of this piece is Ezekiel, a Jew, who is called 'O TWY Idαix Teaywdiwy woning, or the tragic poet of the Jews'. The learned Huetius endeavours to prove, that Ezekiel wrote at least before the christian era". Some fuppofe that he was one of the feventy, or feptuagint, interpreters of the bible under the reign of Ptolomy Philadelphus. I am of opinion, that Ezekiel compofed this play after the destruction of Jerufalem, and even in the time of Barocbas, as a political fpectacle, with a view to animate his dejected countrymen with the hopes of a future deliverance from their captivity under the conduct of a new Mofes, like that from the Egyptian fervitude ". Whether a theatre fubfifted among the Jews, who by their peculiar fituation and circumstances were prevented from keeping pace with their neighbours in the culture of the focial and elegant arts, is a curious speculation: It seems most probable, on the whole, that this drama was composed in imitation of the Grecian stage, at the close of the second century, after the Jews had been difperfed, and intermixed with other nations. Boileau feems to think, that the antient PILGRIMAGES introduced these facred exhibitions into France. Chez nos devots ayeux le theatre abhorré De PELERINS, dit on, une troupe groffiere En public à Paris y monta la prémiere; Iöua les SAINTS, la VIERGE, et DIEU, par piété. See Scaliger, ad ЕUSEв. p. 401. • DEMONSTRAT, EVANGELIC. p. 99. w See Le Moyne, Oвs. ad VAR. Sacr. tom. i. pag. 336. * ART. POET. cant. iii. 81. The The authority to which Boileau alludes in these nervous and elegant verses is Menestrier, an intelligent French antiquary'. The pilgrims who returned from Jerufalem, faint James of Compostella, faint Baume of Provence, faint Reine, Mount faint Michael, Notre dame du Puy, and other places efteemed holy, compofed fongs on their adventures; intermixing recitals of paffages in the life of Chrift, descriptions of his crucifixion, of the day of judgement, of miracles, and martyrdoms. To these tales, which were recommended by a pathetic chant and a variety of gefticulations, the credulity of the multitude gave the name of Vifions. These pious itinerants travelled in companies; and taking their stations in the most public streets, and finging with their ftaves in their hands, and their hats and mantles fantastically adorned with fhells and emblems painted in various colours, formed a fort of theatrical spectacle. At length their performances excited the charity and compassion of some citizens of Paris; who erected a theatre, in which they might exhibit their religious stories in a more commodious and advantageous manner, with the addition of scenery and other decorations. At length profeffed practitioners in the hiftrionic art were hired to perform these folemn mockeries of religion, which foon became the principal public amusement of a devout but undiscerning people. To those who are accustomed to contemplate the great picture of human follies, which the unpolished ages of Europe hold up to our view, it will not appear furprising, that the people, who were forbidden to read the events of the facred history in the bible, in which they were faithfully and beautifully related, should at the fame time be permitted to see them represented on the stage, difgraced with the grossest improprieties, corrupted with inventions and additions of y Des Represent. en MUSIQUE. p. 153. feq. the the most ridiculous kind, fullied with impurities, and expreffed in the language and gefticulations of the lowest farce. On the whole, the MYSTERIES appear to have originated among the ecclefiaftics; and were most probably first acted, at least with any degree of form, by the monks. This was certainly the cafe in the English monafteries. I have already mentioned the play of faint Catharine, performed at Dunstable abbey by the novices in the eleventh century, under the fuperintendence of Geoffry à Parifian ecclesiastic: and the exhibition of the PASSION, by the mendicant friers of Coventry and other places. Inftances have been given of the like practice among the French. The only perfons who could read were in the religious focieties: and various other circumstances, peculiarly arifing from their fituation, profeffion, and inftitution, enabled the monks to be the fole performers of these representations. As learning encreased, and was more widely diffeminated from the monafteries, by a natural and easy tranfition, the practice migrated to schools and univerfities, which were formed on the monastic plan, and in many respects resembled the ecclefiaftical bodies. Hence a paffage in Shakespeare's HAMLET is to be explained; where Hamlet fays to Polonius, My lord, you played once in the UNIVERSITY, you say." Polonius answers, That I did, my Lord, and was account"ed a good actor.—I did enact Julius Cefar, I was killed "i' th' capitol." Boulay obferves, that it was a custom, not only still fubfifting, but of very high antiquity, vetuftiffima In fome regulations given by cardinal Wolfey, to the monafteries of the canons regular of St. Austin, in the year 1519, the brothers are forbidden to be LUSORES aut MIMICI, players or mimics. Dugd. Monaft. ii. 568. But the prohibition means, that the monks fhould not go abroad to exercise these arts in a fecular and mercenary capacity. See ANNAL. BURTONENSES, p. 437. fupra citat. p. 205. By the way, MIMICUS might alfo literally be conftrued a player, according to Jonfon, EPIG. 195. But the Vice Acts old iniquity, and in the fit confuetudo, confuetudo, to act tragedies and comedies in the university of Paris. He cites a ftatute of the college of Navarre at Paris, dated in the year 1315, prohibiting the scholars to perform any immodeft play on the festivals of faint Nicholas and faint Catharine. "In feftis fan&ti Nicolai et beatæ Catharina "nullum ludum inhoneftum faciant." Reuchlin, one of the German claffics at the restoration of antient literature, was the first writer and actor of Latin plays in the academies of Germany. He is faid to have opened a theatre at Heidelberg; in which he brought ingenuous youths or boys on the stage, in the year 1498. In the prologue to one of his comedies, written in trimeter iambics, and printed in 1516, are the following lines. Optans poeta placere paucis verfibus, Sat effe adeptum gloriæ arbitratus eft, The first of Reuchlin's Latin plays, feems to be one entitled, SERGIUS, SEU CAPITIS CAPUT, COMOEDIA, a fatire on bad kings or bad minifters, and printed in 1508. He calls it his primicia. It confifts of three acts, and is profeffedly written in imitation of Terence. But the author promises, if this attempt hould please, that he will write INTEGRAS pentier mentions an indecent fport, called le VIRELI, celebrated in the streets on the feaft of St. Nicholas, by the vicar and other choral officers of a collegiate church. SUPPL. Du Cang. LAT. GLOSS. in V. tom. iii. p. 1178. Nunquam ante ipfius ætatem Coma"dia in Germanorum fcholis acta fuit, &c." G. Lizelii HISTOR. POETAR. GERMAN. Francof. et Leipf. 1730. 12mo. p. 11. f Phorcæ. 4to. It is published with a glofs by Simlerus his Scholar. COMEDIAS, COMEDIAS, that is comedies of five acts. I give a few lines from the Prologue ". Si unquam tuliftis ad jocum veftros pedes, For Reuchlin's other pieces of a like nature, the curious reader is referred to a very rare volume in quarto, PROGYMNASMATA SCENICA, feu LUDICRA PRÆEXERCITAMENTA varii generis. Per Joannem Bergman de Olpe, 1498. An old biographer affirms, that Conradus Celtes was the firft who introduced into Germany the fashion of acting tragedies and comedies in public halls, after the manner of the antients. "Primus comedias et tragedias in publicis aulis veterum more "egit." Not to enter into a controverfy concerning the priority of these two obfcure theatrical authors, which may be fufficiently decided for our present satisfaction by obferving, that they were certainly cotemporaries; about the year 1500, Celtes wrote a play, or mafque, called the PLAY OF DIANA, prefented by a literary fociety, or feminary of scholars, before the emperor Maximilian and his court. It was printed in 1502, at Nuremberg, with this title, " Incipit "LUDUS DYANE, coram Maximiliano rege, per Sodalitatem "Litterariam Damulianam in Linzio*. It confifts of the 8 Fol. x. Fol. iv. VIROR. ILLUSTR. VITÆ, &c. publifhed by Fifchardus, Francof. 1536. 4to. p. 8. b. Celtes himself fays, in his DESCRIPTIO URBIS NORINBERGÆ, written about 1500, that in the city there was an 22. |