ADAM THE FIRST MAN

_Pater Clestis._ In the beginning before the heavens were create, In me and of me was my Son sempiternal With the Holy Ghost, in one degree or estate Of the high G.o.dhead, to me the Father coequal And this my Son was with me one G.o.d essential Without separation at any time from me.

True G.o.d he is of equal dignity.

Since the beginning my Son hath ever been Joined with his father in one essential being.

All things were create by him in each degree, In heaven and earth and have their diverse working: Without his power, was never made any thing That was wrought; but through his ordinance Each have his strength, and whole continuance.

In him is the life and the just recoverance For Adam and his, which nought but death deserved.

And this life to men is an high perseverance Or a light of faith, whereby they shall be saved.

And this light shall shine among the people darkened With unfaithfulness. Yet shall they not with him take But of wilful heart his liberal grace forsake.

Which will compel me against man for to make In my displeasure, and send plagues of correction Most grievous and sharp, his wanton l.u.s.ts to slake, By water and fire, by sickness and infection Of pestilent sores, molesting his complexion; By troublous war, by dearth and painful scarceness, And after this life by an extreme heaviness.

I will first begin with Adam for his lewdness Which for an apple neglected my commandment.

He shall continue in labour for his rashness, His only sweat shall provide his food and raiment: Yea, yet must he have a greater punishment, Most terrible death shall bring him to his end To teach him how he his Lord G.o.d shall offend.

[_Here Adam falls headlong upon the earth and after rolling over four times, at last gets up._

_Adam._ Merciful Father, thy pitiful grace extend To me, careful wretch, which have me sore abused Thy precept breaking, O Lord, I mean to amend, If now thy great goodness would have me excused, Most heavenly Maker, let me not be refused, Nor cast from thy sight for one poor sinful crime; Alas! I am frail, my whole kind is but slime.

_Pater Clestis._ I wot it is so, yet art thou no less faulty Than thou hadst been made of matter much more worthy.

I gave thee reason and wit to understand The good from the evil, and not to take on hand Of a brainless mind, the thing which I forbade thee.

_Adam._ Such heavy fortune hath chiefly chanced me For that I was left to mine own liberty.

_Pater Clestis._ Then thou are blameless, and the fault thou layest to me?

_Adam._ Nay, all I ascribe to my own imbecility.

No fault in thee Lord but in my infirmity, And want of respect in such gifts as thou gavest me.

_Pater Clestis._ For that I put thee at thine own liberty, Thou oughtest my goodness to have in more regard.

_Adam._ Avoid it I cannot, thou layest it to me so hard.

Lord, now I perceive what power is in man, And strength of himself, when thy sweet grace is absent, He must needs but fall, do he the best he can, And endanger himself, as appeareth evident; For I sinned not so long as thou wert present; But when thou wert gone, I fell to sin by and by, And thee displeased. Good Lord, I ask thee mercy.

_Pater Clestis._ Thou shalt die for it and all thy posterity.

_Adam._ For one fault, good Lord, avenge not thyself on me, Who am but a worm, or a fleshly vanity.

_Pater Clestis._ I say thou shalt die with thy whole posterity.

_Adam._ Yet mercy, sweet Lord, if any mercy may be.

_Pater Clestis._ I am immutable, I may change no decree.

Thou shalt die, I say, without any remedy.

_Adam._ Yet gracious Father, extend to me thy mercy, And throw not away the work which thou hast create To thine own image, but avert from me thy hate.

_Pater Clestis._ But art thou sorry from bottom of thy heart?

_Adam._ Thy displeasure is to me most heavy smart.

_Pater Clestis._ Then will I tell thee what thou shalt stick unto, Life to recover, and my good favour also.

_Adam._ Tell it me, sweet Lord, that I may thereafter go.

_Pater Clestis._ This is my covenant to thee and all thy offspring.

For that thou hast been deceived by the serpent, I will put hatred betwixt him for his doing And the woman kind. They shall hereafter dissent; His seed with her seed shall never have agreement; Her seed shall press down his head unto the ground, Slay his suggestions, and his whole power confound.

Cleave to this promise with all thy inward power, Firmly enclose it in thy remembrance fast, Fold it in thy faith with full hope, day and hour, And thy salvation it will be at the last.

That seed shall clear thee of all thy wickedness past, And procure thy peace, with most high grace in my sight, See thou trust to it and hold not the matter light.

_Adam._ Sweet lord, the promise that thyself here hath made me, Of thy mere goodness and not of my deserving, In my faith I trust shall so established be, By help of thy grace, that it shall be remaining So long as I shall have here continuing; And shew it I will to my posterity That they in like case have thereby felicity.

_Pater Clestis._ For a closing up, take yet one sentence with thee.

_Adam._ At thy pleasure, Lord, all things might ever be.

_Pater Clestis._ For that my promise may have the deeper effect In the faith of thee and all thy generation, Take this sign with it, as a seal thereto connect.

Creep shall the serpent, for his abomination, The woman shall sorrow in painful propagation.

Like as thou shalt find this true in outward working, So think the other, though it be a hidden thing.

_Adam._ Incessant praising to thee most heavenly lord For this thy succour, and undeserved kindness, Thou bindest me in heart thy gracious gifts to record, And to bear in mind, now after my heaviness, The bruit of thy name, with inward joy and gladness.

Thou disdainest not, as well appeareth this day, To fetch to thy fold thy first sheep going astray.

Most mighty Maker, thou castest not yet away Thy sinful servant, which hath done most offence.

It is not thy mind for ever I should decay, But thou reservest me, of thy benevolence, And hast provided for me a recompence, By thy appointment, like as I have received In thy strong promise here openly p.r.o.nounced.

This goodness, dear Lord, is of me undeserved, I so declining from thy first inst.i.tution, At so light motions. To one that thus hath swerved, What a lord art thou, to give such retribution!

I, d.a.m.nable wretch, deserved execution Of terrible death, without all remedy, And to be put out of all good memory.

I am enforced to rejoice here inwardly, An imp though I be of h.e.l.l, death and d.a.m.nation, Through my own working: for I consider thy mercy And pitiful mind for my whole generation.

It is thou, sweet Lord, that workest my salvation, And my recovery. Therefore of a congruence From hence thou must have my heart and obedience.

Though I be mortal, by reason of my offence, And shall die the death like as G.o.d hath appointed: Of this I am sure, through his high influence, At a certain day again to be revived.

From ground of my heart this shall not be removed, I have it in faith and therefore I will sing This anthem to him that my salvation shall bring.

[_Then with sonorous voice, on his bent knees, he begins an antiphon, "O Sapientia," which the chorus follows with instruments, as it removes from the stage. Or else in the same it may thus be sung in English:_

O Eternal Sapience, that proceedest from the mouth of the highest, reaching forth with a great power from the beginning to the end, with heavenly sweetness disposing all creatures, come now and instruct us the true way of thy G.o.dly prudence.

ACT II

NOAH THE JUST

_Pater Clestis._ I have been moved to strike man diversely, Since I left Adam in this same earthly mansion; For why? He hath done to me displeasures many, And will not amend his life in any condition: No respect hath he to my word nor monition, But what doth him l.u.s.t, without discreet advis.e.m.e.nt, And will in nowise take mine advertis.e.m.e.nt.

Cain hath slain Abel, his brother, an innocent, Whose blood from the earth doth call to me for vengeance: My children with men's so carnally consent, That their vain working is unto me much grievance: Mankind is but flesh in his whole dalliance.

All vice increaseth in him continually, Nothing he regardeth to walk unto my glory.

My heart abhorreth his wilful misery, His cancred malice, his cursed covetousness, His l.u.s.ts lecherous, his vengeable tyranny, Unmerciful murder and other unG.o.dliness.

I will destroy him for his outrageousness, And not him only, but all that on earth do stir, For it repenteth me that ever I made them here.

_Noah._ Most gentle Maker, with his frailness somewhat bear, Man is thy creature, thyself cannot say nay.

Though thou punish him to put him somewhat in fear, His fault to acknowledge, yet seek not his decay.