The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-23

I opctfons more tilana iivaljed his other
theological writings IN he Ia or oft1c
Ieop4e, for, as N.artqa also mentions.
st Chri&estom. Who scon s;scceeled
conliila ned that IN hisHdag' people heard
a conled i'm with mGctl more pl asure
& ttlana minister OF tile gospel st. Chry-
StstoIn he'd slles See OF Con stantinop&e
t.Gal A. y. 39S to 4. D. 4fa In this
garner also another Kind of dramatic
lel,l esentatson-tilat Of nluanna ~ or
masking developed its Ii in Christian
o: M dern form. ii is known that many
~ Tic Christian tivals which have
cEnle dosyA TO us from the dirk a ges
We're tac rHiss of the g:af fling of Christ
ian legend In N D,Isan cerem ME "A
ceGtrival1ce II, which the pr eSts sup
posed that they had circunVentSd the
lseaifi9f1. Who would more easily give
tlleir religion than Their feasts ard
their HOLIDAYS ana the introducsioil Of
ic!jgialts ll1amfllilg and masking by
Theophylast patisar@h of Constantine
p!G. about the scar 500, has beSn fea-
Sanably attributed to a design of giving
tl1e lle2pi" a Giiis.illl performance
which they Co and wo Ia sub titute &
IN place 81 the Il lianali II revess. It
is said by historian8of tie sac eedins 1
GsiieIatiha 10 have introduced the prac-
tee which prevails seNen at this present
cay. OF s.t:aildalizing 6 a8and the man ry
Of his saints. on The mcSt splendid AMI
popular festivals 10y Indecent aud ridicu
lotss songs and enormous siloutinrss dia
bolical danees, eNclanai rs OF ribaldry,
ana baisads borrowed from the streets
and hrEt3elS1
RI.a.EIRy Y AND RELIGION.
The Feast Of Fssols and the Fest of /
Asses, the latter Of which was Instituted
I'M honor Of 3alaasa beast had this
ollgir. such ilinglinS OF reNelry and re-
Hgion as these feastS. and of am Sc
sluent and instruction in tie it'll as the 1
niys9ei.i+s suited both the prie8t Y and
Tho popular need of the time, and theTt
soon found their way ives VA d, AM par |
ticulaily into France. There. not long
after. the Feast Of. Asses was performed I
IN this ma n a.. The@cl r y walked On
=Ch,i stnas day in pscc sssion na4ited to
I.,,esent Moses, DAVID, the Prophets, and
#e.tiief Hebrews and AssSrians. ga 5aan,. /
with NJ, immense pair Of sp3Ts. T. de on !
= wooden ass which enclosed a speaker.
Virgil Mas one Of the procession. VII ch I,
,r,nI,ed son. chanting veisscles and dia- /
lcr,s,t,lsr in character OF. the birth OF
#t-.grist. until ii reached the CHOIR Inc
lair Of those days. which. We're great oc- 1
cnrions oil profit and amusement. Oh
far;-s oppartisrl ties for the p rlormance
~ mas n IN farces. or Of the S berer |
mysteries or nlracul us p ays, of wnc l8l
,i,.z Priests did not fail TO avail the n |
s..i,5,ss:## and thus the de#fo:m ti#re4l-
eie,,s drama spread g1adua ly, but not
Slowly. throughout Europe Warrior 81. IN z |
l,is. Gator. Price found that relslous
! laws were performed in ! IA at a.e-
i.f,1 very mach earlier than eifher hle, -
rn,,oni or Crcscambini, the. p sincipal
Italian authorities on ts1is srbJNst..s p
posed; in fact. that ,ney We're common
as early as 1850.
IT CROSSED TO ENGLAND.
In the natural order of things this spe-
cies Of performance would pass from
italy to- France. and from France 20 |
and the supposiion that It
was brought into the latter country /
across the channel is supported by the
fact that there is evidence that the first
plays performed in England t
We're TRANSACTIONS from the French Some
yet eXtant have passages in that Ian
enave scattered through them. a fact I
which can most reasonably be account
cd for By the supposition that these iso-
lated passages are parts of the original
left nntraaslated in the manuscripts
which have come down TO us. It has
been supposed that the first miracle
plays produced in England. We're per-
formed In French. Possibly the suppose