The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-13
PLAYS or OUR FoREFATHERs, BY
Charles Mills Gayley. Dufield e.
CO.. of New York, publishers. PIP.
3gO s3.bl

ia5stt OSU. S0sDu.
The author of thsvolume, which spe-
.tnily commends itself to the lover Ut
what Is best In the history OF the Eng
fish drama, In professor OF the English
language and literature in the Uniyer-
sIty Of California. and his reader IL In
formed BY the inscription On the title
page that the story OF the plays I'm
voiyc some OF the traditions upon
which they were founded
The book opens with the origin of
the medieval drama, shows the re-
lious germ OF the modern and the oc-
castor In the festivals OF the church.
It gives the evolution OF the liturgA7
cnl plays through the Tropes Of the
resurrection. Christmas. advent. ascent
Hion and Pentecost Thence II do
sctibes the invasion of the humorous
element, az evidenced I'D the Feast Of
the Ass and the Feast OF Fools. and
,,ext the boy Bishop and the st.
Nicholas Plays" including most I'M
tcrestiIg reycrsion to the plays uf
"Holy Innoccnts'' and those OF the
Girl Abbs>g" and the nuns.
a chapter on secular by-products in
satire and wonder touches upon the
"sottie'' and the farce bringing in
iatar the English revels OF "ilisrule"
ind the Miracles dc Notre Dame"
The story OF the transition OF the
Hturgical plays from church to guild
and the account OF the professions OF
Corpus Christi and Whitsuntide I'LL an
other Instructive and important chap
tyr.
Attention ls subsequently drawn to
tho secular representation of the Eng
lish cycles, and the Imagination is
regaled with Z; collective story OF
these cycles: their hist6rieai 9rder 10
given and the manuscripts Of sthe cy-
cles. taking In those OF York Chester.
Wakefield. Digby. Beverly, Lincoln ana
others. show the dates, OF composi.
tion and their comparative scope. The
dramatic development OF the cycle Is
explained and the early infusion OF
tho comic element Is illustrated DIV
the earlier plays OF CORNWALL. Chester
and others. ana b. the description or
the York schools of tluinor and real
Ism and the relation of The WaReneln
Master to these schools
The transition from htmor to the ro-
mantle. especially In the Luduy GO.
ventrial" and the Middle Period OF
the York" the elements OF pathos and
Fublimity introduced. bring the reader
10 the categorical plays and the de-
iineation in them OF the devil, deadly
SIN and vice. and preface the descrip-
f!on Of "The Mysteries" in France. and
iheir character as compared with ting
Engiish.
Curious trnditions In the cycles re-
lated by the author refer to the his
tory OF the angelic orders and the fall
of I.ucifer. the oil of mercy and the
itoIy rood-tree, tile mission of Seth.
nd the history OF the crossword. the
sources OF these stories. the iegenu
from the Gospel OF Nicodemus," dra-
nia.ic use by the cycles of Biblical.
Apocalyptic and other sources; the
prophecy In the Chester play Of the
coming of Antiehrist, the relation OF
miracles to morals and OF morals to
interludes ana history Of some of the
Older moral and controversial plays; OF
artistic variations nf tho stock, intror
ductory to the drama. of character and
hunors. with illusions TO some less
known forerunners of romantic CONF
edy and a valuable appendix outline
roughly and briefly the plan and con-
tents of an excellent piece of literary
YORK.
I,lte Illustrations arc reproductions
or quaint and valuable woodcuts taken
ftoiIl original pictures Of early Eng
fish pageants or dramatic Mysteries"
Some of these represent the Descent OF
.E.nocu, Elias and the Antichrist,i'