formances; and we find a violent attack upon them in the Manuel de Peché, an Anglo-French poem, written about the middle of the thirteenth century *. Robert de Brunne's English version of it bears date A. D. in 1303, and both that and his original (but 1303. especially the latter) give a minute and distinct account of the authors of Miracle-plays, their subjects, and the circumstances under which they were usually performed. The following extract is from that division of the poem which relates to the fourthe dedly synne,' where the author is speaking of a clerk of order,' and of the amusements into which he may, or may not be allowed to enter. Hyt ys forbodet hym yn the decre Hyt ys a gaderynt, a syght of synne §. He may yn the cherche, thurgh thys resun, Pley the resurreccyun ; * It is not at all clear to whom the authorship of the Manuel de Peché is to be assigned. At the commencement of the translation it is given to Robert Grossetete, who became Bishop of Lincoln in 1235; but at the end of several of the French MSS. it is claimed by William de Windinton, or Wadigton; and the body of the poem contains a story about Grossetete himself, which he would hardly have inserted had he been the writer. It is possible, that the Bishop produced the work under an assumed name. The Editor of Warton's Hist. Eng. Poet., edit. 8vo., is inclined to doubt the pretensions of Grossetete.-See vol. i. P. 62. n. s. + Forbidden. If. § Robert de Brunne often abridges and paraphrases his original, and these four lines are an instance in point. The French copy charges That ys to seye, how god rose, the clergy with being the contrivers or inventors of Miracle-plays, and mentions how they disguised and painted their faces in them : 'Un autre folie molt apert 'Ky est defendu en decré; 'Tant est greignur le peché.' I quote from the Royal MS. 20, B. xiv., which is more full and correct than any of the four copies among the Harleian MSS. * Strength and weakness. Forsan, Condition. ‡ In the introductory matter to The Castle of Perseverance, a MS. Moral in the collection of Hudson Gurney, Esq., M. P., of which more will be said hereafter, the audience is expressly told that the performance will take place on the green.' 'These percell in propyrtes we 'spose us to playe, 'This day sevenenyt be fore you in syth, Here N is put for the Nomen of the place, which was to be inserted by the person proclaiming the performances. In 1511, the miracle-play of St. George was acted in a croft, or field at Basingborne, and one shilling was paid for the hire of it on the occasion. See Warton, H. E. P., iv. 152, edit. 8vo. The argument seems to be, that it is a sight of sin to witness the He then quotes Seynt Ysodre,' to shew, that those who indulge themselves in these exhibitions forsake God and here crystendam * 'That make swyche† pleyys to any man, performance of Miracle-plays of the resurrection or birth of Christ, 6 on highways or greens,' but that they may be permitted in churches devoted to the service of God. Robert de Brunne here slurs over one of the points of his original, which runs thus: Cum Jhu Crist, le fiz dé, Esteit en sepulcre posé, Pur plus aver devociun ; Mes fere foles assemblez En le rues de citez, Ou en cemiters apres manger, Quant venunt les fous plus voluntier. Tuz dient ky le funt pur ben, Mes crere ne les plus pur ren. With reference to the performances in cemeteries, here reprobated, the following is from Warton (H. E. P., ii. 73). As to the religious 'dramas, it was customary to perform this species of play on holy • festivals in or about churches. In the register of William of Wyke'ham, Bishop of Winchester, under the year 1384, an episcopal injunction is recited against the exhibition of spectacula in the cemetery ' of his cathedral.' In a note, he cites several other instances of the same kind at other places; but he expresses a doubt as to the nature of these spectacula: had he seen the passage in the Manuel de Peché, where Miracles are expressly called spectacles, his doubt would have been removed. The author of the French original is very particular in stating to what performances he refers : เ 'Agens god thou brekest cunnaunt ' And servyst youre syre termagaunt. Seynt ysodre seyth yn hys wrytyng, 'Alle tho that delyte to se swyche thyng, 'Or hors, or harneys lenyth * partyl, 6 Yyt have they gylt of here peryl. 'Zyf prest or clerk lene † vestment, 'That halwed ys thurgh sacrament, This proves the practice which prevailed of lending horses, harness, and hallowed vestments from the monasteries, in order to get up Miracle-plays; which, it has been seen, was precisely the case with the performance under the care of Geoffrey at Dunstaple. The author proceeds to attack 'daunces, karols, somour games,' and concludes this part of the subject with some abuse of minstrels, that yn swyche thyngs delyte hem alle,' love nother god ne goddys hous,' and get their cloth, drink and meat,' by folly ‡. * Lendeth. + Lend. In an allegorical poem, written early in the fourteenth century, ́ representing life as a pilgrimage, and man as a pilgrim, the hero, in the course of his journey, encounters Satan, and the deadly sins. 'Gladnesse of the world' is represented as a minstrel, who invites the pilgrim to partake his pleasures: Telle on to me, and say not nay, 'What maner solace, or what maner play 'Loveste thou beste? tell on, late se, ' And I shall playen to fore the.' The hero is cast into a sea of trouble in consequence of listening too patiently to the harper, but is rescued by a character called ' God's The writer of the French Manuel de Peché, particularly reprobates the performance of Miracle-plays, en les rues de citez, which seems to point at the performance of plays or pageants, during the festival of Corpus Christi. It is supposed that these were first A. D. introduced into this country in the year 1268, 1268. very shortly after the festival of Corpus Christi had been established by Pope Urban IV. *: grace,' and the cardinal virtues: he narrowly escapes 'the tower of flame' of Satan; but finally triumphs, exclaiming, 'swyche playes I defye.' Cotton, MSS. Tiberius, A. vii. The quotations from Robert de Brunne are from Harl. MS. No. 1701. * In Bower's Lives of the Popes, vi. 268, the following account of the origin of the feast is given on the authority of St. Antonius, Archbishop of Florence. 'A priest, having spilt at mass some of the consecrated wine, it ap'peared upon the corporale (that is, upon the piece of linen on which the chalice and host are placed by the officiating priest) like so many 6 drops of blood. But Diestemius, Prior of the Benedictines at Liege, 'tells us that the priest being staggered in his belief of the real presence, 'blood flowed from the host into the chalice, and upon the corporale, The corporale being brought, bloody as it was, from Bolsena, where 'the miracle was supposed to have happened, to Orvieto, the Pope, ' after examining the priest and all who were present, was convinced of 'the miracle, and thereupon appointed the solemnity of Corpus Christi 'to be annually celebrated.' On this occasion, Urban IV. granted a pardon of a certain number of days to all who attended different parts of divine service at this festival. It is extant in Harl. MS. No. 955, under the following title: Here foloweth the pardon of corpus Christi fest, which is ' graunted bi pope urban the fourth, and bi pope martin the fift, and 'bi pope Eugeny the fourthe, and is witnessed bi the generall counsell of Basill.' It contains nothing about the representation of Miracle-plays; and, |