iambic, hexameter, and elegiac measures; and has five acts, but is contained in eight quarto pages. The plot, if any, is entirely a compliment to the emperor; and the perfonages, twenty-four in number, among which was the poet, are Mercury, Diana, Bacchus, Silenus drunk on his afs, Satyrs, Nymphs, and Bacchanalians. Mercury, fent by Diana, fpeaks the Prologue. In the middle of the third act, the emperor places a crown of laurel on the poet's head: at the conclufion of which ceremony, the chorus fings a panegyric in verse to the emperor. At the clofe of the fourth act, in the true fpirit of a German fhew, the imperial butlers refrefh the performers with wine out of golden goblets, with a fymphony of horns and drums and at the end of the play, they are invited by his majesty to a sumptuous banquet'.

It is more generally known, that the practice of acting Latin plays in the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, continued to Cromwell's ufurpation. The oldest notice I can recover of this fort of fpectacle in an English university, is in the fragment of an antient accompt-roll of the diffolved college of Michael-house in Cambridge: in which, under the year 1386, the following expence is entered. "Pro ly pallio brufdato et pro fex larvis et barbis in comedia." That is, for an embroidered pall, or cloak, and fix visors and fix beards, for the comedy". In the year 1544, a Latin comedy, called PAMMACHIUS, was acted at Christ's college in Cambridge: which was laid before the privy council by bishop Gardiner, chancellor of the univerfity, as a dangerous libel, containing

many offenfive reflections on the papistic ceremonies yet unabolished". The comedy of GAMMAR GURTON'S NEEDLE was acted in the fame fociety about the year 1552. In an original draught of the ftatutes of Trinity college at Cambridge, founded in 1546, one of the chapters is entitled, De Præfecto Ludorum qui IMPERATOR dicitur, under whofe direction and authority, Latin comedies and tragedies are to be exhibited in the hall at Christmas; as alfo Sex SPECTACULA, or as many DIALOGUES. Another title to this ftatute, which feems to be substituted by another and a more modern hand, is, De Comediis ludifque in natali Chrifti exhibendis. With regard to the peculiar business and office of IMPERATOR, it is ordered, that one of the masters of arts shall be placed over the juniors, every Christmas, for the regulation of their games and diverfions at that season of feftivity. At the same time, he is to govern the whole fociety in the hall and chapel, as a republic committed to his special charge, by a fet of laws, which he is to frame in Latin or Greek verse. His fovereignty is to laft during the twelve days of Christmas, and he is to exercise the fame power on Candlemas-day. During this period, he is to fee that fix SPECTACLES OF DIALOGUES be prefented. His fee is forty fhillings. Probably

■ MSS. Coll. C. C. Cant. CATAL. Nafmith. p. 92. This mode of attack was feldom returned by the oppofite party: the catholic worship, founded on fenfible representations, afforded a much better hold for ridicule, than the religion of fome of fects of the reformers, which was of a more fimple and fpiritual nature. But I fay this of the infancy of our ftage. In the next century, fanaticism was brought upon the English ftage with great fuccefs, when polifhed manners had introduced humour into comedy, and character had taken, place of fpectacle. There are, however, two English interludes, one of the reign of Henry the eighth, called EVERY MAN, the other of that of Edward the fixth, call

This article is ftruck out from CAP. xxiv. p. 85. MSS. Rawlinf. Num. 233. Only that part of the ftatute is retained, in which Comedies and Tragedies are ordered to be acted. Thefe are to be written, or rather exhibited, by the mine lecturers. The fenior lecturer is to produce one: the eight others are charged with four more. A fine of ten fhillings is impofed for the omiffion of each interlude. Another clause is then ftruck out, which limits the number of the plays to THREE, if FIVE commode exponi non queant.

the

0

the conftitution of this officer, in other words, a Master of the Revels, gave a latitude to fome licentious enormities, incompatible with the decorum of a houfe of learning and religion; and it was found neceffary to restrain these Chriftmas celebrities to a more rational and fober plan. The SPECTACULA alfo, and DIALOGUES, originally appointed, were growing obfolete when the substitution was made, and were giving way to more regular reprefentations. I believe these ftatutes were reformed by queen Elizabeth's visitors of the university of Cambridge, under the conduct of archbishop Parker, in the year 1573. John Dee, the famous occult philofopher, one of the first fellows of this noble fociety, acquaints us, that by his advice and endeavours, both here, and in other colleges at Cambridge, this master of the Christmas plays was first named and confirmed and EMPEROR. "The firft was Mr. John Dun, a very goodly man of perfon,

habit, and complexion, and well learned alfo"." He also further informs us, little thinking how important his boyi attempts and exploits fcholaftical would appear to future ages, that in the refectory of the college, in the character of Greek lecturer, he exhibited, before the whole university, the Eignon, or PAX, of Aristophanes, accompanied with a piece of machinery, for which he was taken for a conjuror : "with the performance of the fcarabeus his flying up to Jupiter's palace, with a man, and his basket of victuals, " on her back: whereat was great wondering, and many vain reports spread abroad, of the means how that was effected." The tragedy of Jepthah, from the eleventh chapter of the book of JUDGES, written both in Latin and Greek, and dedicated to king Henry the eighth, about the year 1546, by a very grave and learned divine, John Christopherson, another

P COMPENDIOUS REHEARSALL of JOHN DEE, &C. written by himself, A. D. 1592. ch. i. p. 501. 502. APPEND. J.

Glaftonienfis CHRON. edit. Hearne, Oxon. 1726.

a Ibid. p. 502.

Ccc 2

of

of the first fellows of Trinity college in Cambridge, afterwards mafter, dean of Norwich, and bishop of Chichester, was most probably compofed as a Christmas-play for the fame fociety. It is to be noted, that this play is on a religious fubject'. Roger Afcham, while on his travels in Flanders, fays in one of his Epiftles, written about 1550, that the city of Antwerp as much exceeds all other cities, as the refectory of faint John's college in Cambridge exceeds itself, when furnished at Christmas with its theatrical apparatus for acting plays. Or, in his own words, Quemadmodum aula Jo"bannis, theatrali more ornata, feipfam poft Natalem fupe"rat." In an audit-book of Trinity college in Oxford, I think for the year 1559, I find the following disbursements relating to this fubject. "Pro apparatu in comoedia Andria, “viil. ixs. iv d. Pro prandio Principis NATALICII eodem tem

pore, xiiis. ix d. Pro refectione præfe&torum et doctorum magis "illuftrium cum Burfariis prandentium tempore comoedia, iv 1. "viid." That is, For dreffes and scenes in acting Terence's ANDRIA, for the dinner of the CHRISTMAS PRINCE, and for the entertainment of the heads of the colleges and the most eminent doctors dining with the burfars or treasurers, at the time of acting the comedy, twelve pounds, three fhillings, and eight pence. A CHRISTMAS PRINCE, or LORD OF MISRULE, correfponding to the IMPERATOR at Cambridge juft mentioned, was a common temporary magiftrate in the colleges at Oxford: but at Cambridge, they were cenfured in the fermons of the puritans, in the reign of James the first,

as a relic of the pagan ritual". The laft article of this dif bursement fhews, that the most refpectable company in the univerfity were invited on these occafions. At length our universities adopted the reprefentation of plays, in which the scholars by frequent exercise had undoubtedly attained a confiderable degree of skill and addrefs, as a part of the entertainment at the reception of princes and other eminent perfonages. In the year 1566, queen Elizabeth visited the university of Oxford. In the magnificent hall of the college of Christ Church, fhe was entertained with a Latin comedy

"Fuller, CH. HIST. Hift. of Cambridge, P. 159. edit. 1655. See OBSERVAT. on Spenter, ii. 211. In the court of king Edward the fixth, George Ferrers, a lawyer, poet, and hiftorian, bore this office at Greenwich, all the twelve days of chriftmas, in 1552. "Who fo pleasantly and

"

wifely behaved himfelf, that the king "had great delight in his PASTIMES. Stowe's CHRON. p. 632. Hollingshead fays, that "being of better credit and efti"mation than commonlie his predeceffors "had beene before, he received all his "commiffions and warrants by the name of "the MAISTER OF THE KING'S PAS

"TIMES. Which gentleman fo well fup

plied his office, both in fhew of fundrie "fights and devises of rare inventions, and “in act of divers INTERLUDES, and mat

ters of paftime plaied by perfons, as not "onlie fatisfied the common fort, but al"fo were verie well liked and allowed by "the COUNCELL, and others of skill in the "like PASTIMES, &C." CHRON. iii. p. 1c67. col. 2. 10. The appointment of fo dextrous and refpectable an officer to this department, was a stroke of policy; and done with a defign to give the court popularity, and to divert the mind of the young king, on the condemnation of Somerfet.

In fome great families this officer was called the ABBOT OF MISRULE. In Scotland, where the reformation took a more fevere and gloomy turn, these and other feftive characters were thought worthy to be fuppreffed by the legislature. See PARL. vi. of queen Mary of Scotland, 1555. "It

"is ftatute and ordained, that in all times "cumming, na maner of person be chosen "ROBERT HUDE nor LITTLE JOHN, "ABBOT of UN-REASON, QUEENIS of

MAY, nor utherwife, nother in burgh,

nor to landwart, [in the country,] in onie "time to cum." And this under very fevere penalties, viz. In burghs, to the chufers of fuch characters, lofs of Freedom, with other punishments at the queen's pleafure and those who accepted fuch offices were to be banished the realm. In the country, the chufers forfeited ten pounds, with an arbitrary imprisonment. "And gif onie women or uther about fummer "hees [hies, goes,] fingand [finging].. "thorow Burrowes and uthers Landward

66

tounes, the women... . fall be taken, "handled, and put upon the cuck-ftules, "&c." See Notes to the PERCY HOUS HOLD-BOOK. p. 441. Voltaire fays, that fince the Reformation, for two hundred years there has not been a fiddle heard in fome of the cantons of Switzerland.

In the French towns there was L'ABBE DE LIESSE, who in many towns was elected from the burgeffes by the magiftrates, and was the director of all their public fhews. Among his numerous mockofficers were a herald, and a Maitre d'Ho tel.

In the city of Auxerre he was especially concerned to fuperintend the play which was annually acted on Quinquagefima Sunday. Carpentier, SUPPL. GLOSS. LAT. Du, Cange, tom. i. p. 7. V. ABBAS LÆTITIÆ. See alfo, ibid. V. CHA RAVARITUM, P. 923.

called