The Cardmakers' Play: The Creation of Adam and Eve (Version A)

God
In heuyn and erthe duly bedene1
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 nyght7
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,13
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,19
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 here25
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 fynde31
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,37
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,43
Adam and Eue yoour names sall be.

Adam
A, lorde, full mekyll is thi mighte45
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;
Yet is nan made to thi liknes51
But we alone-A, louyd by thi name.

Eue
To swylke a lorde in all degré53
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;59
Blessid be he that hase us made.

Adam
A, blyssid lorde, now at thi wille61
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,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,71
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 thyng77
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 sett81
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 begane85
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,91
Of my doying in this degré.
To blys I sall yoow bryng,
Comys forth, yoe tow, with me;
Ye sall lyffe in lykyng-
My blyssyng wyth yoow be. Amen.