N-Town Cycle, Play 1

[The Creation of Heaven and the Fall of the Rebel Angels]

Ego sum alpha et oo, principium et finis.

  1  DEUS. My name is knowyn, God and kynge.
  2  My werk for to make now wyl I wende.
  3  In myself restyth my reynenge;
  4  It hath no gynnyng ne non ende.
  5  And all țat evyr xal haue beynge,
  6  It is closyd in my mende.
  7  Whan it is made at my lykynge,
  8  I may it save, I may it shende
  9  After my plesawns.
 10  So gret of myth is my pousté,
 11  Allthyng xal be wrowth be me.
 12  I am oo God in personys thre,
 13  Knyt in oo substawns.

 14  I am țe trewe Trenyté
 15  Here walkyng in țis wone.
 16  Thre personys myself I se
 17  Lokyn in me, God alone:
 18  I am țe Fadyr of Powsté;
 19  My Sone with me gynnyth gon;
 20  My Gostis grace in magesté
 21  Weldyth welthe up in hevyn tron.
 22  O God thre I calle:
 23  I am Fadyr of Myth,
 24  My Sone kepyth ryth,
 25  My Gost hath lyth
 26  And grace withalle.

 27  Myself begynnyng nevyr dyd take,
 28  And endeles I am thorw myn owyn myth.
 29  Now wole I begynne my werke to make.
 30  Fyrst I make hevyn with sterrys of lyth,
 31  In myrth and joy euyrmore to wake.
 32  In hevyn I bylde angell ful bryth
 33  My servauntys to be; and for my sake,
 34  With merth and melody [to] worchepe my myth,
 35  I belde them in my blysse.
 36  Aungell in hevyn evyrmore xal be
 37  In lyth ful clere, bryth [of] ble,
 38  With myrth and song to worchip me;
 39  Of joye ței may not mys.

Hic cantent angeli in celo: “Tibi omnes angeli, tibi celi et vniuerse potestates, tibi cherubyn et seraphyn incessabili voce proclamant: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth.”

 40  LUCIFERE. To whos wurchipe synge 3e țis songe,
 41  To wurchip God or reverens me?
 42  But 3e me wurchipe 3e do me wronge,
 43  For I am țe wurthyest țat evyr may be!

 44  ANGELL BONI. We wurchipe God of myth most stronge,
 45  Whiche hath formyd bothe vs and the.
 46  We may nevyr wurchyp hym to longe,
 47  For he is most worthy of magesté.
 48  On knes to God we falle.
 49  Oure Lorde God wurchyp we,
 50  And in no wyse honowre we the!
 51  A gretter lord may nevyr non be
 52  Than he țat made us alle.

 53  LUCIFERE A wurthyer lorde, forsothe, am I!
 54  And worthyer than he euyr wyl I be.
 55  In evydens țat I am more wurthy,
 56  I wyl go syttyn in Goddys se.
 57  Above sunne, and mone, and sterrys on sky
 58  I am now set, as 3e may se.
 59  Now wurchyp me for most mythty,
 60  And for 3oure lord honowre now me
 61  Syttyng in my sete.
 62  ANGELL MALI Goddys myth we forsake,
 63  And for more wurthy we be take.
 64  țe to wurchep honowre we make
 65  And falle down at ți fete.

 66  DEUS. Thu, Lucyfere, for ți mekyl pryde
 67  I bydde be falle from hefne to helle,
 68  And all țo țat holdyn on ți syde,
 69  In my blysse nevyrmore to dwelle!
 70  At my comawndement anoon down țu slyde,
 71  With merth and joye nevyrmore to melle.
 72  In myschyf and manas evyr xalt țu abyde,
 73  In byttyr brennyng and fyer so felle,
 74  In peyn evyr to be pyht!
 75  LUCYFERE At thy byddyng ți wyl I werke,
 76  And pas fro joy to peyne smerte.
 77  Now I am a devyl ful derke,
 78  țat was an aungell bryht.

 79  Now to helle be wey I take,
 80  In endeles peyn țer to be pyht.
 81  For fere of fyre a fart I crake!
 82  In helle donjoon myn dene is dyth.