Everyman. My Good-Deeds, gramercy;

I am well content, certainly,

With your words sweet.

535

Knowledge. Now go we together lovingly,

To Confession, that cleansing river.

Everyman. For joy I weep; I would we were there;

Lo, this is Confession; kneel down and ask mercy,

For he is on good conceit with God Almighty.

545

Everyman. O glorious fountain that all uncleanness doth clarify,

Wash from me the spots of vices unclean,
That on me no sin may be seen;

I come with Knowledge for my redemption,
Repent with hearty and full contrition;
For I am commanded a pilgrimage to take,
And great accounts before God to make.

550

Now, I pray you, Shrift, mother of salvation,

Help my good deeds for my piteous exclamation.
Confession. I know your sorrow well, Everyman;
Because with Knowledge ye come to me,

I will you comfort as well as I can,
And a precious jewel I will give thee,
Called penance, wise voider of adversity;

555

Therewith shall your body chastised be,

560

With abstinence and perseverance in God's service:

Here shall you receive that scourge of me

Which is penance strong, that ye must endure,

To remember thy Savior was scourged for thee

With sharp scourges, and suffered it patiently;

565

So must thou, or thou scape that painful pilgrimage;
Knowledge, keep him in this voyage,

And by that time Good-Deeds will be with thee.
But in any wise, be sure of mercy,

13 Information.

For your time draweth fast, and ye will saved be;

570

Ask God mercy, and He will grant truly,

When with the scourge of penance man doth him bind,

The oil of forgiveness then shall he find.

Everyman. Thanked be God for his gracious work!

For now I will my penance begin;

575

This hath rejoiced and lighted my heart,

Though the knots be painful and hard within.

Knowledge. Everyman, look your penance that ye fulfil,

What pain that very it to you be,

And Knowledge shall give you counsel at will,

580

How your accounts ye shall make clearly.

Everyman. O eternal God, O heavenly figure,
O way of rightwiseness, O goodly vision,
Which descended down in a virgin pure
Because he would Everyman redeem,
Which Adam forfeited by his disobedience;
O blessed Godhead, elect and high-divine,
Forgive my grievous offence;

Here I

cry

thee mercy

in this presence.

O ghostly treasure, O ransomer and redeemer
Of all the world, hope and conductor,

Mirror of joy, and founder of mercy.
Which illumineth heaven and earth thereby,

Hear my clamorous complaint, though it late be;
Receive my prayers; unworthy in this heavy life,
Though I be, a sinner most abominable,

Yet let my name be written in Moses' table;

585

590

595

O Mary, pray to the Maker of all thing,

Me for to help at my ending,

And save me from the power of my enemy,

600

For Death assaileth me strongly;

And, Lady, that I may be means of thy prayer

Of your Son's glory to be partaker,

By the means of his passion I it crave,

605

I beseech you, help my soul to save.-
Knowledge, give me the scourge of penance;
My flesh therewith shall give a quittance:
I will now begin, if God give me grace.

Knowledge. Everyman, God give you time and space:

Thus I bequesth you in the hands of our Savior,
Thus may you make your reckoning sure.
Everyman. In the name of the Holy Trinity,
My body sore punished shall be:

610

Take this body for the sin of the flesh;

Also thou delightest to go gay and fresh,

615

And in the way of damnation thou did me bring;

Therefore suffer now strokes and punishing.

Now of penance I will wade the water clear
To save me from purgatory, that sharp fire.
Good-Deeds. I thank God, now I can walk and go;
And am delivered of my sickness and woe.
Therefore with Everyman I will go, and not spare;

620

His good works I will help him to declare.
Knowledge. Now, Everyman, be merry and glad;
Your Good-Deeds cometh now; ye may not be sad;
Now is your Good-Deeds whole and sound,
Going upright upon the ground.

625

Everyman. My heart is light, and shall be evermore;
Now will I smite faster than I did before.

Good-Deeds. Everyman, pilgrim, my special friend,

630

Blessed be thou without end;

For thee is prepared the eternal glory.

Ye have me made whole and sound,

Therefore I will by thee in every stound.14

Everyman. Welcome, my Good-Deeds; now I hear thy voice, 635

I weep for very sweetness of love.

Knowledge. Be no more sad, but ever rejoice,

God seeth thy living in his throne above;

Put on this garment to thy behove, 15

Which is wet with your tears,

640

Or else before God you may it miss,

When you to your journey's end come shall.

Everyman. Gentle Knowledge, what do you it call?

Knowledge. It is a garment of sorrow:

From pain it will you borrow;

645

Contrition it is,

14 Season. 15 Profit.

That getteth forgiveness;

It pleaseth God passing well.

Good-Deeds. Everyman, will you wear it for your heal ?16
Everyman. Now blessed be Jesu, Mary's Son!

650

For now have I on true contrition.

And let us go now without tarrying;

Good-Deeds, have we clear our reckoning? Good-Deeds. Yea, indeed I have it here.

Everyman. Then I trust we need not fear;

655

Now, friends, let us not part in twain.

Knowledge. Nay, Everyman, that will we not, certain.

Good-Deeds. Yet must thou lead with thee

Three persons of great might.

Everyman. Who should they be?

660

Good-Deeds. Discretion and Strength they hight,17

And thy Beauty may not abide behind.

Knowledge. Also ye must call to mind

Your Five-Wits as for your counselors.

Good-Deeds. You must have them ready at all hours.

665

Everyman. How shall I get them hither?

Knowledge. You must call them all together,

And they will hear you incontinent.

Everyman. My friends, come hither and be present

Discretion, Strength, my Five-Wits, and Beauty.

670

Beauty. Here at your will we be all ready.

What will ye that we should do?

Good-Deeds. That ye would with Everyman go,

And help him in his pilgrimage,

Advise you, will ye with him or not in that voyage?

675

Strength. We will bring him all thither.

To his help and comfort, ye may believe me. Discretion. So will we go with him all together. Everyman. Almighty God, loved thou be,

I give thee laud18 that I have hither brought

680

Strength, Discretion, Beauty, and Five-Wits; lack I nought;

And my Good-Deeds, with Knowledge clear,

Strength. And I, Strength, will by you stand in distress,
Though thou would in battle fight. on the ground.

685

Five-Wits. And though it were through the world round,
We will not depart for sweet nor sour.

Beauty. No more will I unto death's hour,

Whatsoever thereof befall.

690

Discretion. Everyman, advise you first of all;

Go with a good advisement and deliveration;
We all give you virtuous monition

That all shall be well.

Everyman. My friends, hearken what I will tell:

I pray God reward you in his heavenly sphere.
Now hearken, all that be here,

For I will make my testament

695

Here before you all present.

In alms half my good I will give with my hands twain
In the way of charity, with good intent,

700

And the other half still shall remain

In quiet to be returned there it ought to be.

Five-Wits. Yea, Everyman, hie you that ye ready were,

There is no emperor, king, duke,, nor baron,

That of God hath commission,

715

As hath the least priest in the world being;

For of the blessed sacraments pure and benign,

He beareth the keys and thereof hath the cure
For man's redemption, it is ever sure;
Which God for our soul's medicine

720

Gave us out of his heart with great pine;

Here in this transitory life, for thee and me

The blessed sacraments seven there be,