The York plays

Play 3A

God

In heuyn and erthe duly bedene Line 1 Of v days werke, euyn onto ende, I haue complete by curssis clene; Methynke the space of thame well spende. In heuyn er angels fayre and brighte, Sternes and planetis ther curssis to ga, THe mone seruis onto the nyght The son to lyghte the day alswa. In erthe is treys and gres to springe, Bestis and foulys, bothe gret and smalle,

Fyschis in flode, all othyr thyng Thryffe and haue my blyssyng all. Thys werke is wroght now at my will, But yoet can I here no best see THat acordys be kynde and skyll, And for my werke myght worschippe me. For perfytt werke ne ware it nane But ought ware made that myght it yoeme, For loue mad I this warlde alane, THerfor my loffe sall in it seme. To kepe this warlde, bothe mare and lesse, A skylfull best thane will I make Eftyr my schape and my lyknes, The wilke sall worschipe to me take. Off the symplest part of erthe that is here I sall make man, and for this skylle: For to abate hys hauttande chere, Bothe his gret pride and other ille; And also for to haue in mynde How simpyll he is at hys makyng, For als febyll I sall hym fynde Qwen he is dede at his endyng. For this reson and skyll alane I sall make man lyke onto me. Ryse vp, thou erthe, in blode and bane, In schape of man, I commaunde the. A female sall thou haue to fere, Her sall I make of thi lyft rybe, Alane so sall thou nough be here Withoutyn faythefull frende and sybe. Takys now here the gast of lyffe And ressayue bothe yooure saules of me;

THis femall take thou to thi wyffe, Adam and Eue yoour names sall be.

Adam

A, lorde, full mekyll is thi mighte Line 45 And that is sene in ilke a syde, For now his here a ioyfull syght To se this worlde so lange and wyde. Mony diueris thyngis now here es, Off bestis and foulis bathe wylde and tame; YOet is nan made to thi liknes But we alone-A, louyd by thi name.

Eue

To swylke a lorde in all degré Line 53 Be euirmore lastande louynge, THat tyll vs swylke a dyngnité Has gyffyne before all othyr thynge; And selcouth thyngis may we se here Of this ilke warld so lange and brade, With bestis and fowlis so many and sere; Blessid be he that hase us made.

Adam

A, blyssid lorde, now at thi wille Line 61 Syne we er wroght, wochesaff to telle And also say vs two vntyll Qwate we sall do and whare to dewell?

God

For this skyl made I yoow this day, Line 65 My name to worschip ay-whare; Louys me, forthi, and louys me ay For my makyng, I axke no mare. Bothe wys and witty sall thou be, Als man that I haue made of noght; Lordschipe in erthe than graunt I the, All thynge to serue the that I haue wroght.

In paradyse sall yoe same wone, Of erthely thyng get yoe no nede, Ille and gude both sall yoe kone, I sall yoou lerne yooure lyue to lede.

Adam

A, lorde, sene we sall do no thyng Line 77 But louffe the for thi gret gudnesse, We sall ay bay to thi biddyng And fulfyll it, both more and less.

Eue

His syng sene he has on vs sett Line 81 Beforne all othir thyng certayne, Hym for to loue we sall noght lett And worschip hym with myght and mayne.

God

At heuyne and erth first I begane Line 85 And vj days wroght or I walde ryst; My warke is endyde now at mane, All lykes me will, but this is best. My blyssyng haue thai ever and ay. The seueynt day sall my restyng be, THus wille I sese, sothely to say, Of my doying in this degré. To blys I sall yoow bryng, Comys forth, yoe tow, with me; YOe sall lyffe in lykyng- My blyssyng wyth yoow be. Amen.