THE CONTENTS OF THE PASSION-PLAY 371 



After the Precursor's speech would follow, according 

 to circumstances, a variety of c prefigurations ' or scenes 

 from the Old Testament, usually commencing with the 

 Creation of the Angels and accompanied by the Fall of 

 Lucifer. In the Egerer and Luzerner Plays these scenes 

 occupied the morning of the first day, in the latter case 

 from six o'clock till two o'clock. Passing them by as 

 already sufficiently dealt with (p. 264), we may note 

 the Council of Lucifer and the Devils in hell, sum- 

 moned to devise a means of counteracting the work 

 of salvation. The devils determined to take active 

 steps to seduce the Jews from the path of virtue. The 

 devil's mother Hellekrugk assists at this conference, 

 which not improbably ends in blows. 1 The gospel story 

 now commences with the birth of the Virgin. The 

 sacrifice of Joachim is refused in the Temple, and he 

 leaves his wife Anna. The archangel Michael recalls 

 him, and he meets and embraces Anna at the golden 

 gate. She retires for a few moments and then returns 

 with a child, the Virgin. Thereupon the sacrifice of the 

 parents is received by the priest Isachar. To realise 

 these passion-play scenes the story of the Immaculate 

 Conception the reader has only to turn to Diirer's 

 illustrations of the Life of the Virgin. 2 We may 

 next have an incident or two from the Virgin's child- 

 hood, her life in the Temple, Isachar's determination 



1 C, pp. 5-13. See also Jubinal, Mysteres intdits, vol. ii. p. 38. 



2 See Cuts 2-6. These and several later incidents in the Virgin's life are taken 

 from the Protevangelion. Independent plays dealing with the Virgin were 

 popular, e.g. " dramatische voorstelling op Marialichtmis in de Lebuinus-kerk, 

 waarbii de kanunniken hem de rol van Maria met het kindele lieten vervullen " 

 (A.D. 1378-1411). See Acquoy, Het Klooster te Windesheim, Utrecht, 1875, i. 

 p. 273. 



