The Creation

God
Ego sum alpha et o,1
I am the first, the last also,2
Oone god in mageste;3
Meruelus, of myght most,4
ffader, & son, & holy goost,5
On god in trinyte.6
I am without begynnyng,7
My godhede hath none endyng,8
I am god in trone;9
Oone god in persons thre,10
Which may neuer twynnyd be,11
ffor I am god alone.12
All maner thyng is in my thoght,13
Withoutten me ther may be noght,14
ffor all is in my sight;15
hit shall be done after my will,16
that I haue thoght I shall fulfill17
And manteyn with my myght.18
At the begynnyng of oure dede19
make we heuen & erth, on brede,20
and lyghtys fayre to se,21
ffor it is good, to be so;22
darknes from light we parte on two,23
In tyme to serue and be.24
Darknes we call the nyght,25
and lith also the bright,26
It shall be as I say;27
after my will this is furth broght,28
Euen and morne both ar thay wroght,29
and thus is maid a day.30
In medys the water, bi oure assent,31
be now maide the firmament,32
And parte ather from othere,33
Water aboue, I-wis;34
Euen and morne maide is this35
A day, [so was] the tothere.36
Waters, that so wyde ben spred,37
be gedered to geder in to one stede,38
that dry the erth may seym;39
that at is dry the erth shall be,40
the waters also I call the see;41
this warke to me is queme.42
Out of the erth herbys shal spryng,43
Trees to florish and frute furth bryng,44
thare kynde that it be kyd.45
This is done after my will;46
Even & morn maide is ther till47
A day, this is the thryd.48
Son & moyne set in the heuen,49
With starnes, & the planettys seuen,50
To stand in thare degre;51
The son to serue the day lyght,52
The moyne also to serue the nyght;53
The fourte day shall this be.54
The water to norish the fysh swymand,55
The erth to norish bestys crepeand,56
That fly or go may.57
Multiplye in erth, and be58
In my blyssyng, wax now ye;59
This is the fyft day.60
Cherubim
Oure lord god in trynyte,61
Myrth and lovyng be to the,62
Myrth and lovyng ouer al thyng;63
ffor thou has made, with thi bidyng,64
Heuen, & erth, and all that is,65
and giffen vs Ioy that neuer shall mys.66
Lord, thou art full mych of myght,67
that has maide lucifer so bright;68
we loue the, lord, bright ar we,69
bot none of vs so bright as he:70
He may well hight lucifere,71
ffor lufly light that he doth bere.72
He is so lufly and so bright73
It is grete ioy to se that sight;74
We lofe the, lord, with all oure thoght,75
that sich thyng can make of noght.76
Lucifer
Certys, it is a semely sight,77
Syn that we ar all angels bright,78
and euer in blis to be;79
If that ye will behold, me right,80
this mastre longys to me.81
I am so fare and bright,82
of me commys all this light,83
this gam and all this gle;84
Agans my grete myght85
may [no]thyng stand [ne] be.86
And ye well me behold87
I am a thowsand fold,88
brighter then is the son;89
my strengthe may not be told,90
my myght may no thyng kon;91
In heuen, therfor, wit I wold,92
Above me who shuld won.93
ffor I am lord of blis,94
ouer all this warld, I-wis,95
My myrth is most of all;96
the[r]for my will is this,97
master ye shall me call.98
And ye shall se, full sone onone,99
How that me semys to sit in trone100
as kyng of blis;101
I am so semely, blode & bone,102
my sete shall be ther as was his.103
Say, felows, how semys now me104
To sit in seyte of trynyte?105
I am so bright of ich a lym106
I trow me seme as well as hym.107
Angelus Malus 1
Thou art so fayre vnto my syght,108
thou semys well to sytt on hight;109
So thynke me that thou doyse.110
Angelus Bonus 1
I rede ye leyfe that vanys royse,111
ffor that seyte may non angell seme112
So well as hym that all shall deme.113
Angelus Bonus 2
I reyde ye sese of that ye sayn,114
ffor well I wote ye carpe in vayne;115
hit semyd hym neuer, ne neuer shall,116
So well as hym that has maide all.117
Angelus Malus 2
Now, and bi oght that I can witt,118
he semys full well theron to sytt;119
He is so fayre, withoutten les,120
he semys full well to sytt on des.121
therfor, felow, hold thi peasse,122
and vmbithynke the what thou saysse.123
he semys as well to sytt there124
as god hymself, if he were here.125
Lucifer
leyf felow, thynk the not so?126
Angelus Malus 1
Yee, god wote, so dos othere mo.127
Angelus Bonus 1
Nay, forsoth, so thynk not vs.128
Lucifer
Now, therof a leke what rekys vs?129
Syn I my self am so bright130
therfor will I take a flyght.131
Demon 1
Alas, alas, and wele-wo!132
lucifer, whi fell thou so?133
We, that were angels so fare,134
and sat so hie aboue the ayere,135
Now ar we waxen blak as any coyll,136
and vgly, tatyrd as a foyll.137
What alyd the, lucifer, to fall?138
was thou not farist of angels all?139
Brightist, and best, & most of luf140
With god hym self, that syttys aboyf?141
thou has maide [neyn,] there was [ten,]142
thou art foull comyn from thi kyn;143
thou art fallen, that was the teynd,144
ffrom an angell to a feynd.145
thou has vs doyn a vyle dispyte,146
and broght thi self to sorow and sitt.147
Alas, ther is noght els to say148
bot we ar tynt for now and ay.149
Demon 2
Alas, the ioy that we were In150
haue we lost, for oure syn.151
alas, that euer cam pride in thought,152
ffor it has broght vs all to noght.153
We were in myrth and Ioy enoghe154
When lucifer to pride drogh.155
Alas, we may warrie wikkyd pride,156
so may ye all that standys be side;157
We held, with hym ther he saide leasse,158
and therfor haue we all vnpeasse.159
Alas, alas, oure Ioye is tynt,160
We mon haue payne that neuer shall stynt.161
God
Erthly bestys, that may crepe and go,162
bryng ye furth and wax ye mo,163
I se that it is good;164
now make we man to oure liknes,165
that shall be keper of more & les,166
of fowles and fysh in flood.167
spreyte of life I in the blaw,168
good and ill both shall thou knaw;169
rise vp, and stand bi me.170
All that is in water or land,171
It shall bow vnto thi hand,172
and sufferan shall thou be;173
I gif the witt, I gif the strenght,174
of all thou sees, of brede & lengthe;175
thou shall be wonder wise.176
Myrth and Ioy to haue at will,177
All thi likyng to fulfill,178
and dwell in paradise.179
This I make thi wonnyng playce,180
ffull of myrth and of solace,181
and I seasse the therin.182
It is not good to be alone,183
to walk here in this worthely wone,184
In all this welthly wyn;185
therfor, a rib I from the take,186
therof shall be [maide] thi make,187
And be to thi helpyng.188
Ye both to gouerne that here is,189
and euer more to be in blis,190
ye wax in my blissyng.191
ye shall have Ioye & blis therin,192
whils ye will kepe you out of syn,193
I say without[ten] lese.194
Ryse vp, myn angell cherubyn,195
Take and leyd theym both in,196
And leyf them there in peasse.197
Heris thou adam, and eue thi wife,198
I forbede you the tre of life,199
And I commaund, that it be gat,200
Take which ye will, bot negh not that.201
Adam, if thou breke my rede,202
thou shall dye a dulfull dede.203
Cherubim
Oure lord, oure god, thi will be done;204
I shall go with theym full sone.205
ffor soth, my lord, I shall not sted206
till I haue theym theder led.207
we thank the, lord, with full good chere,208
that has maide man to be oure feere.209
Com furth, adam, I shall the leyd;210
take tent to me, I shall the reyd.211
I rede the thynk how thou art wroght,212
and luf my lord, in all thi thoght,213
That has maide the thrugh his will,214
angels ordir to fulfill.215
Many thyngys he has the giffen,216
and maide the master of all that liffen;217
He has forbed, the bot a tre;218
look that thou let it be,219
ffor if thou breke his commaundment,220
thou skapys not bot thou be shent.221
Weynd here in to paradise,222
and luke now that ye be wyse,223
And kepe you well, for I must go224
vnto my lord, ther I cam fro.225
Adam
Almyghty lord, I thank it the226
that is, and was, and shall be,227
Of thi luf and of thi grace,228
ffor now is here a mery place;229
Eue, my felow, how thynk the this?230
Eue
A stede me thynk of Ioye and blis,231
That god has giffen to the and me;232
Withoutten ende blissyd be he.233
Adam
Eue, felow, abide me thore,234
ffor I will go to viset more,235
To se what trees that here been;236
here ar well moo then we have seen,237
Gresys, and othere small floures,238
that smell full swete, of seyr coloures.239
Eue
Gladly, sir, I will full fayne;240
When ye haue sene theym, com agane.241
Adam
Bot luke well, eue, my wife,242
that thou negh not the tree of life;243
ffor if thou do he bese ill paide;244
then be we tynt, as he has saide.245
Eue
Go furth and play the all aboute,246
I shall not negh it while thou art oute;247
ffor be thou sekyr I were full loth248
ffor any thyng that he were wroth.249
Lucifer
Who wend euer this tyme haue seyn?250
We, that in sich myrth haue beyn,251
That we shuld suffre so mych wo?252
Who wold euer trow it shuld be so?253
[Ten] orders in heuen were254
of angels, that had offyce sere;255
Of ich order, in thare degre,256
the [teynd] parte fell downe with me;257
ffor thay held with me that tyde,258
and mantenyd me in my pride;259
Bot herkyns, felows, what I say-260
the Ioy that we haue lost for ay,261
God has maide man with his hend,262
to haue that blis withoutten end,263
The neyn ordre to fulfill,264
that after vs left, sich is his will.265
And now ar thay in paradise;266
bot thens thay shall, if we be wise.267


2022 Jan 21  20:05:23