THE COSTUME OF THE PASSION-PLA Y 333 



dress, with white apron, cap, and long veil. She carries 

 a wooden or wax doll. The shepherds wear green 

 knee-breeches, with rose ribbons, green braces, and 

 white stockings, and carry a crook adorned with rib- 

 bons. 1 A prophet is smartly clad in silk-hat, spectacles, 

 frockcoat, and white stockings reaching to the knee. 

 He carries a telescope in his hand, apparently as a 

 symbol of the range of his vision, 2 etc. 



Much more detailed information as to costume may be 

 found in the English plays. The character of the ward- 

 robe may be indicated by a few extracts. In the Coventry 

 Mysteries (p. 224) we find Annas dressed as a ' bischop ' 

 of the old law in a scarlet gown, and over that a blue 

 tabberd furred with white, and a mitre on his head 

 * after the old law.' Two doctors stand beside him 

 with furred hoods, and one before him with his staff of 

 state, and each of them on their heads a furred cap 

 with a great knob on the crown, and " one standing 

 before him as a Saracen, the which shall be his mes- 

 senger." From the accounts of the Guild of Smiths at 

 Coventry published in part by Marriott, I extract the 

 following items : Cross with a rope to draw it up ; 

 gilding the pillar and cross ; two pair of gallows ; four 

 scourges ; standard of red buckram ; four jackets of 

 black buckram with nails and dice upon them for tor- 

 mentors ; God's coat of white leather, six skins ; a 

 staff for the demon ; crest of iron and falchion for 

 Herod ; cheverels (wigs) for God, Jesus, and Peter, the 

 latter two gilt ; a girdle for God ; a sudere or sweat- 

 cloth for the Veronica incident. In the Chester plays 



1 Q, pp. 113, 125. 2 E, p. 116. 



