EVERYMAN

ca. 1510

E veryman , the most widely read and

frequently produced play written in
English before the Elizabethan age, forms
[Flemish city of] Diest, frequently identi-
fied as the theologian and Carthusian
priest Peter of Doorlandt. Elckerlijc was
part of the tradition of morality drama printed in 1495 in Delft; it was subse-
that flourished in England during the fi f- quently published in Antwerp, where it
teenth and early sixteenth centuries. A was awarded first prize at a landjuweel, or
play about sin, repentance, and death, it rhetorical contest. For a number of decades,
reflects the religious and moral worldview scholars argued over which play came first,
of the late Middle Ages. Appearing at the but the weight of recent evidence— textual
turn of the sixteenth century, however, and otherwise—has established beyond
Everyman is also a transitional play in the reasonable doubt that the English Every-
history of English dramatic literature. As man was a translation of the Dutch origi-
one of the first plays to be published in nal. As A. C. Cawley points out, Antwerp
England, Everyman owes much of its pop- was an important printing center at the
ularity during its time to a new reading turn of the sixteenth century, regularly
public that emerged after the invention of publishing English translations of books
the printing press by the German Johannes originally written in Dutch for sale in the
Gutenberg around 1450. Such a reader- English market. In London, foreign print-
ship had been unavailable to the drama- ers enjoyed privileges not granted to their
tists of earlier centuries, whose plays were domestic counterparts and were fre-
available only in manuscript. In addition, quently accorded royal patronage. One of
while this drama of Everyman’s final reck- these printers, a Norman named Richard
oning reflects the theology of orthodox Pynson, published the first extant edition
Catholicism, its insistence on certain doc- of Everyman; though we do not know the
trinal points suggests an awareness of the identity of the translator, we can infer the
burgeoning reform movement that would play’s popularity from the number of sur-
profoundly divide Christian Europe dur- viving editions.
ing the Protestant Reformation. The alle- It has become a critical commonplace
gorical structure of Everyman and other that while Everyman is the most famous of
morality plays— in which characters, English morality plays, it is in many ways
objects, and actions represent abstract con- the least typical. In earlier moralities,
cepts or principles in a narrative that con- such as The Castle of Perseverence (ca.
veys a moral lesson— provided English 1405–25) and Mankind (ca. 1465–70), fig-
playwrights with a useful framework for ures representing Virtue and Vice contend
examining these and other social and phil- for the soul of humankind in often elabo-
osophical issues in the turbulent years that rate allegorical settings rife with incident
followed. and encounter. Moral conflict in these
Everyman survives in four different edi- plays is frequently dramatized through
tions, two of them incomplete, which comic horseplay, as the Vice figures dem-
appeared between 1510 and 1535. No onstrate the distractions posed by earthly
manuscript of the play exists. The play temptation. By focusing on words over
bears close similarities to an earlier Dutch action, in contrast, Everyman concentrates
play titled Elckerlijc, which was written by on the closing moments of life and on the
a Petrus Diesthemius, or Peter from the moral crisis that occurs when Death calls
571
572 | EVERYM AN

the sinner to account. As Everyman under- This last temptation, elaborated in Wil-
goes his fi nal journey, learning that the liam Caxton’s 1490 translation (from a
earthly things in which he had put his French work) The Art and Craft to Know
faith will fail him in his hour of extremity Well to Die—“the over-great occupation
and that the path to salvation lies through of outward things and temporal, as toward
good deeds and repentance, the distrac- his wife his children and his friends car-
tions of earthly temptation and the diver- nal, toward his riches or toward other
sions of horseplay are relegated to the things which he hath most loved in his
past. No Vice figures prance across the life”— fi nds particularly strong echoes in
stage in Everyman; instead, the play’s Everyman. To fi nd strength in the face of
moral allegory unfolds with a simplicity death, the dying individual is instructed
verging on parable. This theatrical ascet- to meditate on the death of Christ.
icism may owe something to its sources, Like Moriens (literally, “The Dying
for scholars have determined that one of One”), the protagonist at the center of the
Everyman’s core narrative elements— the Ars moriendi, Everyman stands as the rep-
testing of friends in an hour of need— is resentative of a broader humanity that
Buddhist rather than Western in origin. must come to terms with the inevitability
This story was introduced to medieval of death and the impermanence of earthly
Europe through the eleventh-century life. The Messenger’s speech that opens
Greek text Barlaam and Josaphat, a col- the play underscores the identification
lection of Christianized tales from the between Everyman on stage and Every-
East. man in the audience—“Here shall you see
In its focus on mortality, Everyman how fellowship and jollity, / Both strength,
reflects a broader literary and social pre- pleasure, and beauty, / Will fade from thee
occupation with death in the fifteenth as flower in May.” God’s speech, which
century. In his 1924 study The Waning of follows it, extends this allegorical identifi-
the Middle Ages, Johan Huizinga wrote: cation. As V. A. Kolve has noted, Every-
“No other epoch has laid so much stress as man is spoken of as both singular and
the expiring Middle Ages on the thought plural in number in God’s opening speech:
of death.” Memento mori (remember that as a consequence of this linguistic slip-
you must die) was a regular theme in the page, “We are implicated collectively as
sermons of mendicant preachers since the well as individually.” Like Death’s vic-
thirteenth century, and its lesson reso- tims in the Dance of Death, the charac-
nated in a Europe that lost one-third of its ter Everyman is caught unawares by calls
population to the Black Death in the mid- of mortality and judgment. Immersed in
1300s. Personifications of Death were a life of plea sure and possessions, he has
common in fifteenth-century woodcuts, elevated the temporal order over the spir-
and the spectacle of Death choosing his itual; and as he embarks on this fi nal
victims indiscriminately from all stations journey, or “pilgrimage,” he must revalue
of life formed the subject of the Dance of his life according to its higher moral law.
Death (or Danse Macabre), a dramatic form Everyman’s many references to “reckon-
that originated in Germany and was per- ing” and to rendering “account,” which
formed in England in the fifteenth century. recall the parable of the talents in Mat-
Of even greater relevance to Everyman thew 25.14–30, emphasize the need for
were the treatises on the art of holy dying spiritual industry and proper discern-
or Ars moriendi, widely known throughout ment of what is transitory and what is
Europe in the 1400s. The Ars moriendi eternal.
dealt with the process of death and the As he prepares to undertake Death’s
techniques (meditations, prayers, ques- journey, Everyman seeks the company and
tions) that would help one die in a state support of his friends, kindred, and mate-
of holiness. Par ticular attention was given rial possessions from which he derived
to the temptations that threaten to divert pleasure in more carefree days. That Fel-
the virtuous mind at the hour of death: lowship, Kindred, Cousin, and Goods
heresy, despair, rage, spiritual pride, and abandon him in his hour of greatest need
an attachment to the things of the world. despite their earlier promises never to for-
 EVERYM AN | 573

This woodcut from the fifteenth-century, Ars moriendi, shows

Moriens, at the end of his struggle with earthly temptations, being
welcomed into paradise.

sake him comes as no surprise to the audi- he learns the steps by which he may render
ence; their departures are both inevitable his spiritual account clean and adequate.
and accompanied by a certain humor, as He is introduced to Knowledge, whose
when Cousin protests that he cannot name denoted a number of related under-
accompany Everyman because he has a standings to the play’s medieval audience:
cramp in his toe. The popular sayings knowledge of God, acknowledgment of sin,
that Everyman repeats in soliciting their and an awareness of its remedies. Knowl-
help—“For it is said ever among / That edge, in turn, introduces him to Confes-
money maketh all right that is wrong,” for sion, who instructs him in contrition and
instance— are shown to be empty. When encourages him to punish his offending
Everyman turns to his Good Deeds, he flesh with the scourge of Penance. When
finds her willing to accompany him but too Everyman has purified himself through
enfeebled by his sins to rise from the these penitential acts, Good Deeds rises
ground and do so. His encounter with her from the ground, restored, to accompany
is a turning point both in the play’s narra- him on the remainder of his pilgrimage.
tive and in his theological development, for The morally rejuvenated Everyman is also
5 74 | E V E R Y M A N

joined on his final pilgrimage by four “per-

sons of great might”: Discretion, Strength,
Beauty, and Five-Wits (the personification
of the five physical senses). Unlike Every-
man’s unreliable earlier companions, who
signify the attachments of the external
world, the allegorical figures in this last
group represent the individual’s personal
attributes redeemed by grace.
Before he reaches his grave, Everyman
departs to receive the sacraments of Holy
Communion and extreme unction, or last
rites, and his brief exit affords Knowledge
and Five-Wits the opportunity for an
extended digression on the importance of
priesthood. Because they administer the
seven sacraments, these two insist, priests
stand even “above angels in degree.”
Though some priests violate their divine
responsibilities, priesthood offers the only
“remedy we find under God.” The empha-
sis on sacraments is important to the
play’s doctrinal foundations, for in Roman
Catholic belief and observance, they rep-
resent the vehicles by which God’s grace is
Frontispiece of the 1528–29 edition of
manifested in human life. Everyman has Everyman printed by John Skot.
expressed contrition for his sins, but it is
not until he receives the sacraments that
his reconciliation with God is complete.
The closing sequence, in which Every- sonal companions. But this anguish also
man meets his death and is received into affirms a faith in the constancy embodied
heaven, achieves a surprisingly emotional in God’s promise of salvation. Accompa-
effect in a play that is otherwise marked nied by Good Deeds, his lone companion
by the contemplative distance and pro- into the afterlife, Everyman echoes Christ’s
cessional formality of allegory. As Every- dying words: “In manus tuas . . . com-
man stands before his grave— so weak he mendo spiritum meum” (“Into thy hands I
“may not stand”—he is successively aban- commend my spirit”; Luke 23.46). As
doned by Beauty, Strength, Discretion, reward for his moral regeneration he is wel-
and Five-Wits. Unlike his earlier abandon- comed by an Angel to heaven and eternal
ment by his companions and worldly life. His reckoning, which was earlier
goods, which this scene mirrors, this last- described as “blotted and blind,” is now
minute departure comes as something of a “crystal clear.”
jolt to the play’s audience as well as to its The epilogue of Everyman, which is
protagonist. Although Strength may prom- delivered by a theological Doctor, under-
ise Everyman that “we will not from you go scores the play’s moral lesson: “And he
/ Till ye have done this voyage long,” the that hath his account whole and sound, /
support of Everyman’s attributes and fac- High in heaven he shall be crowned.” As
ulties necessarily but painfully fail at the he redirects the play’s attention from
moment of death. Even Knowledge, whose Everyman onstage to Everyman in the
support proved crucial to Everyman’s audience—“Ye hearers”—he reminds us
transition into a state of grace, must aban- that this play about dying right is equally,
don the dying individual in the end. When in the end, about the importance of living
Everyman exclaims “O all thing faileth right. Like other visual and literary works
save God alone,” he expresses the anguish in the memento mori tradition, Everyman
that marks the loss of these deeply per- seeks to impress upon its audience an
 EVERYM AN | 575

awareness of life’s impermanence, an abil- requisite speed. Distinguished as they are

ity to discern the eternal in the midst of by their initial immobility, both Goods and
the transitory, and a commitment to live Good Deeds no doubt require their own
life as if every day might be one’s last. acting areas. The text of Everyman pro-
No evidence has survived concerning vides evidence of additional theatrical
sixteenth-century per for mances of Every- elements. Props, while few in number,
man; indeed, there is no record of per for- figure prominently in the play’s dramatic
mance before the nineteenth century. and theological action: Everyman’s
Because the title page of the 1528–29 edi- account book, the penitential scourge,
tion of the play printed by John Skot (upon the crucifi x that Everyman presents after
which the present text is based) opens receiving the sacraments. Costume also
with the words “HERE BEGINNETH A contributes to the play’s meaning. Every-
TREATISE . . . IN MANNER OF A man, who is dressed “gaily” at the begin-
MORAL PLAY,” some critics have con- ning of the play, exchanges these clothes
cluded that— in contrast with its Dutch for a penitential robe in the play’s second
counterpart, for which performance records half. He certainly would not have been the
exist—Everyman was translated and only character whose allegorical signifi-
printed primarily for a reading public. But cance is marked by dress: if productions of
while the number of editions in which it Everyman followed Tudor theatrical prac-
appeared supports the claim that Everyman tice, its costumes would have been vividly
had a wide readership, the play’s success in emblematic—most notably in the case of
twentieth-century theaters, churches, and Death, whose representation would have
schools attests to its theatrical qualities, drawn from an extensive repertoire of
and the simplicity of its theatrical require- medieval woodcuts and other illustrations.
ments encourages the belief that it was The history of Everyman’s emergence
known to audiences as well as readers. in our own time as a classic of the early
Whether Everyman was performed out- English theater is almost as striking as the
doors, like the earlier English moralities, or play itself. After several centuries’ absence
indoors, like the Tudor interludes it also from the stage, Everyman became the first
resembles, is open to conjecture, and the medieval play to appear on the modern
absence of stage directions from the printed stage in July 1901, when William Poel,
text makes precise reconstruction of a founder of the Elizabethan Stage Society,
sixteenth-century performance impossible. mounted a production of this supposedly
But some of the play’s central theatrical “primitive” drama in the courtyard of a for-
features are evident from textual indica- mer London monastery. The production
tions, and others can be inferred from con- was an immediate sensation: by the follow-
temporary theatrical practice. The play’s ing season it had reached the commercial
setting observes the dual structure charac- theaters, and it subsequently toured abroad.
teristic of other medieval drama, in which An observation by one of the play’s initial
a localized structure (or sedes) is contrasted reviewers suggests both the success of
with an unlocalized acting area (or platea). Poel’s production and the power that Every-
The House of Salvation— Confession’s man must have held for its Tudor audience
abode—looms over the action of Everyman as well: “In the open air in a courtyard and
as the site of the allegorical protagonist’s enclosed with antiquated buildings with
pivotal transformations. As Cawley sug- no distinction of lighting to differentiate
gests, it is reasonable to assume that this between performers and auditors . . . the
structure had a battlement height from essential human vitality of the whole thing
which God addresses sinful humanity at was what most strongly appeared.” To
the start of the play and into which Every- learn more about the staging of Everyman
man’s soul is received at its conclusion. and to view photographs from select per-
Placement of Everyman’s grave in front of formances of the play, see the “Plays in
this structure would allow Everyman to Per formance” color insert near the center
exit his grave and ascend to heaven with of this volume. s.g.
 1
Everyman

C H A R AC T E R S

messenger knowledge
god confession
death beauty
everyman strength
fellowship discretion
kindred five-wits
cousin angel
goods doctor
good deeds

here beginneth a treatise how the high father of heaven sendeth death
to summon every creature to come and give account of their
lives in this world, and is in manner of a moral play.

[Enter messenger.]
messenger I pray you all give your audience,
And hear this matter with reverence,
By figure° a moral play. In its form
The Summoning of Everyman called it is,
5 That of our lives and ending shows
How transitory we be all day.° always
The matter is wonder precious,
But the intent of it is more gracious
And sweet to bear away.
10 The story saith: Man, in the beginning
Look well, and take good heed to the ending,
Be you never so gay.
You think sin in the beginning full sweet,
Which in the end causeth the soul to weep,
15 When the body lieth in clay.
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-King
20 Calleth Everyman to a general reckoning.
Give audience and hear what he doth say.
[Exit messenger.—Enter god.]
1. The text is based on the earliest printing of ized except where modernization would spoil
the play (no manuscript is known) by John the rhyme, and modern punctuation has
Skot, about 1530, as reproduced by W. W. been added. The stage directions have been
Greg (1904). The spelling has been modern- amplified.
 [22–66] EVERYM AN | 57 7

god I perceive, here in my majesty,

How that all creatures be to me unkind,2
Living without dread in worldly prosperity.
25 Of ghostly sight3 the people be so blind,
Drowned in sin, they know me not for their God.
In worldly riches is all their mind:
They fear not of my righteousness the sharp rod;
My law that I showed when I for them died
30 They forget clean, and shedding of my blood red.
I hanged between two,4 it cannot be denied:
To get them life I suffered to be dead.
I healed their feet, with thorns hurt was my head.
I could do no more than I did, truly—
35 And now I see the people do clean forsake me.
They use the seven deadly sins damnable,
As pride, coveitise,° wrath, and lechery5 covetousness
Now in the world be made commendable.
And thus they leave of angels the heavenly company.
40 Every man liveth so after his own pleasure,
And yet of their life they be nothing sure.
I see the more that I them forbear,
The worse they be from year to year:
All that liveth appaireth° fast. degenerates
45 Therefore I will, in all the haste,
Have a reckoning of every man’s person.
For, and° I leave the people thus alone if
In their life and wicked tempests,
Verily they will become much worse than beasts;
50 For now one would by envy another up eat.
Charity do they all clean forgeet.
I hoped well that every man
In my glory should make his mansion,° dwelling place
And thereto I had them all elect.° chosen
55 But now I see, like traitors deject,° debased
They thank me not for the pleasure that I to° them meant, for
Nor yet for their being that I them have lent.
I proffered the people great multitude of mercy,
And few there be that asketh it heartily.° sincerely
60 They be so cumbered° with worldly riches encumbered
That needs on them I must do justice—
On every man living without fear.
Where art thou, Death, thou mighty messenger?
[Enter death.]
death Almighty God, I am here at your will,
65 Your commandment to fulfill.
god Go thou to Everyman,

2. Lacking in natural filial affection or duty. Jesus was crucified.

3. In spiritual vision. 5. The other deadly sins are gluttony, sloth,
4. That is, the two thieves between whom and envy.
578 | EVERYM AN [67–1 12]

And show him, in my name,

A pilgrimage he must on him take,
Which he in no wise may escape;
70 And that he bring with him a sure reckoning
Without delay or any tarrying.
death Lord, I will in the world go run over all,° throughout
And cruelly° out-search both great and small. rigorously
[Exit god.]
Everyman will I beset that liveth beastly
75 Out of God’s laws, and dreadeth not folly.
He that loveth riches I will strike with my dart,
His sight to blind, and from heaven to depart° cut off
Except that Almsdeeds be his good friend—
In hell for to dwell, world without end.
80 Lo, yonder I see Everyman walking:
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, Heaven-King.
[Enter everyman.]
85 Everyman, stand still! Whither art thou going
Thus gaily? Hast thou thy Maker forgeet?° forgotten
everyman Why askest thou?
Why wouldest thou weet?° know
death Yea, sir, I will show you:
90 In great haste I am sent to thee
From God out of his majesty.
everyman What! sent to me?
death Yea, certainly.
Though thou have forgot him here,
95 He thinketh on thee in the heavenly sphere,
As, ere we depart, thou shalt know.
everyman What desireth God of me?
death That shall I show thee:
A reckoning he will needs have
100 Without any longer respite.
everyman To give a reckoning longer leisure I crave.
This blind° matter troubleth my wit.° obscure / understanding
death On thee thou must take a long journay:
Therefore thy book of count° with thee thou bring, accounts
105 For turn again thou cannot by no way.
And look thou be sure of thy reckoning,
For before God thou shalt answer and shew
Thy many bad deeds and good but a few—
How thou hast spent thy life and in what wise,
110 Before the Chief Lord of Paradise.
Have ado that we were in that way,6
For weet thou well thou shalt make none attornay.7

6. That is, let’s get going. 7. No one (your) advocate.

 [ 1 1 3 – 1 59 ] EVERYM AN | 579

everyman Full unready I am such reckoning to give.

I know thee not. What messenger art thou?
115 death I am Death that no man dreadeth,8
For every man I ’rest,° and no man spareth; arrest
For it is God’s commandment
That all to me should be obedient.
everyman O Death, thou comest when I had thee least in mind.
120 In thy power it lieth me to save:
Yet of my good° will I give thee, if thou will be kind, goods
Yea, a thousand pound shalt thou have—
And defer this matter till another day.
death Everyman, it may not be, by no way.
125 I set nought by9 gold, silver, nor riches,
Nor by pope, emperor, king, duke, nor princes,
For, and° I would receive gifts great, if
All the world I might get.
But my custom is clean contrary:
130 I give thee no respite. Come hence and not tarry!
everyman Alas, shall I have no longer respite?
I may say Death giveth no warning.
To think on thee it maketh my heart sick,
For all unready is my book of reckoning.
135 But twelve year and I might have a biding,1
My counting-book I would make so clear
That my reckoning I should not need to fear.
Wherefore, Death, I pray thee, for God’s mercy,
Spare me till I be provided of remedy.
140 death Thee availeth not to cry, weep, and pray;
But haste thee lightly° that thou were gone that journay quickly
And prove° thy friends, if thou can. put to the test
For weet° thou well the tide° abideth no man, know / time
And in the world each living creature
145 For Adam’s sin must die of nature.2
everyman Death, if I should this pilgrimage take
And my reckoning surely make,
Show me, for saint° charity, holy
Should I not come again shortly?
150 death No, Everyman. And thou be once there,
Thou mayst never more come here,
Trust me verily.
everyman O gracious God in the high seat celestial,
Have mercy on me in this most need!
155 Shall I have company from this vale terrestrial
Of mine acquaintance that way me to lead?
death Yea, if any be so hardy
That would go with thee and bear thee company.
Hie thee that thou were gone3 to God’s magnificence,

8. Who is afraid of no man. 2. In the course of nature.

9. I set no store by. 3. Hurry up and go.
1. If I might have a respite for twelve years.
58 0 | E V E RYM A N [ 1 6 0 – 2 04 ]

160 Thy reckoning to give before his presence.

What, weenest° thou thy life is given thee, suppose
And thy worldly goods also?
everyman I had weened so, verily.
death Nay, nay, it was but lent thee.
165 For as soon as thou art go,° gone
Another a while shall have it and then go therefro,
Even as thou hast done.
Everyman, thou art mad! Thou hast thy wits° five, senses
And here on earth will not amend thy live!4
170 For suddenly I do come.
everyman O wretched caitiff!° Whither shall I flee unfortunate wretch
That I might ’scape this endless sorrow?
Now, gentle Death, spare me till tomorrow,
That I may amend me
175 With good advisement.5
death Nay, thereto I will not consent,
Nor no man will I respite,
But to the heart suddenly I shall smite,
Without any advisement.
180 And now out of thy sight I will me hie:
See thou make thee ready shortly,
For thou mayst say this is the day
That no man living may ’scape away.
[Exit death.]
everyman Alas, I may well weep with sighs deep:
185 Now have I no manner of company
To help me in my journey and me to keep.° protect
And also my writing° is full unready— account
How shall I do now for to excuse me?
I would to God I had never be geet!° been born
190 To my soul a full great profit it had be.
For now I fear pains huge and great.
The time passeth: Lord, help, that all wrought!
For though I mourn, it availeth nought.
The day passeth and is almost ago:° gone
195 I wot° not well what for to do. know
To whom were I best my complaint to make?
What and° I to Fellowship thereof spake, if
And showed him of this sudden chance?
For in him is all mine affiance,° trust
200 We have in the world so many a day
Be good friends in sport and play.
I see him yonder, certainly.
I trust that he will bear me company.
Therefore to him will I speak to ease my sorrow.
[Enter fellowship.]

4. In your life. 5. With proper reflection.

 [ 2 0 5 – 2 52 ] E V E RYM A N | 58 1

205 Well met, good Fellowship, and good morrow!

fellowship Everyman, good morrow, by this day!
Sir, why lookest thou so piteously?
If anything be amiss, I pray thee me say,
That I may help to remedy.
210 everyman Yea, good Fellowship, yea:
I am in great jeopardy.
fellowship My true friend, show to me your mind.
I will not forsake thee to my life’s end
In the way of good company.
215 everyman That was well spoken, and lovingly!
fellowship Sir, I must needs know your heaviness.° sorrow
I have pity to see you in any distress.
If any have you wronged, ye shall revenged be,
Though I on the ground be slain for thee,
220 Though that I know before that I should die.
everyman Verily, Fellowship, gramercy.° many thanks
fellowship Tush! by thy thanks I set not a stree.° straw
Show me your grief and say no more.
everyman If I my heart should to you break,° open
225 And then you to turn your mind fro me,
And would not me comfort when ye hear me speak,
Then should I ten times sorrier be.
fellowship Sir, I say as I will do, indeed.
everyman Then be you a good friend at need.
230 I have found you true herebefore.
fellowship And so ye shall evermore.
For, in faith, and° thou go to hell, if
I will not forsake thee by the way.
everyman Ye speak like a good friend. I believe you well.
235 I shall deserve° it, and° I may. repay / if
fellowship I speak of no deserving, by this day!
For he that will say and nothing do
Is not worthy with good company to go.
Therefore show me the grief of your mind,
240 As to your friend most loving and kind.
everyman I shall show you how it is:
Commanded I am to go a journay,
A long way, hard and dangerous,
And give a strait° count,° without delay, strict / account
245 Before the high judge Adonai.6
Wherefore I pray you bear me company,
As ye have promised, in this journay.
fellowship This is matter indeed! Promise is duty—
But, and° I should take such a voyage on me, if
250 I know it well, it should be to my pain.
Also it maketh me afeard, certain.
But let us take counsel here, as well as we can—

6. A Hebrew name for God.

58 2 | E V E RYM A N [253–300]

For your words would fear° a strong man. frighten

everyman Why, ye said if I had need,
255 Ye would me never forsake, quick ne° dead, alive nor
Though it were to hell, truly.
fellowship So I said, certainly,
But such pleasures° be set aside, the sooth° to say. pleasantries / truth
And also, if we took such a journay,
260 When should we again come?
everyman Nay, never again, till the day of doom.7
fellowship In faith, then will not I come there!
Who hath you these tidings brought?
everyman Indeed, Death was with me here.
265 fellowship Now by God that all hath bought,° redeemed
If Death were the messenger,
For no man that is living today
I will not go that loath° journay— loathsome
Not for the father that begat me!
270 everyman Ye promised otherwise, pardie.° by God
fellowship I wot well I said so, truly.
And yet, if thou wilt eat and drink and make good cheer,
Or haunt to women the lusty company,8
I would not forsake you while the day is clear,
275 Trust me verily!
everyman Yea, thereto ye would be ready—
To go to mirth, solace,° and play: enjoyment
Your mind to folly will sooner apply° attend
Than to bear me company in my long journay.
280 fellowship Now in good faith, I will not that way.
But, and° thou will murder or any man kill, if
In that I will help thee with a good will.
everyman O that is simple° advice, indeed! foolish
Gentle fellow, help me in my necessity:
285 We have loved long, and now I need—
And now, gentle Fellowship, remember me!
fellowship Whether ye have loved me or no,
By Saint John, I will not with thee go!
everyman Yet I pray thee take the labor and do so much for me,
290 To bring me forward,° for saint charity, escort me
And comfort me till I come without° the town. outside
fellowship Nay, and° thou would give me a new gown, even if
I will not a foot with thee go.
But, and° thou had tarried, I would not have left thee so. if
295 And as° now, God speed thee in thy journay! as for
For from thee I will depart as fast as I may.
everyman Whither away, Fellowship? Will thou forsake me?
fellowship Yea, by my fay!° To God I betake° thee. faith / commend
everyman Farewell, good Fellowship! For thee my heart is sore.
300 Adieu forever—I shall see thee no more.

7. That is, Judgment Day. 8. Or frequent the lusty company of women.

 [301–34 3] E V E RYM A N | 58 3

fellowship In faith, Everyman, farewell now at the ending:

For you I will remember that parting is mourning.
[Exit fellowship.]
everyman Alack, shall we thus depart° indeed— part
Ah, Lady,9 help!—without any more comfort?
305 Lo, Fellowship forsaketh me in my most need!
For help in this world whither shall I resort?
Fellowship herebefore with me would merry make,
And now little sorrow for me doth he take.
It is said, “In prosperity men friends may find
310 Which in adversity be full unkind.”
Now whither for succor shall I flee,
Sith° that Fellowship hath forsaken me? Since
To my kinsmen I will, truly,
Praying them to help me in my necessity.
315 I believe that they will do so,
For kind will creep where it may not go.1
I will go ’say°—for yonder I see them— assay, try
Where° be ye now my friends and kinsmen. Whether
[Enter kindred and cousin.]
kindred Here be we now at your commandment:
320 Cousin, I pray you show us your intent
In any wise, and not spare.
cousin Yea, Everyman, and to us declare
If ye be disposed to go anywhither.
For, weet° you well, we will live and die togither. know
325 kindred In wealth and woe we will with you hold,
For over his kin a man may be bold.2
everyman Gramercy, my friends and kinsmen kind.
Now shall I show you the grief of my mind.
I was commanded by a messenger
330 That is a high king’s chief officer:
He bade me go a pilgrimage, to my pain—
And I know well I shall never come again.
Also I must give a reckoning strait,° strict
For I have a great enemy that hath me in wait,3
335 Which intendeth me to hinder.
kindred What account is that which ye must render?
That would I know.
everyman Of all my works I must show
How I have lived and my days spent;
340 Also of ill deeds that I have used
In my time sith life was me lent,
And of all virtues that I have refused.
Therefore I pray you go thither with me

9. The Virgin Mary. stance.

1. For kinship will crawl where it cannot walk 2. That is, for a man may count on his
(proverbial); that is, kinsmen will find a way to kinsmen.
help each other no matter what the circum- 3. That is, Satan, who lies in wait for me.
58 4 | E V E RYM A N [344–387]

To help me make mine account, for saint charity.

345 cousin What, to go thither? Is that the matter?
Nay, Everyman, I had liefer° fast° bread and water rather / fast on
All this five year and more!
everyman Alas, that ever I was bore!° born
For now shall I never be merry
350 If that you forsake me.
kindred Ah, sir, what? Ye be a merry man:
Take good heart to you and make no moan.
But one thing I warn you, by Saint Anne,4
As for me, ye shall go alone.
355 everyman My Cousin, will you not with me go?
cousin No, by Our Lady! I have the cramp in my toe:
Trust not to me. For, so God me speed,
I will deceive° you in your most need. betray
kindred It availeth you not us to ’tice.° entice
360 Ye shall have my maid with all my heart:
She loveth to go to feasts, there to be nice,° wanton
And to dance, and abroad to start.5
I will give her leave to help you in that journey,
If that you and she may agree.
365 everyman Now show me the very effect° of your mind: tenor
Will you go with me or abide behind?
kindred Abide behind? Yea, that will I and I may!
Therefore farewell till another day.
[Exit kindred.]
everyman How should I be merry or glad?
370 For fair promises men to me make,
But when I have most need they me forsake.
I am deceived. That maketh me sad.
cousin Cousin Everyman, farewell now,
For verily I will not go with you;
375 Also of mine own an unready reckoning
I have to account—therefore I make tarrying.° stay behind
Now God keep thee, for now I go.
[Exit cousin.]
everyman Ah, Jesus, is all come hereto?° to this
Lo, fair words maketh fools fain:° glad
380 They promise and nothing will do, certain.
My kinsmen promised me faithfully
For to abide with me steadfastly,
And now fast away do they flee.
Even so Fellowship promised me.
385 What friend were best me of to provide?6
I lose my time here longer to abide.
Yet in my mind a thing there is:

4. The mother of the Virgin Mary. 6. To provide myself with.

5. And to run around.
 [388–4 33] E V E RYM A N | 585

All my life I have loved riches;

If that my Good° now help me might, Goods
390 He would make my heart full light.
I will speak to him in this distress.
Where art thou, my Goods and riches?
goods [within] Who calleth me? Everyman? What, hast thou haste?
I lie here in corners, trussed and piled so high,
395 And in chests I am locked so fast—
Also sacked in bags—thou mayst see with thine eye
I cannot stir, in packs low where I lie.
What would ye have? Lightly° me say. Quickly
everyman Come hither, Good, in all the haste thou may,
400 For of counsel I must desire thee.
[Enter goods.]
goods Sir, and° ye in the world have sorrow or adversity, if
That can I help you to remedy shortly.
everyman It is another disease° that grieveth me: trouble
In this world it is not, I tell thee so.
405 I am sent for another way to go,
To give a strait count general
Before the highest Jupiter° of all. God
And all my life I have had joy and pleasure in thee:
Therefore I pray thee go with me,
410 For, peradventure, thou mayst before God Almighty
My reckoning help to clean and purify.
For it is said ever among7
That money maketh all right that is wrong.
goods Nay, Everyman, I sing another song:
415 I follow no man in such voyages.
For, and° I went with thee, if
Thou shouldest fare much the worse for me;
For because on me thou did set thy mind,
Thy reckoning I have made blotted and blind,° illegible
420 That thine account thou cannot make truly—
And that hast thou for the love of me.
everyman That would grieve me full sore
When I should come to that fearful answer.
Up, let us go thither together.
425 goods Nay, not so, I am too brittle, I may not endure.
I will follow no man one foot, be ye sure.
everyman Alas, I have thee loved and had great pleasure
All my life-days on good and treasure.
goods That is to thy damnation, without leasing,8
430 For my love is contrary to the love everlasting.
But if thou had me loved moderately during,9
As to the poor to give part of me,
Then shouldest thou not in this dolor° be, distress

7. For it is commonly said. 9. That is, during your lifetime.

8. Without a lie (i.e., truly).
58 6 | E V E RYM A N [4 34–4 79]

Nor in this great sorrow and care.

435 everyman Lo, now was I deceived ere I was ware,
And all I may wite° misspending of time. blame on
goods What, weenest° thou that I am thine? suppose
everyman I had weened so.
goods Nay, Everyman, I say no.
440 As for a while I was lent thee;
A season thou hast had me in prosperity.
My condition° is man’s soul to kill; nature
If I save one, a thousand I do spill.° destroy
Weenest thou that I will follow thee?
445 Nay, from this world, not verily.
everyman I had weened otherwise.
goods Therefore to thy soul Good is a thief;
For when thou art dead, this is my guise°— custom
Another to deceive in the same wise
450 As I have done thee, and all to his soul’s repreef.° shame
everyman O false Good, cursed thou be,
Thou traitor to God, that hast deceived me
And caught me in thy snare!
goods Marry, thou brought thyself in care,1
455 Whereof I am glad:
I must needs laugh, I cannot be sad.
everyman Ah, Good, thou hast had long my heartly° love; heartfelt
I gave thee that which should be the Lord’s above.
But wilt thou not go with me, indeed?
460 I pray thee truth to say.
goods No, so God me speed!
Therefore farewell and have good day.
[Exit goods.]
everyman Oh, to whom shall I make my moan
For to go with me in that heavy° journay? sorrowful
465 First Fellowship said he would with me gone:° go
His words were very pleasant and gay,
But afterward he left me alone.
Then spake I to my kinsmen, all in despair,
And also they gave me words fair—
470 They lacked no fair speaking,
But all forsake me in the ending.
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
475 That he bringeth many into hell.
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?

1. That is, you brought sorrow on yourself.

 [ 4 8 0 – 52 3 ] E V E RYM A N | 58 7

480 I think that I shall never speed

Till that I go to my Good Deed.
But alas, she is so weak
That she can neither go° nor speak. walk
Yet will I venture° on her now. gamble
485 My Good Deeds, where be you?
good deeds [speaking from the ground] Here I lie, cold in the ground:
Thy sins hath me sore bound
That I cannot stear.° stir
everyman O Good Deeds, I stand in fear:
490 I must you pray of counsel,
For help now should come right well.2
good deeds Everyman, I have understanding
That ye be summoned, account to make,
Before Messiah of Jer’salem King.
495 And you do by me,3 that journey with you will I take.
everyman Therefore 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. gladly
everyman Why, is there anything on you fall?° fallen
500 good deeds Yea, sir, I may thank you of all:
If ye had perfectly cheered me,
Your book of count full ready had be.
[good deeds shows him the account book.]
Look, the books of your works and deeds eke,° also
As how they lie under the feet,
505 To your soul’s heaviness.° distress
everyman Our Lord Jesus help me!
For one letter here I cannot see.
good deeds There is a blind° reckoning in time of distress!4 illegible
everyman Good Deeds, I pray you help me in this need,
510 Or else I am forever damned indeed.
Therefore help me to make reckoning
Before the Redeemer of all thing
That King is and was and ever shall.
good deeds Everyman, I am sorry of° your fall for
515 And fain would help you and° I were able. if
everyman Good Deeds, your counsel I pray you give me.
good deeds That shall I do verily,
Though that on my feet I may not go;
I have a sister that shall with you also,
520 Called Knowledge, which shall with you abide
To help you to make that dreadful reckoning.
[Enter knowledge.]
knowledge Everyman, I will go with thee and be thy guide,
In thy most need to go by thy side.

2. For help would be most welcome now. 4. That is, for the sinful person, the book of
3. If you do as I advise. reckoning is hard to read in the hour of distress.
58 8 | E V E RYM A N [ 52 4 – 5 6 9 ]

everyman In good condition I am now in everything,

525 And am whole content with this good thing,
Thanked be God my Creator.
good deeds And when she hath brought you there
Where thou shalt heal thee of thy smart,° pain
Then go you with your reckoning and your Good Deeds together
530 For to make you joyful at heart
Before the blessed Trinity.5
everyman My Good Deeds, gramercy!
I am well content, certainly,
With your words sweet.
535 knowledge Now go we together lovingly
To Confession, that cleansing river.
everyman For joy I weep—I would we were there!
But I pray you give me cognition,° knowledge
Where dwelleth that holy man Confession?
540 knowledge In the House of Salvation:
We shall find him in that place,
That shall us comfort, by God’s grace.
[knowledge leads everyman to confession.]
Lo, this is Confession: kneel down and ask mercy,
For he is in good conceit° with God Almighty. esteem
545 everyman [kneeling] O glorious fountain that all
uncleanness doth clarify,° purify
Wash from me the spots of vice unclean,
That on me no sin may be seen.
I come with Knowledge for my redemption,
Redempt° with heart and full contrition, Redeemed
550 For I am commanded a pilgrimage to take
And great accounts before God to make.
Now I pray you, Shrift,° mother of Salvation, Confession
Help my Good Deeds for my piteous exclamation.
confession I know your sorrow well, Everyman:
555 Because with Knowledge ye come to me,
I will you comfort as well as I can,
And a precious jewel I will give thee,
Called Penance, voider° of adversity. expeller
Therewith shall your body chastised be—
560 With abstinence and perseverance in God’s service.
Here shall you receive that scourge of me,
Which is penance strong that ye must endure,
To remember thy Saviour was scourged for thee
With sharp scourges, and suffered it patiently.
565 So must thou ere thou ’scape that painful pilgrimage.
Knowledge, keep° him in this voyage, guard
And by that time Good Deeds will be with thee.
But in any wise be secure° of mercy— certain
For your time draweth fast—and ye will saved be.

5. That is, God as existing in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 [570–614] E V E RYM A N | 58 9

570 Ask God mercy and he will grant, truly.

When with the scourge of penance man doth him° bind, himself
The oil of forgiveness then shall he find.
everyman Thanked be God for his gracious work,
For now I will my penance begin.
575 This hath rejoiced and lighted my heart,
Though the knots be painful and hard within.6
knowledge Everyman, look your penance that ye fulfill,
What pain that ever it to you be;
And Knowledge shall give you counsel at will
580 How your account ye shall make clearly.
everyman O eternal God, O heavenly figure,
O way of righteousness, O goodly vision,
Which descended down in a virgin pure
Because he would every man redeem,
585 Which Adam forfeited by his disobedience;
O blessed Godhead, elect and high Divine,° divinity
Forgive my grievous offense!
Here I cry thee mercy in this presence:7
O ghostly Treasure, O Ransomer and Redeemer,
590 Of all the world Hope and Conduiter,° Conductor, Guide
Mirror of joy, Foundator° of mercy, Founder
Which enlumineth° heaven and earth thereby, illuminates
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.8
O Mary, pray to the Maker of all thing° things
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.
I beseech you help my soul to save.
605 Knowledge, give me the scourge of penance:
My flesh therewith shall give acquittance.° satisfaction for sins
I will now begin, if God give me grace.
knowledge Everyman, God give you time and space!° opportunity
Thus I bequeath you in the hands of our Saviour:
610 Now may you make your reckoning sure.
everyman In the name of the Holy Trinity
My body sore punished shall be:
Take this, body, for the sin of the flesh!
Also° thou delightest to go gay and fresh,° As / finely dressed

6. Though the knots (of the scourge) are hard 8. That is, the tablets that God gave Moses on
and painful to my senses. Mount Sinai on which the Ten Commandments
7. That is, in the presence of Knowledge and were written. In the Middle Ages these tablets
Confession. were associated with baptism and penance.
59 0 | E V E R Y M A N [615–6 64]

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

Therefore suffer now strokes of punishing!
Now of penance I will wade the water clear,
To save me from purgatory, that sharp fire.
good deeds I thank God, now can I walk and go,
620 And am delivered of my sickness and woe.
Therefore with Everyman I will go, and not spare:
His good works I will help him to declare.
knowledge Now, Everyman, be merry and glad:
Your Good Deeds cometh now, ye may not be sad.
625 Now is your Good Deeds whole and sound,
Going° upright upon the ground. Walking
everyman My heart is light, and shall be evermore.
Now will I smite faster than I did before.
good deeds Everyman, pilgrim, my special friend,
630 Blessed be thou without end!
For thee is preparate° the eternal glory. prepared
Ye have me made whole and sound
Therefore I will bide by thee in every stound.° trial
everyman Welcome, my Good Deeds! Now I hear thy voice,
635 I weep for very sweetness of love.
knowledge Be no more sad, but ever rejoice:
God seeth thy living in his throne above.
Put on this garment to thy behove,° advantage
Which is wet with your tears—
640 Or else before God you may it miss
When ye to your journey’s end come shall.
everyman Gentle Knowledge, what do ye it call?
knowledge It is a garment of sorrow;
From pain it will you borrow:° protect
645 Contrition it is
That getteth forgiveness;
It pleaseth God passing° well. exceedingly
good deeds Everyman, will you wear it for your heal?° well-being
everyman Now blessed be Jesu, Mary’s son,
650 For now have I on true contrition.
And let us go now without tarrying.
Good Deeds, have we clear our reckoning?
good deeds Yea, indeed, I have it here.
everyman Then I trust we need not fear.
655 Now friends, let us not part in twain.
knowledge Nay, Everyman, that will we not, certain.
good deeds Yet must thou lead with thee
Three persons of great might.
everyman Who should they be?
660 good deeds Discretion and Strength they hight,° are called
And thy Beauty may not abide behind.
knowledge Also ye must call to mind
Your Five-Wits° as for your counselors. senses
good deeds You must have them ready at all hours.
 [ 6 65 – 709 ] E V E R Y M A N | 59 1

665 everyman How shall I get them hither?

knowledge You must call them all togither,
And they will be here incontinent.° immediately
everyman My friends, come hither and be present,
Discretion, Strength, my Five-Wits, and Beauty!
[They enter.]
670 beauty Here at your will we be all ready.
What will ye that we should do?
good deeds That ye would with Everyman go
And help him in his pilgrimage.
Advise you:° will ye with him or not in that voyage? Consider
675 strength We will bring him all thither,
To his help and comfort, ye may believe me.
discretion So will we go with him all togither.
everyman Almighty God, loved° might thou be! praised
I give thee laud that I have hither brought
680 Strength, Discretion, Beauty, and Five-Wits—lack I nought—
And my Good Deeds, with Knowledge clear,
All be in my company at my will here:
I desire no more to my business.
strength And I, Strength, will by you stand in distress,
685 Though thou would in battle fight on the ground.
five-wits And though it were through the world round,
We will not depart for sweet ne sour.
beauty No more will I, until death’s hour,
Whatsoever thereof befall.
690 discretion Everyman, advise you first of all:
Go with a good advisement° and deliberation. reflection
We all give you virtuous° monition° confident / prediction
That all shall be well.
everyman My friends, hearken what I will tell;
695 I pray God reward you in his heaven-sphere;
Now hearken all that be here,
For I will make my testament,
Here before you all present:
In alms half my good° I will give with my hands twain, goods
700 In the way of charity with good intent;
And the other half, still° shall remain, which still
I ’queath° to be returned there° it ought to be. bequeath / where
This I do in despite of the fiend of hell,
To go quit out of his perel,
705 Ever after and this day.9
knowledge Everyman, hearken what I say:
Go to Priesthood, I you advise,
And receive of him, in any wise,° at all costs
The holy sacrament and ointment1 togither;

9. To be free of his power today and ever after. unction (anointing of the sick).
1. The Eucharist (see line 724) and extreme
59 2 | E V E R Y M A N [ 7 1 0 – 754 ]

710 Then shortly see ye turn again hither:

We will all abide you here.
five-wits Yea, Everyman, hie you that ye ready were.
There is no emperor, king, duke, ne baron,
That of God hath commission
715 As hath the least priest in the world being:
For of the blessed sacraments pure and bening° benign
He beareth the keys,2 and thereof hath the cure° care
For man’s redemption—it is ever sure—
Which God for our souls’ medicine
720 Gave us out of his heart with great pine,° suffering
Here in this transitory life for thee and me.
The blessed sacraments seven there be:
Baptism, confirmation, with priesthood° good, ordination
And the sacrament of God’s precious flesh and blood,
725 Marriage, the holy extreme unction, and penance:
These seven be good to have in remembrance,
Gracious sacraments of high divinity.
everyman Fain° would I receive that holy body, Gladly
And meekly to my ghostly° father I will go. spiritual
730 five-wits Everyman, that is the best that ye can do:
God will you to salvation bring.
For priesthood exceedeth all other thing:° things
To us Holy Scripture they do teach,
And converteth man from sin, heaven to reach;
735 God hath to them more power given
Than to any angel that is in heaven.
With five words3 he may consecrate
God’s body in flesh and blood to make,
And handleth his Maker between his hands.
740 The priest bindeth and unbindeth all bands,4
Both in earth and in heaven.
Thou ministers° all the sacraments seven; administers
Though we kiss thy feet, thou were worthy;
Thou art surgeon that cureth sin deadly;
745 No remedy we find under God
But all° only priesthood. Except
Everyman, God gave priests that dignity
And setteth them in his stead among us to be.
Thus be they above angels in degree.
[Exit everyman.]
750 knowledge If priests be good, it is so, surely.
But when Jesu hanged on the cross with great smart,° pain
There he gave out of his blessed heart
The same sacrament in great torment,
He sold them not to us, that Lord omnipotent:

2. Spiritual power or authority. See Matthew body”; Latin), words for the consecration of
16.19. bread in the Roman Catholic liturgy.
3. Hoc est enim corpus meum (“For this is my 4. Bonds (of sin). See Matthew 16.19.
 [755–796] E V E R Y M A N | 59 3

755 Therefore Saint Peter the Apostle doth say

That Jesu’s curse hath all they
Which God their Saviour do buy or sell5
Or they for any money do take or tell.6
Sinful priests giveth the sinners example bad:
760 Their children sitteth by other men’s fires, I have heard;7
And some haunteth women’s company
With unclean life, as lusts of lechery.
These be with sin made blind.
five-wits I trust to God no such may we find.
765 Therefore let us priesthood honor,
And follow their doctrine for our souls’ succor.
We be their sheep and they shepherds be
By whom we all be kept in surety.
Peace, for yonder I see Everyman come,
770 Which hath made true satisfaction.
good deeds Methink it is he indeed.
[Re-enter everyman.]
everyman Now Jesu be your alder speed!8
I have received the sacrament for my redemption,
And then mine extreme unction.
775 Blessed be all they that counseled me to take it!
And now, friends, let us go without longer respite.
I thank God that ye have tarried so long.
Now set each of you on this rood° your hond° cross / hand
And shortly follow me:
780 I go before there I would be.9 God be our guide!
strength Everyman, we will not from you go
Till ye have done this voyage long.
discretion I, Discretion, will bide by you also.
knowledge And though this pilgrimage be never so strong,° wearisome
785 I will never part you fro.
strength Everyman, I will be as sure by thee
As ever I did by Judas Maccabee.1
everyman Alas, I am so faint I may not stand—
My limbs under me doth fold!
790 Friends, let us not turn again to this land,
Not for all the world’s gold.
For into this cave must I creep
And turn to earth, and there to sleep.
beauty What, into this grave, alas?
795 everyman Yea, there shall ye consume,° more and lass.2 decay
beauty And what, should I smother here?

5. An allusion to simony, the buying or selling 8. Now may Jesus favor you all.
of sacraments, sacred objects, or ecclesiastical 9. I lead (the way to) where I wish to be.
offices. See Acts 8.18–21. 1. The leader of the Jews in their successful re-
6. Or who for (any sacrament) take or pay volt against the Syrians in the 2nd century
money. Tell: to count out. b.c.e.
7. That is, they have illegitimate children. 2. More and less (i.e., all of you).
59 4 | E V E R Y M A N [797–838]

everyman Yea, by my faith, and nevermore appear.

In this world live no more we shall,
But in heaven before the highest Lord of all.
800 beauty I cross out all this!3 Adieu, by Saint John—
I take my tape in my lap and am gone.4
everyman What, Beauty, whither will ye?
beauty Peace, I am deaf—I look not behind me,
Not and° thou wouldest give me all the gold in thy chest. if
[Exit beauty.]
805 everyman Alas, whereto may I trust?
Beauty goeth fast away fro me—
She promised with me to live and die!
strength Everyman, I will thee also forsake and deny.
Thy game liketh° me not at all. pleases
810 everyman Why then, ye will forsake me all?
Sweet Strength, tarry a little space.° while
strength Nay, sir, by the rood of grace,
I will hie me from thee fast,
Though thou weep till thy heart tobrast.° break into pieces
815 everyman Ye would ever bide by me, ye said.
strength Yea, I have you far enough conveyed!
Ye be old enough, I understand,
Your pilgrimage to take on hand:5
I repent me that I hither came.
820 everyman Strength, you to displease I am to blame,6
Yet promise is debt, this ye well wot.° know
strength In faith, I care not:
Thou art but a fool to complain;
You spend your speech and waste your brain.
825 Go, thrust thee into the ground.
[Exit strength.]
everyman I had weened° surer I should you have found. supposed
He that trusteth in his Strength
She him deceiveth at the length.
Both Strength and Beauty forsaketh me—
830 Yet they promised me fair and lovingly.
discretion Everyman, I will after Strength be gone:
As for me, I will leave you alone.
everyman Why Discretion, will ye forsake me?
discretion Yea, in faith, I will go from thee.
835 For when Strength goeth before,
I follow after evermore.
everyman Yet I pray thee, for the love of the Trinity,
Look in my grave once piteously.

3. I cancel all this (i.e., my promise to stay 5. To take responsibility for your own
with you). pilgrimage.
4. I’ll gather up my knitting or spinning and 6. I am to blame for displeasing you.
be on my way (proverbial).
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discretion Nay, so nigh° will I not come. near

840 Farewell everyone!
[Exit discretion.]
everyman O all thing faileth save God alone—
Beauty, Strength, and Discretion.
For when Death bloweth his blast
They all run fro me full fast.
845 five-wits Everyman, my leave now of thee I take.
I will follow the other, for here I thee forsake.
everyman Alas, then may I wail and weep,
For I took you for my best friend.
five-wits I will no longer thee keep.° watch over
850 Now farewell, and there an end!
[Exit five-wits.]
everyman O Jesu, help, all hath forsaken me!
good deeds Nay, Everyman, I will bide with thee:
I will not forsake thee indeed;
Thou shalt find me a good friend at need.
855 everyman Gramercy, Good Deeds! Now may I true friends see.
They have forsaken me every one—
I loved them better than my Good Deeds alone.
Knowledge, will ye forsake me also?
knowledge Yea, Everyman, when ye to Death shall go,
860 But not yet, for no manner of danger.
everyman Gramercy, Knowledge, with all my heart!
knowledge Nay, yet will I not from hence depart
Till I see where ye shall become.7
everyman Methink, alas, that I must be gone
865 To make my reckoning and my debts pay,
For I see my time is nigh spent away.
Take example, all ye that this do hear or see,
How they that I best loved do forsake me,
Except my Good Deeds that bideth truly.
870 good deeds All earthly things is but vanity.
Beauty, Strength, and Discretion do man forsake,
Foolish friends and kinsmen that fair spake—
All fleeth save Good Deeds, and that am I.
everyman Have mercy on me, God most mighty,
875 And stand by me, thou mother and maid, holy Mary!
good deeds Fear not: I will speak for thee.
everyman Here I cry God mercy!
good deeds Short° our end, and ’minish° our pain. Shorten / diminish
Let us go, and never come again.
880 everyman Into thy hands, Lord, my soul I commend:
Receive it, Lord, that it be not lost.
As thou me boughtest,° so me defend, redeemed
And save me from the fiend’s boast,

7. What shall become of you.

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That I may appear with that blessed host

885 That shall be saved at the day of doom.
In manus tuas, of mights most,
Forever commendo spiritum meum.8
[everyman and good deeds descend into the grave.]
knowledge Now hath he suffered that° we all shall endure, that which
The Good Deeds shall make all sure.
890 Now hath he made ending,
Methinketh that I hear angels sing
And make great joy and melody
Where Everyman’s soul received shall be.
angel [within] Come, excellent elect° spouse to Jesu!9 chosen
895 Here above thou shalt go
Because of thy singular virtue.
Now the soul is taken the body fro,
Thy reckoning is crystal clear:
Now shalt thou into the heavenly sphere—
900 Unto the which all ye shall come
That liveth well before the day of doom.
[Enter doctor.1]
doctor This moral men may have in mind:
Ye hearers, take it of worth,° old and young, prize it highly
And forsake Pride, for he deceiveth you in the end.
905 And remember Beauty, Five-Wits, Strength, and Discretion,
They all at the last do Everyman forsake,
Save° his Good Deeds there doth he take— Only
But beware, for and° they be small, if
Before God he hath no help at all—
910 None excuse may be there for Everyman.
Alas, how shall he do than?° then
For after death amends may no man make,
For then mercy and pity doth him forsake.
If his reckoning be not clear when he doth come,
915 God will say, “Ite, maledicti, in ignem eternum!”2
And he that hath his account whole and sound,
High in heaven he shall be crowned,
Unto which place God bring us all thither,
That we may live body and soul togither.
920 Thereto help, the Trinity!
Amen, say ye, for saint° charity. holy

8. Into thy hands, greatest of powers, I com- phor for the soul’s union with Christ.
mend my spirit forever; the Latin directly 1. A doctor of theology.
quotes the last words of Jesus on the cross, 2. Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire (slightly
according to Luke 23.46 (in the Vulgate). misquoting Matthew 25.41).
9. Marriage was a common medieval meta-