Though that on my feet I may not go,
I have a sister, that shall with you also,
Called Knowledge, which shall with you
abide,

To help you to make that dreadful reckoning. Knowledge. Everyman, I will go with thee, and be thy guide,

In thy most need to go by thy side. Every. In good condition I am now in every thing,

And am wholly content with this good thing;

Thanked be God my Creator! Good-D. And when he hath brought you there,

Where thou shalt heal thee of thy smart, Then go you with your reckoning and your Good-Deeds together,

For to make you joyful at heart
Before the blessed Trinity.
Every. My Good-Deeds, gramercy;
I am well content, certainly,
With your words sweet.

Know. Now go we together lovingly,

To Confession, that cleansing river. Every. For joy I weep; I would we were there.

But, I pray you, give me cognition 40 Where dwelleth that holy man, Confes

sion.

Know. In the house of salvation:

We shall find him in that place,
That shall us comfort by God's grace.-

Enter Confession.

Lo, this is Confession. Kneel down and ask mercy,

For he is in good conceit 41 with God almighty.

Every. O glorious fountain that all uncleanness doth clarify,

Wash me from the spots of vice unclean, That on me no sin may be seen.

I come with Knowledge for my redemption,

Redempt with hearty and full contrition; For I am commanded a pilgrimage to take,

And great accounts before God to make. Now, I pray you, Shrift, 42 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, voider 43 of adversity;
Therewith shall your body chastised be,
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;

So must thou, ere 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 sicker 44 of mercy, For your time draweth fast; and ye will saved be,

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. Every. Thanked be God for his gracious work,

For now I will my penance begin;

This hath rejoiced and lighted my heart, Though the knots be painful and hard within.

Know. Everyman, look your penance that ye fulfil,

What pain that ever it to you be, And Knowledge shall give you counsel at will,

How your account ye shall make clearly. Every. O eternal God, O heavenly figure, O way of righteousness, 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, founder of mercy,
Which illumineth heaven and earth

Receive my prayers; unworthy in this heavy life

Though I be, a sinner most abominable, Yet let my name be written in Moses' table.

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,

For Death assaileth me strongly;

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

Of your Son's glory to be partner,
By the means of his passion I it crave,
I beseech you, help my soul to save!-
Knowledge, give me the scourge of

Blessed be thou without end;

For thee is prepared the eternal glory.
Ye have me made whole and sound,
Therefore I will bide by thee in every
stound.45

Every. Welcome, my Good-Deeds! Now
I hear thy voice,

I weep for very sweetness of love. Know. Be no more sad, but ever rejoice: God seeth thy living in his throne above.

Put on this garment to thy behoof,46
Which is wet with your tears,

Or else before God you may it miss,
When ye to your journey's end come
shall.

Every. Gentle Knowledge, what do ye it call?

Know. It is a garment of sorrow,
From pain it will you borrow; 47
Contrition it is,

That getteth forgiveness;

It pleaseth God passing well. Good-D. Everyman, will you wear it for your heal?

(Everyman puts on robe of contrition.) Every. Now blessed be Jesu, Mary's Son, For now have I on true contrition. And let us go now without tarrying. Good-Deeds, have we clear our reckoning?

Good-D. Yea, indeed I have [it] here.
Every. Then I trust we need not fear.

Now, friends, let us not part in twain. Know. Nay, Everyman, that will we not, certain.

Good-D. Yet must thou lead with thee
Three persons of great might.
Every. Who should they be?
Good-D. Discretion and Strength they

hight,48

And thy Beauty may not abide behind. Know. Also ye must call to mind

Your Five-wits as for your counsellors. Good-D. You must have them ready at all hours.

Every. How shall I get them hither? Know. You must call them all together, And they will hear you incontinent. Every. My friends, come hither and be present,

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

Beauty. Here at your will we be all ready. What will ye that we should do?

Good-D. That ye would with Everyman

go,

And help him in his pilgrimage.

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

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.

Every. Almighty God, loved might thou be,

I give thee laud that I have hither brought

Strength, Discretion, Beauty, and Fivewits; lack I nought;

And my Good-Deeds, with Knowledge clear,

All be in my company at my will here; I desire no more to my business. Stren. And I, Strength, will by you stand in distress,

Though thou would in battle fight on the ground.

Five-Wits. And though it were through the world round,

We will not depart for sweet nor sour. Beau. No more will I unto death's hour, Whatsoever thereof befall.

Discr. Everyman, advise you first of all, Go with a good advisement and deliberation.

We all give you virtuous monition

That all shall be well.

Every. 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
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,
And the other half still shall remain
In quethe 49 to be returned there it ought
to be.

This I do in despite of the fiend of hell,
To go quite out of his peril
Ever after and this day.
Know. Everyman, hearken what I say;
Go to Priesthood, I you advise,
And receive of him in any wise

The holy sacrament and ointment together,

Then shortly see ye turn again hither; We will all abide you here.

9 bequest.

God will you to salvation bring,

For priesthood exceedeth all other thing;
To us Holy Scripture they do teach,
And convert man from sin, heaven to

reach.

God hath to them more power given,
Than to any angel that is in heaven:
With five words he may consecrate
God's body in flesh and blood to make,
And handleth his Maker between his
hands.

The priest bindeth and unbindeth all bands,

Both in earth and in heaven.

Thou ministers all the sacraments seven. Though we kiss thy feet thou were worthy.

Thou art surgeon that cureth sin deadly:
No remedy we find under God

But all only priesthood.
Everyman, God gave priests that dignity,
And setteth them in his stead among us
to be;

51 spiritual.

Thus be they above angels in degree. Know. If priests be good, it is so surely. But when Jesus hanged on the cross with great smart,

There he gave, out of his blessed heart, The same sacrament in great torment; He sold them not to us, that Lord omnipotent.

Therefore Saint Peter the apostle doth

say

That Jesus' curse have all they

Which God their Savior do buy or sell, Or they for any money do take or tell.52 Sinful priests give the sinners example bad,

Their children sit by other men's fires, I have heard,

And some haunt women's company, With unclean life, as lusts of lechery; These be with sin made blind.

Five-W. I trust to God no such may we find.

Therefore let us priesthood honor,

And follow their doctrine for our souls'

succor;

We be their sheep, and they shepherds be,

By whom we all be kept in surety.

Peace, for yonder I see Everyman come, Which hath made true satisfaction.

Re-enter Everyman.

Good-D. Methink it is he indeed.
Every. Now Jesu be your alder speed.53
I have received the sacrament for my re-
demption,

And then mine extreme unction:
Blessed be all they that counselled me to
take it!

And now, friends, let us go without longer respite;

I thank God that ye have tarried so long. Now set each of you on this rod 54 your hand,

And shortly follow me.

I go before, there I would be; God be your guide.

Stren. Everyman, we will not from you

As ever I did by Judas Maccabee. Every. Alas, I am so faint I may not stand,

My limbs under me do fold.

Friends, let us not turn again to this land,

Not for all the world's gold,

For into this cave must I creep, And turn to earth and there to sleep. Beau. What, into this grave? alas! Every. Yea, there shall ye consume more and less.

Beau. And what, should I smother here? Every. Yea, by my faith, and never more appear.

In this world live no more we shall,

But in heaven before the highest Lord of all.

Beau. I cross out all this! Adieu, by Saint John!

I take my tap in my lap and am gone.56 Every. What, Beauty, whither will ye? Beau. Peace! I am deaf, I look not behind me,

Not and thou wouldest give me all the gold in thy chest.

Every. Alas, whereto may I trust?
Beauty goeth fast away from me,
She promised with me to live and die.
Stren. Everyman, I will thee also forsake
and deny;

Thy game liketh 57 me not at all.
Every. Why, then ye will forsake me all!
Sweet Strength, tarry a little space.
Stren. Nay, sir, by the rood of grace,
I will hie me from thee fast,

Though thou weep to 58 thy heart tobrast.5 59

Every. Ye would ever bide by me, ye said. Stren. Yea, I have you far enough conveyed;

Ye be old enough, I understand, Your pilgrimage to take on hand. I repent me that I hither came. Every. Strength, you to displease I am to blame;

Will you break promise that is debt? Stren. In faith, I care not;

Thou art but a fool to complain,

You spend your speech and waste your brain;

Go, thrust thee into the ground! Every. I had wend surer I should you have found.

He that trusteth in his Strength,

She him deceiveth at the length.

Both Strength and Beauty forsake me, Yet they promised me fair and lovingly. Discr. Everyman, I will after Strength be

gone,

As for me I will leave you alone. Every. Why, Discretion, will ye forsake me?

Discr. Yea, in faith, I will go from thee, For when Strength goeth before

I follow after evermore.

Every. Yet, I pray thee, for the love of the Trinity,

Look in my grave once piteously. Discr. Nay, so nigh will I not come. Farewell, every one!

Every. Oh, all thing faileth, save God alone,

Beauty, Strength, and Discretion; For when Death bloweth his blast, They all run from me full fast. Five-W. Everyman, my leave now of thee I take;

I will follow the other, for here I thee forsake.

Every. Alas! then may I wail and weep,
For I took you for my best friend.
Five-W. I will no longer thee keep;
Now farewell, and there an end.
Every. O Jesu, help! all have forsaken
me!

Good-D. Nay, Everyman, I will bide with thee,

I will not forsake thee indeed;

Thou shalt find me a good friend at need. Etery. Gramercy, Good-Deeds, now may I true friends see;

They have forsaken me every one,

I loved them better than my Good-Deeds alone.

Knowledge, will ye forsake me also? Know. Yea, Everyman, when ye to death shall go;

But not yet for no manner of danger. Every. Gramercy, Knowledge, with all my heart.

Know. Nay, yet I will not from hence depart,

Till I see where ye shall be come. Every. Methink, alas, that I must be gone, To make my reckoning and my debts pay, For I see my time is nigh spent away. Take example, all ye that this do hear or

see,

How they that I love best do forsake me, Except my Good-Deeds that bideth truly.

Good-D. All earthly things is but vanity: Beauty, Strength, and Discretion, do

man forsake,

Foolish friends and kinsmen that fair spake,

All flee save Good-Deeds, and that am I. Every. Have mercy on me, God most mighty,

And stand by me, thou Mother and Maid, holy Mary.

Good-D. Fear not, I will speak for thee. Every. Here I cry God mercy.

Good-D. Short our end, and minish our pain;

Let us go and never come again. Every. Into thy hands, Lord, my soul I commend,

Receive it, Lord, that it be not lost!
As thou me boughtest, so me defend,
And save me from the fiend's boast,
That I may appear with that blessed
host

That shall be saved at the day of doom.
In manus tuas-of mights most
For ever-commendo spiritum meum.

(Dies.)

Know. Now hath he suffered that we all shall endure;

The Good-Deeds shall make all sure.
Now hath he made ending;
Methinketh that I hear angels sing
And make great joy and melody,

Where Everyman's soul received shall be. Angel. Come, excellent elect spouse to Jesu;

Here above thou shalt go,

Because of thy singular virtue.

Now the soul is taken the body from
Thy reckoning is crystal-clear.
Now shalt thou into the heavenly sphere,
Unto the which all ye shall come

That live well before the day of doom. Doctor.60 This moral men may have in mind;

Ye hearers, take it of worth, old and