Everyman | Everyman

Everyman

NOTE

The opinion has been commonly accepted that the English version of the play was a translation from the Dutch version Elckerlyc ascribed to Dorlandus. The chief support of this view is the fact that the Dutch version was printed before the English. It may be safer to consider the question still open, for either may be the earlier, and both may go back to an earlier version now lost.

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

[The Messenger enters.

Messenger.
I pray you all give your audience,
And hear this matter with reverence,
In form a moral play.
The Summoning of Everyman it is called so,
That of our lives and ending maketh show(5)
How transitory we be every day.
This matter is wondrous precious,
But the meaning of it is more gracious
And sweet to bear away.
The story saith: Man, in the beginning(10)
Watch well, and take good heed of the ending,
Be you never so gay!
Ye think sin in the beginning full sweet,
Which, in the end, causeth the soul to weep,
When the body lieth in clay.(15)
Here shall you see how Fellowship and Jollity,
Both Strength, Pleasure, and Beauty,
Will fade from thee as flower in May,
For ye shall hear how our Heaven’s King
Calleth Everyman to a general reckoning.(20)
Give audience and hear what he doth say.

[The Messenger goes.

God speaketh:
I perceive, here in my majesty,
How that all creatures be to me unkind,
Living, without fear, in worldly prosperity.
In spiritual vision the people be so blind,(25)
Drowned in sin, they know me not for their God;
In worldly riches is all their mind.
They fear not my righteousness, the sharp rod.
My law that I disclosed, when I for them died,
They clean forget, and shedding of my blood red.(30)
I hung between two it cannot be denied,
To get them life I suffered to be dead,
I healed their feet, with thorns was hurt my head.
I could do no more than I did truly,
And now I see the people do clean forsake me;(35)
They use the seven deadly sins damnable
In such wise that pride, covetousness, wrath, and lechery,
Now in this world be made commendable,
And thus they leave of angels the heavenly company.
Every man liveth so after his own pleasure,(40)
And yet of their lives they be nothing sure.
The more I them forbear, I see
The worse from year to year they be;
All that live grow more evil apace;
Therefore I will, in briefest space,(45)
From every man in person have a reckoning shown.
For, if I leave the people thus alone
In their way of life and wicked passions to be,
They will become much worse than beasts, verily.
Now for envy would one eat up another, and tarry not(50)
Charity is by all clean forgot.
I hoped well that every man
In my glory should make his mansion,
And thereto I made them all elect,
But now I see, like traitors abject,(55)
They thank me not for the pleasure that I for them meant,
Nor yet for their being that I them have lent.
I proffered the people great multitude of mercy,
And few there be that ask it heartily.
They be so cumbered with worldly riches, thereto(60)
I must needs upon them justice do,—
On every man living without fear.
Where art thou, Death, thou mighty messenger?

[Death enters.

Death.
Almighty God, I am here at your will,
Your commandment to fulfil.(65)
God.
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(70)
Without delay or any tarrying.
Death.
Lord, I will in the world go run over all,
And cruelly search out both great and small.
Every man will I beset that liveth beastly
Out of God’s law, and doth not dread folly.(75)
He that loveth riches I will strike with my dart
His sight to blind and him from heaven to part—
Except if Alms be his good friend—
In hell for to dwell, world without end.
Lo, yonder I see Everyman walking.(80)
Full little he thinketh on my coming!
His mind is on fleshly lusts and his treasure,
And great pain it shall cause him to endure
Before the Lord, of Heaven the King.
Everyman, stand still! Whither art thou going(85)
Thus gayly? Hast thou thy Maker forgot?

[Everyman enters.

Everyman.
Why askest thou?
Wouldest thou know? For what?
Death.
Yea, sir, I will show you now.
In great haste I am sent to thee(90)
From God, out of his majesty.
Everyman.
What, sent to me!
Death.
Yea, certainly.
Though thou hast forgot him here,
He thinketh on thee in the heavenly sphere,(95)
As, ere we part, thou shalt know.
Everyman.
What desireth God of me?
Death.
That shall I show thee.
A reckoning he will needs have
Without any longer respite.(100)
Everyman.
To give a reckoning longer leisure I crave.
This blind matter troubleth my wit.
Death.
Upon thee thou must take a long journey,
Therefore, do thou thine accounting-book with thee bring.
For turn again thou canst not by no way,(105)
And look thou be sure in thy reckoning,
For before God thou shalt answer, and show true
Thy many bad deeds and good but a few,
How thou hast spent thy life and in what wise
Before the Chief Lord of Paradise.(110)
Get thee prepared that we may be upon that journey,
For well thou knowest thou shalt make none for thee attorney.
Everyman.
Full unready I am such reckoning to give.
I know thee not. What messenger art thou?
Death.
I am Death that no man fear,(115)
For every man I arrest and no man spare,
For it is God’s commandment
That all to me should be obedient.
Everyman.
Death, thou comest when I had thee least in mind!
In thy power it lieth to save me yet ;—
Thereto of my goods will I give thee, if thou wilt be kind,—(120)
Yea, a thousand pounds shalt thou get!—
And defer this matter till another day.
Death.
Everyman, it may not be in any way.
I set no store by gold, silver, riches, or such gear,(125)
Nor by pope, emperor, king, prince, or peer.
For, if I would receive gifts great,
All the world I might get,
But my custom is clean the contrary way.
I give thee no respite. Come hence, nor delay!(130)
  • an attitude of respect
  • the quality of being morally upright
  • These are the seven characteristics identified in Christianity as sinful: Lust/Lechery (excessive sexual desire), Gluttony (overindulgence in alcohol or food), Greed (obsession with wealth or material things), Sloth (laziness), Wrath (violent anger), Envy/Covetous (wanting what another has), Pride (vanity, too high opinion of oneself).
  • extreme anger
  • excessive desires of a sexual nature
  • worthy of approval or praise
  • to hold back, resist
  • in all haste
  • tempests; temptations
  • offered
  • detest
  • before
  • Death will not negotiate on his behalf.
  • During that time, a Duke was sometimes referred to as a prince.
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