"Everyman," with other interludes, including eight miracle plays
Religion
"Everyman," with other interludes, including eight miracle plays
Bible plays, English; English drama -- To 1500; Moralities, English; Mysteries and miracle-plays, English
To breke thi byddyng they were fulle bowne,[554]
And soon they wroght at my desyre,
From paradise thou putt thym downe,
In helle here to have thare hyre;[555]
And thou thi self, by day and nyght,
Taght[556] ever alle men emang,
Ever to do reson and right,
And here thou wyrkys[557] alle wrang.
_Jesus._ I wyrk no wrang, that shalle thou wytt.[558]
If I my men fro wo wille wyn;[559]
My prophettes playnly prechyd it,
Alle the noytys[560] that I begyn;
They saide that I shud be that ilke
In helle where I shud entre in,
To save my servandes fro that pytt
Where dampynyd saullys[561] shalle syt for syn.
And ilke true prophete taylle[562]
Shalle be fulfillid in me;
I have thaym boght fro baylle,[563]
In blis now shalle thay be.
_Sathanas._ Now since thou list to legge the lawes[564]
Thou shalbe tenyd or we twyn,[565]
For those that thou to witnes drawes
Fulle even agans the shalle begyn;
As Salaman saide in his sawes,[566]
Who that ones commys helle within
He shalle never owte, as clerkes knawes
Therfor, belamy, let be thy dyn.[567]
Job thi servande also
In his tyme can telle
That nawder freynde nor fo
Shalle fynde relese in helle.[568]
_Jesus._ He sayde fulle soythe, that shalle thou se,
In helle shalbe no relese,
Bot of that place then ment he
Where synfulle care shalle ever encrese.
In that baylle ay shalle thou be,
Where sorrowes seyr shalle never sesse[569]
And my folk that wer most fre[570]
Shalle pas unto the place of peasse;
For thay were here with my wille,
And so thay shalle furthe weynde,[571]
Thou shalle thi self fulfylle,
Ever wo withoutten ende.
_Sathanas._ Whi, and wille thou take theym alle me fro?[572]
Then thynk me[573] thou ar unkynde;
Nay, I pray the do not so,
Umthynke[574] the better in thy mynde,
Or els let me with the go;
I pray the leyfe me not behynde.
_Jesus._ Nay, tratur, thou shalle won in wo,[575]
And tille a stake[576] I shalle the bynde.
_Sathanas._ Now here I how thou menys[577] emang
With mesure and malyce for to melle,[578]
Bot sen thou says it shalbe lang,
Yit som let alle wayes with us dwelle.
_Jesus._ Yis, witt thou welle, els were greatt wrang,
Thou shalle have Caym[579] that slo Abelle,
And alle that hastes theym self to hang,
As dyd Judas and Architophelle;
And Daton and Abaron and alle of thare assent,[580]
Cursyd tyranttes ever ilkon[581] that me and myn tormente.
And alle that wille not lere[582] my law
That I have left in land for new[583]
That makes my commyng knaw,[584]
And alle my sacramentes persew;
My deth, my rysyng, red by raw,[585]
Who trow thaym not thay ar untrewe,
Unto my dome[586] I shalle theym draw,
And juge thaym wars[587] then any Jew.
And thay that lyst to lere my law and lyf therby
Shalle never have harmes here, bot welth as is worthy.
_Sathanas._ Now here my hand, I hold me payde,
Thise poyntes ar playnly for my prow,[588]
If this be trew as thou has saide
We shalle have mo then we have now;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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