The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-12-23

some 10000 verses and had rehearsed the actors
in their parts, that all was in readiness On
the morning Of the twentyfourth the play would
begin in the market place of the city, and by
the grace of God it would be finished by even
ing of the day following. Let all attend The
crier then MAIDS proclamation for the mayor that
all shops save those of the victualers should be
closed on those two days. Citizens need have no
fear at leaving their houses unguarded. for sDe-
cial troops of the archers would patrol the city,
and Furthermore the gates of the town would be
closed against either ingress or egress. Let all
attend
Now let us turn attention to the market
Mace It is a large square in the center of Rouen.
into which the principal thoroughfares OF the
city debouch. On all of its four sides Is coniu
sion Along one entire dimension is being erect
ed a row of private boxes for the mayor and
other digntaries of the town, and for such OF the
clergy as are not impersonatng parts in the mys-
tery. The two abutting sides are given over to
the vlctualers, whose booths will feed the hungry
tbrongs during the entre'actes of the play. And
the fourth side that facing the private boxes is
allotted for the stage. In all, this structure CON-
masses some 10000 square feet; but this small
snace for the time represents two countries, Pal
estine and Italy--to say nothing of two realms
not to be located with so much geographical GER
tainty-paradse and hell.
On its extreme left is Nazareth, and the house
~-ONNON
there is to the town, except sign board In
scrbed with the name of the place. Next is
Bethlehem, typfed by an inn and stable ana
lust beyond Bethlehem lies mansion, or cur
tanned off square At~the appropriate moment
the screen here will be withdrawn, disclosing TO
the ewes of the onlookers the band of shepherds,
watching their focks by night, and incidentally
making the welkin ring with the sound of song
and shrilling of the pipes. The field of the shep.
herds lies betwixt Bethlehem and Jerusalem that
is to say betwiXt the inn and stable and the
house of Herod which stands for the holy city.
The next few feet leap oceans, for at the side OF
Herods house stands the temple of Apollo IN
Rome. the chamber of the Roman emperor and
the capitol. besides the haunt of the Sibyl, that
strange figure of medieval church lore, who, pa
gan though she was ranked with the Hebrew
nrophets and was celebrated In the greatest OF
church songs the "Dies Irae." along with David:
'Dies irae, dies lila,
Solvet saecum in favila,
Teste David cum Sibyla.'
Adjoining the house of the Sibyl is limbo. So
close are they that during the course of the play
their inmates can reach across the intervening
space and exchange the courtesy of sip of wine
from the flask. Limbo is merely square tower
with front strongly grated 1t serves to hold
the materialized souls of such of the worthy de-
parted as dwelt on earth during the old dispense
tion Here will reside during the two days OF
the representation the prophets, the patriarchs
and select few of the pagans. Their lot is not
an unhappy one-they live only in unsatisfed
hope They may we'll be content with their fate
when they look upon their neighbors to the right
at the end of the row of spectacles. For here Is
hell.mouth OF all the grotesque and impressive
spectaces of the mystery play hell-mouth took
precedence The most skillful carpenters and
mechanicians were employed in its fabrication
and the art of the most expensive painter was
none too good for it's adornment. When complet
ed. hell-mouth stood IL or Is feet high and as