paste-board, with a fire lighted behind the lower jaw, so that it might seem to breathe flame, was a common property of the miracle play; and through this mouth those who played the devil's parts would, by passing behind it, have their apparent entrances and exits.

HELL MOUTH.

From an old German Print copied in Thomas Sharp's "Dissertation on the Coventry Mysteries."

The acting was at first within the church, in service time. The crowds attracted became greater than the church would hold. The acting was then specially arranged on a stage, built outside the church door, so that a large audience might be assembled in the square in front. There were, for representation of the Fall, an upper stage representing heaven, approached by inhabitants of heaven from within the church; below that a stage representing Paradise on earth; and below that an enclosed open space, within which there was clanking of chains, and a burning of wet straw to produce smoke. A door from this enabled demons to come out and, as they were instructed to do, mix sometimes among the audience. This made them too familiar; and they seem really to have sometimes degenerated in France into comic characters. In England there was usually but one stage, with hell-mouth in a corner of it, and demons only appeared when they were to do demons' work. Very remarkable also was, in this country, the development of sequences of plays, and these were acted after the year 1328, or thereabout, in the language of the people. In 1264, Pope Urban IV. founded the feast of Corpus Christi, in honour of the consecrated Host. The institution was confirmed by Clement IV., in the year 1311. The grand procession of this day was the only one of the year in which laity and clergy marched together. The guilds were out, not only carrying pictures, but walking

in procession as living representatives of the saints and apostles. Then the guilds dined at their halls, and it has been suggested that the acting of Scripture incidents before them by the characters they had exhibited may have led to what followed. This was the combination of guilds, representing the religious laity of England, to produce at the festival of Corpus Christi, or at Whitsuntide, or on other fit occasions, complete representations of the leading facts in Bible History from the Creation to the Day of Judgment. By dividing the several parts of the great history among themselves, and taking the requisite time-three or more successive days they produced, in fact, before the multitude a Living Bible in the streets. A wide diffusion of this very thorough use of the miracle play, by clergy and laity, as a means of religious instruction, was characteristic of English religious feeling. good monk would write a sequence of two or three dozen plays, which might be acted by the guilds of any town in which they chose to combine for the purpose. Each guild would then take a play for its own, provide properties, train actors, and undertake to put out corporate strength for its efficient annual performance in the streets of the town. Corpus Christi day was the first Thursday after Trinity, and as Trinity Sunday is eight weeks after Easter, Corpus Christi was, like Whitsuntide, a summer holiday time, convenient for out-of-door performances. It is said that Randal Higgenet, or Ralph Higden, a monk of Chester Abbey, having obtained leave of the Pope to put Latin aside, and write these plays in English, the first English series -which was of twenty-four plays-was acted at Chester, in the year 1327 or 1328, the performance occupying three days. The Tanners first set forth the Fall of Lucifer; then came the Drapers with the Creation and Fall and the Death of Abel; then the Water-carriers and Drawers of Dee represented the pageant of Noah's Flood and the Ark. Then the histories of Lot and Abraham were played by the guilds of the Barbers and Waxchandlers. Such sequences of Scripture stories are known to have been acted at Chester, Coventry, Wakefield, York, Newcastle, Lancaster, Preston, Kendal, Wymondham, Dublin, and other places. Three whole sets have come down to us and form part of our literature: -the Chester series of twenty-four plays; a series of forty-two said to have been acted at Coventry (these add to the Scripture story legendary incidents in the life of the Virgin); and the Wakefield Mysteries, a series of thirty-two, known also as the Towneley Mysteries, because the MS. containing them belonged to the Towneley family in Lancashire. The Wake field series is much the best. The several plays are not plays in the sense in which we use the word in the modern drama, and though we are often told that it did,' the modern drama most certainly did not arise

1 This mistake is peculiar to English text-books, and to foreign writers whose knowledge of our literature is chiefly derived from them. It originated in a few lines of Warton's " History of English Poetry" which threw out the passing suggestion of a neat little theory of the development of the Miracle Play into the Morality, and of the Morality into the true drama. Mr. Collier, in his valuable "History of English Dramatic Poetry," developed Warton's specula

The

out of the miracle play. It arose in the Universities and among men bred as scholars, who had long been in the habit of acting plays of Seneca, Terence, or Plautus, or Latin plays of their own written upon the classical models. When it began to occur to them to write such plays in English instead of Latin, the first English dramas were produced. The Italian drama began a little before the English in exactly the same way, and the miracle plays had nothing whatever to do with the matter in one country or another. Miracle plays went through no transition stages after the manner of the caterpillars till they were transformed to something altogether different. They survived unchanged long after they had passed their prime; indeed, till the time of the youth of Shakespeare; and they disappeared then altogether because the use for them had passed away. The Bible in their own tongue had been given to the people. Inasmuch as these sequences of incidents from Scripture, always chosen for their bearing upon cardinal points of Christian faith, imposed a more continued strain on powers of serious attention than it would be possible to maintain, places of relaxation were provided by the interpolation of jest, and this was drawn always in England from incidents not in themselves Scriptural. Noah would be provided with an obstinate wife to provide comic business, and so forth. Between the Old Testament and New Testament series there was an Interlude, the Shepherd's Play, that led up to the birth of Christ. shepherds supposed to be keeping their flocks at Bethlehem were presented as common shepherds talking, jesting, wrestling, one of them playing especially the part of the country clown, till the song of the angels was heard. At first they mimicked it rudely, afterwards they became impressed, they were led to the infant Christ in the manger, knelt, offered their rustic gifts, and arose prophets. There is reason to believe that this Shepherd's Play had its independent origin in rustic sports outside a town, arranged by the clergy, who concealed a choir arrayed as angels to raise the Gloria in Excelsis at the proper time, and then lead the rude actors and their audience into the lighted church. Here there had been set up a representation of the new-born Saviour; and as the shepherds knelt by the manger the organ pealed, the Gloria resounded through the church, and the people, realising the occasion, had their hearts stirred with emotion. The Magi too, in Eastern robes, would ride into the town and bring their offerings. So also when Easter was at hand, persons in Oriental dress entered the market-place selling spices, spices to be bought for the anointment of the Lord. It happens that in the Wakefield series there are two Shepherd's Plays provided, either of which might be chosen by the guilds who acted the whole series. One of these furnishes the usual dialogue and sport, but the other happens to develope a short farcical story which accidentally fulfils the requisite conditions, and so becomes our

tion; treating the fancy as a fact; and English compilers, paying just respect to the authority of so good a student of dramatic literature, have followed one another in the steady reproduction of a very great mistake.

earliest known piece of acted drama. It is so by accident; it was not imitated or developed, and has no relation to the origin of the true drama. Still, out of a form of literature that has many points in common with the drama, something which in a rude way fulfilled all its conditions was by chance produced. It will be, therefore, the first piece in the volume of this Library which has been planned to illustrate the course of our English Dramatic Literature.

At Coventry there are still preserved accountbooks of the guilds, which show in what way money was paid for the production of the miracle plays. The rehearsals, the fees to actors, the provision or repair of stage appointments, are so recorded, that it is not difficult to construct from the entries a somewhat full detail of the method of procedure. This was done by Mr. Thomas Sharp when he published in 1825 by private subscription his valuable "Dissertation on the Pageants or Dramatic Mysteries. anciently performed at Coventry by the Trading Companies of that City; chiefly with reference to the Vehicles, Characters, and Dresses of the Actors." The entries of expenses for the Drapers' Pageant of Doomsday, include, among machinery, hell-mouth and the keeping of the fire at it, "an earthquake " and "barrel for the same," "three worlds, painted," and "a link to set the world on fire." Among dresses are the black and white suits for souls lost and saved, "gold skins" for the angels, and three pounds of hair for the demon's coat and hose; also a "Hat for the Pharisee." Among payments to actors are sixteenpence to "Worms of Conscience," three shillings to two demons, and only two shillings to four angels; the demons being better paid, because they had more stage business to go through efficiently. One entry is of a payment of two shillings for a demon's face, and another of ten shillings "for making the ij devells facys." There are frequent entries for souls' coats. One entry is "payd to Crowe for makyng of iij worldys, ijs," and another is of fivepence for settyng the world of fyer." These are entries of the sixteenth century, into which the practice of acting these plays at Coventry was continued. They were acted at Chester as late as 1577, and at Coventry as late as 1580. Let us take from the Wakefield series the Mystery Play of

ABRAHAM.

Abraham. Adonay,' thou God veray,2 Thou hear us when we to thee call!

As thou art he that best may,

Thou art most succour and help of all!
Mightful Lord! to thee I pray,
Let once the oil of mercy fall!
Shall I ne'er abide that day?
Truly yet I hope I shall.

Mercy, Lord omnipotent!

Long since He this world has wrought: Whither are all our elders went ?

1 Adonay. The Hebrew Adonai, for Lord, was used to avoid repetition of the sacred name, Jehovah.

2 Veray (French "vrai"), true: so "very God of very God."

This muses mickle in my thought.
From Adam unto Eve assent,'
Eat of that apple spared he nought,
For all the wisdom that he ment 2
Full dear that bargain has he bought
From paradise that bade him gang;
He went mourning with simple cheer,
And after lived he here full lang,.
Moré than three hundred year,
In sorrow and in travail strang;
And every day he was in were,3
His children angered him among.
Cain slew Abel was him full dear.
Sithen Noe, that was true and good,
He and his children three,

Was saved when all was flood;
That was a wonder thing to see.
And Lot from Sodom when he yede,
Three cities brent yet escaped he,

Thus, for they menged my Lord's mede,
He vengéd sin through his pausté.4

Abraham. To hear thy will ready I am, And to fulfil whate'er it be.

Deus. Of mercy have I heard thy cry,
Thy devout prayers have me bun.16
If thou me love, look that thou hie
Unto the land of Vision;

And the third day be there bid I
And take with thee Isaac, thy son,
As a beast to sacrify:

To slay him look thou not shun,

And bren 17 him there to thine offerand.

Abraham. Ah, lovéd be thou, Lord in throne! Hold o'er me, Lord, thy holy hand;

For certes thy bidding shall be done,
Blessed be that Lord in every land
Would visit his servant thus so soyn.18
Fain would I this thing ordand,

For it perfects nought to hoyne 19;

This commandment 20 must I needs fulfil
If that my heart wax heavy as lead,
Should I offend my Lordés will?

Nay, yet were I liever my child were dead!
Whatso he bids me, good or ill,

That shall be done in every stede;
Both wife and child, if he bid spill,21

I will not do against his rede.
Wist Isaac, wheréso he were,
He would be abashed now,
How that he is in dangere.

Isaac, son, where art thou?

Isaac. All ready, father; lo me here;

Now was I coming unto you.

I love you mickle, father dear.

Abraham. And does thou so? I would wit how

Loves thou me, son, as thou has said.

Isaac. Yea, father, with all mine heart;

More than all that ever was made.

God hold me long your life in quart! 23

Abraham. Now, who would not be glad that had

A child so loving as thou art?

Thy lovely cheer makes my heart glad,
And many a time so has it gart.24

Go home, son, come soon again,
And tell thy mother I come full fast;
[Hic transiet Isaac à patre.
So now, God thee save and sayne! 26

Now well is me that he is past. Alone, right here in this plain, Might I speak to mine heart brast.27 I would that all were well, full fain, But it must needs be done at last.

18 Soyn, soon.

19 Hoyne, think anxiously, lament. First-English "hogian." 20 Commandment, pronounced "c'mmandment," in two syllables. The y in "heavy" unites, in the next line, with the a of "as."

21 Spill, destroy. First-English "spillan," to spoil, destroy, kill. 22 Wist Isaac, if Isaac knew.

23 In quart, in safe keeping. First-English "cweart-ern," a place for safe keeping, guard-house, prison.

24 Gart, made.

25 Here Isaac shall pass away from his father.

26 Sayne, bless. First-English "segnian" and "senian," to bless. 27 Till my heart broke.

And it is good that I be ware;
To be avised full good it were.
The land of Vision is full far,
The third day end must I be there.
Mine ass shall with us, if it thar,1
To bear our harness less and more,
For my son may be slain no nar,2
A sword must with us yet therefore.
And I shall found to make me yare.1
This night will I begin my way.
Though Isaac be ne'er so fair,
And mine own son, the sooth to say,
And though he be mine righte heir,
And all should wield after my day,

Goddes bidding shall I not spare;

Should I that gainstand? We! nay, my fay! Isaac! Isaac. Sir!

Abraham. Look thou be boun; 6

For certain, son, thyself and I,

We two must now wend forth of town,

In far country to sacrify,

For certain skillis7 and encheson; 8
Take wood and fire with thee, in hy,"
By hills and dales, both up and down,
Son, thou shall ride and I will go by.

Look thou miss nought that thou should need,
Do make thee ready, my darling!

Isaac. I am ready to do this deed,

And ever to fulfil your bidding.

Abraham. My dear son, look thou have no drede,

We shall come home with great loving;

Both to and fro I shall us lead,
Come now, son, in my blessing.

Ye two here with this ass abide,

For Isaac and I will to yond hill,

It is so high we may not ride,

Therefore ye two shall abide here still.

Primus Puer.10 Sir, ye owe not to be denied ;

We are ready your bidding to fulfil.

Secundus Puer. Whatsoever to us betide

To do your bidding ay we will.

Abraham. God's blessing have you both in fere; 11

I shall not tarry long you fro.12

Primus Puer. Sir, we shall abide you here.

Out of this stede 13 shall we not go.

Abraham. Childre, ye are ay to me full dear, I God keep ever fro woe. pray

Secundus Puer. We will do, sir, as ye us lere.14

Encheson, occasion or canse. Norman-French "chaison." In hy, in haste. First-English "higan," to hie or make haste. 10 The journey just proposed is supposed to have been taken when Abraham and Isaac leave with their attendants the "First Boy" and "Second Boy," the ass upon which Isaac rode, while Abraham walked beside his darling.

11 In fere, together.

12 Fro, from.

13 Stede, place. 14 Lere, teach. There is a touch of pathos here, drawn not only from the love of Abraham towards the son whom his faith causes him to sacrifice, but from his tenderness towards the boys not his whom he prays that God may ever keep from woe. When Shakespeare's Brutus, with his soul wrung by the death of Portia and a great duty before him, is made grand throughout the latter part of the play of "Julius Cæsar," with indication of suppressed emotion, one of its

Abraham. Isaac, now are we but we two, We must go a full good pace,

For it is farther than I wend; 15

We shall make mirth and great soláce,

By this thing be brought to end.

Lo, my son, here is the place.

Isaac. Wood and fire are in my hend;

Tell me now, if ye have space,

Where is the beast that should be brend?

Abraham. Now, son, I may no longer layn,16 Such will is into mine heart went;

Thou was ever to me full bayn 17

Ever to fulfil mine intent.

But certainly thou must be slain,

And it may be as I have ment.

Isaac. I am heavy and nothing fain, Thus hastily that shall be shent. Abraham. Isaac!

Isaac. Sir?

Abraham. Come hither bid I;

Thou shall be dead whatsoever betide.
Isaac. Ah, father, mercý! mercý!
Abraham. That I say, may not be denied;
Take thy dede 18 therefore meekly.
Isaac. Ah, good sir, abide;
Father!

Abraham. What, son?

Isaac. To do your will I am ready,
Wheresoever ye go or ride,

If I may ought overtake your will,
Syn I have trespassed I would be bet.19
Abraham. Isaac!

Isaac. What, sir?

Abraham. Good son, be still.

Isaac. Father!

Abraham. What, son?
Isaac. Think on thy get;20
What have I done?

Abraham. Truly, none ill.
Isaac. And shall be slain?
Abraham. So have I het.21
Isaac. Sir, what may help?
Abraham. Certes, no skill.
Isaac. I ask mercý.

Abraham. That may not let.

Isaac. When I am dead, and closed in clay, Who shall then be your son?

Abraham. Ah, Lord, that I should abide this day!
Isaac. Sir, who shall do that I was won
Abraham. Speak no such words, son, I thee pray.

signs is his womanly tenderness towards the boy who waits upon him in his tent. Abraham's tender words to the two lads whom he leaves with the ass while, with heroic faith in the word of God, however hard it may be to him, he is prepared to offer his beloved son as sacrifice, have a touch in them of the finest human truth.

15 Wend, thought, weened. First-English "wæ'nan," to suppose. 16 Layn, deceive. First-English "leogan." Icelandic "beini," help.

17 Bayn, helpful. 18 Dede, death.

Compare Dunbar's "Lament for the Makars," line 89, page 112 of "Shorter Poems:"

He speaks so ruefully to me

That water shoots in both mine een,
I were liever than all worldly win,
That I had fon him once unkind,
But no default I found him in;
I would be dead for him or pined,7
To slo him thus I think great sin,
So rueful words I with him find;
I am full wo that we should twyn,s
For he will never out of my mind.
What shall I to his mother say?
For where he is, tyte will she spyr;"
If I tell her, "Run away,"
Her answer is belife 10" Nay, sir!"
And I am feared her for to flay,"
I ne wot what I shall say till her.12
He lies full still there as he lay,
For to I come 13 dare he not stir.

Deus. Angel hie with all thy main, To Abraham thou shall be sent : Say, Isaac shall not be slain, He shall live and not be brent. My bidding stands he not again, Go, put him out of his intent: Bid him go home again,

I know well how he ment.

Angelus. Gladly, Lord, I am ready, Thy bidding shall be magnified; I shall me speed full hastily, Thee to obey at every tide; 14 Thy will, Thy name, to glorify, Over all this world so wide, And to Thy servant now in hy, Good, true, Abraham, will I glide.

Abraham. But might I yet of weeping cease,
Till I had done this sacrifice!

It must needs be, withouten lesse,15
Though all I carp on thiskyn wise,
The more my sorrow it will increase;
When I look to him I gryse; 16

I will run on a res,17

And slo him here, right as he lies.

Angelus. Abraham! Abraham! Abraham. Who is there now? Ware, let thee gc.

Angelus. Stand up, now, stand; Thy good will come I to allow, Therefore I bid thee hold thy hand.

Abraham. Say, who bade so? any but thou?

Angelus. Yea, God; and sends this beast to thine

offerand.

Abraham. I speak with God later, I trow,

And doing he me command.

Angelus. He has perceived thy meekness And thy goodwill also, iwis;

He will thou do thy son no distress,

For he has grant to thee his bliss.

Abraham. But wot thou well that it is

As thou has said?

Angelus. I say thee yis.

Abraham. I thank Thee, Lord, well of goodness, That all thus has released me this!

To speak with thee have I no space
With my dear son till I have spoken;
My good son, thou shall have grace,
On thee now will I not be wroken,
Rise up now, with thy frely 18 face.
Isaac. Sir, shall I live?
Abraham. Yea, this to token.

[Et osculatur cum 13

Son, thou has scaped a full hard grace,

Thou should have been both brent and broken.
Isaac. But, father, shall I not be slain?
Abraham. No, certes, son.

Isaac. Then am I glad;

Good sir, put up your sword again.

Abraham. Nay, hardly, son, be thou not adrad. Isaac. Is all forgeyn?

Abraham. Yea, son, certain.

Isaac. For ferd, sir, was I near hand mad.