, 1874-08-01

e. s h. .ssRs Rsn S Sr ss rsS,. .s ,s R,ssns s.,
opea 81 q tope tlst II cioiiors mvhto hearo s I'D
&C. fy sst toss 's 4 f sas is s.es II
rl,ci, mo draie ragan.n was playc it WI wheeled to
@ he ON st' & 'iass s iii iii d. rs; ss,aa. is.
lor u,o ttayo apnoy"tcd woro played: ai,a wLen
l,rpngl'te fron a.rceto 10 a,rccte, tlsat sos
tis migs como IN place thereof, oxccllngo nrcrlyo,
sl at one sss aytlnge togeasheT 10 No which nayes
naa create reaorte and also scafoea and stagra ada
in tia srcetcA III o.o places where they determined
to aayc flciro pa0anlcs.
This plays woro divided among tho twcuty-fout
tratlea Of tho city, as stated in tho 1,a,os l,rac-
la1natfon). which wore "roade booforo tlia taa-
glnllingo Of tho playoa Of Oheator, juno, 1Go0":
This order Toxic, us declare to you nAa,
That W twensy-iowor occupations, aries, craftcs 0.
7heso paaentes shou1do bo Played after bree,e re-
For eycryc pagcn!e carriage to bo provyaca wtha,,.
The first play, ".rho FAli Of Inctfor," wat
performed by tho tahnors; tho SECOND, ",rha
ursseton aud Fnll," by tho drapcrs tho tlizd,
| Oh through tho list.
Ihfs c1'Htom OF aeslgnlng tho dltrorons parts
OF nlay,T;ror these ,tSo.ty ty-four 0hestor phys
wero really hut parts Of oNo wl,olo--is per-
! Night'a Droam." eslero, in tho play within tic
Mny, Nninco tho carpenter, Hnug tito Joiner,
| lottom tho weaver, otc., assume tho separate
! The stngo.iroottons scattered through thu
ohoBses 'nyn indicato that complicated nacl1no-
~ ~ WY ompoysd IN tioso tulo pngeantu. In
| tho play Of '.TAo Ascension'' NO road. '.Thon
| 5esns "seen''s anu aaccnding slngs, God Al
mt1nhey t 9hoye:'. Mr. sharp, In hin "Dipsortn:.
parish md town-rogistorp, which roven tho caro
taken In such performances to produce proper
stage-otfccts, Among thoso records aro tic foi.
tfo.ing fos accounts q expantlttyre Item, payd
TOR he!pyng Of flyer at hell nsothc, iiijd,"-
"payd for aettyng the werla Of fyer, Yd.''
| Ilte sacred phys were, from The beginning, n
iayorlte species Of rolsgio'1s amusement with thu
! waa ofton In attendance upon t1ea, Qttceu
Eloanor. tho consort Of I1onry IT,, waa eBpccial-
" fond Of thego primitive entertainments VIII.
IAN % Of , Hlois, an Abbot, was Mastor OF Revola
a. H. Inc a. Gonft OF Alng Henry and composed all
before thetr .Ma1oatica by clubs and stu.
denta Of divinity, at Westminster aud Winchox-
ter pal'eeos d.. In il5 Queen Msrgarst The M
19rtn,lata a; wito et Manry W. Waited Coventry
aotncsday. which might not DO p1oydo for lak Of
! day." During tho celebrated Entertainment OF
Queen Elizabott 1t :Kcnilworth in 1876, "cor.
| tain good llartod mon OF Covcntroo " enacted
thoir plays in tho scrtoa which wcro performed in
| lior honor.
An thoso pageanta become popu1arizotl, m olc,-
nlent Of bufYoonoty weH introduced into tllen, to
| secure tic creator amusement Of tho peoplo n,lu
tlcY gradually lost their puroly Religious tone
| Tho Town!ey myaterieH ara especially noted
| for their burlcsqua character, and aro full
| Of dull hits at tho fo!lieB of tile tno, and Of
scencH calculated to excite mirth. Despite tho
gradual tlogonoracy Of these oxhb,tlons, aud tho
| oftsn-seyero opposition which they mot with
from rigid t ohurchmon, they continued IN rull
forco TIL tho beginning Of tho seventeenth CEN
tury. Tho followors of Wyclifro cried loudly
against tllom Mt tho end Of the fourteenth con.
tury. and Tho pt1ritaus glroyo to put them down
in tho sixtconth century; and still tboy halti
| tAolr own barely. THE Chester plays wero par-
| taIy prescribed after tho Information; bu,
tn spite Of intorlcts. they continued to be- acted
| at intervals. T.
| a rolio Of tho miraclo-plny may got bo fouu3
IN aonao Of tho remote districts OF England,
whoro tho stories Of st. George, the Dragon, and
Deolzobub. aro rudely represented By tic
| poasantry. In tile Alpine iart Of Gormnuy,
| passion-playp aro still performed nearly every
| simmer, in the primitive stylo Of purity and
simplicity. Tho famous mystory Of Tho Passion
OF Our Savior, which ia reprcaentod oyory tenth
year bY the Villagers Of 0borau,,norga11, il. Tia
Bayarian highlands, is notable example Of the
| ancient religious drama brought tlo,Tn to on,
! aTn day.