Our great dramatic poet having occafionally quoted many ancient ballads, and even taken the plot of one, if not more, of his plays from among them, it was judged proper to preServe as many of these as could be recovered, and that they might be the more eafily found, to exhibit them in one collective view. This SECOND Book is therefore set apart for G 4 for the reception of such ballads as are quoted by SHAKESPEARE, or contribute in any degree to illustrate his writings: this being the principal point in view, the candid reader will pardon the admiffion of fome pieces, that have no other kind of merit. The defign of this BOOK being of a Dramatic tendency. it may not be improperly introduced with a few observations ON THE ORIGIN OF THE ENGLISH STAGE, and ON THE CONDUCT OF OUR FIRST DRAMATIC POETS: ex Subject, which though not unsuccessfully handled by several good writers already*, will yet perhaps admit of some farther illustration. ON THE ORIGIN OF THE ENGLISH STAGE, &c. It is well known that dramatic poetry in this and most other nations of Europe owes its origin, or at least its revival, to thofe religous Shows, which in the dark ages were ufually ́ exhibited on the more folemn festivals. At those times they were wont to represent in the churches the lives and miraeles of the faints, or fome, of the more important stories of Scripture. And as the most mysterious Subjects were frequently chofen, such as the Incarnation, Paffion, Refurrection of Christ, &c. these exhibitions acquired the general name of MYSTERIES. At first they were probably and a kind * Bp. Warburton's Shakesp. vol. 5. p. 338. Dodfley's Old Plays. Pref. to Riccoboni's Acct. of Theat, a kind of dumb fhews, intermingled, it may be, with a few Short Speeches; at length thy grew into a regular feries, of connected dialogues, formally divided into acts and scenes. Specimens of these in their most improved state (being at best but poor artleß compositions) may be seen among Dodfley's OLD PLAYS and in Osborne's HARLEYAN MISCEL. How they were exhibited in their moft fimple form, we may learn from an ancient novel (often quoted by our old dramatic poets * ) intidled . a merye Jest of a man that was called Howleglas **, &c. being a tranflation from the Dutch language, in which he is named Ulenspiegle. Howleglas, whose waggish tricks are the Subject of this book, after many adventures comes to live with a priest, who makes him bis parish-clark. This priest is defcribed as keeping a LEMAN or concubine, who had but one eye, to whom Howleglas owed a grudge for revealing his rogueries, to his master. The story thus proceeds, "And than "in the meane Season, while Howleglas was parys he clarke, at Eafter they Should play the refurrection of our lorde: "and for because than the men wer not learned, nor could "not read, the priest toke his leman, and put her in the cc grave for an Aungell: and this feing Howleglas, toke to "bym iij of the Sympleft persons that were in the towne, "that played the iij Maries: and the Perfon (i. e. Parfon or Rector) played Chrifte, with a baner in his hand. "Than faide Howleglas to the fimple perfons, Whan the "Aungel af keth you, whome you Seke, you may faye, The parSons G S ** 1 See Ben Jonfons Poetafter, A&t. 3. fc. 4. and his Masque of the Fortunate Ifles. Howleglas is faid in the Preface to have died in M.CCCC.L. At the end of the book, in M.CCC.L. ແ fons leman with one iye. Than it fortuned that the tyme was come that they must playe, and the Angel asked them "whom they fought and than fayd they, as Howleglas "had Shewed and lerned them afore, and than answered "they, We Seke the priest leman with one iye. And than "the prieste might heare that he was mocked. And whan "the priestes leman herd that, She arose out of the grave, " and would have Smyten with her fift Howleglas upon the "cheke, but he mised him and Smote one of the fimple cc perfons that played one of the thre Maries; and he gave «her another; and than toke he him by the heare [hair]; "and that seing his wyfe, came running hastely to Smite the priestes leaman; and than the priest seeing this, cafte "down bys baner and went to helpe his woman, So that the "one gave the other fore strokes, and made great noyse in "the churche. And than Howleglas feyng them lyinge together by the eares in the bodi of the churche went his way out of the village, and came no more there *. وو . As the old Mysteries frequently required the reprefentation of fome allegorical perfonage, fuch as Death, Sin, Charity Faith, and the like, by degrees the rude poets of thofe unlettered ages began to form compleat dramatic pieces confifting intirely of fuch perfonifications. These they intitled MORAL PLAYS, or MORALITIES. The Mysteries were very inartificial, representing the Scripture ftories fimply according to the letter. But the Moralities are not devoid of invention; they exhibit outlines of the dramatic art; they contain * C. Imprynted date, in 4to. bl. Let. among Mr. Garrick's Old Plays. K. vol. 10. contain fomething of a fable or plot, and even attempt to delineate characters and manners. I have now before me two that were printed early in the reign of Henry VIII; in which I think one may plainly discover the feeds of Tragedy and Comedy: for which reafon I shall give a Short amalyfis of them both. One of them is intitled Every Man *. The subject of this piece is the summoning of man out of the world by death; and its moral, that nothing will then avail him but a well-spent life and the comforts of religion. This Subject and moral are opened in a monologue Spoken by the MESSEN GER (for that was the name generally given by our ance ftors to the prologue on their rude stage :) then GOD ** is represented, who after some general complaints on the degeneracy of mankind, calls for DETH and orders him to bring before his tribunal EVERY-MAN, for fo is called the perfonage who represents the human race. EVERY-MAN appears and receives the fummons with all the marks of con fufion and terror. When Death is withdrawn, Every - man applies for relief in this distreß to FELLOWSHIP, KINDRED, GOODS or Riches, but they fucceffively renounce and forfake him. In this difconfolate ftate he betakes himself to GOOD - DEDES, who after upbraiding him with his long neglect of her ***, introduces him to her fifter KNOWLEDGE, and She leads him to the "holy man CONFESSION,, who * See a farther account of this play in Vol. 2. p. 104. 105. where instead of "Wynkyn de Worde" read Rycharde Pynfon. **The Second person of the Trinity seems to be meant. **** Those above-mentioned are male characters. |