYMAN. What, sente to me?
093 DETHE. Ye, certaynly.
094 Thoughe thou haue forgete hym here,
095 He thynketh on the in the heuenly spere,
096 As, or we departe, thou shalte knowe.
097 EUERYMAN. What desyreth God of me?
098 DETHE. That shall I shewe the:
099 A rekenynge he wyll nedes haue
100 Without ony lenger respyte.
101 EUERYMAN. To gyue a rekenynge longer layser I craue;
102 This blynde mater troubleth my wytte.
103 DETHE. On the thou must take a long iourney;
104 Therfore thy boke of counte with the thou brynge,
105 For tourne agayne thou can not by no waye.
106 And loke thou be sure of thy rekenynge,
107 For before God thou shalte answere, and shewe
108 Thy many badde dedes, and good but a fewe;
109 How thou has spente thy lyfe, and in what wyse,
110 Before the chefe Lorde of paradyse.
111 Haue ado that thou were in that waye,
112 For wete thou well thou shalte make none attournay.
113 EUERYMAN. Full vnredy I am suche rekenynge to gyue.
114 I knowe the not. What messenger arte thou?
115 DETHE. I am Dethe that no man dredeth--
116 For euery man I reste--and no man spareth;
117 For it is Goddes commaundement
118 That all to me sholde be obedyent.
119 EUERYMAN. O Deth, thou comest whan I had the leest in mynde!
120 In thy power it lyeth me to saue;
121 Yet of my good wyl I gyue the, yf thou wyl be kynde--
122 Ye, a thousande pounde shalte thou haue--
123 And dyfferre this mater tyll an other daye.
124 DETHE. Eueryman, it may not be by no waye.
125 I set not by golde, syluer, or rychesse,
126 Ne by pope / emperour / kynge / duke, ne prynces;
127 For, and I wolde receyue gyftes grete,
128 All the worlde I myght gete;
129 But my custome is clene contrary.
130 I gyue the no respyte. Come hens, and not tary!
131 EUERYMAN. Alas, shall I haue no lenger respyte?
132 I may saye Deth gyueth no warnynge!
133 To thynke on the, it maketh my herte seke,
134 For all vnredy is my boke of rekenynge.
135 But xii. yere and I myght haue a-bydynge,
136 My countynge-boke I wolde make so clere
137 That my rekenynge I sholde not nede to fere.
138 Wherfore, Deth, I praye the, for Goddes mercy,
139 Spare me tyll I be prouyded of remedy.
140 DETHE. The auayleth not to crye, wepe, and praye;
141 But hast the lyghtly that thou were gone that iournaye,
142 And preue thy frendes yf thou can.
143 For wete thou well the tyde abydeth no man,
144 And in the worlde eche lyuynge creature
145 For Adams synne must dye of nature.
146 EUERYMAN. Dethe, yf I sholde this pylgrymage take,
147 And my rekenynge suerly make,
148 Shewe me, for saynt charyte,
149 Sholde I not come agayne shortly?
150 DETHE. No, Eueryman; and thou be ones there,
151 Thou mayst neuer more come here,
152 Trust me veryly.
153 EUERYMAN. O gracyous God in the hye sete celestyall,
154 Haue mercy on me in this moost nede!
155 Shall I haue no company fro this vale terestryall
156 Of myne acqueyntaunce, that way me to lede?
157 DETHE. Ye, yf ony be so hardy
158 That wolde go with the and bere the company.
159 Hye the that thou were gone to Goddes magnyfycence,
160 Thy rekenynge to gyue before his presence.
161 What, wenest thou thy lyue is gyuen the,
162 And thy worldely goddes also?
163 EUERYMAN. I had wende so, veryle.
164 DETHE. Nay, nay, it was but lende the;
165 For as soone as thou arte go,
166 Another a whyle shall haue it, and than go ther-fro,
167 Euen as thou hast done.
168 Eueryman, thou arte made! Thou hast thy wyttes fyue,
169 And here on erthe wyll not amende thy lyue;
170 For sodeynly I do come.
171 EUERYMAN. O wretched caytyfe, wheder shall I fle,
172 That I myght scape this endles sorowe?
173 Now, gentyll Deth, spare me tyll to-morowe,
174 That I may amende me
175 With good aduysement.
176 DETHE. Naye, therto I wyll not consent,
177 Nor no man wyll I respyte;
178 But to the herte sodeynly I shall smyte
179 Without ony aduysement.
180 And now out of thy syght I wyll me hy.
181 Se thou make the redy shortly,
182 For thou mayst saye this is the daye
183 That no man lyuynge may scape a-waye.
184 EUERYMAN. Alas, I may well wepe with syghes depe!
185 Now haue I no maner of company
186 To helpe me in my iourney, and me to kepe;
187 And also my wrytynge is full vnredy.
188 How shall I do now for to exscuse me?
189 I wolde to God I had neuer be gete!
190 To my soule a full grete profyte it had be,
191 For now I fere paynes huge and grete.
192 The tyme passeth. Lorde, helpe, that all wrought!
193 For though I mourne, it auayleth nought.
194 The day passeth and is almoost ago;
195 I wote not well what for to do.
196 To whome were I best my complaynt to make?
197 What and I to Felawshyp therof spake,
198 And shewed hym of this sodeyne chaunce?
199 For in hym is all myne affyaunce;
200 We haue in the worlde so many a daye
201 Be good frendes in sporte and playe.
202 I se hym yonder, certaynely.
203 I trust that he wyll bere me company;
204 Therfore to hym wyll I speke to ese my sorowe.
205 Well mette, good Felawshyp, and good morowe!
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