Anonymous. The York plays
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God

1: In heuyn and erthe duly bedene
Of v daies werke evyn vnto the ende,
I haue complete by courssis clene-
Methynketh the space of tham wele spende.
In heuen ar aungels faire and bright,
Sternes and planetis ther courses to goo,
THe mone serues vnto the nyghte,
The sonne to lighte the day also.
In erthe is trees and gresse to springe,
Beestes and foules bothe grete and smale,
Fisshys in flode, all othir 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 myght worshippe me.
For parfite werke ne wer it none
But oughte wer made that myghte it yoeme,
For loue made I this worlde alone,
Therfore my loue shalle in it seme.
To kepe this worlde bothe more and lesse
A skylfull beeste than will Y make
Aftir my shappe and my liknesse,
The whilke shalle wirshippe to me take.
Of the sympylest parte of erthe that is here
I schalle make man, and for this skylle,
For to abate his hauttande cheere,
Bothe his grete pride and othir 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 this reasonne and skille allone
I schalle make man like vnto me.
Rise vppe, thou erthe, in bloode and bone,
In shappe of man, I comaunde the.
A female shalte thou haue to feere,
Here schalle Y make of thy lefte rybbe,
Allone so shalle thou nought be heere,
Withoutyn faithfull freende and sibbe.
Takis nowe here the goste of liffe,
And ressayue bothe youre soules of me,
THis femalle take thou to thi wiffe-
Adam and Eue youre names schalle bee. Adam

45: A, lord, ful mekill is thi myght,
And that is seene in ilke a side,
For 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,
YOitte is non made to thi liknesse
But we allone-a, loued be thy name. Eue

53: To swilke a lorde in alle degree
Be euermore lastand louynge,
THat to vs such a dyngnyté
Has geffynne before all othir thynge.
And selcouthe thynges may we see heere
Of this ilke worlde so longe and broode,
With beestes and foules so many and seere,
Blyssed be hee that hase vs made. Adam

61: A, blissed lorde, nowe at thi wille
Sethen we are wrought, wouchesaffe to telle
And also saie vs two vntille
Whatte we schalle do and where to dwelle. God

65: For this skille made Y you this daye,
My name to worschippe ay-where.
Lovis me forthy, and loues me aye
For my makyng-I aske no more.
Bothe wyse and witty shalle thou bee
Als man, that Y haue made of nought,
Lordshippe in erthe than graunte Y the,
Alle thynge to serue the that is wrought.
In pardise shalle ye same wonne,
Of erthely thyng gete yoe no nede,
Ille and goode bothe shalle yoe konne,
I shalle you lerne youre lyffe to leede. Adam

77: A, lord, sene we shalle do no thynge
But loue the for thy grette goodnesse,
We shalle abeye to thi biddyng,
And fulfille it, bothe more and lees. Eue

81: Hys syngne sen he has on vs sette
Before al othir thyng certayne,
Hym for to loue we schal not lette,
And worshippe hym with myghte and mayne. God

85: At heuene and erthe firste I beganne,
And vj daies wroughte or Y wolde reste,
My werke is endid nowe at mane;
Alle likes me wele, but this the beste.
My blissynge haue they euer and ay.
THe seuynte day shal my restyng be,
THus wille I sese, sothly to say,
Of my doyng in this degree.
To blisse I schal you brynge,
Comes forthe yoe two with me.
YOe shalle lyff in likyng:
My blissyng with you be. Amen.