Everyman | Everyman - Page 4

Everyman.
Come hither, Goods, with all the haste thou may,
For counsel straightway I must ask of thee.(400)
Goods.
Sir, if ye in this world have sorrow or adversity,
That can I help you to remedy shortly.
Everyman.
It is another disease that grieveth me;
In this world it is not, I tell thee so,
I am sent for another way to go,(405)
To give a strict 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 God Almighty on high(410)
My reckoning help to clean and purify,
For one may hear ever and anon
That “money maketh all right that is wrong.”
Goods.
Nay, Everyman, I sing another song—
I follow no man on such voyages,(415)
For, if I went with thee,
Thou shouldest fare much the worse for me,
For, because on me thou didst set thy mind,
Thy reckoning I have made blotted and blind,
So that thine account thou canst not make truly—(420)
And that hast thou for the love of me.
Everyman.
That would be to me grief full sore and sorrowing,
When I should come that fearful answering.
Up, let us go thither together!
Goods.
Nay, not so! I am too brittle, I may not endure,(425)
I will follow no man one foot, be ye sure.
Everyman.
Alas! I have thee loved, and had great pleasure
All the days of my life in goods and treasure.
Goods.
That is to thy damnation, I tell thee a true thing,
For love of me is to the love everlasting contrary.(430)
But if thou hadst the while loved me moderately,
In such wise as to give the poor a part of me,
Then would’st thou not in this dolor be,
Nor in this great sorrow and care.
Everyman.
Lo, now was I deceived ere I was ware,(435)
And all I may blame to misspending of time.
Goods.
What, thinkest thou I am thine?
Everyman.
I had thought so.
Goods.
Nay, Everyman, I say no.
Just for a while I was lent to thee,(440)
A season thou hast had me in prosperity.
My nature it is man’s soul to kill,
If I save one, a thousand I do spill.
Thinkest thou that I will follow thee?
Nay, from this world not, verily!(445)
Everyman.
I had thought otherwise.
Goods.
So it is to thy soul Goods is a thief,
For when thou art dead I straightway devise
Another to deceive in the same wise
As I have done thee, and all to his soul’s grief.(450)
Everyman.
O false Goods, cursed may thou be!
Thou traitor to God that hast deceived me,
And caught me in thy snare.
Goods.
Marry, thou broughtest thyself to this care,—
Whereof I am glad!(455)
I must needs laugh, I cannot be sad!
Everyman.
Ah, Goods, thou hast had long my hearty love.
I gave thee that which should be the Lord’s above.
But wilt thou not go with me, indeed?—
I pray thee truth to say!(460)
Goods.
No, so God me speed!
Therefore farewell, and have good-day.

[Goods is hidden from view.

Everyman.
Oh, to whom shall I make my moan
For to go with me on that heavy journey!
First Fellowship, so he said, would have with me gone,(465)
His words were very pleasant and gay,
But afterwards he left me alone;
Then spake I to my kinsmen, all in despair,
And they also gave me words fair,
They lacked not fair speeches to spend,(470)
But all forsook me in the end;
Then went I to my Goods that I loved best,
In hope to have comfort, but there had I least,
For my Goods sharply did me tell
That he bringeth many into hell.(475)
Then of myself I was ashamed,
And so I am worthy to be blamed.
Thus may I well myself hate.
Of whom shall I now counsel take?
I think that I shall never speed(480)
Till I go to my Good Deeds.
But, alas! she is so weak,
That she can neither move nor speak.
Yet will I venture on her now.
My Good Deeds, where be you?(485)

[Good Deeds is shown.

Good Deeds.
Here I lie, cold in the ground.
Thy sins surely have me bound
That I cannot stir.
Everyman.
O Good Deeds, I stand in fear!
I must pray you for counsel,(490)
For help now would come right well!
Good Deeds.
Everyman, I have understanding
That ye be summoned your account to make
Before Messias, of Jerusalem King.
If you do my counsel, that journey with you will I take.(495)
Everyman.
For that I come to you my moan to make.
I pray you that ye will go with me.
Good Deeds.
I would full fain, but I cannot stand, verily.
Everyman.
Why, is there something amiss that did you befall?
Good Deeds.
Yea, Sir, I may thank you for all.(500)
If in every wise ye had encouraged me,
Your book of account full ready would be.
Behold the books of your works and your deeds thereby.
Ah, see, how under foot they lie
Unto your soul’s deep heaviness.(505)
Everyman.
Our Lord Jesus his help vouchsafe to me,
For one letter here I cannot see.
Good Deeds.
There is a blind reckoning in time of distress!
Everyman.
Good Deeds, I pray you help me in this need,
Or else I am forever damned indeed.(510)
Therefore help me to make reckoning
Before him, that Redeemer is of everything,
That is, and was, and shall ever be, King of All.
Good Deeds.
Everyman, I am sorry for your fall,
And fain would I help you, if I were able.(515)
Everyman.
Good Deeds, your counsel, I pray you, give me.
Good Deeds.
That will I do, verily.
Though on my feet I may not go,
I have a sister that shall with you be, also,
Called Knowledge, who shall with you abide,(520)
To help you to make that dire reckoning.

[Knowledge enters.

Knowledge.
Everyman, I will go with thee and be thy guide,
In thy utmost need to go by thy side.
  • a reference to the Roman god of the heavens (used here as another name for God)
  • possibly
  • That would cause him much pain and sorrow.
  • eternal punishment for sin
  • grief, sorrow
  • having good fortune, especially concerning wealth
  • “They spoke well.”
  • Jesus, the expected savior of the Jews
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