Wulvefey-palace, the constable of Winchester-castle, and all "the monafteries of the city of Winchester, on the festival of "faint Nicholas." As to the divine fervice being performed by children on these feafts, it was not only celebrated by boys, but there is an injunction given to the Benedictine nunnery of Godstowe in Oxfordshire, by archbishop Peckham, in the year 1278, that on Innocent's day, the public prayers thould not any more be faid in the church of that monaftery PER PARVULAS, that is, by little girls'. The ground-work of this religious mockery of the boy-bishop, which is evidently founded on modes of barbarous life, may perhaps be traced backward at least as far as the year 867". At the Conftantinopolitan fynod under that year, at which were present three hundred and seventy-three bishops, it was found to be a folemn cuftom in the courts of princes, on certain stated days, to dress some layman in the episcopal apparel, who should exactly perfonate a bishop both in his tonfure and ornaments: as alfo to create a burlesque patriarch, who might make sport for the company ". This scandal to the clergy was anathematised. But ecclefiaftical fynods and cenfures have often proved too weak to suppress popular spectacles, which take deep root in the public manners, and are only concealed for a while, to spring up afresh with new vigour. After the form of a legitimate ftage had appeared in England, MYSTERIES and MIRACLES where also revived by queen Mary, as an appendage of the papistic worship. In the year 1556, a goodly stage-play of the PASSION OF CHRIST was prefented at the Grey friers in London, on CorpusChristi day, before the lord mayor, the privy-council, the privy-council, and many great eftates of the realm'. Strype alfo mentions, under the year 1557, a ftage-play at the Grey-friers, of the Paffion of Chrift, on the day that war was proclaimed in London against France, and in honour of that occafion. On faint Olave's day in the fame year, the holiday of the church in Silver-street which is dedicated to that faint, was kept with much folemnity. At eight of the clock at night, began a ftage-play of goodly matter, being the miraculous hiftory of the life of that faint *, which continued four hours, and was concluded with many religious fongs". Many curious circumstances of the nature of these miracleplays, appear in a roll of the church- wardens of Baffingborne in Cambridgeshire, which is an accompt of the expences and receptions for acting the play of SAINT GEORGE at Baffingborne, on the feast of faint Margaret in the year 1511. They collected upwards of four pounds in twenty-feven neighbouring parishes for furnishing the play. They disbursed about two pounds in the representation. These disbursements are to four minstrels, or waits, of Cambridge for three days, v, s. vj, d. To the players, in bread and ale, iij, s. ij, d. To the garnementman for garnements, and propyrts, that is, for dreffes, decora "dance, and an elephant and castle, and "the Lord and Lady of the May appear"ed to make up this fhow." Strype, ibid. 376, ch. xlix. Ludovicus Vives relates, that it was cuftomary in Brabant to present annual plays in honour of the respective faints to which the churches were dedicated and he betrays his great credulity in adding a wonderful ftory in confequence of this cuftom. Nor. in Auguftin. De CIVIT. DEI. lib. xii. cap. 25. C. • The property-room is yet known at our theatres. tions, and implements, and for play-books, xx, s. To John Hobard brotherhoode preefte, that is, a priest of the guild in the church, for the play-book, ij, s. viij d. For the crofte, or field in which the play was exhibited, j, s. For propyrte-making, or furniture, j, s. iv, d. "For fish and bread, and to setting up the "stages, iv, d." For painting three fanchoms and four tormentors, words which I do not understand, but perhaps phantoms and devils... The reft was expended for a feast on the occasion, in which are recited, "Four chicken for the gentilmen, iv, d." It appears from the manufcript of the Coventry plays, that a temporary scaffold only, was erected for thefe performances. And Chaucer fays, of Absolon a parish-clerk, and an actor of king Herod's character in thefe dramas, in the MILLER'S TALE, And for to fhew his lightneffe and maistry He playith Herawdes on a SCAFFALD HIE'. Scenical decorations and machinery which employed the genius and invention of Inigo Jones, in the reigns of the first James and Charles, seem to have migrated from the mafques at court to the public theatre. In the inftrument here cited, the priest who wrote the play, and received only two fhillings and eight pence for his labour, seems to have been worse paid in proportion than any of the other perfons concerned. The learned Oporinus, Mill. T. v. 275. Urr. Mr. Steevens and Mr. Malone have fhewn, that the accommodations in our early regular theatres were but little better. That the old fcenery was very fimple, may partly be collected from an entry in a Computus of Winchefter-college, under the year 1579. viz. COMP. BURS. Coll. Winton. A. D. 1573, Eliz. xv.-" CUSTUS AULE. Item, pro "diverfis expenfis circa Scaffoldam erigen"dam et deponendam, et pro Domunculis "de novo compofitis cum carriagio et re"carriagio ly joyftes, et aliorum mutuato 66 rum ad eandem Scaffoldam, cum vj linckes "et jo [uno] duodeno candelarum, pro lu"mine expenfis, tribus noctibus in Ludis VOL. III. "comediarum et tragediarum, xxv, s. viij, fet up in the hall for a play." ANN. REF. i. 197. edit. 1725. in 1547, published in two volumes a collection of religious interludes, which abounded in Germany. They are in Latin, and not taken from legends but the Bible. The puritans were highly offended at these religious plays now revived. But they were hardly less averse to the theatrical representation of the chriftian than of the gentile story. story. Yet for different reasons. To hate a theatre was a part of their creed, and therefore plays were an improper vehicle of religion. The heathen fables they judged to be dangerous, as too nearly refembling the fuperftitions of popery. A very late fcripture-play is, "A newe merry and witte comedie or enter"lude, newlie imprinted treating the hif་ tory of JACOB AND ESAU, &c." for H. Bynneman, 1568. 4to. Bl. Lett. But this play had appeared in queen Mary's reign, An enterlude vpon the hiftory of Jacobe "and Efawe, &c." Licenced to Henry Sutton, in 1557. REGISTR. STATION. A. fol. 23. a. It is certain, however, that the fashion of religious interludes was not entirely difcontinued in the reign of queen Elifabeth. For, I find licenced to T. Hac. kett in 1561, "A newe enterlude of the ij fynnes of kynge Dauyde." Ibid. fol. 75. a. And to Pickeringe in 1560-1, the play of queen Efther. Ibid. fol. 62. b. Again, there is licenced to T. Colwell, in 1565, "A playe of the ftory of kyng "Darius from Efdras." lbid. fol. 133. b. Alfo "A pleafaunte recytall worthy of "the readinge contaynynge the effecte of iij worthye fquyres of Daryus the kinge "of Perfia," licenced to Griffiths in 1565. Ibid. fol. 132. b. Often reprinted. And in 1566, John Charlewood is licenced to print "An enterlude of the repentance "of Mary Magdalen." Ibid. fol. 152. a. Of this piece I have cited an antient manufcript. Also, not to multiply inftances, Colwell in 1568, is licenced to print "The "playe of Sufanna." Ibid. fol. 176. a. Ballads on fcripture subjects are now innumerable. Peele's DAVID AND BATHSHE BA is a remain of the fashion of scriptureplays. I have mentioned the play of Ho. LOFERNES acted at Hatfield in 1556. LiFa OF SIR THOMAS POPE, p. 87. In 1556, was printed "A ballet intituled the histo "rye of Judith and Holy fernes." REGISTR. ut fupr. fol. 154. b. And Registr. B. fol. 227. In Hearne's manufcript CoLLECTANEA there is a licence dated 1571, from the queen, directed to the officers of Middlefex, permitting one John Swinton Powlter," to have and ufe fome playes "and games at or uppon nine feverall fon"daies," within the faid county. And because greate reforte of people is lyke to come thereunto, he is required, for the prefervation of the peace, and for the fake of good order, to take with him four or five difcreet and fubftantial men of those places where the games fhall be put in practice, to fuperintend duringe the contynuance of the games or playes. Some of the exhibitions are then specified, fuch as, Shotinge with the brode arrowe, The lepping for men, The Pytchynge of the barre, and the like. But then follows this very general clause, "With all fuche other games, as haue at anye time heretofore or now be lycenfed, "ufed, or played." COLL. MSS. Hearne, tom. lxi. p. 78. One wishes to know, whether any interludes, and whether religious or profane, were included in this inftrument. SECT. SE C T. XXXVII. T appears, however, that the cultivation of an English style began to be now regarded. At the general restoration of knowledge and taste, it was a great impediment to the progress of our language, that all the learned and ingenious, aiming at the character of erudition, wrote in Latin. English books were written only by the fuperficial and illiterate, at a time when judgment and genius fhould have been exerted in the nice and critical task of polishing a rude speech. Long after the invention of typography, our vernacular style, instead of being ftrengthened and refined by numerous compofitions, was only corrupted with new barbarisms and affectations, for want of able and judicious writers in English. Unless we except fir Thomas More, whofe DIALOGUE ON TRIBULATION, and HISTORY OF RICHARD THE THIRD, were esteemed ftandards of style so low as the reign of James the first, Roger Afcham was perhaps the first of our scholars who ventured to break the fhackles of Latinity, by publishing his ToXOPHILUS in English; chiefly with a view of giving a pure and correct model of English compofition, or rather of shewing how a subject might be treated with grace and propriety in En lifh as well as in Latin. English His own vindication of his conduct in attempting this great innovation is too sensible to be omitted, and reflects light on the revolutions of our poetry. "As for the Lattine or Greeke tongue, euerye thinge is fo excellentlye done in Them, that none can "do better. In the Englishe tongue contrary, euery thing in "a maner fo meanlye, both for the matter and handelinge, that "no man can do worfe. For therein the learned for the moft 4 |