The York plays

Play 1

God

Ego sum Alpha et nouissimus. I am gracyus and grete, God withoutyn begynnyng, Line 1 I am maker vnmade, all mighte es in me; I am lyfe and way vnto welth-wynnyng, I am formaste and fyrste, als I byd sall it be. My blyssyng o ble sall be blendyng, And heldand, fro harme to be hydande, My body in blys ay abydande, Vnendande, withoutyn any endyng. Sen I am maker vnmade and most es of mighte, And ay sall be endeles and noghte es but I, Vnto my dygnyté dere sall diewly be dyghte A place full of plenté to my plesyng at ply; And therewith als wyll I haue wroght Many dyuers doynges bedene, Whilke warke sall mekely contene, And all sall be made euen of noghte. But onely the worthely warke of my wyll In my sprete sall enspyre the mighte of me; And in the fyrste, faythely, my thoghte to fullfyll, Baynely in my blyssyng I byd at here be A blys al-beledande abowte me, In the whilke blys I byde at be here Nyen ordres of aungels full clere, In louyng ay-lastande at lowte me. Here vndernethe me nowe a nexile I neuen, Whilke ile sall be erthe. Now all be at ones

Erthe haly, and helle, this hegheste be heuen, And that welth sall welde sall won in this wones. This graunte I yoowe, mynysters myne, To-whils yohe ar stabill in thoghte- And also to thaime that ar noghte Be put to my presone at pyne. Of all the mightes I haue made, moste nexte after me I make the als master and merour of my mighte; I beelde the here baynely in blys for to be, I name the for Lucifer, als berar of lyghte. Nothyng here sall the be derand; In this blis sall be yohour beeldyng, And haue all welth in yooure weledyng, Ay-whils yohe ar buxumly berande.

Angel 1

A, mercyfull maker, full mekill es thi mighte, Line 41 That all this warke at a worde worthely has wroghte. Ay loued be that lufly lorde of his lighte, That vs thus mighty has made that nowe was righte noghte, In blys for to byde in his blyssyng. Ay-lastande in luf lat vs lowte hym, At beelde vs thus baynely abowete hym, Of myrthe neuermore to haue myssyng.

Lucifer

All the myrth that es made es markide in me! Line 49 THe bemes of my brighthode ar byrnande so bryghte, And I so semely in syghte myselfe now I se, For lyke a lorde am I lefte to lende in this lighte. More fayrear be far than my feres, In me is no poynte that may payre; I fele me fetys and fayre, My powar es passande my peres.

Cherabyn

Lorde, wyth a lastande luf we loue the allone, Line 57 THou mightefull maker that markid vs and made vs, And wroghte us thus worthely to wone in this wone, Ther neuer felyng of fylth may full vs nor fade vs. All blys es here beeldande aboute vs;

To-whyls we are stabyll in thoughte In the worschipp of hym that us wroght, Of dere neuer thar vs more dowte vs.

Angel 2

O, what I am fetys and fayre and fygured full fytt! Line 65 THe forme of all fayrehede apon me es feste, All welth in my weelde es, I wote be my wytte; THe bemes of my brighthede are bygged with the beste. My schewyng es schemerande and schynande, So bygly to blys am I broghte; Me nedes for to noy me righte noghte, Here sall neuer payne me be pynande.

Angel 1

With all the wytt at we welde we woyrschip thi wyll, Line 73 THou gloryus God that es grunde of all grace; Ay with stedefaste steuen lat vs stande styll, Lorde, to be fede with the fode of thi fayre face. In lyfe that es lely ay-lastande, Thi dale, lorde, es ay daynetethly delande, And whoso that fode may be felande- To se thi fayre face-es noght fastande.

Lucifer

Owe, certes, what I am worthely wroghte with wyrschip, iwys! Line 81 For in a glorius gle my gleteryng it glemes; I am so mightyly made my mirth may noghte mys- Ay sall I byde in this blys thorowe brightnes of bemes. Me nedes noghte of noy for to neuen, All welth in my welde haue I weledande; Abowne yohit sall I be beeldand, On heghte in the hyeste of hewuen. Ther sall I set myselfe full semely to seyghte, To ressayue my reuerence thorowe righte o renowne; I sall be lyke vnto hym that es hyeste on heghte. Owe, what I am derworth and defte-Owe! Dewes! All goes downe! My mighte and my mayne es all marrande- Helpe, felawes! In faythe I am fallande.

Angel 2

Fra heuen are we heledande on all hande, Line 95 To wo are we weendande, I warande.

Lucifer

Owte! Owte! Harrowe! Helples, slyke hote at es here; Line 97 This es a dongon of dole that I am to dyghte. Whare es my kynde become, so cumly and clere? Nowe am I laytheste, allas, that are was lighte. My bryghtnes es blakkeste and blo nowe, My bale es ay betande and brynande- That gares ane go gowlande and gyrnande. Owte! Ay walaway! I well euen in wo nowe.

Diabolus

Owte! Owte! I go wode for wo, my wytte es all wente nowe, Line 105 All oure fode es but filth we fynde vs beforn. We that ware beelded in blys, in bale are we brent nowe- Owte on the Lucifer, lurdan, oure lyghte has thou lorne. THi dedes to this dole nowe has dyghte us, To spill vs thou was oure spedar, For thow was oure lyghte and oure ledar, THe hegheste of heuen hade thou hyght vs.

Lucifer

Walaway! Wa es me now, nowe es it war thane it was. Line 113 Vnthryuandely threpe yohe-I sayde but a thoghte.

Diabolus

We, lurdane, thou lost vs. Line 115

Lucifer

YOhe ly! Owte, allas! Line 115 I wyste noghte this wo sculde be wroghte. Owte on yohow, lurdans, yohe smore me in smoke.

Diabolus

This wo has thou wroghte vs. Line 118

Lucifer

YOhe ly, yohe ly! Line 118

Diabolus

Thou lyes, and that sall thou by: Line 119 We, lurdane, haue at yoowe, lat loke!

Cherabyn

A, lorde, louid be thi name that vs this lyghte lente, Line 121 Sen Lucifer oure ledar es lighted so lawe, For hys vnbuxumnes in bale to be brente- Thi rightewysnes to rewarde on rowe Ilke warke eftyr is wroghte- Thorowe grace of thi mercyfull myghte The cause I se itt in syghte, Wharefore to bale he es broghte.

God

Those foles for thaire fayrehede in fantasyes fell, Line 129 And hade mayne of mi mighte that marked tham and made tham. Forthi efter thaire warkes were, in wo sall thai well, For sum ar fallen into fylthe that euermore sall fade tham, And neuer sall haue grace for to gyrth tham. So passande of power tham thoght tham, Thai wolde noght me worschip that wroghte tham; Forthi sall my wreth euer go with tham. Ande all that me wyrschippe sall wone here, iwys; Forthi more forthe of my warke, wyrke nowe I will. Syn than ther mighte es for-marryde that mente all omys, Euen to myne awne fygure this blys to fulfyll, Mankynde of moulde will I make. But fyrste wille I fourme hym before All thyng that sall hym restore, To whilke that his talente will take. Ande in my fyrste makyng, to mustyr my mighte, Sen erthe es vayne and voyde and myrknes emel, I byd in my blyssyng yohe aungels gyf lyghte To the erthe, for it faded when the fendes fell. In hell sall neuer myrknes be myssande, THe myrknes thus name I for nighte; The day, that call I this lyghte- My after-warkes sall thai be wyssande. Ande nowe in my blyssyng I twyne tham in two, The nighte euen fro the day, so that thai mete neuer, But ather in a kynde courese thaire gates for to go. Bothe the nighte and the day, does dewly yohour deyuer, To all I sall wirke be yohe wysshyng. This day warke es done ilke a dele, And all this warke lykes me ryght wele, And baynely I gyf it my blyssyng.