7 originated among the ecclefiafticks; and were moft probably first acted with any degree of form by the monks. This was certainly the cafe in the English monafteries. I have already mentioned the play of Saint Catharine, performed at Dunstable Abbey, by the novices in the eleventh century, under the fuperintendance of Geoffrey a Parifian ecclefiaftick and the exhibition of the Paffion 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 now read were in the religious focieties; and various circumftances, peculiarly arising from their fituation, profeffion, and inftitution, enabled the monks to be the fole performers of these reprefentations." "As learning encreased, and was more widely diffeminated, from the monafteries, by a natural and easy transition, the practice migrated to schools and univerfities, which were formed on the monaftick plan, and in many respects resembled the ecclefiaftical bodies." Candlemas-Day, or The Slaughter of the Innocents, written by Ihan Parfre, in 1512. Mary Magdalene, 7 "In fome regulations given by Cardinal Wolfey to the monafteries of the Canons regular of St. Auftin, in the year 1519. the brothers are forbidden to be lufores aut mimici, players or mimicks. But the prohibition means that the monks fhould not go abroad to exercise these arts in a fecular and mercenary capacity. See Annal. Burtonenfes, p. 437." In 1589. however, an injunction made in the MEXICAN COUNCIL was ratified at Rome, to prohibit all clerks from playing in the Mysteries, even on Corpus Chrifti day. See Hiftory of Eng Poetry, Vol. II. p. 201. s Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry, Vol. II. pp. 366, & feq. produced in the fame year, 9 and The Promifes of God, written by John Bale, and printed in 1538, are curious fpecimens of this early fpecies of drama. But the most ancient as well as moft complète collection of this kind is, The Chefter Myfteries, which were written by Ralph Higden, a monk of the Abbey of Chefter, about the year 1328,1 9 MSS. Digby, 133. Bibl. Bodl. MSS. Harl. 2013. &c. "Exhibited at Chefter in the year 1327. at the expenfe of the different trading companies of that city. The Fall of Lucifer, by the Tanners. The Greation, by the Drapers. The Deluge, by the Dyers. Abraham, Melchifedech, and Lot, by the Barbers. Mofes, Balak, and Balaam, by the Cappers. The Salutation and Nativity, by the Wrightes. The Shepherds feeding their Flocks by Night, by the Painters and Glaziers. The three Kings, by the Vintners. The Oblation of the three Kings, by the Mercers. The killing of the Innocents, by the Goldfmiths. The Purification, by the Blacksmiths. The Temptation, by the Butchers. The laft Supper, by the Bakers. The blind Men and Lazarus, by the Glovers. Jefus and the Lepers, by the Corvefarys. Chrift's Paffion, by the Bowyers, Fletchers, and Ironmongers. Defcent into Hell, by the Cooks and Innkeepers. The Refurrection, by the Skinners. The Afcenfion, by the Taylors. The Election of S. Mathias, fending of the Holy Ghoft, &c. by the Fishmongers. Antichrift, by the Clothiers. Day of Judgement, by the Webfters. The reader will perhaps fmile at fome of thefe combinations. This is the fubftance and order of the former part of the play. God enters creating the world; he breathes life into Adam, leads him into Paradise, and opens his fide while fleeping. Adam and Eve appear naked, and not ashamed, and the old ferpent enters lamenting his fall. He converfes with Eve. She eats of the forbidden fruit, and gives part to Adam. They purpofe, according to the ftage-direction, to make themselves fubligacula a foliis quibus tegamus pudenda. Cover their nakednefs with leaves, and converfe with God. God's curfe. The ferpent exit hiffing. They are driven from Paradife by four angels and the cherubim with a flaming fword. Adam appears digging the ground, and Eve fpinning. of which a particular account will be found below. I am tempted to transcribe a few lines from the third of these pageants, The Deluge, as a specimen of the ancient Myfteries. The firft fcenical direction is, "Et primo in aliquo fupremo loco, five in nubibus, fi fieri poterat, loquatur DEUS ad Noe, extra archam exiftente cum tota familia fua." Then the ALMIGHTY, after expatiating on the fins of mankind, is made to say : Man that I made I will deftroye, The folke that are herone. It harmes me fore hartefully The malice that doth nowe multiplye, Therefore, Noe, my fervant free, : Their children Cain and Abel enter the former kills his brother. Adam's lamentation. Cain is banished," &c. Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry, Vol. I. p. 243. Mr. Warton observes in a note in his fecond volume, p. 180. that "if it be true that thefe Myfteries were compofed in the year 1328. and there was fo much difficulty in obtaining the Pope's permiffion that they might be prefented in English, a prefumptive proof arifes, that all our Mysteries before that period were in Latin. These plays will therefore have the merit of being the first English interludes." Polydore Virgil mentions in his book de Rerum Inventoribus, Lib. V. c. ii. that the Myfteries were in his time in English. "Solemus vel more prifcorum fpectacula edere populo, ut ludos, venationes, recitare comoedias, item in templis vitas divorum ac martyria repræfentare, in quibus, ut cunctis par fit voluptas, qui recitant, vernaculam linguam tantum ufurpant." The first three books of Polydore's work were published in 1499. in 1517. at which time he was in England, he added five more. A fhipp foone thou shalt make thee Of trees drye and lighte. Litill chambers therein thou make, And byndinge pytche also thou take, "Within and without ney thou flake, To anoynte yt through all thy mighte," &c. After fome dialogue between Noah, Sem, Ham, Japhet, and their wives, we find the following ftage direction: "Then Noe with all his family fhall make a figne as though the wrought uppon the shippe with divers inftruments, and after that God fhall fpeake to Noe: Noe, take thou thy meanye, And in the fhipp hie that ye be, He and fhe, make to make, By live in that thou bring," &c. Then Noe fhall go into the arke with all his familye, his wife excepte. The arke must be boarded round aboute, and uppon the bordes all the beaftes and fowles hereafter rehearsed must be painted, that there wordes maye agree with the pictures." Sem. Sier, here are lions, libardes, in, After all the beafts and fowls have been described, Noah thus addreffes his wife: · Noe. Wife, come in, why ftandes thou there? Come in on Godes halfe; tyme it were, « Wife. Yea, fir, fet up your faile, I will not oute of this toune; They loved me full well by Chrift: At length Sem and his brethren put her on board. by force, and on Noah's welcoming her, "Welcome, wife, into this boate," fhe gives him a box on the ear: adding, "Take thou that for thy note. Many licentious pleasantries, as Mr. Warton has obferved, were fometimes introduced in these religious reprefentations. This might imperceptibly lead the way to fubjects entirely profane, and to comedy; and perhaps earlier than is imagined. In a Mystery of The Maffacre of the Holy Innocents,3 part of the fubject of a facred drama given by the English fathers at the famous Council of Conftance, in the year 1417. a low buffoon of Herod's court is introduced, defiring of his lord to be dubbed a knight, that he might be properly qualified to go on the adventure of killing the mothers of the children of Bethlehem. This tragical business is treated It is obvious that the tranfcriber of thefe ancient Myfteries, which appear to have been written in 1328. reprefents them as they were exhibited at Chefter in 1600. and that he has not adhered to the original orthography. MSS. Digby, 134. Bibl. Bodl. |