New-York tribune., 1902-10-14
THE DRAMA.
A DISMAL EXPERIMENT.
"EvERYMAN."

ffeTla
~ ~ the early English drama was made
'Aoit-bt an McndeIsohn Hail. IN the representa-
~ "a the antique piece called "Everyman."
tD was performed by a company Of English
w under the direction of Mr.. Ben Greet.
s.'i.,s is a curiosity Of literature. and to per-
lI' Is..irous OF seeing practical example Of the
s'" hind Of stage entertainment that marked
land the transition from The Miracle" TO
% l' -or,s4, and Tragedy. II viii prove instrllc-
o-u-ithstandug its trIte didactcism and pom
- slllness. The English DRAMAS students
80. s,,bisct are. OF course. aware,-began about
G '- ,l., with compositions called Miracles" /"
''' .,,..fs 1f which were taken fIom the Bible
~' -, legends Of saints and martyrs these plays
g,ta8 in churches and churchyards: and this
t@-s % III drama continued for about three hun
as.srs when 'the Miracle" gave place 20 THE
go which had gradually gained pre-eminence.
z,irarles-or Miracle plays. as they came 10
.ncs-the characters were actual persons: in
,,,-,ls they were allegorical persons OF per
l-e-s,iors of virtues and vices. This species OF
,rns IN about the beginning OF the reign
go, IL and without entirely superseding the
lss il lasted an nearly the time Of Queen
A,,t when the evolution was completed in
80. and tragedy az they have ever since been
o..,,o,5 II is the drama Of the middle period
-. ,s eNemuuded IN the play Of "Everyman":
" -, indeed must have been the fate Of the
-, that had 20 nourish itself habitually on
aIs.l sustsrauce Of this description
- way % place this subject fully before the
=, me hour viii he 10 quote Payne Col
i'-',' .,.nt of it as given in his excellent His
,,r, Of Dramatic Poetry,
pls .,,,-sle-rlaye - 'Everymau' (as Il is called
~. ti,le passl is one of the most perfect allie
CT ~ - forried some points Of its construc-
t"" -, that II was written very early
- ,e-bsus IN the reign OF Edward ~. II
- once by Pyuson. and twice by John skot, IN
ts,sr,e Uith the year appended: but Pynson
"a -, rr,rt any work with date after 1881,
skot after la5' M, ,
- how he Hye Fader of Heven sendeth
-. ~ son,an every creature 10 come and gyve
.,,,,s N thsyr lyvgs IN this Worlde. and is in
rnaner Of a moralle pIaH'
sr,s n-ipters colophon is ;his: Thus endeth this
,.,-sne.playe Of Eyerl man.. imprinted al London
=, p,rlss Chyrche yarde, bv me John Skot.'
IN, is in the Library OF Lincoln Cathedral and Is
,sr-ipted in Vol J. OF HaWkins's orig. Engl Drama.
.sTbs character called Everyman is the repre-
sentative Of the whole human race. and, after
short prologue by Messenger the Deity delivers
q sonloouv In which be laments that the people
forsake him and use the seven deadly synnes
ssrnsble' he summons Death tWho. II will be
recoHeoted is persouihed in the plays called Ludus
CoyentrRl and sends him for Everyman. Death
meets with the hero delivers his message, and tells
him 20 bring with him his 'nook OF counte' Every
man is allowed 10 prove his friends and the first
h aceosts is Fellowship. who refuses 70 accom-
rsny him on his Ionge journey, though ready 10
murder anybody do his friend service. Every
nan next applies 10 kn1rcd.
Nv cosvr. U-y-il YOU not 60 with me-
Kindred-No. by our Lady. have the crampe in
my toe;
which is the only stroke Of Eumor in the whole per-
tormance Goode also refuses; and applying, in
ne last resort 10 Good-Deecs Everyman hnds her
40 weak that she lies the ground. but points out
70 hin the voful blank iE MS books Of works
,rs deeds She introduces him 70 knowledge and
Knowledge carries him tc Confession. where he
also calls 20 his aid Strength Discretion, Beauty,
srs Five Wits, who promise 10 accompany him
hs.ore Cod. Everyman soon begins 10 grow weak;
he says;
af ss am Gsf 52 f'5a' nm lo5R nay }EoiGs 3S' stand
and srying a, The brink Of the grave, he calls
up- his friends % enter n with him Beauty first
rs,lsss and her example rs followed by Strength
Discretion and Five Wits. Good-Desis only con-
ssnts 20 accompany him. Tor even knowledge re-
mains behind"
'The moral" says Collier. is excellent, and II is
admirably Illustrated and finally enforced in a
sort of epiiogue delivered by the Doctor In the
employment Of this parsonage IL Will he remarked
that this production resembles many Of the Miracle
rlays In the performance Everymau musLt have
wanted much of the character and variety which
are found IN some other contemporary produc-
tons"
The interlocutors in this work are: Messenger;
God: De,he, Everymau. Fellowship; Kyndrede;
Good-dedes, knowledge; Confession; Beaute;
Strength, DyscIecou. Five-wyttes Aungell; Doc
loure"
William Hawkins tobiit lsUD. included Every
man m the first ~ his three volumes 81 Old Plays
II collection published oxford. in l77s. under
the title OF "The Orisin Of the English Drama, -
and with Il the editor coupled critical analysis by
Bishop Percy who saeely remarks OF 'Everyman'
that Il is "a grave solemn piece. not without some
rude attenpts 10 excite terror and pity" Hawkins
unless indeed, a another OF the same name
who complied ''rhe Origin'D, was the Vicar OF
Whtechurch, Dorsetshire. and ne ought 10 be re-
nsubered II only for having written these excel
isli lines in his 'Essav Genius;
Give me kind Heaven stn higher points 70 reach;
a'e me 90 practice what strive 70 teach
~ standiug rules ~ daily conduct be
Careless Of false reUroach or vain applause,
Ht worth my euloEy and truth my cause
Collier notes that "EveryTnan" was twice print
td by skot one copy having the colophon and the
other omittug IT, Skots edition bearing the colo
Ihon Is The one preserved m the Library Of Ian.
CON Cathedral Collier also notes tnat Pynsons
seiuon varies materially from that OF skot. The
following s the speech Of the ''DoCtoure,' closing
"f p1a3, as given hy Pynson;
" rs sslns memory an men maye have in mynde
Ahe torsake pryde Tor he deceyves YOU in the ende
and remebre neaute. and vwyttes strength and dis
siSsy ssasy AZ AZ a l9s, 90 every man forsske
Ts,oes Rss esSsrs Ss Tor and they De small
N5.oIe God he hattie helpe at all;
49, excuse may be- there for every man
r-ls move shall he do than2
- eIteT ceth ameudes may no man MAKE
IL - Nlah mercy and pytc dOthe hym iorsdke
as reokenynre be nor clcre whan he do come
40 VII say. ite maledicte in iguem eternurn.
n-u ne That harh his accouute hole and sounde
- M heFen hs shall he Crounde-
MO Ehiche. please God. bryuEe us all thethtr'
TTsst " may 1--WE body and soule 10 gyder.
avI 10 hepe the 1rinyts.
-'"'eh' sayc " Tor sayut charyte-'
ethest says that William Hawkins was or Mag
fgnfn and has H. ed before
'Aoauon of mis- collection Of old plays, l41S' but
Ne'e were several contemporary authors OF the
~F name, and this may have beer an erfoi
Nsaest's note on .Evervman" is as follows;