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The Cardmakers

III. God creates Adam and Eve

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[Scene, the World.]
Deus.

In heuyn and erthe duly be dene
Of v. daies werke, evyn vnto þe ende,
I haue complete by courssis clene;
Me thynketh þe space of þam wele spende.

In heuen ar aungels faire and bright,
Sternes and planetis þer courses to goo,
Þe mone serues vnto þe nyghte,
The sonne to lighte þe day also.

In erthe is trees, and gresse to springe,
Beestes and foules, bothe grete and smale,
Fisshys in flode, all other thynge,
Thryffe and haue my blissynge alle.

This werke is wrought nowe at my wille,
But yitte can I here no beste see
That accordes by kyndly skylle,
And for my werke myghte worshippe me.

For parsite werke ne were it none
But oughte wer made þat myghte is it ȝeme,
For loue made I þis worlde alone,
Therfore my loue shalle in it seme.

To keepe þis worlde bothe more and lesse
A skylfull beeste þan will y make,
Aftir my shappe and my liknesse,
The whilke shalle wirshippe to me take.

Of þe sympylest parte of erthe þat is here
I shalle make man, and for this skylle,
For to a-bate his hautand cheere,
Both his grete pride and other ille;

And also for to haue in mynde
Howe symple he is at his makynge,
For als febill I shalle hym fynde
Qwen he is dede at his endynge.

For þis reasonne and skille allone,
I shalle make man like vn-to me.
Rise vppe, þou erthe in bloode and bone,
In shappe of man, I comaunde þe.

A female shalte þou haue to feere,
Here schalle y make of thy lefte rybbe,
Allone so shall þou nought be heere,
With-outyn faithfull freende and sibbe.

Takis nowe here þe goste of liffe,
And ressayue bothe youre soules of me,
Þis ffemalle take þou to þi wiffe;
Adam and Eue youre names shalle bee.

Adam.

A LORD! ful mekill is þy myght,
And þat is seene in ilke a side,
Ffor nowe is here a joifull sighte,
To see this worlde so longe and wide.

Many dyuerse thynges nowe here is,
Of beestis and foules, bothe wilde and tame,
Ȝitte is non made to þi liknesse
But we allone, a! loued be þy name.

Eue.

To swilke a lorde in alle degree
Be euer-more lastand louynge,
Þat to vs such a dyngnyte,
Has geffynne before all other thynge,

And selcouthe thynges may we see heere,
Of þis ilke worlde so longe and broode,
With beestes and foules so many and seere,
Blyssed be hee þat hase vs made.

Adam.
A BLISSED lorde! nowe at þi wille
Sethen we are wrought, wouchesaffe to telle
And also saie vs two vn-tille,
Whatte we schalle do and where to dwelle?

Deus.

For this skille made y you þis daye,
My name to worschippe ay where;
Lovis me for-thy and loues me aye
For my makyng, I aske no more.

Bothe wyse and witty shalle þou bee,
Als man, þat y haue made of nought,
Lordshippe in erthe þan graunte y the,
Alle thynge to serue þe þat is wrought.

In paradise shalle ye same wonne,
Of erthely thyng gete ȝe no nede,
Ille and good bothe shalle ȝe konne,
I shalle you lerne youre lyffe to leede.

Adam.
A LORD! sene we shalle do no thynge,
But loue the for thy grette goodnesse,
We shalle a-beye to þi gudnesse, to þi biddyng,
And fulfille it, bothe more and lees.

Eue.
Hys syngne sen he has on vs sette,
Before al other thyng certayne,
Hym for to loue we schal not lette,
And worshippe hym with mighte and mayne.

Deus.

At heuene and erthe firste I be-ganne,
And vj daies wroughte or y wolde reste,
My werke is endid nowe at man[n]e,
Alle likes me wele, but þis þe beste.

My blissynge haue they euer and ay;
Þe seuynte day shal my restyng be,
Þus wille I sese, sothly to say,
Of my doyng in þis degree.

To blisse I schal you brynge,
Comes forthe ȝe two with me,
Ȝe shalle lyff in likyng,
My blissyng with you be.