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GEDIES, so late as the sixteenth century. Bale calls his play, or MYSTERY, of GOD'S PROMISES, a TRAGEDY, which appeared about the year 1538.

I must however observe here, that dramatic entertainments, representing the lives of saints and the most eminent scriptural stories, were known in England for more than two centuries before the reign of Edward the Second. These spectacles they commonly styled MIRACLES. I have already mentioned the play of saint Catharine, acted at Dunstable about the year 1110. William Fitz-Stephen, a writer of the twelfth

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[Perhaps the plays of Roswitha, a nun of Gandersheim in Lower Saxony, who lived towards the close of the tenth century, afford the earliest specimens of dramatic composition, since the decline of the Roman Empire. They were professedly written for the benefit of those Christians, who, abjuring all other heathen writers, were irresistibly attracted by the graces of Terence, to the imminent danger of their spiritual welfare and the certain pollution of their moral feelings. Roswitha appears to have been impressed with a hope, that by contrasting the laudable chastity of Christian virtue as exhibited in her composi

tions, with what she is pleased to term the lewd voluptuousness of the Grecian females, the Catholic world might be induced to forget the antient classic; and to receive with avidity an orthodox substitute, combining the double advantage of pleasure and instruction. How far her expectations were gratified in this latter particular, it is impossible to say; but we can easily conceive, that the almost total obliviscence of the Roman author during the succeeding ages, must have surpassed even her sanguine wishes. It does not appear that these dramas were either intended for representation, or exhibited at any subsequent period. They have been published twice: by Conrad Celtes in 1501, and Leonhard Schurzfleisch in 1707. They have also been analysed by Gottsched in his Materials for a History of the German Stage. Leip. 1757.-Pez (in his Thesaur. Noviss. Anecd. vol. ii. p. iii. f. 185) has published an ancient Latin Mystery, entitled "De Adventu et Interitu Antichristi," and which he acknowledges to have copied from a manuscript of the twelfth century. It approaches nearer to the character of a pageant, than to the dramatic cast of the later mysteries. The dumb show appears to have been considerable; the dialogue but occasional; and ample scope is given for the introduction of pomp and decoration. The passages to be declaimed are written in Latin rhyme. Lebeuf also mentions a Latin Mystery written so early as the time of Henry I. of France (1031-1061). In this, Virgil is associated with the prophets who come to offer their adorations to the new-born Messiah; and at the

century, in his DESCRIPTION OF LONDON, relates that, "London, for its theatrical exhibitions, has holy plays, or the representation of miracles wrought by confessors, and of the sufferings of martyrs." These pieces must have been in high vogue at our present period; for Matthew Paris, who wrote about the year 1240, says that they were such as "MIRACULA VULAnd we learn from Chaucer, that

GARITER APPELLAMUS"."

conclusion he joins his voice with theirs in singing a long Benedicamus. A fragment of what may be a German translation of the same mystery, and copied from a manuscript of the thirteenth century, will be found in Dieterich's Specimen Antiquitatum Biblicarum, p. 122. Marburg 1642. But here, Virgil appears as an acknowledged heathen; and he is only admitted with the other prophets from his supposed predictions of the coming Messiah contained in his Pollio. In conformity with this opinion, Dante adopted him as his guide in the Inferno.-EDIT.]

"Lundonia pro spectaculis theatralibus, pro ludis scenicis, ludos habet sanctiores, representationes miraculorum quæ sancti confessores operati sunt, seu representationes passionum quibus claruit constantia martyrum." Ad calc. STOWE'S SURVEY OF LONDON, p. 480. edit. 1599. The reader will observe, that I have construed sanctiores in a positive sense. Fitz-Stephen mentions at the end of his tract," Imperatricem Matildem, Henricum regem tertium, et beatum Thomam. &c." p. 483. Henry the Third did not accede till the year 1216. Perhaps he implied futurum regem tertium. [Fitz-Stephen speak

ing of Henry the younger, son of Henry II. and grandson to the empress Matilda, who was crowned king in the lifetime of his father; and is expressly styled Henricus Tertius by Matthew Paris, William of Newbery, and several other of our early historians.-RITSON.]

z Vit. Abbat. ad calc. Hist. p. 56. edit. 1639.

[William de Wadigton (who possibly was a contemporary of Matthew Paris) has left a violent tirade against this general practice of acting Miracles. As it contains some curious particulars relative to the manner in which they

were conducted, and the places selected
for exhibiting them, an extract from it
may not be out of place here.
Un autre folie apert

Unt les fols clers cuntrové;
Qe miracles sunt apelé.
Lur faces unt la deguise,
Par visers li forsene,
Qe est defendu en decree;
Tant est plus grant lur peché.
Fere poent representement,
Mes qe ceo seit chastement.
En office de seint eglise
Quant hom fet la, Deu servise.
Cum Thu Crist le fiz Dee,
En sepulcre esteit posé;
Et la resurrectiun:
Par plus aver devociun.
Mes fere foles assemblez,
En les rues des citez,

Ou en cymiters apres mangers,
Quant venent les fols volonters,
Tut dient qe il le funt pur bien :
Crere ne les devez pur rien,
Qe fet seit pur le honur de Dee.
E iuz del Deable pur verité.
Seint Ysidre me ad testimonie,
Qe fut si bon clerc lettré.
Il dit qe cil qe funt spectacles,
Cum lem fet en miracles,
Ou iuz qe vus nomames einz,
Burdiz ou turnemens,
Lur baptesme unt refusez,
E Deu de ciel reneiez, &c.
Ke en lur iuz se delitera,
Chevals ou harneis les aprestera,
Vesture ou autre ournement,
Sachez il fet folement.
Si vestemens serent dediez,
Plus grant dassez est le pechez.
Si prestre ou clerc le ust preste,
Bien dust estre chaustie;
Car sacrilege est pur verité.
E ki par vanite les verrunt,
De lur fet partaverunt.

Harl. MS. 273. f. 141.-EDIT.]

in his time PLAYS of MIRACLES were the common resort of idle gossips in Lent.

Therefore made I my visitations,

To prechings eke and to pilgrimagis,

TO PLAYS OF MIRACLES, and mariagis, &c.a

This is the genial WIFE OF BATH, who amuses herself with these fashionable diversions, while her husband is absent in London, during the holy season of Lent. And in PIERCE PLOWMAN'S CREDE, a piece perhaps prior to Chaucer, a friar Minorite mentions these MIRACLES as not less frequented than markets or taverns.

We haunten no tavernes, ne hobelen abouten,

Att markets and MIRACLES we medeley us neverb. Among the plays usually represented by the guild of Corpus Christi at Cambridge, on that festival, LUDUS FILIORUM ISRAELIS was acted in the year 1355°. Our drama seems hitherto to have been almost entirely confined to religious subjects, and these plays were nothing more than an appendage to the specious and mechanical devotion of the times. I do not find expressly, that any play on a profane subject, either tragic or comic, had as yet been exhibited in England. Our very

a Prol. Wif. B. v. 555. p. 80. Urr. Signat. A. iii. b. edit. 1561. Masters's Hist. C. C. C. C. p. 5. vol. i. [Perhaps the earliest English Miracle-Play extant, is "Our Saviours Descent into Hell," noticed by Mr. Strutt in his "Manners and Customs of the People of England," vol. 2. It has been recently transcribed for publication from a MS. temp. Edward II. Mr. Croft in his "Excerpta Antiqua" has given a specimen of the Corpus Christi pageant as it was exhibited at York in the thirteenth century.-EDIT.] What was the antiquity of the Guary-Miracle, or Miracle-Play in Cornwall, has not been determined. In the Bodleian library are three Cornish interludes, written on parchment. B. 40. Art. In the same library there is also another, written on paper in the year 1611. Arch. B. 31.

Of this last there is a translation in the British Museum. MSS. Harl. 1867. 2. It is entitled the CREATION OF THE WORLD. It is called a Cornish play or opera, and said to be written by Mr. William Jordan. The translation into English was made by John Keigwin of Moushole in Cornwall, at the request of Trelawney, bishop of Exeter, 1691. Of this William Jordan I can give no account. In the British Museum there is an antient Cornish poem on the death and resurrection of Christ. It is on vellum, and has some rude pictures. The beginning and end are lost. The writing is supposed to be of the fifteenth century. MSS. Harl. 1782. 4to. See the learned Lwhyd's Archæol. Brit. p. 265. And Borlase's Cornwall, Nat. Hist. p. 295. edit. 1758.

early ancestors scarce knew any other history than that of their religion. Even on such an occasion as the triumphant entry of a king or queen into the city of London, or other places, the pageants were almost entirely Scriptural". Yet I must observe, that an article in one of the pipe-rolls, perhaps of the reign of king John, and consequently about the year 1200, seems to place the rudiments of histrionic exhibition, I mean of general subjects, at a much higher period among us than is commonly imagined. It is in these words: "Nicola uxor Gerardi de Canvill, reddit computum de centum marcis pro maritanda Matildi filia sua cuicunque voluerit, exceptis MIMICIs regis." -"Nicola, wife of Gerard of Canville, accounts to the king for one hundred marks for the privilege of marrying his [her] daughter Maud to whatever person she pleases, the king's MIMICS excepted." Whether or no MIMICI REGIS are here a sort of players kept in the king's household for diverting the court at stated seasons, at least with performances of mimicry and masquerade, or whether they may not strictly imply MINSTRELLS, I cannot indeed determine. Yet we may remark, that MIMICUS is never used for MIMUS, that certain theatrical entertainments called mascarades, as we shall see below, were very antient among the French, and that these MIMICI appear, by the context of this article, to have been persons of no very respectable character. I likewise find in the wardrobe-rolls of Edward the Third, in the year 1348, an account of the dresses, ad faciendum LUDOS domini regis ad ffestum Natalis domini celebratos apud Guldeford, for furnishing the plays or sports of the king, held in the castle of Guildford at the feast

d When our Henry the Sixth entered Paris in 1431, in the quality of king of France, he was met at the gate of Saint Denis by a Dumb Shew, representing the birth of the Virgin Mary and her marriage, the adoration of the three kings, and the parable of the sower. This pageant indeed was given by the French: but the readers of Hollings head will recollect many instances im

mediately to our purpose. See Monstrelet. apud Fonten. Hist. Theatr. ut supr. p. 37.

e Rot. incert. ut videtur Reg. Johann. Apud MSS. James, Bibl. Bodl. vii. p. 104.

John of Salisbury, who wrote about 1160, says, "Histriones et mimi non possunt recipere sacram communionem." POLICRAT. i. 8.

of Christmas. In these LUDI, says my record, were expended eighty tunics of buckram of various colours, forty-two visours of various similitudes, that is, fourteen of the faces of women, fourteen of the faces of men with beards, fourteen of heads of angels, made with silver; twenty-eight crests", fourteen mantles embroidered with heads of dragons: fourteen white tunics wrought with heads and wings of peacocks, fourteen heads of swans with wings, fourteen tunics painted with eyes of peacocks, fourteen tunics of English linen painted, and as many tunics embroidered with stars of gold and silver. In the rolls of the wardrobe of king Richard the Second, in the year 1391, there is also an entry which seems to point out a sport of much the same nature. "Pro xxi coifs de tela linea pro hominibus de lege contrafactis pro LUDO regis tempore natalis domini anno xiik." That is, "for twenty-one linen coifs for counterfeiting men of the law in the king's play at Christmas." It will be sufficient to add here on the last record, that the serjeants at law at their creation, antiently wore a cap of linen, lawn, or silk, tied under the chin: this was to distinguish them from the clergy who had the tonsure.

& Comp. J. Cooke, Provisoris Magnæ Garderob. ab ann. 21 Edw. I. ad ann. 23. Membr. ix.

h I do not perfectly understand the Latin original in the place. viz. "xiiij Crestes cum tibiis reversatis et calceatis, xiiij Crestes cum montibus et cuniculis." Among the stuffs are "viii pelles de Roan. In the same wardrobe rolls, a little above, I find this entry, which relates to the same festival. "Et ad faciendum vi pennecellos pro tubis et clarionibus contra ffestum natalis domini, de syndone, vapulatos de armis regis quartellatis." Membr. ix.

i Some perhaps may think, that these were dresses for a MASQUE at court. If so, Hollingshead is mistaken in saying, that in the year 1512, "on the daie of Epiphanie at night, the king with eleven others were disguised after the manner of Italie called a maske, a thing not seen before in England. They were

Whether in both these

apparelled in garments long and broad wrought all with gold, with visors and caps of gold," &c. Hist. vol. iii. p. 812.

a. 40.

Besides, these maskings most probably came to the English, if from Italy, through the medium of France. Hollingshead also contradicts himself: for in another place he seems to allow their existence under our Henry the Fourth, A. D. 1400. "The conspirators ment upon the sudden to have set upon the king in the castell of Windsor, under colour of a maske or mummerie," &c. ibid. p. 515. b. 50. Strype says there were PAGEAUNTS exhibited in London when queen Eleanor rode through the city to her coronation, in 1236. for the victory over the Scots by Edward the First in 1298. Anecdot. Brit. Topograph. p. 725. Lond. edit. 1768.

And

* Comp. Magn. Garderob. an. 14. Ric. II. f. 193. b.

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