Location York

XLVIII
THE MERCERS' PLAY

GOD

Angels !   sound your clarions clear,
Every creature now to call.
Lewd and learned, bring all here;
Receive their doom this day they shall.
Every man that e'er had life,
Be none forgotten, great or small.
There shall they see those same wounds five,
That my Son suffered for them all.
Then sunder them before my sight;
All one in bliss they shall not be.
My blessed children as is right,
On my right hand now let them be.
And then shall every wicked wight
On my left side for fearing flee.
This day their dooms thus have I dight
To every man as he hath served me.

I ANGEL

Loved be Thou, most mighty Lord,
That angels made Thy messenger.
With speed shall be fulfilled Thy word,
And heaven and earth and hell shall hear.
Now, every ghost or good or ill,
Rise, take the flesh that you had e're;
For all this world is brought to waste;
Draw to your doom;  the time is near.

2 ANGEL

Hear, every creature, young and old,
With speed I bid you to arise;
Body and soul now with you bring,
And come before the high justice.
For I am sent from heaven's King,
To call you to his great assise.
Therefore rise up, give reckoning
How ye served Him in every wise.

I    GOOD   SOUL

Loved be Thou, Lord high and great,
That on this manner made us rise
Body and soul in this our state,
To come before the high justice.
Think not upon our ill deeds. Lord,
That we have wrought in such sore wise,
 But mercy by Thy grace afford,
That we may dwell in Paradise.

2 GOOD SOUL

Ah! loved be thou, Lord of all,
That heaven and earth and all hast wrought,
That by Thine angels would us call
Out of our graves here to be brought.
Oft have we grieved thee, great and small;
On that account, Lord, doom us not.
To fiends let us not be in thrall,
That oft on earth with sin us wrought.

I BAD SOUL

Alas, alas! that we were born!
So may we sinful caitiffs say.
I hear well by that hideous horn,
It draws full near unto Doomsday.
Alas! we wretches are forlorn,
That ne'er to God did service pay,
But oft have we His flesh forsworn.
Alas, alas! and Welaway!

2 BAD SOUL

Alas I now wakens all our fear
Our wicked works we may not hide,
But on our backs we must them bear;
They will destroy us on each side.
I see foul fiends await us here,
And all for pomp of wicked pride.
Weep sore we may with many a tear.
Alas! that we this day should bide.

3 ANGEL (with the sword)

Stand not together; part you in twain.
Ye shall not be all one in bliss.
The Father in heaven does so ordain,
For many of you have wrought amiss.
Ye good, on his right hand now go;
The way to heaven ye know is this.
Ye cursed caitiffs, flee now so
To his left hand, as none of his.

I DEVIL

Fellows, now fit you for the fight;
Our own to seize go fast along.
The dreadful doom this day is dight;
I fear we linger here too long.

2 DEVIL

Let us be seen full in their sight;
Wary we'll wait, else work we wrong.
For if the Doomsman do us right,
With us shall go a goodly throng.

3 DEVIL

He will do right to foe and friend,
For now shall all the truth be taught.
All cursed ones with us shall wend ;
To endless pain they shall be brought.

GOD (Christ)

Now, every creature, take good heed
To my command which now I bring.
This woeful world is gone with speed
And I am come as crowned King.
My Father of heaven has sent me down,
To doom your deeds and make ending.
 Now is your day of judgement come;
Each sinful soul must sorrow sing.
The day of wretchedness is here,
All them to grieve that are unclean,
The day of bale and bitter cheer;
Full long abided it has been.
The day of dread to great and small,
Of grief and trembling sore and keen.
Then they on whom the curse doth fall
May say " Alas this day is seen ".
Here may ye see these my wounds wide,
Which I endured for your misdeed.
These bitter pains I would abide;
To buy your bliss thus did I bleed.
Man, sorely ought you for to quake,
On such a day this sight to see.
All this I suffered for thy sake;
Say, man, what suffered thou for me?
My children blest on my right hand,
Your doom this day ye need not dread;
Your comfort is here at my command;
Your life in liking ye shall lead.
Come to my Kingdom's lasting land,
That is prepared for your good deed.
Full blithe may ye be where ye stand,
For great in heaven shall be your meed.
When I was hungry, you me fed;
To slake my thirst your heart was free;
When I was naked, ye me clad;
Ye would no sorrow on me see.
When hard pressed I was sore bested,
On all my pains ye had pity.
In sickness when I lay in bed,
Kindly ye came to comfort me.
When I was weak and weariest,
Ye harboured me full heartily;
Full glad then were ye of your guest,
With pity for my poverty.
Quickly ye brought me of the best,
And made my bed full easily.
Therefore in heaven shall be your rest,
In joy and bliss to be with me.

I GOOD SOUL

Maker Almighty, when had we
Or meat or drink Thy want to feed?

2 GOOD SOUL

When was't that we brought clothes to Thee,
Or visited in any need?

CHRIST

My blessed children, hear me say
When such your deeds were to me done.
When any had need, night or day,
Or asked for help, and had it soon.
Your free hearts never said them nay,
Early or late, midnight or noon;
But as oft times as they would pray,
They need but hide, and have their boon.

Ye cursed caitiffs, sons of Cain,
Who ne'er gave comfort in my care,
For ever shall we part in twain;
Hell's woe for ever is your share.
Your bitter pains shall yet remain,
That ye shall have when ye come there.
Ye have deserved so for your sin,
For many deeds that ye did ere.
When I had need of drink or meat,
Caitiffs, ye drove me from your gate.
I stood without, weary and wet,
While ye were set as sirs in state.
Not one of you would on me think,
Pity to have of my poor state.
Therefore to hell ye all shall sink,
And worthy all to go that gate.

When I was sick and sorriest,
Ye came not nigh, for I was poor.
In prison pent when I was fast,
None of you cared what chains I bore.
When I wist never where to rest.
With dints ye drove me from your door;
But ever to pride ye made high hast;
My flesh, my blood, oft ye forswore.
Unclothed when I was oft and cold,
For all you did, I naked went;
House nor harbour, help nor hold,
Although I quaked, you never lent.
My misery saw ye manifold;
Not once did you my sorrows slake;
But all forsook me, young and old.
You therefore now do I forsake.

I BAD SOUL

When had you, Lord who ownest all,
Hunger or thirst, since God art Thou?
When wast thou held in prison thrall,
When naked, when unsheltered Thou?

2 BAD SOUL

When was't we saw Thee sick, alas!
When did we this unkindliness,
Weary or wet to let Thee pass?
When did we Thee this wickedness?

CHRIST

Whenever any needy one,
Of you has asked ought in My name,
And was not heard, or, their need known,
Your help to them was not at home—
To me was that unkindness shown.
Therefore bear ye this bitter blame :—
To least or most when that was done,
To me did ye the self and same.

My chosen children, come to me;
With me to dwell now shall ye wend;
There joy and bliss shall ever be;
Your life in liking shall ye spend.
Ye cursed caitiffs, from me flee,
In hell to dwell without an end.
There shall ye nought but sorrow see
And sit by Sathanas the fiend.
(Miseremini mei, Domine. ...)

Now is fulfilled all my forethought,
For ended is each earthly thing.
All men on earth that I have wrought
After their works have now dwelling;
They that would sin and ceased not,
Of sorrow sore now shall they sing;
And they that mended while they might
Shall safely stay in my blessing.
(Tunc cantetur Gloria in excelsis Deo. . . .)