Semi-weekly herald., 1909-12-09

church should fall the problem of res
cuing the drama from the ditch into
which II had fallen, and give il a new
meaning and new function. And so
the Mystery" play came into exist.
ence-fhe story of the birth of Christ
at Bethlehem: the coming of the
Magi; the marriage at Cana; the
ItrueihXion on Calvary, were all
pictured out by tableaux in the
church. In the course of time the
persons In the tableaux spoke and
moved, and SO. once again, after the
lapse of many centuries the drama
was reborn 'at the foot of the altar"
But soon this sort of thing. even tho
religious and appropriate to the
church, was outgrown and the Mir
aeie' plays, as they were called, came
into being and were performed In
front OF the church. often on wagons,
III lieu OF stage. The underlying
subject was Biblical in it's nature, the
garden of Eden being favorite; Adam
and Eve appeared in appropriate at
| llre-or lack of 1.-THE devil enlivened
The scene in many ways, accompanied
by jokes and laughter, and so religious
subjects were presented to the unde-
veloped people of the middle ages.
The figure of Deity enthroned on a
wagon, did not shock the semsbilities
of the age and soon the religious
drama became most important fea.
ture of the life of the day.
But before long the idea of merely
reproducing Biblical characters gave
way to desire to create new char
acters and the Morality play found
its origin.
Life was personified-the World, the
Flesh and the Devil, were bodied forth
by persons, while Pleasure, Unhappi.
ness, Good Deeds, SANDER, and all the
experiences of life found their appro
PIRATE representation.
The taking of these parts well re-
quired no slight amount of ability.
and for the first time, trained, profes
sional actors, who did nothing but aci
for living. came into being and the
way was prepared fol the stage of
Marlowe, Greene. Shakespeare.
Among these so-cailed Morality
plays was one which lowered above
all others in its popularity and mean,
ing, and its appeal 1t was appropri
ately called Everyman." 1t began
with the voice of God. calling to Hia
mighty messenger, Death, to 20 to
ENeryman and big him prepare for
long pilgrimage.
And so Death talks TO Everyman and
EVeryman TO Death. Everyman tries
by pleadings and by bribes to obtain
respite, but only gets permission to
takes companions II he can find any
who will accompany him
Friendship enters, and seeing Every
mans grief, asks its cause, vowing his
readiness to do anything for him, bu;
when he hears his friends request he
refuses to go foot with him
Appeals to Kindred are no more
successful.
He turns to Cousin, who refuses TO
go single step.
And dearly loved Goods, or Prop
erty, simply mock at him
At last. in despair. Everyman turns
to his long-neglected friend. Good
Deeds, but she is lying cold and weak
upon the ground. bound by Every
mans sins, and though she longs to
help him all she can do is to introduce
him to Knowledge. Knowledge brings
him TO Confession and after he has
confessed his sins with tears and
groans Good Deeds is able to stand
upon her feet and with Beauty,
Strength and Discretion accompanies
him to the grave.
At the sight of 1t Beauty flees away,
Strength deserts him, Discretion will
have nothing to do with such grew
some place; only Good Deeds remains
sinking down into the grave with Ev-
eryman. And an angel is heard sing
ing Eyeryman's welcome into heaven.
Such was the Morality play of Ev.
eryman. splendidly reproduced by
Charles Frohman a few years ago,
under the management of Ben Greet,
Constance crawley playing tn part of
"Everyman"
I have referred to it tonight be
cause | want to point out its wrong
teaching, and to draw lesson which
may have a meaning even for the
Best People On Earth
This Morality play belonged to the
Middle Ages; it long antedales the
Reformation. 1t teaches justification
by Good Works, and we are not saved
by what we do, but by what we are.
The stage of today. take it as a
| whole. is rightly condemned. but we
are beginning to witness the strivipgs
of better things.
All last winter. for months and
months. the Servant in the House"
ran in New York, the point of which
was to show the influence of God in