And few there be that asketh it heartly; They be so cumbered 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 God, I am here at your will, Your commandment to fulfil. GOD. 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 cruelly out-search both great and small; Every man will I beset that liveth beastly, Out of God's laws, and dreadeth not folly: He that loveth riches I will strike with my dart, His sight to blind, and fro heaven to depart, Except that alms be his good friend, In hell for to dwell, world without end. Lo, yonder I see Everyman walking: Full little he thinketh on my coming: His mind is on fleshly lusts and his treasure; And great pain it shall cause him to endure Before the Lord, heaven's King. Everyman, stand still; whither art thou going Thus gaily? hast thou thy Maker forgot? EVERYMAN. Why askest thou? Wouldest thou wit? DEATH. Yea, sir, I will show you; in great haste I am sent to thee Fro God out of his Majesty. EVERYMAN. What! sent to me? DEATH. Yea, certainly: Though you have forgot him here, He thinketh on thee in the heavenly sphere; As, ere we depart, thou shalt know. EVERYMAN. What desireth God of me? DEATH. That shall I show thee; A reckoning he will needs have Without any lenger 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 God thou shalt answer and show Thy many bad deeds, and good but a few, How thou hast spent thy life, and in what wise, Before the chief lord of paradise. Have ado that[78] we were in that way, For, wit 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 'rrest, and no man spareth, For it is God's commandment 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 thou will be kind, Yea, a thousand pounds shalt thou have, And [thou] 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 gifts great, All the world I might get; But my custom is clean contrary; I give thee no respite, come hence, and not tarry. EVERYMAN.