Part 39 (1/2)

SONG 2.

Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child, By by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child By by, lully, lullay!

O sisters two, How may we do, For to preserve this day This poor youngling, For whom we do sing By by, lully, lullay?

Herod the King, In his raging, Charged he hath this day His men of might, In his own sight All young children to slay,--

That woe is me, Poor child for thee, And ever mourn, and may, For thy parting, Neither say nor sing By by, lully, lullay.

SONG 3.

Down from heaven, from heaven so high, Of angels there came a great company, With mirth and joy and great solemnity, They sang terli, terlow, So merrily the shepherds their pipes can blow.

_Everyman._

[From JOHN SKOT's Editions, c. 1525.]

_Everyman._

Here beginneth a treatise how the High Father of Heaven sendeth Death to summon every creature to come and give a count of their lives in this world, and is in manner of a moral play.

MESSENGER. I pray you all give your audience, And hear this matter with reverence, By figure a moral play.

'The summoning of Everyman' called it is, That of our lives and ending shows How transitory we be all day.

This matter is wondrous precious, But the intent of it is more gracious And sweet to bear away.

This story saith 'man, in the beginning Look well, and take good heed to the ending, Be you never so gay; Ye think sin in the beginning full sweet, Which in the end causeth thy soul to weep, When the body lieth in clay.'

Here shall you see how fellows.h.i.+p and jollity, Both strength, pleasure, and beauty, Will fade from thee as flower in May; For ye shall hear how our heaven king Calleth every man to a general reckoning: Give audience, and hear what he will say.

G.o.d SPEAKETH.

G.o.d. I perceive here in my majesty How that all creatures be to me unkind, Living without dread in worldly prosperity.

Of ghostly sight the people be so blind, Drowned in sin, they know me not for their G.o.d; In worldly riches is all their mind.

They fear not my righteousness, that sharp rod; My law that I showed, when I for them died, They forget clean, and shedding of my blood so red.

I hanged between two thieves, it cannot be denied, To get them life, I suffered to be dead; I healed their feet--with thorns hurt was my head-- I could do no more than I did, truly.

And now I see the people do clean forsake me; They use the seven deadly sins d.a.m.nable; As pride, covetise, wrath, and lechery, Now in the world be made commendable; And thus they leave of angels the heavenly company.

Every man liveth so after his own pleasure, And yet of their life they be not sure.

I see the more that I them forbear The worse they are from year to year.

All that liveth appaireth fast, Therefore I will in all the haste Have a reckoning of every man's person, For, and I leave the people thus alone In their life and wicked tempests, Verily they will become much worse than beasts, For now one would by envy another up eat; Charity they all do clean forget.

I hoped well that every man In my glory should make his mansion, And thereto I had them all elect, But now I see that, like traitors deject, They thank me not for the pleasure that I to them meant, Nor yet for their being that I them have lent.

I proffered the people great mult.i.tude of mercy, And few there be that asketh it heartily; They be so c.u.mbered 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 G.o.d, I am here at your will, Your commandement to fulfil.

G.o.d. 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.