Here shall you see how Fellowship and Jollity,
Both Strength, Pleasure, and Beauty,
Will fade from thee as flower in May,
For ye shall hear how our Heaven's King

Calleth Everyman to a general reckoning.

20

Give audience and hear what he doth say.

[The Messenger goes.
God speaketh:

I perceive, here in my majesty,
How that all creatures be to me unkind,
Living, without fear, in worldly prosperity.

In spiritual vision the people be so blind,

25

Drowned in sin, they know me not for their God;
In worldly riches is all their mind.
They fear not my righteousness, the sharp rod.
My law that I disclosed, when I for them died,

They clean forget, and shedding of my blood red.

30

I hung between two it cannot be denied,
To get them life I suffered to be dead,
I healed their feet, with thorns was hurt my head.
I could do no more than I did truly,

And now I see the people do clean forsake me;

35

They use the seven deadly sins damnable
In such wise that pride, covetousness, wrath, and
lechery,
Now in this world be made commendable,
And thus they leave of angels the heavenly company.

Every man liveth so after his own pleasure,

40

And yet of their lives they be nothing sure.
The more I them forbear, I see
The worse from year to year they be;
All that live grow more evil apace;

Therefore I will, in briefest space,

45

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