This boast doth me so great annoy
That I wax dull and clean dry.
Have done!--and fill the wine in high,
I die but I have drink.
Fill fast and let the cups fly
And go we hither hastily;
For I must ordain curiously
Against these Kings coming.
Such is the play of _The Three Kings_, and there can be no doubt
whatever of its fine dramatic effect. We cannot wonder that this
character of Herod is mentioned by old writers more than other
characters of the plays. Imperious and proud, firmly believing in his
own kingly right, but, like most ignorant people, profoundly impressed
by prophecies and vaticinations which he did not understand, Herod is
now impelled forward by swaggering pride and now dragged back by craven
fear and subtle influences.
The part gives the actor every opportunity to show forth his art, and
the calm, clear tones of the doctor quietly reading the scriptures give
the required dramatic contrast. The speeches show the traces of late
literary labour, and that we had got within measurable distance of
blank verse when the play received its last polish, though the original
play was probably founded on an early Latin one called _Herodes, sive
magorum adoratio_.[45]
“Postea Herodes interroget Scribas, dicens:
O vos scribae
Interrogati dicite
Si quid de hoc puero
Scriptum videritis in libro.
Tunc Scribae diu revolvant librum, et tandem inventa quasi prophetica
dicant....
Vidimus, Domine, in prophetarum
Lineis, nasci Christum
In Bethleem Iudae civitate
David propheta sic vaticinante.
Tunc Herodes, visa prophetica, furore accensus, _projiciat librum_,”
&c.
[45] See Wright’s _Early Mysteries_, p. 26.
This play, together with the play of _The Salutation and the Nativity_
and _The Shepherds’ Play_, was acted at Chester in 1906 by Mr. Nugent
Monck and his “English Drama Company” under the auspices of the Chester
and North Wales Archæological Society, and with success, but the
expense was too great to admit of the whole cycle being performed. The
same plays have also been performed in London by Mr. Monck’s company,
and by Mr. Benson’s company at Stratford-on-Avon during the Shakespeare
Commemoration week.
In conclusion, I would point out that the motto of the city of Chester
is curious and indeed unique:--
“Antiqui colant Antiquum Dierum.”
“_Let the ancient people worship the Ancient of Days._”
I cannot help thinking that this contains an occult reference to the
Chester Mystery Plays.