Bynæus de morte Jesu Christi, 3 Tom. 4to. Amsterdam, 1691.

Here ensueth a goostly treatyse of the passion of our Lord Jesu Chryst, with many devout contemplacyons and extencions of the same. Translatyd from the Frenche, by Andrew Chertsey. London, 1521. 4to. Wynkyn de Worde.

J. G. Dorschæi, admiranda mortis Jesu Christi. Argent, 1635. 4to.

The myrrour or glasse of Christes passion, by John Fewterer. London, 1533. folio.

Angelo Grillo, I flagelli di Christo, etc. Bergamo, 1580, 1599, &c. &c. 4to.

Ludov. Helmbodii, Transitus Christi ex urbe Solymam in montem Oliveti. Mülhaus, 1684. 8vo.

Petri Hoypeneri, Epitome circumstantias salutaris passionis et mortis Jesu Christi, breviter adumbrans, Græce et Latine conscripta. Rostock, 1614. 8vo.

Georg. Launeri, passions schule unsers Herrn Jesu Christi, mit schönen kupffern. Breslau, 1675. 8vo. Alberti Loniceri, Collatio Triumphi Romanorum et Jesu Christi ascendentis in cœlum. Wittem. 1583. 8vo. Mart. Lutheri, Passional, aus dem vier Evangelisten gezogen, mit schönen figuren gezieret. Franc. 1679, 4to. Poly. Lyceri, Historia resurrectionis et ascenscionis Christi, ut et missionis Spiritus Sanctus. Leipsig, 1610. 4to.

And. Mülleri, De Eclipsi Passionale. Berol, 1685. folio. H. Vicus Oosthovius, de descensu Christ ad Inferos. Antw. 1586. 4to.

Vittoria Colonna, Marchesa di Pescara, Pianto sopra la passione di Christo, etc. Venezia, 1561. 8vo.

Casp. Posneri, Disputatio physica de singularibus et admirandis quibusdam, quæ morte Christi in natura acciderunt. Jena, 1665. 4to.

- Andreas de Soto, De los dolores de Christo crucificado. Antw. 1604. An Italian translation by R. Fabrica. Venice. Huberti Susannæi, de resurrectione Domini, Paris. 8vo. Val. Hen. Vogleri, Physiologica passionis Christi, ubi de tristritia, de sudore, spinea corona, myrrhino vino, de solis obscuratione, de siti Christi, de aceto et hyssopo, de clamore morte, terræ motu, sanguine et aqua, et de conditura corporis. Helmut, 1673. 4to.

Marcus Vigerius, de excellentia instrumentorum Dominicæ passionis. Douaci, 1616. 4to.

Iren. Caratonius Volckreichs, Gottselige herzens be. trachtung des leidens, sterbens, aufferstehung, und himmelfahrt Jesu Christi, mit figuren. Hamb. 1681. 4to.

Liber passionis Domini nostri Jesu Christi, cum figu, ris et characteribus ex nulla materia compositis. 8vo. De Bure quotes from Marchand's histoire de l'origine de l'imprimerie, that this work was cut with the point of a small pen-knife, and that the Emperor Rodolph seeing it in Albert Henry, Prince de Ligne's library, about 1640, wished to purchase it for 10,000 golden crowns. Its present possessor is unknown. Bibliographie instructif. Tom. i. p. 124-5.

Le livre faisant mention des sept parolles que nostre benoist Salveur et Redempteur Jesus Christ, dit en l'arbre de la croix, avec aulcunes expositions et contemplations sur icelles. Paris, 1528. 8vo.

Marie Magdelen's Funerall Teares: London, 1609, 1772. 4to.

Orationes de morte Christi, a Patribus Societatis Jesu. Rome, 1641. 8vo.

Passio unsers lieben Herrn Jesu Christi, aus dem vier Evangelisten gezogen, mit schönen figuren gezieret.

München, 1571. 8vo.

Passio Christi ex historia Josephi allegorice tractata, Die historie vom leiden und sterben Christi auff das vorbild des patriarch Joseph's gerichtet. Tübingen, 1599. 8vo.

La Passion de nostre Sauveur Jesus Christ. MS. in the Museum. Biblio. Regia, 19 B, 16.

Reproches de St. Pierre et des deux Larrons à Judas, sur la douloureuse passion de notre Seigneur Jesus Christ. Paris, 1649. 4to.

Stations de la passion de notre Sauveur Jesus Christ, et procession pour y adorer Jesus Christ, a l'usage des Eglises ou cette ceremonie se fait. Paris, 1725. 12mo.

Traite de la croix de notre Seigneur Jesus Christ, ou explication du mystere de la passion de Jesus Christ, selon la concorde. 14 Tom. 12mo. 1783.

L'amoureulx traictie que nostre Sauveur Jesus Christ, a fait et demontre au saint sacrement, avec plusiers miracles et examples touchant ce sacrement, et est intitulé, Le salut aux amoureulx, item, les profittes de la messe, item, l'oraison d'une bon preud homme qu'il disoit en oyant la messe, item, une tres belle balade. Paris, 8yo, Black letter.

Dramatic Representations of the Life of Jesus.

The earliest dramatic pieces founded on sacred history are supposed to have been written by Apollinarius, in the 4th. century. Unless the Tragedy of Christ's Passion, generally attributed to Gregory Nazienzen, was the fruit of his pen, none of his dramatic writings have descended to us; and it is not known if they were ever represented theatrically. None of the Fathers have left any specimens of this kind of writing; but several were written

and performed in the 14th. 15th. and 16th. centuries. Menestrier* states, that it is certain that the pilgrimages introduced these spectacles of devotion. Those who returned from Jerusalem and the Holy Land, from St. James of Compostella, from St. Baume of Provence, from St. Reine, from Mount St. Michael, from Notre Dame du Puy, and some other pious places, composed songs on their voyages, mixing therewith the recital of the Life and Death of the Son of God, or of the last judgment, in a coarse manner; but which the singing, and the simplicity of the times, may probably have made pathetic. Singing the miracles of the Saints—their martyrdam— and certain fables, to which the faith of the people gave the title of visions and apparitions. These pilgrims, who travelled in companies, stopping in the streets and other public places, in which they sung, with their staves in their hands, their hats and mantles ornamented with feathers, and images painted of different colours, made a kind of spectacle which pleased, and excited the piety of some citizens of Paris to form a fund for purchasing a proper place for building a theatre, wherein these mysteries might be represented on fast-days, as well for the instruction of the people as their diversion. Italy had public theatres, in which these mysteries were represented, of which I have seen one at Veletri, on the road from Rome to Naples, in a public place; and it is not forty years since they ceased representing the mysteries of the life of the Son of God there. These pious spectacles appeared so beautiful in those ignorant ages, that they were made the principal entertainments at the reception of Princes when they entered into the cities, and as they sung Noël! Noël ! instead of Vive le Roi! they repre

* Des representations en musique anciennes et modernes, par M. Menestrier. Paris, 1681. 153-4.

sented the Good Samaritan, the Rich Man and Lazarus, the Passion of Jesus Christ, and many other mysteries on the reception of our kings.

Some of the old miracle plays or mysteries, once so popular in England, still exist in manuscript; and it must excite surprise, that such early and curious dramatic pieces should have remained unpublished to the present time.*

Warton's History of English Poetry contains many interesting particulars of the performance of these plays, by the Choristers, Parish Clerks, &c. in various parts of England. Vol. i. § 6. Vol. ii. § 9 & 16. Vol. iii. § 26.

Sir William Dugdale says of them, Before the suppression of the monasteries, this city (Coventry) was very famous for the pageants that were played therein upon Corpus Christi day, (this is one of their ancient fairs) which occasioning very great confluence of people thither from far and near, was of no small benefit thereto; which pageants being acted with mighty state, and reverence by the Friars of this house, (St. Francis's) had theatres for the several scenes, very large and high, placed upon wheels, and drawn to all the eminent parts of the city, for the better advantage of spectators, and contained the story of the New Testament, composed into old English rhyme, as appeareth by an ancient manuscript, entitled Ludus Corporis Christi, or Ludus Coventriæ.

.

I have been told by some old people, who, in their younger days, were eye witnesses of these pageants so acted, that the yearly confluence of people to see that shew was extraordinary great, and yielded no small advantage to this city.t

* Mr. Roscoe asserts in his Life of Lorenzo de Medicis, that these Plays are ante-dated two centuries. The correctness of this assertion should be investigated by the Students of the history of the modern Drama.

+ The Antiquities of Warwickshire illustrated. London, 1656. Folio. P. 116.