New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-01

less anxiety The Divine Hero was born and laid IN
the manger in the morning, and In the evening he
hung on the cross while q mere wave OF the hand
could dispose or centuries of ages" All the players
came upon the stage at once. Each actor on MS
first appearance had to state what lie represented
or some appointed person announced him to the au-
dience There was herald whose duty it was to
admonish the people to keep silence.
Professor Hase explains clearly the distinction be-
tween Mysteries and Koraides. which are often con-
founded. The subject of tho Mystery was derived
chiefly from Holy Writ. The primary meaning OF
the word, secret was suited to the original purport
of these plays the visible representation of the in
carnaton and Redemption the secrets Of the King
dom of God. The Morality was an allegorlc repre-
sentation Faith, Hope and Charity appeared as
personages, Virtue and Vice" like the EMU
ties" says Professor Hase, (which Robcsperre ma
rangued in his debased Festival of the Champ do
Mars" But the Mystery and Morality were In some
measure united in the representation OF paraole
from the Holy Scrlptures-the Vise and Foolish PT-
aims for instance or the Rich Man and Lazarus Inc
Miracle Plays represent the miracle OF the SAINT as
well as his martyrdOm. Then there were rays
of the Virgin. These no longer followed the Scrip
tural narrative exhibiting the joys and sorrows OF
the Divine Mother during her lifetime but depicted
what she had accomplished for her worshippers
lost. Secular pieces were called Mysteries. The
Miracle PLAYS were very seriously regarded by the
actors as we'll as the spectators Before cOmmenc-
ing the whole troupe knelt upon the stage and sang
the hvmn Vcni Creator SpiritHs either in Latin or
the national version. Sometimes the spectators
Joined In the hymn.
There was medieval naIvetf, rusticity OF uncouth-
ness which gave the Miracle Plays involnntarlly
comic character. The story in Ea'cnspiegct shows
what it was possible to do voluntarily:
Eulenspicge had entered priests service as "a;
tristan The priests onc-cycd cook did not regard
him with the same favor hat her master did. NJ
fine service on Easter morning the Resurrection had
to be presented. The priest pul the cook INTO the
grave to act as an angel while he himself, WIN
banner in hi, hand. represented the Lord Eulen'
spiegel as manager of the performance, selected Tor
the three Mares the tirce simplest ruSiiGs nc could
find and instructed them III What they hau 10 say
When the ANGEL asked them Whom seek We -
they replied: I'VE seek The priests one-eycd
missy" The cook jumped ont OF the grave IN
IA q. and beat the three MareS, who returned the
blows: the priest threw away his banner and
helped .he cook; While the Iognr EnlenSpi'ge'
made of in the midst of the general confusion.
We certainly can scarcely help smiling when
saint is termed Monsignor-" Monsignor -: Paul
or wien an angel addresses as Madame" the de
parted soul of Jrsus-or when God the Father ca lis
to Adam in Eden Bcauircrc Or when the
Saviour on the cross SAYS To lnhn Joan JON "u,r
dear aunt Or when our Lord Is commended ~
Mary Magdalene as " casN OF all virtues Birihs
are unhcStatingly made to take pace on ne s'hge'
and al the saints ut the highest % al births.
the angels sing. In one mystery. God tic Father Is
rrprt scnted as sleeping on His heavenly throne dur
ing tie cfuciXion. and rs being altcrwaTd reused
hy an angel with very sharp words In faVoric
miracle play of st. Barbara" when she Is SlN-
pended bv the legs and burned on each limb, she
compares herself 10 bIt OF roast meat, Thoroughly
done and inst fit to he served. The souls Of the
dying depart from their mouths IN the form oi small
images as also see IN contemporary pictures,
ana are received 10y angels or devils. As Judas
denied The Lord Il very grimY soul - seen 10 IeaNe
his rent body rs he falls Seth refers to the hIst
book of Moses and then says the Lords Prayer
The learned solomon rcioices the heart Of the
Queen of Shcha by thc pomiS' tlat me poet -r.sop
and the great prophet David VIII both remember
her in the time to come; then he qnarrels "lth
one oi his wives, AMI drinks mug oi beer. ~ ,he
institution of the Lords SUPPER We find II SAID tat
Christ then sang the first mass. Nero as wen as
thr French king Clovis. is made to sw mr. by Ma
honIucd and then by IT. I0natius-a sort ul pattern
oath for the heather oi every age.
Professor iIase mentions the curious trace OF the
old Mysteries observable in modern times. He says:
When in the middle of the eighteenth century,
German dramatic poetry, on the eve OF bluilhg
long farewell to the Church. adaRicd iscu 10
sentimental and sttod form of Christianity. the
great master of the relgnng school the poet oil tc
" Messiah" composed also Blb1cal JOHANNESBURG
Death of Adam Solomon, David. He Gld not lack
imitatOrs. Xacharias Werner attempted revival
OF the religions drama on his own account: ana III
the language Ol poetry hc preached tllfISi plo~l
and wounds NOT without occasional HaShes OF
ucuius and real artistic inspiration. In the Sons
Of Thalcs." published in 1903. he awaited himself
of the tragic overthrow Of the lcnplar. 10 ncuIcate
by means Of their sacrifice. winch he employed
with some art for his purpose KIM oi secret bona
of Christian frccmsonN. aS the rr2ch"ratr form OF
Christianity destined to rcnoyaic the world. THIS
writer. whose gcnius was az once Scnsu0uS ana
spiritual when he und, rtoCk 10 bring luthcr on
the stage represented INN not as the Reiorner;
strong in faith and mighty in deed. but as KIND
of night wandering saint and tue tlngc OF mys-
ticism which was certainly dlscONcrablc III
Iuthcr and his followers, il" exaggerated to carr
,aturc. II was hardly only after his apostaSy mat
il became advisable for him TO atone Tor the Ton
sccratOn of Strength 10 Die Nclhe der hraII },
by a ptiful "ConSccration of Weakness" The
German nation remained Indifferent to these unnat-
ural and supernatural compositions.
The Passion Plays which are still exhibited at
Oberammergau and at Liesing III CarInthia are
fully and critically described lecture is devoted
70 the Sacred Drama in Spain, with notices of Lope
de Vega and Calderon, the remarks upon the last
named being particularly full. Another lecture
traces the influence of the religious drama upon
French classical trage1y, examples being derived
from the Polyeucte OF COTncle the Esther OF Racine
the Zairc of Nolairc, though the claims OF the latter
to be regarded a Christian drama are considered
dubious. The fifth lecture is upon Hans Sachs and
Lessine's Nathan The Uise of which the following
estimate is gwen
This drama. whichlin its technical form resembles
no other of Lesslngs, Is strictly ddactlc poem al
a
is no impetus i'll the action ANA the denoncInent
has nothing dramatic; il does not even afford us
any clear glimpse of the future of the two young
people. for whom our sympathy has naturally been
enlisted, and whose love Is now moderated 10 the
TRANQUIL affection of brother and SISTER In fact
through both the entire tale and the verse there
runs "A slightly frlgid vein-and yet the piece went
straight TO the heart of the German nation. Ii il
Illustrated the nobcst features of the struggle of
the age for liberty of opinion charity toward those
of a different creed and the religion of humanity
Professor Ilase concludes these lectures, which
were delivered by him before mixed audience at
Jena and Weimar in the winter of 1878. with
the following observations upon the relations and
functions of the Church and the Theatre:
The vital force of religion in Christian countries
has determined the current of human life in favor
of "A separation between Church and State. Even
as we trace in these far back as cur vision can