nople by the Italians; who framed, in the depth of the dark ages, on this foundation, that barbarous fpecies of theatrical reprefentation called MYSTERIES, or facred comedies, and which were foon after received in France. This opinion will acquire probability, if we confider the early commercial intercourse between Italy and Conftantinople and although the Italians, at the time when they may be fuppofed to have imported plays of this nature, did not understand the Greek language, yet they could understand, and confequently could imitate, what they faw." In defence of Voltaire's hypothefis, it may be further obferved, that The feaft of 1ools, and of the Afs, with other religious farces of that fort, fo common in Europe, originated at Conftantinople. They were inftituted, although perhaps under other names, in the Greek Church, about the year 990, by Theophylact, patriarch of Conftantinople, probably with a better defign than is imagined by the ecclefiaftical annalifts; that of weaning the minds of the people from the pagan ceremonies, by the fubftitution of chriftian spectacles partaking of the fame fpirit of licentioufnefs.-To thofe who are accustomed to contemplate the great picture of human follies, which the unpolifhed ages of Europe hold up to our view, it will not appear furprifing, that the people who were forbidden to read the events of the facred hiftory in the Bible, in which they were faithfully and beautifully related, fhould at the fame time be permitted to fee them reprefented on the flage, difgraced with the groffeft improprieties, corrupted with inventions and additions of the most ridiculous kind, fullied with impurities, and expreffed in the language of the low eft farce." "On the whole, the Myfteries appear to have originated among the ecclefiafticks; and were most 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 arifing from their fituation, profeffion, and inftitution, enabled the monks to be the fole performers of thefe reprefentations." "As learning encreafed, and was more widely diffeminated, from the monafteries, by a natural and easy transition, the practice migrated to schools and univerfitics, which were formed on the monaftick plan, and in many refpects refembled the ecclefiaftical bodies." + Candlemas-Day, or The Slaughter of the Innocents, written by Ihan Parfre, in 1512, Mary Magdalene, produced in the fame year, and The Promifes of 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 exercife thefe 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. 4 Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry, Vol. II. pp. 366, et feq. MSS. Digly, 133, Bibl. Bodl. 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 complete collection of this kind is, The Chefter Myferies, which were written by Ralph Higden, a monk of the Abbey of Chester, about the year 1328,6 6 MSS. Harl. 2013, &c. " Exhibited at Chester in the year 1327, at the expence of the different trading companies of that city. The Fall of Lucifer, by the Tanners. The Creation, 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 Clo thiers. 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 propofe, according to the ftage-direction, to make themfelves fubligacula a foliis quibus tegamus pudenda. Cover their nakedness 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. 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. L P. 243. Mr. Warton obferves 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 so much difficulty in obtaining the Pope's permition that they might be presented in English, a prefumptive proof arifes, 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 fpecimen 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 fay: "Man that I made I will deftroye, "Therefore, Noe, my fervant free, "Litill chambers therein thou make, "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 that all our Myfteries before that period were in Latin. Thefe 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 comædias, item in templis vitas divorum ac martyria repræfentare, in quibus, ut cunétis 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. the shippe with divers inftruments, and after that God fhall fpeake to Noe: “Noe, take thou thy meanye, "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, "Horfes, mares, oxen and fwyne, "Here fitten thou maye fee," &c. After all the beafts and fowls have been defcribed, Noah thus addreffes his wife: "Noe. Wife, come in, why standes thou there? 46 "Thou art ever froward, that dare I swere, Wife. Yea, fir, fet up your faile, And rowe forth with evil haile, "For withouten anie faile "I will not oute of this toune; |