“What is your wylle, Lord, fayn wold I wete.”
P. 59, l. 30. The comaundment of thi Lord God.] It is almost unnecessary
to remark that this and the following line are quite distinct from the
stanza, and are intended as a translation of the Latin given above.
P. 61, l. 1. Assumens.] Sic in MS. pro _assumes_.
P. 61, l. 19. Sanctificet.] Sic in MS. pro _sanctificetur_.
P. 62, l. 32. Makaberis.] Sic in MS. pro _mæchabaris_.
P. 64, l. 6. Bos.] Sic in MS. pro _bovem_.
P. 65, l. 13. For to dwelle.] Add a semicolon at the end of this line.
P. 70. THE BARRENNESS OF ANNA.] This pageant is founded on the
apochryphal gospel of the Birth of Mary. The same story is also found in
the Protevangelion of James.
P. 73, l. 27. Catando.] Sic in MS. pro _cantando_.
P. 75, l. 10. Offens.] Place a colon after this word.
P. 79. MARY IN THE TEMPLE.] This pageant is also founded on the
apochryphal gospel of the Birth of Mary.
P. 81, l. 22. Explexendo.] Sic in MS. pro _amplexendo_.
P. 83, l. 28. For.] Perhaps _fere_.
P. 84, l. 29. Dele the comma after the word “bretheryn.”
P. 88, l. 13. In your name Maria.] Lydgate, in MS. Harl. 2255, fol. 141,
has given three similar acrostics of the name of the blessed Virgin.
P. 90, l. 1. Ab Ysakar.] Sic in MS. pro _Abysakar_. This pageant was
privately printed by Mr. Collier, 12mo. Lond. 1836. The argument is taken
from the apochryphal gospel of the Birth of Mary. Lydgate, in the fifth
chapter of his Life of the Virgin, introduces the chief incidents here
employed.
P. 94, l. 29. So.] Perhaps _yow_.
P. 94, l. 31 to p. 95, l. 22. This is added to the MS. in a more recent
handwriting.
P. 97, l. 20. Episcopus comyth, thens Joseph.] Owing to this line being
inserted in the MS. as a stage direction, and the deficiency of the
metre, it has been arranged erroneously. It should be as follows:—
_Episcopus._ Comyth thens.
_Joseph._ Sere, he may evyl go, &c.
P. 99, l. 13. Foreschyth.] So in MS. for _floreschyth_.
P. 101, l. 8. Sere, xalle ffulffyl.] The pronoun _I_ is probably omitted
before the word _xalle_.
P. 105. THE SALUTATION AND CONCEPTION.] Part of the argument of this
pageant may be found in the apocryphal gospel of the Birth of Mary. The
incident of the council of the Trinity is given in the _Speculum Vitæ
Christi_, and in Lydgate’s Life of the Virgin.
P. 105, l. 22. Babys.] Probably _balys_.
P. 112, l. 16. This name Eva is turnyd Ave.] Compare MS. Harl. 2255, fol.
140, a poem in praise of the Virgin:
Heyl sterre of Jacob, glorie of Israelle!
Eva transfformyd the lettrys wel out sought;
Into thy closet whan that Gabryelle
With this wourd Ave hath the tydynges brought.
P. 113, l. 17. But I aske it xal be do.] The word _how_ has probably been
omitted after _aske_.
P. 114, l. 31. Bemys.] Mr. Collier, Hist. Dram. Poet. ii. 176, writes
_bennys_, and considers that the word means _benedicites_. I confess I do
not see the necessity of such an explanation, for it appears simply to
signify _beams_, and there was doubtlessly some contrivance to represent
them on the stage.
P. 117. JOSEPH’S RETURN.] This pageant is founded upon the apochryphal
gospel of the Birth of Mary.
P. 124. THE VISIT TO ELIZABETH.] This pageant is founded upon the
Protevangelion of James.
P. 130, l. 12. Leve.] Dele the semicolon after this word.
P. 131. THE TRIAL OF JOSEPH AND MARY.] This pageant is likewise founded
upon the narrative in the Protevangelion of James.
P. 131, l. 6. Alle the rowte.] The subsequent enumeration of names was
obviously inserted, observes Mr. Collier, “for the sake of producing
merriment among the spectators.” A somewhat similar list of names occurs
in _Cocke Lorelles Bote_, among which I find two, viz., Pers Potter
and Phyllyp Fletcher, that are also in this list. Hone, Marriott, and
Collier, who have quoted this very singular part of these mysteries,
place it at the end of the preceding pageant, but the reason for the
change I have made will be sufficiently obvious on perusal.
P. 131, l. 25. And loke ye rynge wele in your purs.] This is important,
as showing that money was collected for the performances. The author
of a very curious sermon against miracle-plays generally, in a MS. of
the fourteenth century, preserved in the parish library of St. Martin’s
in the Fields, expressly complains of the money that was spent in this
manner:—“So this myraclis pleyinge is verré witnesse of mennus averice
and coveytise byfore, that is maumetrie, as seith the apostele, for that
that thei shulden spendyn upon the nedis of ther neyeboris, thei spenden
upon the pleyis, and to peyen ther rente and ther dette thei wolen
grucche, and to spende two so myche upon ther pley thei wolen nothinge
grucche. Also to gideren men togidere to bien the derre ther vetailis,
and to stiren men to glotonye, and to pride and boost, thei pleyn thes
myraclis, and also to han wherof to spenden on these myraclis, and to
holde felawschipe of glotonye and lecherie in sich dayes of myraclis
pleyinge, thei bisien hem beforn to more gredily bygilen ther neybors,
in byinge and in sellyng; and so this pleyinge of myraclis now on dayes
is werré witnesse of hideous coveytise, that is maumetrie.”—_Reliquiæ
Antiquæ_, vol. ii., p. 54.
P. 135, l. 13. To set a cokewolde on the hye benche.] This appears to
be an allusion to the old ballad of _The Cokwoldes Daunce_, or similar
production. King Arthur was represent as giving the first place at table,
or a seat on the high bench on the daïs, to men of this order—
“Than seyd thei all at a word,
That cokwoldes schuld begynne the bord,
And sytt hyest in the halle.”
The _Cokwoldes Daunce_ is printed in Von Karajan’s Frühlingsgabe, 12mo.
Vienna, 1839.
P. 137, l. 15. “Fayr chylde, lullay,” sone must she syng.] Lullay is a
very common burden to the old nursery songs, one of the oldest of which
is preserved in MS. Harl. 913, and has been printed by Ritson. Sharp has
printed the following, which, as belonging to a Coventry pageant, will be
appropriately introduced in this place:—
Lully, lulla, thow littell tiné child;
By, by, lully, lullay, thow littell tyné child:
By, by, lully, lullay.
O, sisters too,
How may we do
For to preserve this day
This pore yongling,
For whom we do singe
By, by, lully, lullay.
Herod the king,
In his raging
Chargith he hath this day
His men of might,
In his owne sight,
All yonge children to slay.
That wo is me,
Pore child for thee,
And ever morne and say.
For thi parting,
Nether say nor singe
By, by, lully, lullay.
P. 139, l. 16. Now, sere.] This line ought to be pointed thus,
“Now, sere, evyl thedom com to thi snowte!”
The ignorant transcriber of the MS. has written “Thedom” as a proper
name, which is an evident absurdity.
P. 140, l. 30. Whylle that it dede snow.] The story of the child of
snow was very popular in the middle ages, and is often alluded to. It
is briefly told in Latin verse by Geoffrey de Vinsauf, Nov. Poetr. ap.
Leyser, Hist. Poet. Med. Æv. pp. 901, 903; and at greater length in a
French fabliau of the thirteenth century, printed in the collection of
Méon, tom. iii. p. 215, analysed in Legrand d’Aussy, tom. iii. p. 84. It
occurs at a later period in the celebrated collection, entitled _Les Cent
Nouvelles Nouvelles_ (ed. Le Roux de Lincy, Paris, 1841, tom. i. p. 153),
and in many other similar works composed in Italy and France.
P. 145. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.] The Protevangelion of James is the
authority for this pageant.
P. 146, l. 1. It is clepyd a chery tre.] This fable of the cherry tree
is the subject of a well known Christmas carol, which has been printed
by Hone, _Ancient Mysteries Described_, p. 90. See also Collier’s Hist.
Dram. Poet. vol. ii. p. 179.
P. 153, l. 2. Ulverando.] Sic in codice MS., sed forte _ululando_.
P. 158, l. 29. This songe begynne.] In old miniatures the shepherds are
often represented playing on bagpipes.
P. 168, l. 13, to p. 170, l. 31. This is added to the original manuscript
in a more recent hand.
P. 192, l. 9. Lyke as the sunne doth pers the glas.] “He lyted within her
as the sonne-shyne thurgh the glas.”—MS. Sloan. 3160, fol. 38.
P. 199, l. 1, to p. 200, l. 30. This is added to the manuscript in a more
recent hand.
P. 199, l. 8. He.] Probably _ye_.
P. 199, l. 24. Ys.] Probably _your_.
P. 210, l. 5. I xal the shewe many a ceté.] It will be observed that, in
the enumeration of countries which follows, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales
are mentioned, with the omission of England, a proof, perhaps, that the
writer had transferred the scene of action into his own country.
P. 217, l. 9. Indeploydo.] So in MS. for _in diploide_, a Latinized form
from the Greek word διπλοις, a double robe; see Glos.
P. 222, l. 17. Jhesus.] This is erased in the MS., and the word “doctor”
substituted in a more recent hand.
P. 235, l. 28. Ther he doth lyve in cave.] For _lyve_ read _lyne_. The
same expression occurs at p. 227, l. ult.
P. 239, l. 16. Berere of lyth.] _i. e._, Lucifer.
P. 242, l. 7. With syde lokkys.] “Over thin eyn and thin here” is here
inserted in the MS.
P. 245, l. 16. Prose.] So in MS., but perhaps it ought to be _profe_.
P. 262, l. 17. With wyld hors lete hym be drawe.] This mode of punishment
was very common in the middle ages. It is again alluded to at p. 290.
P. 275, l. 28. Xad.] So in MS., but probably _shad_, as I do not find _x_
for _sh_ in any similar case.
P. 289, l. 20. Takyn his schaffalde.] We have an early notice of these
vehicles in Chaucer, in the Milleres Tale, where he speaks of the “joly”
clerk Absolon—
“Somtime to shew his lightnesse and maistrie
He plaieth Herode on a skaffold hie.”
The parish-clerks, says Tyrwhit, had always a principal share in the
representation of mysteries. See notes to Canterbury Tales, v. 3384,
Sharp’s Dissertation on the Coventry Mysteries, p. 17, and Reliquiæ
Antiquæ, vol. i. p. 322.
P. 297, l. 13. Et cantabit gallus.] This was accomplished by one of the
company, and a proficiency in the imitation was probably aimed at and
accomplished. Among the accounts published by Mr. Sharp is the following
entry:—“Paid to Fawston for coc croyng, iiij. d.”—Dissertation, p. 36.
P. 313, l. 4. Whi spekest not me to.] A great deal of this is merely
paraphrased from the vulgate. Pilate “seide to Jhesu, of whenis art thou?
but Jhesus gaf noon answere to him. Pilat seith to him, spekist thou not
to me, wost thou not that I have power to crucifie thee, and I have power
to delivere thee.”—John, chap. xix, Wickliffe’s version.
P. 329. THE DESCENT INTO HELL.] The oldest mystery in the English
language is founded on this subject, a very popular theme, the principal
authority for which is the gospel of Nicodemus. It is related in Piers
Ploughman, ed. Wright, p. 385-393.
The print of Christ harrowing hell, published by Hearne, and the unique
illustration which it affords to two passages in Shakespeare, are too
well known to require a more particular notice.
P. 338. THE RESURRECTION.] The writer of the sermon against mysteries
before quoted is very severe on the performance of so sacred a subject as
the present. “In the dayes of ceremonial religion,” says Lambarde, “they
used at Wytney to set foorthe yearly in manner of a shew or interlude,
the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Chryste, partly of purpose to
draw thyther some concourse of people that might spend their money in the
towne, but chiefly to allure by pleasant spectacle the comon sort to the
likinge of Popish maumetrie; for the which purpose, and the more lyvely
thearby to exhibite to the eye the hole action of the Resurrection,
the pristes garnished out certein smalle puppets, representinge the
persons of Christe, the watchmen, Marie, and others, amongest the which
one bare the parte of a wakinge watcheman, who, espiinge Christ to
arise, made a continual noyce, like to the sound that is caused by the
metinge of two styckes, and was thereof comonly called Jack Snacker of
Wytney.”—_Dictionarium Angliæ Topographicum et Historicum_, Lond. 1730,
p. 459.
P. 346, l. 11, 12.
Harde gatys have I gon,
And peynes sofryd many on.
These lines bear a very remarkable resemblance to two others in the early
mystery of the Harrowing of Hell, recently printed, and would lead us
to think that the author of the Coventry play had had the other in his
recollection:—
“Hard gates havy gon,
Sorewen soffred mony on.”—p. 15.
P. 361, l. 27. To stey to my fadyr.] “Touche me not yet, for I have not
yet stied up to my fadir; but go to my brethren and seie to them, I stie
to my fadir and to youre fadir, to my God and to youre God.”—John, xx.
Wickliffe’s translation.
P. 362, l. 21. But now in herte.] This and the following twenty-one lines
are repeated in the MS. in a different hand.
P. 383. THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN. The whole of this pageant is
written in a more recent hand, of the time, I should think, of Henry
VIII. It will be observed that this composition differs considerably from
the other plays.
P. 402, l. 1. Clamavit.] The Latinity throughout the MS. is very bad, but
I have suffered it generally to remain as a criterion of the reliance to
be placed upon the MS. text.