, 1881-03-20
&C MYSrERIES.' -
The MiracIe-Plays Of the Middle
Ages.
How They Were Performed - The
= Characters and the Actors.
language OF the Works-Mise en- Scene
and Costumes.


There are few occupations more interesting
| to the lover Of the drama than that OF tracing
| its rise and progress, from its earliest deveI-
! opments to the full-blown rose OF poesy that
! tlourished in the Elizabethan age in England,
| and in the reign of Louis NF1 in France. a
recent volume. from the French press enables
| the student to pursue the study, so fur rs re-
CARDS the early Mystery-and-Miracle-Plays,
with a fullness hitherto practically impos-
sible to the ordinary readers
In France rs elsewhere, the drama had a re-
ligious origin. The Church Of the primitive
Christians was the sworn foe all theatrical
representations, aid rightly SO in view Of the
horrors Of the arena III ancient Rome, and
| the universal immortality OF such spectacles.
But with the progress Of time the Church be-
| came not only the temple Of the peoples
worship, but almost their only source of i'll
tcllectual enjoyment, The natural tendency
Of humanity toward dramatic representation
found vent in the ceremonla1s Of religion. In
the year 1000 Of the Christian era this taste
received full development and satisfaction III
the establishment OF the so-calied
L1TURGIC DRAMA.
This drama at first consisted simply in the
recitation by the priests before the altar of
various Scriptnre~scences and episodes, solely
in Latin in the beginning, but soon versitica~
ton and the vulgar tongue took the
place Of the stately Latin prose Of
the Bible. Though these dramas were
given In tho churches or the nlonas-
teries, profane and psychological ideas and
personaEes were speedily introduced into
them. and mark the period of the dccadence
rkf-1
ment into the form of the mystery. The
most famous Of these earlier dramas are
those representing the Alteration OF the
Shepherds and the parable Of the Wise and
Foolish Virgins. This last Is the first Of the
ancient dramas that WIS written. partly in
French instead of wholly in Latin, and it
possesses very considerable degree IF lit
erary merit. The custom of giving these
dramas from Scripture III the churches has
continued in some parts of Europe down to
our own days; sacred pastorals being still
performed III the churches during the Christ
mas HOLIDAYS in the south OF France, and par
ticularly at Marseilles.
The gradual emancipation of the, drama
from the hands of the clergy brought about
the development and firm establishment of
THE MYSTERY.
At first the pieces were performed, though
not i7t the church. ut least in front Of 1t, and,
though written in the vulgar tongue and
without strict regard to the facts OF Scripture,
the per$onageS and IN, incidents continued to
these pieces is called The Representation Of
Adaln''; it was written in the twelfth cent
ury, and the stage+lirectiolls Indicate de-
cidedly complicated mlse~en-scene. There
was to be paradise placed on :. lofty eleya~
ton so that the pers0nages within Should be
distinctly visible to the audience. at least
above the shoulders. Paradise was to be
draped with silk hangtngs, and adorned
with flowers and various fFuit-bearing
trees: Adam. was to wear reu tunle,
Undoubtedly Eve was personated by man,
women not making their appearance on the
public stage. till a much later epoch. 1t
is directed further that all the personages
shall be Instructed ito speak with dignity
things they had to say; they were to take
syllable to the lines, but each person was to
pronounce in a distinct manner and say
everything he had to say in the order III
which it was written.
TILE GERM OF "HAMLET's" ADVICE TO THE
| PLAYERS
might be traced in these directions. This
Representation of Adam ~ is the sole mys-
terry remaining of the twelfth century. The
Game Of St. Nicholas" BY Jean Dodel and
"'The Miracle Of Theophllc," by Rute
beuf. The name Of miracle in the
middle ages was given to any his
tory or dramatic representation Of a super
natural deed performed by the Virgin or the
saints. The principal miracle-piays are those
produced III the fourteenth century i'll honor
OF the Virgin. In fact, almost the whole OF
the dramas OF that century which have been
preserved belong to r, me same e. category,
These plays we're represented by societies,
half religious and half literary in their
nature, who had Inherited from the priests
and monks the right Of giving theatrical per
s. hess Se word Me1s ace D
French signifies mountain or elevation, and
doubtless was derived from the high plat
form on which these dramas were per-
formed. ....
THE pEnsoSAGEs OF THESE s1EAcLE-pLArs
atioasO acters. God Sod tie Father, our Savior:
angels, and demons were mixed up
with Kings and Queens, Princesses and shep-
herds. Popes ami Cardinals. The Virgin is
Interfering to save the innocent and also too
often the guilty, if the criminal at the mo-
ment of punishment has invoked her aid.
The Church is extremely il-treatet1, Popes
and Bishops being held np to derision; nor
Devil usually plays the part Of sort of su-
pernatural Itlg0, circulating among the hu-
1l,an characters OF the piece, exciting their
evil passions, and whispering wicked G0un-
who are brought upon the stage are never
real historical personages even when desig-
mated by actual historical names, but are
imaginary monarchs, brutal, cruel. and ca
PRECIOUS for, the most part; though oc-
Gus impulses. Sometimes these mira
stage some one OF the old historical le-
gerds Of France, such as those Of King Pepin
and Queen Bertha, Robert le Diable, and n the
<,E 1rsf