The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-06
MYsTERT PLAYS.
History OF the CAsstsF (ySIe. which u -
No Reprodtecd.
FROM hs GuFdIdH.

From tie GuFdion.
The proposal to Teprodhce In the cltv OF
Chester next year the wple OF the ChcIter
cyCls OF mystery plays fl no doubt give
rise 20 many questions al 70 the origin and
purpose OF theae performances. In SON.
measure the general publiI has been prepared
for such a proposal BY he revival 81 tho
morality plays "EverymA. The InterIuds
OF Youth" and others. W. use the tgrul
mystery pIa y designedt In prefer nce to
miracle play . because IL hsre ftly dsscribes
the Chester series. thoub DIR. Bridge, a
competent authority. tells Is that the only
title used In old England wathe miracle play.
The mystery play had for 10 basis the great
truths OF eur religion. as he creation. the
fell, the nativity. the passbn and resurrec-
ton. The miracle play wa more concerned
with the legends Of saints. nile the morality
play dealt with allegorIcal representations Of
the virtues.
This brief description wi sufice TO show
that the mystery play hatits origin in ths
desire to bring home to thipeopie the great
truths above indicated In h readiest possibis
manner, by appealing bot to ear and eve.
Originally II was representa- In the church.
but gradually the scene VS. transferred 10
the outer air, and in 1910 Papal edict for
babe the clergy to act in aurches. a prohi-
billion which was repeatedly the Council NJ
Treves In 1877. The Eight-eighth Canon "
1905 directs that plays shalnot be performed
In churches or churchyarO.
Even where no play" We acted there was
often at certain seasons sOAe erection which
could bring, vislbly befor the people the
eyent which was being c~omnlenorated.
Thus we find in some accounts In the year
1897 TO i54e almost. !Pe yments for the
R Sddo I l%con y y Snas sn &. t SoGs. s sS %% s.fsn .ss
Holy Goste%" Vmost probabiS dove. Entries
Churches IL was not unusua 10 appeal TO the
eyes of the worshippers bytome spectacular
arrangement suggestive othe festival they
were keeping. For a simiie reason churches
were often enriched with fescoes and other
pictorial representations { a sacred char
aoter,
II IL, of course, essential,hat the plays, Il
reproduced, should be ~acte'under conditions
which would not be contradictory to their
religious spirit and characsr;,
Society. Quite recently TIT society acted,
amid SURROUNDINGS not altgether favorable.
cycis, The Solicitation" The shepherd
Play" and The KINGS Pla," II is Interest,"
ing 20 note that It is 800 yeas since they we're
There are four well knon series Of mys-
terry dramas-the York. le Townley tor
Wakeneld9: the Chester ad the Coventry
witch we possess, but othrs. no doubt. at
one time existed at Beverly and elsewhere.
servance Of Tie feast tS Of orpus Christi i%t ON on
the Thursday after Trinit Sunday. but at
Chester they very early kcame connected
ments (Of course. with vailed spenins) the
~Whitson Plates" The vaDus cycles are all
built on the same model, al deal with much
incidents enacted are fronths New Tesla
ment. though the York SIDES Thy far the
longest. consisting OF fortyeight pA ysl con-
Testament. giving. az IL dos. several which
deal with Pharaoh and the onda re In EyHpt.
The Chester cycle consist Of tMenty-fye.
one of which. King Balaland Balaam,' IL
peculiar to 10. The Cheets plays are per-
haps the most acceptabletO modern audi:
enoes, both In substance in diction."
They are also more seri1s In tone than
others. for in each piece thre is an expositor
parish priest who has tospeak a kind Of
prayer moral TO the play.
1t would not be possibleto reproduce the
OF the plays. which Originally took place in
the streets on movable stges or carriages.
so that they could be move about from one
Rogers RrchdeaconV Of cSster 1881 to 1881
has given us particulars bth Of these car
riaRes C-high scaffoldes WITH tive rowmes,
city records also give US ruch information,
and copies OF the "banes, whereby prOCla-
nation Of the PLAYS was made throughout
Lud Guy w nlOuuNO1 "OANWktIN. AIb tNNdNIs
OF the Chester plays fvecomplete manu-
scripts are extant. though IL original Chester
playbock has not been fond. A fra Rment
of parchment. however, IL / existence which
has been used as an old box cover. This
mas been pronounced to be portion ota late
fifteenth century manuscript Of the Chester
plays. and may therefore De a remnant OF
the original document.
No doubt the plays will ned considerable
revision and editing befon they are pro-
dnced. Tn lanR1a re and expressions are
often SO archaic as to need n interpreter for
a modern audience. n sme Of the Incl
dents would require to he mdiled. and sons
Society has the experience OF IN wing pro-
sented three Of the plays b a critical audi
enee with most satisfactory results. II il
also by its very. constitution pledged to pre-
serve all that IL ancient which possesses
literary merit. and which ischaracteristic ~
the times in which 1t wns written. In the
production OF the PLAYS nlsic, We may he
sure. had it's part. Some of them contain
what may be described as'stpH re directions
indicating when the "minsrelles hall playp.s
Some are enriched with ongs though the
score In TO longer eytat. The accounts
preserved in the HarleiaI manuscripts give
man entries In confirmation OF this point:
and the o~rVanist were nal various sums for
singing; while In 1897 I'D was maid for car
ria age or the recalls portable kind ~
ORGAN. IL the plays are Pvtved. we can look
With confidence 10 full ietice being done 10
the music and it's ARRANGEMENTS. Residents
in Chester stlll retain 2 rateful recollection
nf the rendering, undo the leadership ~
DR.. J. G. Bridge. Of twekems from the Cow
entFv Otavs IN 1902. "Lnllv. Thou Little Tiny
Ihtld" and As I Rode Out This EnderPs
Might" IL such RiIidaice ran be secured
there Snn be No doubt tat the music will 10