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224    EVERYMAN AND MEDIEVAL M1RACLE PLAYS

And Knowledge shall give you counsel at will 580 How your account ye shall make clearly.

Everyman. O eternal God, O heavenly figurę,

O way of righteousness, O goodly vision,

Which desccnded down in a virgin pure Because he would every man redeem,

585 Which Adam 1'orfeited by his disobedience:

O blessed Godhead, elect and high divine,    divinity

Forgive my grievous offence;

Here I ery thee mercy in this presence.

O ghostly treasure, O ransomer and redeemer,

5<jo Of all the world hope and conductor,

Mirror of joy, and founder of mercy,

Which enlumineth heaven and earth thereby,    besides

Hear my clamorous complaint, though it late be;

Receive my prayers, of thy benignity;

595 Though I be a sinner most abominable,

Yet let my name be written in Moses’ table.

0    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 by mean of thy prayer Of your Son’s glory to be partner,

By the means of his passion, I it crave;

1    bcseech you help my soul to save.

605 Knowledge, give me the scourge of penance;

My flesh therewith shall give acquittance:

I will now begin, if God give me grace.

Knowledge. Evcryman, God give you time and

space!    opportunity

Thus I beąueath you in the hands of our Saviour;

610 Now may you make your reckoning surę.

Everyman, In the name of the Holy Trinity,

58R In the presence of this company.

596 Medicval theologians regarded the two tables given on Sinai as symbols of baptism and pcnance respectively. Thus Everyman is asking to bc numbered among those who havc escaped danuiation by doing pen-ancc for their sins.

599 i.e. from the devil.

601-3 And, Lady, I beg that through the mediation of thy prayer I may share in your Son’s giory, in conscquencc of His passion.

606 acąuittance, satisfaction (as a part of the sacrament of pcnance).

My body sore punished shall bc:

Takc this, body, for the sin of the flesh!

[ Scourges himself.

Also thou delightest to go gay and frcsh,    as

615 And in the way of damnation thou did mc bring,

Thcrefore sufler now strokes and punishing.

Now of pcnance I will wadc the water elear,

To save me from purgatory, that sharp fire.

[Good Decds rises from ihe ground]

620

625

630

'35

540

Good Decds. I thank God, now I can walk and go,

And am delivered of my sickness and woc.

Thcrefore with Evcryman I will go, and not sparc;

His good works I will help him to declarc.

Kno7vledge. Now, Everyman, be merry and glad!

Your Good Dceds cometh nowj ye may not be sad.

Now is your Good Decds whole and sound,

Going upright upon the ground.

Everyman. My heart is light, and shall be evermore;

Now will I smite faster than I did before.

Good Decds. Everyman, pilgrim, my spccial friend,

Blessed be thou without end;

For thee is preparate the cternal glory.    prepared

Ye have me madę whole and sound,

Thcrefore I will bidę by thee in every stound.    trial

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

I wecp for very sweetness of love.

Knowledgc. Be no morę sad, but ever rejoice;

God seeth thy living in his throne above.

Put on this garment to thy behoof,    advantage

Which is wet with your tears,

Or else before God you may it miss,

When ye to your journey’s end come shall.

Everyman. Gentle Knowlcdge, what do ye it cali? ⁴ Knowlcdge. It is a garment of sorrow:

From pain it will you borrow;    release

Contrition it is,

That geteth forgiveness;

It pleaseth God passing well.

exceedingly

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