374 Elbert N. S. Thompson 
hym to the Flete, & after he sent for the yong gentlemen, that 
plaied in the plaie, and them highly rebuked and thretened.” So 
also objection was taken to a play in 1533 that offered “ defamation 
of certain cardinals.”! But in the same year Wolsey and the De- 
fender of the Faith looked with equanimity upon John Ritwise’s 
play, already referred to, that handled to his discomfiture “the 
herretyke, Lewtar.”* It mattered much whose ox was gored. 
The most serious agitation was caused in 1537 by the performance 
at Cambridge of the noted anti-papal play, Pammachius. A half 
dozen letters passed between Bishop Gardiner and Vice-Chancellor 
Parker in reference to the occurrence, the former reporting that 
he had heard many protests from the papists, and demanding a 
rigorous investigation, the latter assuring the bishop that all offen- 
sive passages had been omitted in the performance. But the 
bishop still believed that the play had spoken contemptuously of 
Lenten fastings, the mass, and, in fact, all ceremonies, although it was 
wrong to “mok and skorne the direction of ther prince in matier 
of religion.” The official investigation that he ordered brought out 
no cause for offense; but the play-book that was forwarded to the 
bishop confirmed his suspicions, and on his order the players were 
summoned before the college authorities for reprimand and apol- 
ogy.* 
Nevertheless, at this time Henry seems to have permitted plays 
that encouraged religious reform. It was not till Cromwell’s dis- 
placement in 1540 that Henry turned his favor from the reformers. 
Then the law was passed forbidding plays to meddle with inter- 
pretation of Scripture. This of course was repealed by Edward, 
who himself, it is said, wrote a comedy, De Meretrice Babylonca.’ 
A later law forbade on the stage any derision of the Book of 
Common Prayer.6 But with the coming of Mary to the throne, 
royal policy was again reversed by a comprehensive proclamation 
making requisite, as a precaution against “sedition and false rumors,” 
a license for every play.7. This provision did not altogether forestall 
trouble®; but Elizabeth saw fit to renew it, and no plays were 

1 Chambers, 2. 220. 2 See above, 364. 
3 J. Lamb, 4 Collection of Letters, Statutes, and Other Documents from the 
MS. Library of Corp. Christ. Coll. ondon, 1838, 49-57. See above, 367. 
4 Chambers, 2. 220—21. 
5 1 Edw. VE, c, 12 ‘Also (Chambers, 2: 222: 
f 2 eandyS Wdwe Vale sele 
7 Quoted by Hazlitt, Anelish Drama, 15—18. 
> Gildersleeve, 11—12. 

