than the genuine gofpel, on account of its improbabilities and abfurdities."

"But whatfoever was the fource of these exhibitions, they were thought to contribute fo much to the information and inftruction of the people on the most important fubjects of religion, that one of the popes granted a pardon of one thousand days to every person who reforted peaceably to the plays performed in the Whitfun week at Chester, beginning with the creation, and ending with the general judgement; and this indulgence was feconded by the bishop of the diocefe, who granted forty days of pardon: the pope at the fame time denouncing the fentence of damnation on all thofe incorrigible finners who prefumed to interrupt the due celebration of these pious fports." It is certain that they had their use, not only in teaching the great truths of fcripture to men who could not read the Bible, but in abolishing the barbarous attachment to military games, and the bloody contentions of the tornament, which had fo long prevailed as the fole fpecies of popular amufement. Rude and even ridiculous as they were, they foftened the manners of the people, by diverting the public attention to fpectacles in which the mind was concerned, and by creating a regard for other arts than those of bodily ftrength and favage valour."

I may add, that thefe reprefentations were fo far from being confidered as indecent or profane, that even a fupreme pontiff, Pope Pius the Second, about the year 1416, compofed and caufed to be acted before him on Corpus Chrifti day, a Mystery, in which was reprefented the court of the king of beaven.

6 MSS. Harl. 2124, 2013.

7 Hiftriomaftix, 4to. 1633, p. 112.

These religious dramas were ufually reprefented on holy festivals in or near churches. "In feveral of our old fcriptural plays," fays Mr. Warton, "we fee fome of the fcenes directed to be reprefented cum cantu et organis, a common rubrick in a miffal. That is, because they were performed in a church where the choir affifted. There is a curious paffage in Lambarde's Topographical Dictionary, written about the year 1570, much to our purpose, which I am therefore tempted to transcribe. In the dayes of ceremonial religion, they used at Wytney (in Oxfordshire) to fet fourthe yearly in maner of a fhew or interlude, the refurrection of our Lord, &c. For the which purposes, and the more lyvely heareby to exhibite to the eye the hole action of the refurrection, the priestes garnished out certain small puppettes, reprefenting the perfons of Chrift, the Watchman, Marie, and others; amongeft the which, one bore the parte of a waking watchman, who efpiinge Chrifte to arrife, made a continuall noyce, like to the found that is caused by the metynge of two ftickes, and was therefore commonly called Jack Snacker of Wytney. The like toye I myself, beinge then a childe, once faw in Powles church, at London, at a feast of Whitfuntyde; wheare the comynge downe of the Holy Ghost was fet forthe by a white pigeon, that was let to fly out of a hole that yet is to be fene in the mydft of the roofe of the great ile, and by a longe cenfer which defcendinge out of the fame place

8 P. 459, edit. 1730, 4to.

9 This may ferve to explain a very extraordinary paffage in Stowe's Annales, p. 690, edit 1605: "And on the morrowe hee [King Edward the Fourth] went crowned in Paul's church in London, in the honor of God and S. Paule, and there an Angell came downe and cenfed him."

almost to the verie grounde, was fwinged up and downe at fuch a lengthe, that it reached with thone fwepe, almoft to the weft-gate of the churche, and with the other to the quyre ftaires of the fame; breathinge out over the whole churche and companie a most pleasant perfume of fuch fwete thinges as burned therein. With the like doome-fhews they used everie where to furnish fondrye parts of theire church fervice, as by their fpectacles of the nativitie, paffion, and afcenfion," &c.

In a preceding paffage Mr. Warton has mentioned that the finging boys of Hide Abbey and St. Swithin's Priory at Winchester, performed a Mystery before King Henry the Seventh in 1487; adding, that this is the only inftance he has met with of choir-boys performing in Mysteries; but it appears from the accompts of various monafteries that this was a very ancient practice, probably coeval with the earliest attempts at dramatick reprefentations. In the year 1378, the fcholars, or choristers of Saint Paul's cathedral, prefented a petition to King Richard the Second, praying his Majefty to prohibit fome ignorant and unexperienced perfons from acting the HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, to the great prejudice of the clergy of the church, who had expended confiderable fums for a publick prefentation of that play at the enfuing Christmas. About twelve years afterwards, the Parish Clerks of London, as Stowe informs us, performed fpiritual plays at Skinner's Well for three days fucceffively, in the prefence of the King, Queen, and nobles of the realm. And in 1409, the tenth year of King Henry IV. they acted at Clerkenwell for eight days fucceffively a play, which " was

* Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry, Vol. I. p. 240,

matter from the creation of the world," and probably concluded with the day of judgement, in the prefence of moft of the nobility and gentry of England.'

We are indebted to Mr. Warton for fome curious circumstances relative to these Miracle-plays, which "appear in a roll of the Churchwardens of Baffingborne, in Cambridgeshire, which is an accompt of the expences and receptions for acting the play of SAINT GEORGE at Baflingborne, on the feast of Saint Margaret, in the year 1511. They collected upwards of four pounds in twenty-feven neighbouring parishes for furnishing the play. They difburfed about two pounds in the reprefentation. Thefe difbursements are to four minftrels, or waits, of Cambridge, for three days, vs. vjd. To the players, in bread and ale, iijs. ijd. To the garnement-man for garnements and propyrts, that is, for dreffes, decorations, and implements, and for play

3 Probably either the Chefter or Coventry Myfteries. "In the ignorant ages the Parish-clerks of London might juftly be confidered as a literary fociety. It was an effential part of their profeffion not only to fing, but to read; an accomplishment almoft wholly confined to the clergy; and, on the whole, they feem to come under the character of a religious fraternity. They were incorporated into a guild or fellowship by King Henry the Third about the year 1240, under the patronage of faint Nicholas.Their profeffion, employment, and character, naturally dictated to this fpiritual brotherhood the reprefentation of plays, efpecially thofe of the fcriptural kind and their conftant practice in fhews, proceffions, and vocal mufick, eafily accounts for their addrefs in detaining the best company which England afforded in the fourteenth century, at a religious farce, for more than one week." Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry, Vol. II. p. 396.

"The property-room," as Mr. Warton has obferved," is yet known at our theatres."

The following lift of the properties ufed in a Mystery formed on the ftory of Tobit in the Old Teftament, which was exhibited in the Broad-gate, Lincoln, in July 1563, (6 Eliz.) appeared in The Gentleman's Magazine for June, 1787:

books, xxs. To John Hobard, brotherhoode preeste, that is, a priest of the guild in the church, for the play-book, ijs. viiid. For the crofte, or field in which the play was exhibited, js. For propyrtemaking, or furniture, js. ivd. For fifh and bread, and to fetting up the ftages, ivd. For painting three fanchoms and four tormentors, words which I do not understand, but perhaps fantoms and devils - - The reft was expended for a feast on the occafion, in which are recited Four chicken for the gentilmen, ivd.' It appears by the manuscript of the Coventry plays, that a temporary fcaffold only was erected for thefe performances." 5

In the ancient religious plays the Devil was very frequently introduced. He was ufually represented with horns, a very wide mouth, (by means of a mafk) staring eyes, a large nose, a red beard, cloven feet, and a tail. His conftant attendant was the Vice, (the buffoon of the piece,) whofe principal employment was to belabour the Devil with his wooden dagger, and to make him roar for the entertainment of the populace."

Lying at Mr. Norton's house in tenure of William Smart. "Firft Hell-mouth, with a nether chap. Item, A prifon, with a covering. It. Sarah's chamber."

"Remaining in St. Swithin's church.

"It. A great Idol. It. A tomb with a covering. It. The cyty of Jerufalem with towers and pinacles. It. The cyty of Rages, with towers and pinacles. It. The city of Nineveh. It. The kings palace of Nineveh. It. Old Tobyes houfe. It. The kyngs palace at Laches. It. A firmament with a firy cloud, and a double cloud, in the cuftody of Thomas Fulbeck, Alderman."

5 Hiftory of English Poetry, Vol. III. p. 326. Strype, under the year 1559, fays, that after a grand feast at Guildhall, the fame day was a fcaffold fet up in the hall for a play." Ann. Ref. I. 197, edit. 1725.

"It was a pretty part in the old church-playes," fays Bishop