352 Elbert N. S. Thompson 
the scholar to postulate a French version of the legend dramatic 
in form. In these texts, Death gives his summons in the first line, 
and receives the answer of his victim in an eight-line stanza. To 
this Death replies in the first seven lines of the next stanza before 
turning in the eighth to the second victim. By this arrangement 
there is provided but a single figure for Death, instead of one for 
every scene as in the pictorial representations of the allegory, and 
this one figure was the moving force and the center of a bit of 
truly dramatic action. From this comes the deduction that the 
earliest Dance of Death was a dumb show or tableau accompanied 
by simple words of warning. But, according to Male, this drama 
had its roots in medieval homiletics. He shows that several early 
mural representations of the Dance of Death depict first, before 
Death is painted, a preacher as he addresses a group of worship- 
pers, and then Adam and Eve as they eat the forbidden fruit. Male 
concludes that the drama had its origin in a sermon on death which 
the preacher illustrated by simple acting.’ If so, another line of 
connection between the stage and the pulpit has been found. 
Appreciating the forcefulness of these earliest mimetic representa- 
tions of the Dance of Death, especially as a warning of the sequel of 
an ill-spent life, the authors of the moralities gave it their attention. 
“Here begynneth a treatyse how the hye fader of heuen sendeth 
dethe to somon euery creature to come and gyue a counte of theyr 
lyues in this worlde and is in maner of a morall playe,” reads the 
title of our finest sacred play. Upon the closing scenes of man’s 
earthly life the author focuses attention. The homiletic exposition 
of the sacraments and of confession is reduced to a minimum, and 
the early part of Everyman’s life of pleasure is given only by sug- 
gestion. With a sense of unity rare at that time, the play dwells 
on its one theme—death. 
The grim messenger sees his victim: 
Lo, yonder I see Everyman walking : 
Full little he thinketh on my coming: 
His mind is on fleshly lusts and his treasure; 
And great pain it shall cause him to endure 
Before the Lord, heaven’s King. (95) 
In vain the victim seeks to escape, or to find a companion: 
Oh, to whom shall I make my moan, 
For to go with me in that heavy journey ? 
1 391-93. 

