The herald., 1894-01-05
ABOUT ENGLISH COMEDY
PROF. GAYLEY'S INTER ESTING
LECTURE on THAT TOPIC.
He Treats OF the Early English aud
French Miracle Plays nnd Their
Development Into
tho Dran1.

| lne second lecture OF the series on
English comedy by Prof. Charles Mills
Gayley, OF the University OF California,
was attended by a large audience at
Unity church last night. The pro-,
Sramme called for discussion Of he,
comedy OF the Tuders and the earlya
Stuarts, but as the opening lecture hada
not been finished Professor 9aylss sp4
sumed where he had ended ON Tnesd Y
night, and carried his audience ironltt.e
historical consideration OF the sources
OF English comedy u9 to the Shake
spearean period.
The source oil this comedy was found
In tho early religious plays, known as
mysteries or miracle plays, which were
played until about 30 years before the
sixteenth century. About two centu-
ries after Christ the first attempt to
drsmatlze scenes from the Bible was
made. The dramatic presentation upon
which the comedies OF England are
drawn are based upon these early works.
The two great evente OF the Christian
world about which they cluster are the
birth OF Christ and the resurrection,
The speaker then referred to the vari-
GUS miracle plays which were intro
duced into England during the reign of
Henry III. probably by Norman French
poets. One class OF the plays was pre-
ssnted in the churches by the priests,
another by the choir and still another e
by the laymen. AS the desire to witness
the dramas became more universal and
the audiences became larger, the pre-
sentation of the drcmas was give1 II the
open air. md
In England they we're b
three stages or platforms,
divine characters, lower
saints and one still lower fl
spirits. There was also q .
which the devils came forth n
In France but one eleval u
was used. The devils can't snl 4 l.t
and we're allowed to bound nth at any
time during the play and run about at
will among the spectators. The Englieh
devils came forth only when they were
needed. AS a result, the impression
made by the French devils was one of the
comic order, while that OF the English
devils was to inspire terror
Wnen the plays were presented out
side OF the churches the laymen began
to take part IN them.
The speaker referred to the method of
producing the miracle plays simultans-
ously in number OF different places in
town. The various guilds assisted in
the production, each one taking part in
some stage OF the drama.
1t was in 1879, when Shakespeare was
Is years old. that the last of these mir
acle plays OF YorksNere given. 1t could
and did have some influence upon him
and others of the dramatists, as they
frequently referred to them in their
plays.
The morality plays were also among
the early productions, and thier purpote
being to teach men what they were o
do to be saved.
The interlude was an outgrowth Of
these morality plays. 1t deals with the
besetting Sin OF youth. Is is more triv-
ial than the morality plays and deals
with merely part of life. These plays
were given until the death of Elizabeth.
The speaker read selections from the
most famoue OF the old musical plays
and interludes, showing the comedy in
corporated in them. He then briefly
traced down to late years, about the aix-
teenth century, the progress of comedy
in tbs drama. He said that in the nov
city plays there were certain satirical
features which were in many cases well
conceived and presented.
He closed with q selection from Ralph
Roister Duister, published about 1541
by Nicholas Idull, and a brief sketch
from the time of this author to that of
DAvenant.
The lecture tomorrow evening will
principally be upon Shakespeare as a
comedy writer.