Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 41

EVERYMAN. Whither away, Fellows.h.i.+p? wilt thou forsake me?

FELLOW. Yea, by my fay; to G.o.d I betake thee!

EVERYMAN. Farewell, good Fellows.h.i.+p! for thee my heart is sore.

Adieu! for I shall never see thee no more.

FELLOW. In faith, Everyman, farewell now at the end!

For you I will remember that parting is mourning.

EVERYMAN. Alack! shall we thus depart indeed?

Oh Lady, help! without any more comfort, Lo! Fellows.h.i.+p forsaketh me in my most need.

For help in this world whither shall I resort?

Fellows.h.i.+p here before with me would merry make, And now little sorrow for me doth he take.

It is said, in prosperity men friends may find, Which in adversity be full unkind Now whither for succour shall I flee, Sith that Fellows.h.i.+p hath forsaken me?

To my kinnesmen I will, truly, Praying them to help me in my necessity.

I believe that they will do so, For kind will creep where it may not go.

I will go say, for yonder I see them go: Where be ye now, my friends and kinnesmen?

KINDRED. Here be we now at your commandement: Cousin, I pray you, show us your intent In any wise, and do not spare.

COUSIN. Yea, Everyman, and us to declare If ye be disposed to go any whither, For wot ye well, we will live and die together.

KINDRED. In wealth and woe we will with you hold, For over his kin a man may be bold.

EVERYMAN. Gramercy! my friends and kinsmen kind: Now shall I show you the grief of my mind.

I was commanded by a messenger, That is a high king's chief officer; He bade me go a pilgrimage to my pain, But I know well I shall never come again.

Also I must give reckoning strait, For I have a great enemy that hath me in wait, Which intendeth me for to hinder.

KINDRED. What account is that which ye must render?

That would I know.

EVERYMAN. Of all my works I must show, How I have lived and my dayes spent; Also of ill deeds that I have used In my time, sith life was me lent, And of all virtues that I have refused; Therefore, I pray you, go thither with me, To help to make mine account, for saint charity!

COUSIN. What! to go thither? is that the matter?

Nay, Everyman, I had liefer fast, bread and water, All this five year and more.

EVERYMAN. Alas, that ever I was born!

For now shall I never be merry If that you forsake me.

KINDRED. Ah, sir, what! ye be a merry man!

Take good heart to you, and make no moan; But one thing I warn you--by Saint Anne, As for me, ye shall go alone!

EVERYMAN. My cousin, will you not with me go?

COUSIN. No, by our Lady! I have the cramp in my toe!

Trust not to me, for so G.o.d me speed, I will deceive you in your most need!

KINDRED. It availeth not us to 'tice; Ye shall have my maid, with all my heart!

She loveth to go to feasts, there to be nice, And to dance, and abroad to start; I will give her leave to help you in that journey, If that you and she may agree.

EVERYMAN. Now show me the very effect of your mind: Will you go with me or abide behind?

KINDRED. Abide behind? Yea, that will I, and I may, Therefore farewell, till another day!

EVERYMAN. How should I be merry or glad?

For fair promises men to me do make, But when I have most need they me forsake.

I am deceived--that maketh me sad.

COUSIN. Cousin Everyman, farewell now!

For verily I will not go with you.

Also of my own an unready reckoning I have to account, therefore I make tarrying.

Now G.o.d keep thee! for now I go.

EVERYMAN. Ah, Jesus! is all come hereto?

Lo! fair words maketh fools fain!

They promise, and nothing will do, certain!

My kinnesmen promised me faithfully For to abide with me steadfastly, And now fast away do they flee; Even so Fellows.h.i.+p promised me.

What friend were best me of to provide?

I lose my time here longer to abide.

Yet in my mind a thing there is-- All my life I have loved riches; If that my Good now help me might, It would make my heart full light.

I will speak to him in this distress: Where art thou, my Goods and Riches?

GOODS. Who calleth me? Everyman? what! hast thou haste?

I lie here in corners, trussed and piled so high, And in chests I am locked full fast, Also sacked in bags--thou mayst see with thine eye-- I cannot stir; in packs low I lie.

What would ye have? lightly me say.

EVERYMAN. Come hither, Good, in all the haste thou may, For of counsel I must desire thee.

GOODS. Sir, and ye in the world have trouble or adversity, Then can I help you to remedy shortly.

EVERYMAN. It is another disease that grieveth me; In this world it is not--I tell so-- I am sent for, another way to go, To give a strait account general Before the highest Jupiter of all.

And all my life I have had joy and pleasure in thee, Therefore, I pray thee, go with me; For peradventure thou mayest, before G.o.d Almighty, My reckoning help to clean and purify; For it is said, ever among, That money maketh all right that is wrong.

GOODS. Nay, Everyman, I sing another song!

I follow no man in such voyages, For and I went with thee, Thou should'st fare much the worse for me; For because on me thou did set thy mind, Thy reckoning I have made blotted and blind, That thine account thou cannot make truly, And that hast thou for the love of me.

EVERYMAN. That would grieve me full sore, When I should come to that fearful answer.

Up! let us go thither together!

GOODS. Nay, not so! I am too brittle, I may not endure; I will follow no man one foot, be thou sure.

EVERYMAN. Alas! I have thee loved, and had great pleasure All my life's days on good and treasure.

GOODS. That is to thy d.a.m.nation, without leasing, For my love is contrary to the love everlasting; But if thou had me loved moderately, during, As to the poor to give part for me, Then shouldest thou not in this dolour be, Nor in this great sorrow and care.

EVERYMAN. Lo now! I was deceived or I was ware!

And all I may wyte my spending of time.